Power Rangers: Lord Drakkon Name Explained – Origin for the Codename of the Evil Tommy Oliver

Not every fan of Power Rangers may be aware of the origins of Lord Drakkon’s name. When Drakkon makes his on-panel debut, it was a mystery who could be under the helmet – until two issues later, when Drakkon was revealed as Tommy Oliver. After that, Drakkon became the Boom! Studios Power Ranger series’ best villain, but the series only briefly delved into why Tommy chose the Drakkon codename.

In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual 2017, the story “Search Party” – written by Kyle Higgins, with art by Goñi Montes – offers readers some additional context for the Drakkon version of Tommy’s origin story, including elucidating the background of his villainous moniker.

Namely, the story showcases the fateful conversation between the World of the Coinless incarnation of Tommy Oliver, and the Rangers arch-enemy Rita Repulsa, in which they discussed the first Drakkon, and touched on why Tommy felt inspired to adopt the original’s name on his new path.

Why Tommy Adopted The Name “Drakkon” – Its Significance To Power Rangers Canon

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual 2017, “Search Party” – Written By Kyle Higgins; Art By Goñi Montes; Lettering By Ed Dukeshire

In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #9, Tommy Oliver and Billy Cranston found themselves transported to an alternate reality, better known to readers as “the World of the Coinless.” They were immediately shocked to find a cold, desolate, post-apocalyptic battleground, centered around two towering statues of the Green Ranger and Rita Repulsa. Upon stumbling upon the long-dormant Saba, the White Ranger’s talking sword, the Ranger duo finally received some answers. Saba explained that they were in an alternate future, one where Tommy never joined the Rangers.

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In this universe, Tommy’s introduction and opposition to the Rangers played out the same as in the main canon, except when Rita’s spell was broken and Tommy regained his sense of self, he ran away instead of embracing the Rangers. Saba further explained that in this world’ Tommy ran back to Rita, who talked Tommy into choosing to join her side of villainy. Though this conversion moment was initially related secondhand, it was later shown to readers in more detail in “Search Party,” from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual 2017.

Tommy Oliver Took The Name “Drakkon” From A Previous Villain – Who Was He?

The First Drakkon, Explained

The “Search Party” one-shot story reveals that in the World of the Coinless, a confused Tommy didn’t immediately run back to Rita Repulsa. Instead, Oliver just wanted to be left alone; he turned to living on the streets, where had to fight for his life just to survive, spending weeks hopping from city to city. The Rangers tried to find him, tracking Tommy every time he morphed, but every time they stepped onto the scene, he vanished. Finally, as Tommy mourned a life he once knew, Rita found him first.

Tommy made it clear he was aware Rita brainwashed him, and just wanted everyone to leave him alone. Rita justified her actions, condemning Zordon for not picking Tommy among one of his original “teenagers with attitude,” while arguing the Rangers didn’t want him. Rita told Tommy that she recognized great potential in him, so much that he reminded her of another great man named Drakkon. Drakkon lived on the 46th planet in the Toki system. Rita took the first Drakkon under her wing years ago, and in her eyes, he proved himself by helping her conquer that same planet.

She added that through conquering the planet, she and Drakkon were able to bring peace to the entire Toki system, a peace that still stood to that, long after Drakkon died. She didn’t specify how Drakkon died – perhaps it can be presumed that she killed Drakkon, just as Tommy would end up killing Rita, as Lord Drakkon – but she did mention that the world doesn’t need multiple leaders, or multiple Rangers, just one, and she believed Tommy is capable of being the one. Fixating on the name Drakkon, he asks Rita to tell him more, as they teleport away.

The Existence Of The First Drakkon Extends The Lore Of The Power Rangers Canon

Tommy’s Drakkon Identity Has In-Universe Significance

Beyond the significance of revealing where the evil Tommy Oliver got his name from, this caveat reveals a wrinkle of lore that exists within the universe of Power Rangers itself. The Power Rangers franchise has always had its own lore, as the history of the Rangers and the larger conflicts that they often find themselves caught in have proved to be immersive for fans over the past several decades. However, this is different, as it showcases the kind of stories that get passed down from generation to generation within Power Rangers itself.

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Showcasing what in-universe lore looks like inside of the Power Rangers canon highlights to readers just how expansive the universe of the franchise is. For a world containing a multiverse and a multitude of Rangers from past, present, and future, the world always looked wide, but lore like this shows that history and even folklore for Power Rangers doesn’t begin and end with what audiences see or read. Instead, the story of the original Drakkon shows how the world of Power Rangers is bigger than just the Power Rangers themselves.

Power Rangers

Power Rangers is a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the Japanese Super Sentai series, Power Rangers became a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage from Super Sentai with new scenes featuring American actors. The franchise follows teams of young heroes who transform into Power Rangers to battle various villains, using martial arts, special powers, and giant mechas called Zords. Over the decades, the franchise has expanded into multiple TV series, films, comics, video games, and merchandise, becoming one of the most successful children’s franchises in the world.