The Dark Side of Power Rangers: How the Show Turned 1 of Its Stars Into a Criminal

For millions of viewers who tuned in, Power Rangers stood out for its balance of intense battles and drama. While many diehard fans of the series may already be aware, casual fans might find it shocking that the actors filmed their dialogue and unmasked scenes in California while the epic battle sequences came from Japan’s Super Sentai series.

Many scenes were stitched together to create the iconic series fans have come to love. However, years later, one of the Japanese stunt performers whose work helped bring the beloved Green Ranger to life would make headlines for an entirely different reason that completely reframes his role in Japan’s Super Sentai series.

A Stuntman Who Played the Green Ranger Was Once Arrested for Burglary

Yasutomo Ihara was a Japanese stuntman and tokusatsu suit actor whose work helped bring action sequences to life in superhero shows that were later adapted into Power Rangers. Suit actors like Ihara were the ones to perform the stunts and choreographed battles in many of these series that were eventually repurposed for Western audiences.

Ihara is most known for his role as the Green Ranger, however, his role was strictly behind the mask in full-suit action. He executed thrilling stunts and acrobatics that would appear in the battle footage of the franchise, making him an essential and indispensable part of the Power Rangers franchise.

However, in the years that followed, Ihara’s life took an unexpected turn between late 2013 and 2014 after he committed a series of burglaries in Japan that would eventually lead to his arrest in 2014. He revealed that the same skills that made him a standout stunt performer enabled him to commit these crimes.

Yasutomo Ihara Used His Training To Get Into 43 Homes in Japan

Across Saitama Prefecture in Japan, Yasutomo Ihara carried out a series of thefts before he was ultimately caught and confessed to at least 43 burglaries. He admitted that his background as a stunt performer allowed him to scale walls, poles, and balconies to gain entry through upper floors. Media outlets in Japan called him the “Spider-Man Thief.”

He revealed that he committed these crimes due to financial strain after a knee injury in 2009 had ended his stunt career, leaving Ihara struggling to secure a stable income. He later explained that the burglaries were intended to help him fund a drama school and provide an opportunity to revive his involvement in the entertainment industry.

The stolen goods were valued at roughly 8.2 million yen, or about $77,000 at the time, and he was officially sentenced in 2020 to five years in prison. His story stands out as a complex, layered story that raised discussions surrounding mental health, financial stability, and support for those facing hard times.