Mighty Morphin back the first Black Ranger

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always brings back the first Black Ranger, all while proving that he was a better leader than the Red Ranger.

Given the nostalgia that drives Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Once & Always, it's no surprise that so many classic Power Rangers came back to face the team's original villain. This includes almost every shade of the classic Rangers, though not all of them get an equal amount of focus. In fact, it's an unexpected hero who ends up stealing the spotlight, showcasing his heretofore-overlooked leadership qualities.

Walter Jones returns as Zachary Taylor, the franchise's original Black Ranger. In many ways, his tenure on the classic series saw him as the unspoken second-in-command, with these traits being brought to the fore in the Netflix special. Thus, it's no wonder why he's the emotional core of Once & Always, being pivotal in many ways to setting its story in motion.

Once & Always Makes the Black Ranger More Important Than Ever

It's odd that so much of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Once & Always is based around the Black and Blue Rangers, though it makes sense. Walter Jones and David Yost hadn't reprised their roles as Zack Taylor and Billy Cranston for years, and their grand return to the franchise was momentous given that so many of the other old-school actors/characters had already come back. Thus, it was equally logical to frame so much of the story around them, with the other Rangers being essentially add-ons more than anything. In this respect, Zack stands out and becomes the dual protagonist along with Trini's daughter Minh.

Zack is Minh's guardian, having quit his congressional career to care for her after Rita killed her mother. He tries desperately to protect her, not wanting her to become a Power Ranger and put herself in harm's way. Likewise, he also cautions against her vengeful desires, knowing that such feelings aren't as based in justice as she thinks. This imparted selflessness is the key factor in allowing Trini's Morpher/Power Coin to work for Minh, thus letting the Yellow Mighty Morphin' Ranger be reborn. The film even ends centered on Minh, Billy and Zack, showing that they were the true protagonists. In doing so, it also highlights how much Zack has come into his own as the Rangers' new leader.

Zack Taylor Was the Power Rangers' Most Underrated Leader

The leadership qualities that Zachary Taylor embodies in Once & Always were already apparent in the original series. Throughout the first one and half seasons of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Zack was essentially the leader whenever Jason Lee Scott wasn't around. In fact, he was many times Jason's rock whenever the Red Ranger lost his footing, such as when he reminded him not to beat himself up when Green Ranger Tommy Oliver lost his powers. Zack was able to make firm decisions without being as swept up in emotions or the circumstances of a situation. Add in his being much more reliable than Tommy (who would conveniently forget his Morpher whenever there wasn't enough Super Sentai stock footage to use), and Zack might as well have been the leader anyway.

It helped that Zack came off as a normal person more so than some of the other Rangers. Kimberly and Billy felt like cliché takes on a valley girl and nerd in the initial seasons, whereas both Jason and Tommy felt a series of platitudes to make their leadership qualities stand out. Even with his somewhat comical "hip-hop kido," Zack was the most down to Earth while still being able to make the tough decisions and strike against Rita's forces. Those traits are only stronger in Once & Always, with his sacrificing for Minh and corralling a reunited team of Rangers proving that leadership isn't restricted to the color red.