Jason Lee Scott
Encyclopedia
Jason Lee Scott is a fictional character
in the Power Rangers
franchise, played by actor Austin St. John
. Jason is best remembered as the original Red Ranger from the first entry of the franchise, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
, as well as the leader of the original team of Power Rangers. He later becomes the second Gold Ranger in Power Rangers Zeo.
According to a contest held by ABC Family
in 2004, Jason was voted as the #1 Red Ranger of all time. A subsequent contest on Toon Disney
in 2007 also voted him as the most popular Red Ranger. As stated at the first Power Morphicon, Jason still holds this title.
, California
. In the beginning of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
, he is selected by Zordon
and Alpha 5
, along with his closest friends Zack Taylor
, Billy Cranston
, Trini Kwan
, and Kimberly Hart
, as the five "teenagers with attitude" to become the original Power Rangers and defend Earth from the forces of the evil Rita Repulsa
. When Zordon first confronts the teens to give them their powers, Jason is the only one who initially believes him. Jason becomes the Red Power Ranger, is given the Power Coin of the Tyrannosaurus
"Dinozord" (a type of Transformer
-esque robot
), obtains the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord, and is made the team leader. He leads the Rangers into many successful battles against Rita's monsters, establishing a rivalry with Rita's number one henchman Goldar
.
At first glance, Jason appears to be the stereotypical jock
type, primarily interested in sports—particularly martial arts
. Beneath the surface, however, he is big-hearted, outgoing, friendly, and always willing to help someone out when it is needed—such as when he takes Billy under his wing and teaches him martial arts to boost his confidence and teach him self-defense. Aside from martial arts, Jason is an accomplished athlete, weight trainer and certified scuba diving instructor.
When Tommy Oliver
is introduced, he becomes competitive rivals with Jason, matching him in a martial arts competition. Rita then manipulates Tommy, turning him into the evil Green Ranger, and sends him into battle. He later captures Jason, steals his Power Morpher and imprisons him in Rita's Dark Dimension where he would have to fight Goldar to retrieve his Morpher. The Green Ranger eventually arrives at the scene with orders to destroy Jason, however Billy, Trini, and Alpha manage to repair the damage Tommy did to the Command Center, in time to find Jason and retrieve him seconds before he is killed by Tommy. Later, Jason squares off with Tommy on Earth and ultimately defeats him when he hurls his energized Power Sword at the Green Ranger, disarming him, and then uses his Blade Blaster to destroy the Sword of Darkness that Rita had given to Tommy, due to the sword's ability to maintain her evil spell on him. Jason then convinces Tommy to join the team and use his powers against Rita.
Later, Rita crafts a Green Candle out of special wax that had been enchanted with Tommy's touch when he was evil. Once lit, the candle continues to burn until it is gone, and when it is, so too would Tommy's powers. Because Tommy's proximity to the candle accelerates the candle's melting process, Tommy is captured and placed in its proximity by Goldar. However, he eventually escapes and Jason is left to retrieve the candle. Jason does well in his fight with Goldar, but is recalled into the battle with Rita's Cyclops monster in order to save Tommy's life.
Following the failure of destroying the Green Candle, Tommy entrusts Jason with his Power Coin to prevent them falling into Rita's hands again, allowing him access to the Green Ranger's powers. This includes the Dragon Shield and the Dragon Dagger, which also allows him to call the Dragonzord to aid the Rangers, even while Jason controls the Megazord.
One of Jason's most cunning moments is the gambit he plays against Goldar, who kidnaps the parents of Angel Grove High's students, then ransoms them for the Ranger's five Power Coins. Jason would later reveal that though he gave up his Tyrannosaurus Power Coin to Goldar, he kept the Dragon Power Coin. With it, Tommy eventually regains his Green Ranger powers, retrieves the other Ranger's Power Coins and helps the team save their captive parents.
When Lord Zedd
arrives and overruns Rita, he sends his new brand of Putty Patrollers to Earth. The Putties possess superior strength to Rita's Putties, but it is Jason who discovers their weak spot. In order to compete with their new enemy's more powerful monsters, the Dinozords are upgraded into the mythical Thunderzords; Jason's being the Red Dragon
Thunderzord, which can transform into a humanoid form. As with the Tyrannosaurus, the Red Dragon is capable of defeating a monster on its own, separate from the Megazord formation.
Eventually, Tommy loses his Green Ranger powers for good, and Jason suffers from immense guilt because of it. Choosing to capitalize on Jason's vulnerability, Zedd creates candles for Zack, Billy, Trini and Kimberly that would remove their links to the Morphing Grid, just as Rita did to Tommy. Jason, with the help of Zordon's confidence in him, manages to save his friends and prevent them from losing their powers. Following the victory, Jason wins a martial arts trophy and dedicates it to Tommy, who soon after returns as the White Ranger and is named the new leader of the team by Zordon. Tommy still heavily relied on Jason, as shown in White Light Part II, where he asked for Jason's help because he was struggling to defeat Nimrod the Scarlett Sentinel, Jason then comes to Tommy's aid and together with the other rangers they defeated the Nimrod.
Some time later, Jason, Trini and Zack are chosen to act as ambassadors at a peace conference in Switzerland (after the actors playing the characters left the show over contract disputes), and are forced to leave the team. Zordon chooses Rocky DeSantos
to replace Jason as the Red Ranger.
Jason returns in Power Rangers Zeo, temporarily taking over the powers of the Gold Zeo Ranger from Trey of Triforia
when Trey is injured in a fight with Varox bounty hunters. Upon his return to the team he is also made second-in-command
. His return is greatly welcomed by his old friends Tommy and Billy, and he quickly makes new friends out of the newer Rangers Adam Park
, Katherine Hillard
and Tanya Sloan
. However, Rocky soon becomes disturbed by his teammates' love for Jason, as he feels he is being replaced by the Ranger he had replaced. After risking his life to prove himself to be worthy despite Jason's popularity, Rocky eventually accepts Jason as a friend and adopts the same jovial relationship with Jason that Rocky has with everyone else. When Tommy is kidnapped by Prince Gasket, Jason would step up as leader of the team once again until they were able to save Tommy and bring him back. Jason is also chosen by Tanya to become the guardian of Auric the Conqueror for a time. During Zeo, Tommy shows a deep dependence on Jason's advice when it comes to leadership decisions.
Jason returns the Gold Ranger powers to Trey in the final episode of Zeo when it is discovered that he cannot handle the powers much longer, as they are draining away - along with his own life force - due to the Gold Ranger powers not being intended for human physiology. However, there are no apparent long-term effects, and Jason appears perfectly healthy after the powers are transferred back to Trey.
. They are first seen scuba diving together, but are then kidnapped by the villainess Divatox and are briefly brainwashed to fight against the Turbo Rangers. It appears that the evil influence enhanced his own negative aspects, as at one point he taunts Tommy with "Now I'm the one with the muscles and the power!". After being restored to normal by Lerigot, he once again fades into the background, with Jason's final appearance in the film being replacing the injured Rocky in a martial arts tournament and ultimately winning the match, alongside Tommy and Adam.
, a force of villains that Jason had previously battled as the Gold Ranger. After the events of "Forever Red," Jason returns to living a normal life, though he presumably still retains his Red Ranger powers.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
franchise, played by actor Austin St. John
Austin St. John
Austin St. John is a former American actor and martial artist known for his role in the popular Power Rangers children's television series as Jason Lee Scott, the original Red Ranger and first leader of the Power Rangers. He is an emergency medical technician and firefighter.-Personal life:St...
. Jason is best remembered as the original Red Ranger from the first entry of the franchise, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is an American live-action children's television series based on the 16th installment of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Both the show and its related merchandise saw unbridled overnight success, catapulting into pop culture in mere months...
, as well as the leader of the original team of Power Rangers. He later becomes the second Gold Ranger in Power Rangers Zeo.
According to a contest held by ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
in 2004, Jason was voted as the #1 Red Ranger of all time. A subsequent contest on Toon Disney
Toon Disney
Toon Disney was an American cable television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company. A spinoff of Disney Channel, it mostly aired children's animated series and some live action programming. Its format had similarities to those of Cartoon Network and Nicktoons...
in 2007 also voted him as the most popular Red Ranger. As stated at the first Power Morphicon, Jason still holds this title.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Jason is a martial artist from the fictional town of Angel GroveAngel Grove
Angel Grove is the fictional town in the Power Rangers universe, the setting for much of the action of the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and its immediate sequels. Angel Grove is presumably a fictional suburb of Los Angeles, California, however no specific location was ever...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In the beginning of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is an American live-action children's television series based on the 16th installment of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Both the show and its related merchandise saw unbridled overnight success, catapulting into pop culture in mere months...
, he is selected by Zordon
Zordon
Zordon is a powerful wizard and mentor to the Power Rangers franchise, appearing in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers television series and many of its subsequent incarnations....
and Alpha 5
Alpha 5
Alpha 5 is a fictional robot on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers television series. On Alpha's chest is a yellow stylized lightning bolt similar to the Power Rangers' lightning bolt symbol, but inverted. His head is in the shape of a golden flying saucer with a visor that flashes when he is speaking...
, along with his closest friends Zack Taylor
Zack Taylor
Zachary "Zack" Taylor is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe, appearing in the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He is the original Black Ranger of the first generation of Power Rangers...
, Billy Cranston
Billy Cranston
Billy Cranston is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe. He is the Blue Ranger in the series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, portrayed by actor David Yost. Billy is the only original Power Ranger to remain for the entire MMPR series, and is the third longest-serving Ranger overall...
, Trini Kwan
Trini Kwan
Trini Kwan is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe, portrayed by Vietnamese actress Thuy Trang. She is best remembered as the original Yellow Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the first entry of the franchise....
, and Kimberly Hart
Kimberly Hart
Kimberly Ann Hart is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe. She was played by actress Amy Jo Johnson during the first three seasons of the show, plus on the two feature films of the franchise. Kimberly is best remembered as the first Pink Ranger from the first entry of the franchise...
, as the five "teenagers with attitude" to become the original Power Rangers and defend Earth from the forces of the evil Rita Repulsa
Rita Repulsa
Rita Repulsa is a fictional character from the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. She is based on the Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger villain Witch Bandora...
. When Zordon first confronts the teens to give them their powers, Jason is the only one who initially believes him. Jason becomes the Red Power Ranger, is given the Power Coin of the Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
"Dinozord" (a type of Transformer
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
-esque robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
), obtains the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord, and is made the team leader. He leads the Rangers into many successful battles against Rita's monsters, establishing a rivalry with Rita's number one henchman Goldar
Goldar
Goldar , is a fictional character from the Power Rangers universe, first appearing in the American series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He is based on the Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger villain Grifforzer. He is a powerful yet very overconfident warrior that served under the command of Rita Repulsa and...
.
At first glance, Jason appears to be the stereotypical jock
Jock (subculture)
The term jock, when used primarily in the United States, refers to the classic stereotype of a male athlete. It is generally a negative stereotype, and is attributed mostly to high school and college athletics participants who form a distinct youth subculture. In sociology, the jock is thought to...
type, primarily interested in sports—particularly martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
. Beneath the surface, however, he is big-hearted, outgoing, friendly, and always willing to help someone out when it is needed—such as when he takes Billy under his wing and teaches him martial arts to boost his confidence and teach him self-defense. Aside from martial arts, Jason is an accomplished athlete, weight trainer and certified scuba diving instructor.
When Tommy Oliver
Tommy Oliver
Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Oliver is a fictional character from the universe of the American children's television franchise Power Rangers. He is a main character in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series, as well as four of its successive incarnations Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo,...
is introduced, he becomes competitive rivals with Jason, matching him in a martial arts competition. Rita then manipulates Tommy, turning him into the evil Green Ranger, and sends him into battle. He later captures Jason, steals his Power Morpher and imprisons him in Rita's Dark Dimension where he would have to fight Goldar to retrieve his Morpher. The Green Ranger eventually arrives at the scene with orders to destroy Jason, however Billy, Trini, and Alpha manage to repair the damage Tommy did to the Command Center, in time to find Jason and retrieve him seconds before he is killed by Tommy. Later, Jason squares off with Tommy on Earth and ultimately defeats him when he hurls his energized Power Sword at the Green Ranger, disarming him, and then uses his Blade Blaster to destroy the Sword of Darkness that Rita had given to Tommy, due to the sword's ability to maintain her evil spell on him. Jason then convinces Tommy to join the team and use his powers against Rita.
Later, Rita crafts a Green Candle out of special wax that had been enchanted with Tommy's touch when he was evil. Once lit, the candle continues to burn until it is gone, and when it is, so too would Tommy's powers. Because Tommy's proximity to the candle accelerates the candle's melting process, Tommy is captured and placed in its proximity by Goldar. However, he eventually escapes and Jason is left to retrieve the candle. Jason does well in his fight with Goldar, but is recalled into the battle with Rita's Cyclops monster in order to save Tommy's life.
Following the failure of destroying the Green Candle, Tommy entrusts Jason with his Power Coin to prevent them falling into Rita's hands again, allowing him access to the Green Ranger's powers. This includes the Dragon Shield and the Dragon Dagger, which also allows him to call the Dragonzord to aid the Rangers, even while Jason controls the Megazord.
One of Jason's most cunning moments is the gambit he plays against Goldar, who kidnaps the parents of Angel Grove High's students, then ransoms them for the Ranger's five Power Coins. Jason would later reveal that though he gave up his Tyrannosaurus Power Coin to Goldar, he kept the Dragon Power Coin. With it, Tommy eventually regains his Green Ranger powers, retrieves the other Ranger's Power Coins and helps the team save their captive parents.
When Lord Zedd
Lord Zedd
Lord Zedd is a fictional villain from the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers who was introduced at the beginning of the show's second season. Unlike Rita Repulsa, the show's original villain, Zedd was a character made specifically for Power Rangers without any prior counterpart in the Japanese...
arrives and overruns Rita, he sends his new brand of Putty Patrollers to Earth. The Putties possess superior strength to Rita's Putties, but it is Jason who discovers their weak spot. In order to compete with their new enemy's more powerful monsters, the Dinozords are upgraded into the mythical Thunderzords; Jason's being the Red Dragon
Chinese dragon
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs...
Thunderzord, which can transform into a humanoid form. As with the Tyrannosaurus, the Red Dragon is capable of defeating a monster on its own, separate from the Megazord formation.
Eventually, Tommy loses his Green Ranger powers for good, and Jason suffers from immense guilt because of it. Choosing to capitalize on Jason's vulnerability, Zedd creates candles for Zack, Billy, Trini and Kimberly that would remove their links to the Morphing Grid, just as Rita did to Tommy. Jason, with the help of Zordon's confidence in him, manages to save his friends and prevent them from losing their powers. Following the victory, Jason wins a martial arts trophy and dedicates it to Tommy, who soon after returns as the White Ranger and is named the new leader of the team by Zordon. Tommy still heavily relied on Jason, as shown in White Light Part II, where he asked for Jason's help because he was struggling to defeat Nimrod the Scarlett Sentinel, Jason then comes to Tommy's aid and together with the other rangers they defeated the Nimrod.
Some time later, Jason, Trini and Zack are chosen to act as ambassadors at a peace conference in Switzerland (after the actors playing the characters left the show over contract disputes), and are forced to leave the team. Zordon chooses Rocky DeSantos
Rocky DeSantos
Rocky DeSantos is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe. In the second season of the television show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, he joined the team as the second Red Ranger...
to replace Jason as the Red Ranger.
Power Rangers Zeo
Trey of Triforia
Trey of Triforia is a fictional character and hero from the Power Rangers universe, appearing in the television series Power Rangers Zeo.Trey is the prince of the planet Triforia , and a member of the race of Triforians...
when Trey is injured in a fight with Varox bounty hunters. Upon his return to the team he is also made second-in-command
Second-in-command
The Second-in-Command is the deputy commander of any British Army or Royal Marines unit, from battalion or regiment downwards. He or she is thus the equivalent of an Executive Officer in the United States Army...
. His return is greatly welcomed by his old friends Tommy and Billy, and he quickly makes new friends out of the newer Rangers Adam Park
Adam Park
Adam Park is a fictional major character from the universe of the American television series franchise Power Rangers, played by Johnny Yong Bosch. He is a main character in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series, as well as three of its successive incarnations Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers,...
, Katherine Hillard
Katherine Hillard
Katherine 'Kat' Hillard is a fictional character in the Power Rangers franchise. She was played by Australian-American actress Catherine Sutherland in adult form, and by Julia Jordan in child form...
and Tanya Sloan
Tanya Sloan
Tanya Sloan, originally named Kenya Sloan, is a fictional character and hero in the Power Rangers universe, appearing in the television series Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo. She is played by Nakia Burrise and is introduced as living with an African tribe...
. However, Rocky soon becomes disturbed by his teammates' love for Jason, as he feels he is being replaced by the Ranger he had replaced. After risking his life to prove himself to be worthy despite Jason's popularity, Rocky eventually accepts Jason as a friend and adopts the same jovial relationship with Jason that Rocky has with everyone else. When Tommy is kidnapped by Prince Gasket, Jason would step up as leader of the team once again until they were able to save Tommy and bring him back. Jason is also chosen by Tanya to become the guardian of Auric the Conqueror for a time. During Zeo, Tommy shows a deep dependence on Jason's advice when it comes to leadership decisions.
Jason returns the Gold Ranger powers to Trey in the final episode of Zeo when it is discovered that he cannot handle the powers much longer, as they are draining away - along with his own life force - due to the Gold Ranger powers not being intended for human physiology. However, there are no apparent long-term effects, and Jason appears perfectly healthy after the powers are transferred back to Trey.
Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie
Jason and Kimberly both return in Turbo: A Power Rangers MovieTurbo: A Power Rangers Movie
Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie is a 1997 American superhero action science fantasy film directed by David Winning and Shuki Levy. It is set in the Power Rangers universe, serving as a bridge between Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo...
. They are first seen scuba diving together, but are then kidnapped by the villainess Divatox and are briefly brainwashed to fight against the Turbo Rangers. It appears that the evil influence enhanced his own negative aspects, as at one point he taunts Tommy with "Now I'm the one with the muscles and the power!". After being restored to normal by Lerigot, he once again fades into the background, with Jason's final appearance in the film being replacing the injured Rocky in a martial arts tournament and ultimately winning the match, alongside Tommy and Adam.
Power Rangers Wild Force
Jason's final live-action appearance is in Power Rangers Wild Force, in the special episode "Forever Red," which celebrated the tenth anniversary of Power Rangers. In this special, he utilizes his original Red Ranger powers and joins nine other Red Rangers (which includes Tommy) to defeat the remnants of the Machine EmpireMachine Empire
The Machine Empire is a group of robotic villains in the Power Rangers universe, who first appeared in the television show Power Rangers Zeo and were later mentioned in Power Rangers in Space and Power Rangers Wild Force.-History:...
, a force of villains that Jason had previously battled as the Gold Ranger. After the events of "Forever Red," Jason returns to living a normal life, though he presumably still retains his Red Ranger powers.