Billy Cranston (Power Rangers)

William "Billy" Cranston is a major protagonist in the "Power Rangers" franchise. He serves as one of the main protagonists of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a major protagonist in Power Rangers Zeo, the main protagonist of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always and the tritagonist of Power Rangers Cosmic Fury.
He is a genuis of the original Power Rangers. back in high school he was shy and dorky, and he was chosen to become the very first "blue ranger". But during "Power Rangers Zeo" Billy retired from being a Power Ranger when there were only five zeo crystals to give his friends new powers after they briefly lost their Mighty Morphin powers. Currently Billy got his powers again and became a mentor to current Power Rangers.
He is portrayed by David Yost in the original franchise.
==History==
===Mighty Morphin’ 1===
When the evil sorceress, Rita Repulsa, and her minions escaped their dumpster prison, 
Billy was one of the five teenagers selected by Zordon to become the very first team of Power Rangers along with his friends, Jason Lee Scott, Zack Taylor, Trini Kwan, and Kimberly Ann Hart. Billy became the Blue Ranger with the power of the Triceratops. Throughout their battles with Rita, each ranger had something to bring to the table, in Billy’s case, his enormous intelligence. He would invent devices for threats that not even Zordon foresaw and created the team’s set of wrist communicators, as well as an interface that allowed them a remote access to the Command Center’s teleportation unit. Other times when Billy’s intelligence helped the rangers included when they used his invention, the RADBUG, a flying Volkswagen Beetle, to reach the Command Center when its teleportation system was disabled, when he developed the method that the rangers would use to access Rita’s Dark Dimension, and when he disarmed the lock-out method of Alpha’s activated self-destruct device.. Billy was also a leading member of the high school’s science club and often helped the younger members with their experiments. However he was very insecure about himself and his closet friend, Trini, was the only he could really communicate with. Billy’s insecurities made him an easy target for Bulk and Skull’s bullying. Trini and his other friends defended him loyally, but eventually he became a much stronger individual. Billy later started worked on improving his physical abilities and fighting skills and as times went on, he went from a brainy nerd to a confident, highly intelligent athlete with a red belt in karate with help from Trini’s uncle, Howard, and later, Tommy. Earlier in his life, Billy’s had developed icthyophobia after a whirlpool experiment resulted in him being bitten by a fish. Rita exploited this at one point by using a spell on him to increase this fear and sent in her Goo Fish monster. Billy was left the only ranger able to take on the monster and overcame the spell, emerging victorious. He eventually overcame this fear after going on a fishing trip with Ernie, the owner of the Youth Center. Billy also received a great deal of romantic interests even in his early nerd persona, but even more so after his self-improvement. The blue ranger was eventually accepted into the Young Scientists of America program and befriended Zack’s cousin, Curtis, who helped him develop an interest in jazz music.
===Mighty Morphin’ 2===
When Lord Zedd came to take over the Earth after Rita’s constant failures, Billy and the others found themselves facing an even greater threat. Their Dinozords were almost destroyed by Zedd, but they managed to salvage enough of them to were create the more powerful Thunderzords, with Billy gaining the Unicorn Thunderzord. After the rangers were defeated by a monster called Nimrod, they returned to the Command Center to find Zordon and Alpha 5 gone. However Billy found a secret door behind which he found Alpha and Zordon creating a new White Ranger. While the other rangers were disappointed that they had to have some new member joining them, Billy knew that Zedd was a more capable foe than Rita and that they needed this White Ranger’s help, no matter who he was. However he and the others were pleased to find out that the new Ranger was their former teammate, Tommy Oliver. Some time later, Billy was out roller skating with Tommy and Kimberly and in the process of helping to save the baby of one of their teachers when his stroller went out of control down a hill, met three other teenagers, Rocky DeSantos, Adam Park, and Aisha Campbell. After the three won a ninja tournament, Zedd kidnapped the three to turn them into his own dark warriors. Billy, Tommy, and Kimberly went to their rescue and the blue ranger managed to enter the cave where they were being held. He grabbed the snake whose bite would turn them evil, but it wrapped around his neck, cutting off his breathing. Billy was forced to remove his helmet, revealing his identity to the three. Rocky, Adam, and Aisha were sworn to secrecy about the rangers’ identities and became friends with the other rangers. Soon after this, Jason, Zack, and Trini were chosen to attend a peace conference in Switzerland, thus calling them away from their ranger duties. In order to transfer their powers to Rocky, Adam, and Aisha, Billy and the others went to retrieve the Sword of Light, which was required for the power transfer. The blue ranger was sad to see his old friends leave, but he was glad to have his new friends join him as Power Rangers.
===Mighty Morphin’ 3===
After Rita Repulsa’s brother, Rito Revolto, arrived, he destroyed the rangers’ Thunderzords and heavily damaged their Power Coins. So as to obtain new ones, Billy and the others sought out Ninjor, who gave them new Power Coins with the powers of the ninja. Billy became the Blue Ninja Ranger with the powers of the wolf. Later, when Lord Zedd attempted to force the rangers to become the pilots of the new Shogunzords he had discovered, Billy used his technological experitse to let the rangers take control of them. Rita Repulsa’s father, Master Vile, later came to the moon in search of the powerful Zeo Crystal, but the rangers succeeded in getting it first. They then shattered it into pieces and scattered them throughout time. However things went downhill for the rangers after they were de-aged into children by Master Vile. Billy managed to build a device that could restore them to their normal ages, using their Power Coins as its power source. He tested it on himself and it worked, but Goldar and Rito stole the machine, allowing Zedd and Rita to destroy the coins. Now powerless, Billy and the others contacted the Aquitian Rangers for help and while the other rangers went on a quest to obtain the lost parts of the Zeo Crystal, Billy stayed behind to use his technological skills to help the Aquitian Rangers.
=== Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie ===
When the Command Center was destroyed, Billy, along with the rest of the Rangers were forced to teleport to Phaedos in order to retrieve the Great Power with the last remaining power of the Command Center, to the dying Zordon's protests.
Once there, Billy and the other Rangers meet Dulcea, who once learning of their mentor Zordon's plight, helps them tap into the power of the Ninjetti, where Billy learned that in him is an animal spirit waiting to be released- his being the Wolf. As Ninjetti, he and the Rangers travel to the Monolith in order to retrieve the Great Power. Though waylaid by the Gatekeepers, Billy and the others manage to access the Monolith, which also bore the Wolf symbol among its many creature emblems. It is here where Billy gained the power of the Wolf Ninjazord. The zords return the Rangers' powers and Billy finds himself clad in his familiar ranger armor with the Wolf's symbol emblazoned on his chest.
He returned to Angel Grove with the other Rangers to battle Ivan Ooze and emerged victorious. With his Ninjetti power, he, along with the other Rangers managed to revive the dying Zordon, reconstitute his energy tube and return the Command Center to a fully-functioning state.
===Zeo===
After the rangers returned, Billy stepped down, allowing Tanya Sloan (who had been sent back in place of Aisha) to become one of the Zeo Rangers. He continued to use his technological skills to provide the rangers with weapons, gadgets, and Zords. At one point, he traveled to Aquitar briefly in order to help battle the Hydro Contaminators, creating a device that Cestro used to defeat them. But as he was returning, King Mondo diverted his ship so that it would fly into the sun, though Zordon, Alpha 5, and the other rangers saved him. After the appearance of the Gold Zeo Ranger, Billy began disappearing whenever the Gold Ranger appeared, which led to the other rangers suspecting him of being the Gold Ranger. They confronted him about this, but Billy pointed ou that if he was the Gold Ranger, he would have told them. Eventually the Gold Ranger was revealed to be Trey of Triforia, however he split into his three separate selves, which left him unable to morph. Billy was selected to take on the Gold Ranger powers, but as it turned out, during the Command Center’s destruction, he had absorbed a dose of negative proton energy, leaving him unable to gain the powers. Instead Jason, who had come back from the peace conference, was chosen to become the new Gold Ranger. Later Billy began to suffer from accelerated aging, a side effect of the device he used to restore his proper age. He went to Aquitar after he found that waters of the Eternal Falls there (a version of the Fountain of Youth) was capable of restoring him. Billy decided to stay because he had fallen in love with Cestria, one of the Aquitians.
=== Super Megaforce ===
Billy returns from Aquitar and gets his original Blue Ranger powers to assist the other Mighty Morphin Rangers along with the past Power Ranger teams to help the Megaforce Rangers defeat the Warstar Armada.
===Once and Always===
It's revealed Billy had been busy over the years, having founded his own company Cranston Tech and built his main office in the image of the Command Center; while soending time on and off earth with his aquatian girlfriend. Even secretly building a new Command Center underneath his main office with Alpha 8 to help him.
In 2022, Billy attempted to find and coalesce Zordon's particles released by the Z wave in 1998, in order to revive him. However, he ened up restoring the evil banished from the Mystic Mother and allowed Rita Repulsa to revive by taking over Alpha 8. This lead to Billy and the rest of his team fightng her and Putties. However, Billy damaged Rita's face, making her angry enough for a death blow; however, Trini intercepted it and was turned to dust. Billy and Zack revealed the truth to Trini's daughter Minh, earning Billy the distain of the teenager; though Zack took over the role as legal guardian.
In 2023, Billy helped destroy Rita again before she could travel 30 years into the past and kill every Ranger before they could get their powers; rectifying his mistake.
==Powers and Abilities==
Billy’s most notable trait was his enormous intellect, which allowed him to inventnumerous weapons and devices for the team. He later developed great skill in martial arts, which gave him a combination of brains and brawn. Billy was able to use his Triceratops Power Coin to morph into the Blue Triceratops Ranger and his Wolf Power Coin to morph into the Blue Ninja Ranger, increasing his fighting skills and natural abilities. As the Blue Triceratops ranger, Billy wielded a Blade Blaster a sidearm that could function as both a laser pistol and a short sword and the Power Lance, which could split into two maces and generate electricity and his zord was the Triceratops Dinozord and later the Unicorn Thunderzord. After becoming the Blue Ninja Ranger, Billy had a ninja form that he could enter aside from his ranger form, where he had various ninja tricks available, such as disappearing,burrowing underground and super speed. Billy’s zords as the Blue Ninja Ranger were the Wolf Ninjazord and the Blue Shogunzord.
== Personality ==
Billy Cranston may not be the strongest or most athletic member of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but his kind and intelligent personality make him an essential part of the team. Despite not being the best fighter at first, his friends value him for his loyalty and quick thinking. As the series progresses, Billy surprises everyone by becoming more physically capable and also using his skills to create useful gadgets for his fellow rangers. He may not fit the typical mold of a hero, but Billy proves that true strength comes in many forms.
==Gallery==
===Images===
Anti-Sonic-Foam-Gun.jpg
6 Rangers with Power Cannon.jpg
MMPR Thunder Megazord Cockpit.jpg
5 - Ninjor in same shot as Rangers.jpg
MMPR Metallic Armor.jpg
Full shot of the Shogun Megazord Cockpit.jpg
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MMPR Blue Charger.jpg
Mighty Morphin Ninja Power Star.png
Billy_Cranston_and_Kimberly_Hart_under_punk_spell_to_disrupt_the_team_nature_of_the_rangers.png|Billy as a tough punk in Power Ranger Punks episode
Billy Cranston featured on the retro variant cover of Go Go Power Rangers issue 6.jpg|25 years later, Billy as a punk from the TV show (1993) is featured on the retro cover variant of issue 16 of the Go Go Power Rangers comic book (2018).
Heroes of the Grid Billy Punk trading card.png|Billy as a punk on a trading card from the game "Heroes of the Grid"
Eavesdropper 3000.jpg
Mighty Morphin BM.png
10bespectacledbilly.webp
F7MS1MlXgAATSIQ.jpg
==Trivia==
*Billy is the first Power Ranger to have a wolf-based zord, followed by Maya, Merrick Baliton, Leanbow, Robert James, and Dillon.
*Billy is the only ranger to have a single power for all the seasons of Mighty Morphin’ and the only member of the original team to not be replaced, instead stepping down. Technically, he did change powers after season 2 (when he got a new Power Coin), but he had the same suit and color.
*Billy is the only Power Ranger to retire, but not to leave immediately afterwards.
*He was supposed to appear in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, where he came back from Aquitar and created the Turbo Ranger powers, but this was scrapped.
*Because David Yost (Billy’s actor) left before the episodes that features his character’s departure, stock footage of Billy was used for the episodes and he was voiced by a different actor when he appeared young again.
*Billy is the only one of the original team to entirely start and end his duties as a Ranger. In this case, his Blue Ranger powers. Jason, Zack, Trini and Kimberly left and were replaced by Rocky, Adam, Aisha and Katherine and Tommy lost his Green Rangers powers and became the White Ranger.
*Billy is one of the two Rangers of the Mighty Morphin team to not gain the Zeo powers. The other being Aisha Campbell.
*He was the last of the original Power Rangers team to leave the show.
*Billy was the first ranger to wear glasses.
*He was the longest running Blue Ranger having this position for 3 seasons.
*In Power Rangers: Zeo, Billy’s teleportation color was white, the same one used for civilians and white rangers. In the episodes featuring his character’s departure, it was a black molecule to match that of the Aquitian Rangers.
*Walter Jones, who played Zack Taylor, was originally cast as Billy, but he thought he’d be more recognizable as the Black Ranger, so he was re-cast.
*Billy is the first Blue Ranger to not join his team in the next season (Zeo). The first being Rocky DeSantos (Turbo) and the second being Justin Stewart (in Space).
*In Power Rangers Beast Morphers Billy along with Kimberly, Zack, and Trini appear morphed to help the dino charge rangers and the beast morphers and if there was a season 3 in Power Rangers Beast Morphers, Billy will be played by David Yost again.
*Although Rocky was the official second-in-command of the Mighty Morphin team after Jason, Zack and Trini left, Billy seemed to have taken the role more. Especially when Tommy wasn't around, Billy was the one saying, 'It's Morphin Time!', not Rocky.
*Billy's personality is very similar to Donatello from the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon.
*In August 2010, Yost revealed he left the show due to constant harassment over his sexuality and other issues by the crew, directors, writers, and even producers.
==Sentai Counterparts==
These are Billy’s counterparts in the Super Sentai.
*Etof Tribe Knight Dan – his counterpart as the Blue Mighty Morphin’ Ranger.
*Shoji of the Heavenly Gravity Star – The Dairanger who piloted his Unicorn Thunderzord.
*Saizou – The Kakuranger who piloted his zords in Season 3.
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