Interview with the WriterAbout J.T./Black RangerAh, J.T., at the same time both the most simple and complex of all the Literati Rangers - at least, I like to think - on one side it's all easy to understand; he fights for those close to him, places an emphasis on honor and loyalty, and has a short temper when it comes to dealing with people outside his 'circle'. As a person, J.T. possesses a mixed attitude, moving between serious to silly to snarky with ease. He can be physically removing a troublemaker from Highway 2's premises one day and then be blackmailing and bribing the team to dress up like the Sailor Scouts for a battle the next.
But really, what makes him interesting isn't so much WHAT he does, since all the Rangers do that to some extent, but the reasons WHY, reasons that not even all of his teammates know. People he thought he could rely on turned out to be unreliable, so he tries to always be there when he's needed, and this also leads to an 'old-fashioned' outlook on life. It wouldn't be wrong to say that if he had his way, J.T. would see to it that all conflicts would be settled in duels, people could carry swords down the street in broad daylight, and it would be utterly legal to kill someone for hurting people close to you.
Overall, being a Ranger is simply an expansion of this - he protects the city, planet and even the galaxy, he fights for those who can't fight for themselves and is always ready to be the first into the fight, leading the others, and if he gets to work out some of his natural aggression on 'cannon-fodder' monsters, well then that's good for everyone. Of all the team, J.T. is perhaps the one who is most accepting of his role as a Ranger and grows in the Power quickly from the time he first becomes a Ranger. Part of this, of course, is due to a family legacy of Power that at this point remains a secret, but approaches revelation.
The original character designs were heavy on the Ranger colors, often to the exclusion of any other. In J.T.'s case, this meant a lot of camoflauge involving black.
As the designs were refined, J.T. lost a lot of camoflauge, retaining only the jacket, and instead gained blue jeans and a dark shirt, occasionally topped off by a hat with a side pinned up. At the same time, he got a new laptop (never explicitly stated in the series, though) that he started to carry around with him.
When at home or practicing his self-taught martial arts, J.T. normally wears black sweatpants and a t-shirt with wrist weights, and in recent times has taken to wearing a Naruto headband that Jessica got him as a gag.
At one point, in mid-season two (not yet reached) when the Literati Rangers team up with Operation Overdrive first to find the Golden Apple of Aphrodite, then in the hunt for the Three Treasures of Japan, J.T.'s rather warped sense of humor leads him to dressing up in an Indiana Jones manner - complete with the whip.
As a Ranger, J.T. is the Black Literati Dragon Ranger, a fact that he takes personal pride in.
After Jon openly allied himself with the Rangers' enemies and attacked Yolanda, as well as bringing the Scenic City Aquarium down around the Literati, the team managed to awaken a new aspect of their powers in the form of their Spirit Armors, becoming Literati Battlized Rangers. Each Ranger gained additional armor protecting their arms and legs, and then more specific gear appropriate to their Literati Spirit. In J.T.'s case, this was a pair of claws that opened and moved to function as claws, swords, and even short staves, as well as wings and a new helmet that would allow him to fly and, with practice, even fight underwater.
As the conflict escalated, J.T. and Jon would find themselves pitted against each other more and more, each fight more vicious than the last until finally the two met in what could only be described as all-out-war. Both Rangers fought hard, but finally Jon gained the upper hand and as J.T. lay dying the Power took action, restoring the fallen Ranger and opening part of the legacy to him.
Afterward, while much of the Power had left him, elements remained in the form of golden bands around his arms, echos of an earlier Ranger.
In what would be the darkest time for all Rangers, the Literati Rangers were killed, the only survivor being cast through time and space twenty years into the future. In the end, however, J.T. would again become a Power Ranger with the aid of Space Patrol Delta, hunting down the killer of the Literati before returning back in time to turn the tide.
Later, Malleus Maleficarum would succeed in his plans, finally gathering the Eltarian Power Ruby, one of the original Power Coins, along with the Literati Spirits of all seven Literati Rangers and the Dark Ranger to release his master Ivan Ooze, who had been imprisioned millenia before by Zordon. As Ivan Ooze launched his attack on the Earth, all the remaining Ranger teams found themselves thrust into a war with only one hope of victory - one of the groups would have to travel to Phaedos to unlock the Great Power. With no powers of their own anymore, the former Literati Rangers volunteered, and upon reaching Phaedos embarked upon their own Ninja Quest.
Finally, after each of the Literati had proven themselves worthy, they were given access to the Great Power, the most sacred and strongest part of the Power Grid, given new names and new powers, weapons and Spiritzords to command, (although they could still summon their original Spiritzords by energizing them with the Great Power) they became the Literati Ninja Rangers. J.T. became the Black Literati Wolf Ninja.
Using the Great Power, the Literati were able to defeat Ivan Ooze, but at a cost. When the final blow was struck, the Literati regained their Literati Spirits, but J.T. was overcome by the power of his Ninja and Literati Spirits, along with the remains of Ivan Ooze's hatred and malice that used the opportunity to enter the Black Ranger and overpower him. The resulting energy surge knocked J.T.'s mind out, leaving his body for the spirit of Malic and through their link, a side-effect from one of Dreamweaver's attacks, put Jessica in a coma. For a time afterwards, along with their new ally in the Earth Ranger, the five remaining Literati Rangers and the Dark Ranger found themselves fighting the combined forces of Dreamweaver and Malice, not knowing that Malice was their controlled teammate.
In the end, however, Jessica awoke from her coma, providing the catalyst that would help J.T. regain control of his body and force Malice out. There would be, however, lasting effects. The combination of the Dragon Literati Spirit, Wolf Ninja Spirit, the power of Ivan Ooze that Malice had possessed, along with J.T.'s own family legacy would create a new Ranger for the final battle against Malice and Dreamweaver, and for future battles to come -
The Dragonfire Ranger.
