The , also known as ''Masked Rider Series'' (until Decade), is a Japanese

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

media franchise consisting of

tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is som ...

television programs, films,

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is ...

, and

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

, created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. ''Kamen Rider'' media generally features a

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: Long-distance ...

-riding

with an

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pa ...

motif who fights

supervillain A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero. Supervillains are of ...

s, often known as . The franchise began in 1971 with the '' Kamen Rider'' television series, which followed college student Takeshi Hongo and his quest to defeat the world-conquering Shocker organization. The original series spawned television and film sequels and launched the Second Kaiju Boom (also known as the Henshin Boom) on Japanese television during the early 1970s, impacting the superhero and action-adventure genres in Japan.

Bandai is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine ...

owns the toy rights to Kamen Rider Japan (and some Asia regions). Bluefin Distribution, a subsidiary of Bandai Namco, distributes Kamen Rider merchandise in North America.

Series overview

The ''Kamen Rider'' franchise primarily revolving around the eponymous Kamen Rider, a superpowered vigilante who mostly resembles a

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grasshopp ...

and rides a

, and their one-man war against an ever-larger malevolent force, usually a

terrorist organization A number of national governments and two international organizations have created lists of organizations that they designate as terrorist. The following list of designated terrorist groups lists groups designated as terrorist by current and fo ...

bent on world domination. A common running theme in the franchise is that the Rider's power derived from the same source and technology used by malevolent forces, thus forming a moral vow for the protagonists to use this power to fight against evil. Similar to its counterpart, each series focuses on a different Rider, a new set of characters and a different story set in its own universe, though there been multiple instances of past characters from previous Kamen Rider series crossing over to team up against a common foe.

The Kamen Riders

The , also known as simply , is a collective name referring to the eponymous heroes and numerous individuals of the series. Usually resembling a grasshopper-themed masked superhero or a similarly-looking vigilante in spandex, the Riders are enhanced humans with superhuman strength, resilience and agility, specifically modified to fight an entire army. Originally created by the terrorist organization known as "Shocker" as a means of creating super-soldiers, one of these potential soldiers, biochemistry lab student and motorcycle enthusiast Takeshi Hongo, escaped from captivity and has since been fighting against Shocker, often recruiting similar individuals to fight alongside him. Each Rider, whose appearance varies per series, has a full set of arsenal and equipment in their disposal, coined as the , consisting of their (a transformation item that allows a Rider to transform), its associating (which can be used in conjunction with the Rider Belt to gain access to multiple forms) and (auxiliary items serving as optional weapon of choice for the Riders), and their mode of transportation known as a . A common theme amongst the Riders is that the Rider System's power was derived from the same technology/power source used by the villains, ironically using it fight against evil to such extent. From Kamen Rider Kuuga onwards, each Rider has multiple different forms, often divided into six tiers: the default and its multiple alternate , the , the penultimate , the optional movie-exclusive and the powerful aptly-named . Every Rider has a selection of powerful finishing moves, either accessible through their respective Rider Weapons and/or through other forms, though the most commonly-used finishing attack is the , a dive kick capable of destroying most enemies in a single strike by infusing it with such strength that it causes the opponent to violently explode.

History

Showa era

Produced by and designed by Shotaro Ishinomori (creator of ''

Cyborg 009 is a Japanese science fiction manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It was serialized in many different Japanese magazines, including '' Monthly Shōnen King'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'', '' Shōnen Big Comic'', '' COM'', ' ...

''), '' Kamen Rider'' premiered on April 3, 1971 initially intended as an adaptation of Ishinomori's ''

Skull Man is a ''shōnen'' manga series created by Shotaro Ishinomori which first appeared in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' in 1970. The hero of the story, whose parents have been murdered, grows up to use his peculiar powers to take revenge. The o ...

''. He and Hirayama redesigned the main character to resemble a

. The hero Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider, played by actor and stuntman

Hiroshi Fujioka , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor known for playing the hero Takeshi Hongo in the tokusatsu superhero series ''Kamen Rider'', and later the Sega Saturn mascot Segata Sanshiro (jokingly revealed to be Takeshi Hongo himsel ...

, was described as a (cyborg). During the filming of episode 10, Fujioka was thrown from his motorcycle during a stunt and broke both legs. His character was temporarily phased out until the introduction of another transformed human, Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2 (played by Takeshi Sasaki) was introduced in episode 14. Hongo (Fujioka) was reintroduced in episode 40, and by episode 53, had fully replaced Ichimonji's character until the two were united in episodes 72, 73, 93, 94 - and the series finale - episode 98. The series from April 1971 to January 1976 (''Kamen Rider'', '' V3'', '' X'', ''

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

'', '' Stronger'') included a recurring mentor, Tobei Tachibana. After a four-year hiatus following the finale of '' Kamen Rider Stronger'', the series returned to broadcast television in October 1979 for two years with '' The New Kamen Rider'' (featuring Skyrider) and ''

Kamen Rider Super-1 is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. It is the seventh installment in the Kamen Rider Series. The series was broadcast on the Mainichi Broadcasting System from October 17, 1980, to October 3, 1981. The series was a co-productio ...

''. In these shows, Tachibana was replaced by a similar character named . The annual new shows ended briefly during the 1980s, punctuated by the 1984

Kamen Rider ZX is a Kamen Rider Series Japanese TV special that aired on January 3, 1984. It is a special meant to celebrate the birth of Kamen Rider ZX, the 10th person to don the Kamen Rider title. Prior to the special, ZX appeared in a manga from 1982 to 198 ...

special ''

Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!! is a Kamen Rider Series Japanese TV special that aired on January 3, 1984. It is a special meant to celebrate the birth of Kamen Rider ZX, the 10th person to don the Kamen Rider title. Prior to the special, ZX appeared in a manga from 1982 to 198 ...

'' (Hirayama's last project for the franchise). ''

Kamen Rider Black is a tokusatsu superhero- drama television series. It is the eighth installment in the '' Kamen Rider '' series and a co-production between Ishimori Productions and Toei. The series aired on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and the Tokyo Broa ...

'' premiered in 1987, the first series not hinting at a relationship to its predecessors. ''Black'' was the first show in the franchise with a direct sequel: '' Kamen Rider Black RX'', the basis of Saban's Americanized '' Masked Rider''. In ''RX'' finale, the ten previous Riders returned to help Black RX defeat the Crisis Empire. ''Kamen Rider Black RX'' was the final show produced during the Shōwa era, with the franchise resuming production by the end of the 20th century. A manga of ''Kamen Rider Black'' was a novelization and reimagination of the ''Black''-''RX'' series' continuity. Absent from television during the 1990s, the franchise was kept alive by stage shows, musical CDs, and the '' Shin'', '' ZO'', and '' J'' films.

Heisei era

Toei announced a new project, '' Kamen Rider Kuuga'', in May 1999. ''Kuuga'' was part of Ishinomori's 1997 Kamen Rider revival in preparation for its 30th anniversary, but he died before the shows materialized. During the summer of 1999, Kuuga was promoted in magazine advertisements and TV commercials. On January 30, 2000, ''Kamen Rider Kuuga'' premiered with newcomer Joe Odagiri. Following ''Kuuga'' 2001 sequel ''

Kamen Rider Agito , is the eleventh installment in the popular Kamen Rider tokusatsu franchise. The series represented the 30th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series. The series was also a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei and was shown ...

'', the series deviated into a series of unconnected stories starting from '' Kamen Rider Ryuki'' in 2002 to '' Kamen Rider Kabuto'' in 2006. In 2005, '' Kamen Rider: The First'' was produced. Written by

Toshiki Inoue is a Japanese screenwriter from Saitama Prefecture. He is known for his work on anime and tokusatsu dramas and films. He is the son of , who himself was a screenwriter for tokusatsu dramas. He is also a manga author, and has written both ''Meb ...

, the film reimagines the manga and original television series and characters from the original series had their storylines altered to fit the film's time span.

Masaya Kikawada is a Japanese actor. His most prominent role has been as Takeshi Hongo in the film ''Kamen Rider The First'' and its sequel ''Kamen Rider The Next''. He was also in ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' as Sailor Jupiter's love interest Motoki Furuha ...

played Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1 and Hassei Takano (previously Miyuki Tezuka/Kamen Rider Raia in '' Kamen Rider Ryuki'') was Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2. This was followed in 2007 by ''

Kamen Rider The Next is a 2007 Japanese tokusatsu superhero film directed by Ryuta Tasaki and written by Toshiki Inoue. The film was released on October 27, 2007. The film borrows elements from the '' Kamen Rider V3'' television series and is a sequel to the '' Kamen ...

'', an adaptation of ''

Kamen Rider V3 is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It is the second installment in the popular Kamen Rider Series, and the direct sequel to the original ''Kamen Rider''. It was a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei, and was shown o ...

'' starring Kazuki Kato (previously Daisuke Kazama/Kamen Rider Drake in '' Kamen Rider Kabuto'') as Shiro Kazami/Kamen Rider V3 and with Kikawada and Takano reprising their roles. The eighth series, '' Kamen Rider Den-O'', followed in 2007. It differed from past Kamen Rider series with the main protagonist being unsure of himself and uses a large vehicle, the DenLiner: a time traveling bullet train. Although the series has only two riders (Den-O and Zeronos), they have multiple forms similar to Black RX, Kuuga, and Agito. Due to ''Den-O'' popularity, a second film crossover with the 2008 series '' Kamen Rider Kiva'' was released on April 12, 2008. The top film in its opening weekend, it grossed ¥730 million. In addition,

Animate Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...

produced an OVA, ''Imagin Anime'', with SD versions of the Imagin. A third film, '' Saraba Kamen Rider Den-O: Final Countdown'' (with two new riders) serves as a series epilogue. According to Takeru Satoh, who played the titular protagonist in the television series and first three films, ''Den-O'' was successful because of its humor. The 2009 series, '' Kamen Rider Decade'', commemorated the Heisei run's 10th anniversary with its protagonist able to assume the forms of his predecessors. Japanese recording artist

Gackt , better known by his mononymous stage name Gackt (stylized as GACKT), is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Born in Okinawa, Japan, to a Ryukyuan family, Gackt learned the piano at a young age and was raise ...

performed the series' opening theme, " Journey through the Decade", and the film's theme song (" The Next Decade") and jokingly expressed interest in playing a villain on the show. Also announced in 2009 was a fourth ''Den-O'' film (later revealed as the beginning of the Cho-Den-O Series of films), starting with '' Cho Kamen Rider Den-O & Decade Neo Generations: The Onigashima Warship''. In the March 2009 issue of ''Kindai'' magazine, ''Decade'' star

Masahiro Inoue is a Japanese actor. He got his start in acting portraying Keigo Atobe in '' Musical: The Prince of Tennis: The Imperial Presence, Hyotei'' as part of the Hyoutei B Cast. In 2009, he portrayed the lead role in ''Kamen Rider Decade'', Tsukasa K ...

said that the series was scheduled for only 30 episodes. Advertisements in May, June, and July 2009 promoted the debut of '' Kamen Rider W'', who first appeared at the 10th-anniversary Masked Rider Live event and was featured in '' Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker''. The staff of ''W'' said that they planned to make 10 more years of Kamen Rider, differentiating subsequent series from the ''Kuuga'' through ''Decade'' period (including a new broadcast season from September of one year to about August of the next). The hero of ''Kamen Rider W'' is the first Kamen Rider to transform from two people at once,''Telebikun'' August 2009 and the series premiered on September 6, 2009. Continuing into 2010 with '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 2010'', ''W'' ran from September 2009 to September 2010 instead of from January to January. The second, third, and fourth films of the Cho-Den-O series, collectively known as '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider The Movie: Cho-Den-O Trilogy'', were also released in 2010. Late 2010 brought the series '' Kamen Rider OOO'' to television after ''W''s finale, and 2011 observed the 40th anniversary of the franchise. Festivities that year included the

Kamen Rider Girls are an idol group developed by Avex Trax and Ishimori Productions to commemorate the Kamen Rider Series' 40th anniversary in 2011. Each of the group's current members represent one of the protagonists of the Kamen Rider Series. The group made ...

idol group, the film '' OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders'' (released on April 1) and ''OOO''s successor, ''

Kamen Rider Fourze is a Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's Kamen Rider Series, being the thirteenth series in the Heisei period run and the twenty-second overall. It began airing on September 4, 2011, the week following the conclusion of ''Kamen Rider OOO'' ...

'', which references the previous heroes in its characters' names and its plot. A crossover film, '' Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen'', was released in 2012 featuring the heroes of all ''Kamen Rider'' and '' Super Sentai'' series to date. With ''Fourze''s run complete in 2012, ''

Kamen Rider Wizard is a Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's ''Kamen Rider'' franchise, being the fourteenth series in the Heisei period run and the twenty-third overall. It began airing on TV Asahi on September 2, 2012, joining ''Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters'' ...

'' premiered; its protagonist was the first Kamen Rider to use magic. ''Wizard'' additionally had the first homosexual character and cast member with

Kaba-chan , born on June 19, 1969, in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, is a transgender woman who is a Japanese tarento and choreographer. After studying dance in New York City, she returned to Japan and was a member of the musical group Dos with Taeco Nishikawa and As ...

. '' Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z'', a sequel to 2012's ''Super Hero Taisen'' with the revived Metal Hero Series characters from '' Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie'' and other characters created by Shotaro Ishinomori appearing in '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze: Movie War Ultimatum'', was released in 2013. On May 20, 2013, Toei filed for several trademarks on the phrase . '' Kamen Rider Gaim'' previewed on July 25, 2013, revealing a

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

and

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

-themed motif to the series' multiple-rival Kamen Riders and Gen Urobuchi as the series' main writer. The third entry in the ''Super Hero Taisen'' film series, '' Heisei Rider vs. Shōwa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai'', marked the 15th anniversary of the Heisei Kamen Rider era and revolved around a conflict between the 15 Heisei Riders and the 15 Showa Riders with Kamen Rider Fifteen, and a cameo appearance by the ToQgers and the Kyoryugers. It also marked the start of a yearly involving each year's Kamen Rider teaming up with the current Super Sentai team in a story tying into that year's entry in the ''Super Hero Taisen'' movie series. ''Gaim'' was followed in 2014 by ''

Kamen Rider Drive is a Japanese tokusatsu television series serving as the 16th Heisei period, Heisei Kamen Rider Series, and 25th series overall. Riku Sanjo returns to the Kamen Rider Series to serve as ''Drive''s lead screenwriter, with Ryuta Tasaki as directo ...

'', the first Kamen Rider since Kamen Rider Black RX (who also used a motorcycle), to use a car instead of a motorcycle. The fourth ''Super Hero Taisen'', ''Super Hero Taisen GP'', marks ''Kamen Rider 3'' first live-action appearance after the ''Showa Kamen Rider'' manga. '' Kamen Rider Ghost'' was introduced in 2015. In 2016 the Kamen Rider series celebrated its 45th anniversary, and Toei released the film ''

Kamen Rider 1 is a tokusatsu superhero television series and weekly science fiction manga created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. The original airing consisted of a total of 98 episodes and were broadcast from April 3, 1971, to February 10, 1973, on Mai ...

'' on March 26, 2016. '' Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'' was introduced in 2016 and was the first Rider series to have a character, Kiriya Kujo, portray the main Rider's motorcycle. A Movie War film known as '' Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Rider'' was announced for December 10, 2016, featuring

Bandai Namco Entertainment is a Japanese multinational video game publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and ...

's original character created by

Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiun ...

prior to merging with

in 2006,

Pac-Man originally called ''Puck Man'' in Japan, is a 1980 maze action video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. Th ...

. Following up ''Ex-Aid's'' finale, ''

Kamen Rider Build is a Japanese tokusatsu drama and the 28th entry of Toei Company's ''Kamen Rider'' metaseries. It is the nineteenth series to debut during the Heisei era. The show premiered on September 3, 2017, following the finale of ''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'', jo ...

'' premiered on September 3, 2017. The twentieth and last series of the Heisei era, '' Kamen Rider Zi-O,'' which commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Heisei era, premiered on September 2, 2018. On December 22, 2018, a film commemorating all the Riders of the Heisei Era titled '' Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever'' premiered in Japanese theaters.

Reiwa era

On May 13, 2019, Toei filed a trademark on the phrase , which premiered on September 1, 2019. It is followed up by on September 6, 2020, It is followed by on September 5, 2021 . In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Kamen Rider series, ''

Neon Genesis Evangelion , also known simply as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. ''Evangelion ...

'' director

Hideaki Anno is a Japanese animator, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for creating the anime series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (1995)''.'' His style is defined by his postmodernist approach and the extensive portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotio ...

was announced as the writer and director of , a reimagining of the original 1971 series. It is planned for release in 2023. The franchise's current entry in the Reiwa era is ''

Kamen Rider Geats is a Japanese tokusatsu drama series, the 33rd entry of Toei Company's ''Kamen Rider'' metaseries and the fourth series to debut during the Reiwa period. The series premiered on September 4, 2022, joining ''Avataro Sentai Donbrothers'' and lat ...

'', which debuted in September 2022 following the finale of ''Revice''.

Production

Main series

The following is a list of the Kamen Rider series and their broadcast years:

Television specials

Theatrical releases

* 1971: ''Go Go Kamen Rider'' (Movie version of episode 13) * 1972: '' Kamen Rider vs. Shocker'' * 1972: ''Kamen Rider vs. Ambassador Hell'' * 1973: ''

'' (Movie version of episode 2) * 1973: ''Kamen Rider V3 vs. the Destron Monsters'' * 1974: ''

Kamen Rider X is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. It was broadcast in 1974 on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET, now known as TV Asahi. It is the third entry in the Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu shows. It starred Ryo Hayami in the t ...

'' (Movie version of episode 3) * 1974: ''Kamen Rider X: Five Riders vs. King Dark'' * 1975: ''

Kamen Rider Amazon is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. The fourth installment to be produced as part of the Kamen Rider Series, the series aired in Japan from late 1974 to early 1975 on the NET and Mainichi Broadcasting System. It was the shortest ''Kam ...

'' (Movie version of episode 16) * 1975: '' Kamen Rider Stronger'' (Movie version of episode 7) * 1980: '' Kamen Rider: Eight Riders vs. Galaxy King'' * 1981: ''

'' * 1988: ''

: Hurry to Onigashima'' * 1988: ''Kamen Rider Black: Fear! Evil Monster Mansion'' * 1989: ''Kamen Rider: Stay in the World'' – 3D theme park special * 1992: '' Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue'' * 1993: '' Kamen Rider ZO'' * 1994: '' Kamen Rider J'' * 1994: ''

Kamen Rider World is a short tokusatsu superhero film, superhero 3-D film produced by Toei Company based on the ''Kamen Rider Series'' that premiered on August 6, 1994 and was shown in amusement parks and special events nationwide in Japan. It was shown as a triple ...

'' – 3-D theme park special * 2001: '' Kamen Rider Agito: Project G4'' * 2002: '' Kamen Rider Ryuki: Episode Final'' * 2003: '' Kamen Rider 555: Paradise Lost'' * 2004: '' Kamen Rider Blade: Missing Ace'' * 2005: ''

Kamen Rider Hibiki & The Seven Senki is the movie for the Japanese tokusatsu production Kamen Rider Hibiki, directed by Taro Sakamoto and written by Toshiki Inoue. The movie's title and plot is a reference to the classic Akira Kurosawa film, the Seven Samurai. This movie marks the d ...

'' * 2005: '' Kamen Rider: The First'' * 2006: '' Kamen Rider Kabuto: God Speed Love'' * 2007: '' Kamen Rider Den-O: I'm Born!'' * 2007: '' Kamen Rider: The Next'' * 2008: '' Kamen Rider Den-O & Kiva: Climax Deka'' * 2008: '' Kamen Rider Kiva: King of the Castle in the Demon World'' * 2008: '' Saraba Kamen Rider Den-O: Final Countdown'' * 2009: '' Cho Kamen Rider Den-O & Decade Neo Generations: The Onigashima Warship'' * 2009: '' Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker'' * 2009: '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 2010'' ** ''Kamen Rider Decade: The Last Story'' ** ''Kamen Rider W: Begins Night'' ** ''Movie War 2010'' * 2010: '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider The Movie: Cho-Den-O Trilogy'' ** ''Episode Red: Zero no Star Twinkle'' ** ''Episode Blue: The Dispatched Imagin is Newtral'' ** ''Episode Yellow: Treasure de End Pirates'' * 2010: '' Kamen Rider W Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate'' * 2010: '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider OOO & W Featuring Skull: Movie War Core'' ** ''Kamen Rider Skull: Message for Double'' ** ''Kamen Rider OOO: Nobunaga's Desire'' ** ''Movie War Core'' * 2011: '' OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders'' * 2011: '' Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful: The Shogun and the 21 Core Medals'' * 2011: '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Mega Max'' ** ''Beginning: Fight! Legendary Seven Riders'' ** ''Kamen Rider OOO: Ankh's Resurrection, the Medals of the Future, and the Leading Hope'' ** ''Futo, The Conspiracy Advances: Gallant! Kamen Rider Joker'' ** ''Kamen Rider Fourze: Nade-Shiko Ad-Vent'' ** ''Movie War Mega Max: Gather! Warriors of Glory'' * 2012: '' Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen'' * 2012: '' Kamen Rider Fourze the Movie: Space, Here We Come!'' * 2012: '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze: Movie War Ultimatum'' ** ''Kamen Rider Fourze'' ** ''Kamen Rider Wizard'' ** ''Movie War Ultimatum'' * 2013: '' Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z'' * 2013: ''

Kamen Rider Wizard in Magic Land is the 2013 film adaptation of the 2012 & 2013 Kamen Rider Series television series '' Kamen Rider Wizard''. It was released on August 3, 2013, as a double-bill with '' Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger: Gaburincho of Music''. The film features Takanori Ji ...

'' * 2013: '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle'' ** ''Kamen Rider Wizard: The Promised Place'' ** ''Kamen Rider Gaim: Sengoku Battle Royale'' * 2014: '' Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z'' * 2014: '' Heisei Riders vs. Shōwa Riders: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai'' * 2014: '' Kamen Rider Gaim: Great Soccer Battle! Golden Fruits Cup!'' * 2014: '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Drive & Gaim: Movie War Full Throttle'' ** ''Kamen Rider Gaim: The Advancing Last Stage'' ** ''Kamen Rider Drive: A Challenge from Lupin'' ** ''Movie War Full Throttle'' * 2015: '' Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3'' * 2015: '' Kamen Rider Drive: Surprise Future'' * 2015: '' Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Ghost & Drive: Super Movie War Genesis'' * 2016: ''

'' * 2016: '' Kamen Rider Ghost: The 100 Eyecons and Ghost's Fated Moment'' * 2016: '' Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Riders'' * 2017: '' Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Ultra Super Hero Taisen'' * 2017: '' Kamen Rider Ex-Aid the Movie: True Ending'' * 2017: '' Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Rider'' * 2018: '' Kamen Rider Amazons the Movie: The Last Judgement'' * 2018: '' Kamen Rider Build the Movie: Be the One'' * 2018: '' Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever'' * 2019: '' Kamen Rider Zi-O the Movie: Over Quartzer'' * 2019: '' Kamen Rider Reiwa The First Generation'' * 2020: '' Kamen Rider Zero-One the Movie: Real×Time'' * 2020: '' Kamen Rider Saber Theatrical Short Story: The Phoenix Swordsman and the Book of Ruin'' * 2021: '' Saber + Zenkaiger: Super Hero Senki'' * 2021: ''Kamen Rider Revice'' (short film) * 2021: ''Kamen Rider Beyond Generations'' * 2022: ''Kamen Rider Revice the Movie'' * 2023: '' Shin Kamen Rider''

V-Cinema releases

Direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy w ...

releases, films focusing on secondary riders and storylines, began appearing during the franchise's Heisei era. Hyper Battle Videos are episodes included with '' Televi-Kun'' magazine. * 1992: '' Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue'' * 1993: '' Kamen Rider SD'' – Only

adaptation * 2011: ''

Kamen Rider W Returns is a set of two V-Cinema (direct-to-video) releases that serve as spin-offs for characters from the ''Kamen Rider W'' television series and films. These films focus on the characters of List of Kamen Rider W characters#Ryu Terui, Ryu Terui / Kame ...

'' ** ''Kamen Rider Accel'' Chapter ** ''Kamen Rider Eternal'' Chapter * 2015: '' Kamen Rider Gaim Gaiden'' ** First Part *** ''Kamen Rider Zangetsu'' Chapter *** ''Kamen Rider Baron'' Chapter ** Second Part *** ''Kamen Rider Duke'' Chapter *** ''Kamen Rider Knuckle'' Chapter ** Third Part *** ''Kamen Rider Zangetsu'' Chapter (Stage Show 2019) *** ''Kamen Rider Gridon VS Kamen Rider Bravo'' Chapter (2 Special 2020) * 2016: ''Kamen Rider Drive Saga'' ** First Part *** ''Kamen Rider Chaser'' Chapter ** Second Part *** ''Kamen Rider Heart'' Chapter *** ''Kamen Rider Mach'' Chapter ** Third Part *** ''Kamen Rider Brain'' Chapter (2 Special 2019) * 2017: ''Kamen Rider Ghost Re-Birth: Kamen Rider Specter'' * 2018: '' Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Trilogy: Another Ending'' ** ''Brave & Snipe'' Chapter ** ''Para-DX with Poppy'' Chapter ** ''Genm vs. Lazer'' Chapter * 2019: ''Kamen Rider Build New World'' ** First Part *** ''Kamen Rider Cross-Z'' Chapter ** Second Part *** ''Kamen Rider Grease'' Chapter * 2020: ''Kamen Rider Zi-O Next Time'' ** ''Kamen Rider Geiz Majesty'' Chapter * 2021: ''Kamen Rider Zero-One Others'' ** ''Kamen Rider Metsuboujinrai'' Chapter ** ''Kamen Rider Vulcan & Valkyrie'' Chapter * 2022: ''Kamen Rider Saber: Trio of Deep Sin'' * 2022: ''Kamen Rider OOO 10th: Core Medal of Resurrection''

Hyper Battle videos

* 2000: ''Kamen Rider Kuuga: vs. the Strong Monster Go-Jiino-Da'' * 2001: ''Kamen Rider Agito: Three rider TV-kun Special'' * 2002: ''Kamen Rider Ryuki Hyper Battle: Kamen Rider Ryuki vs. Kamen Rider Agito'' * 2003: ''Kamen Rider 555: The Musical'' * 2004: ''Kamen Rider Blade: Blade vs Blade'' * 2005: ''Kamen Rider Hibiki: Transform Asumu: You can be an Oni too'' * 2006: ''Kamen Rider Kabuto: Birth! Gatack Hyper Form!'' * 2007: ''Kamen Rider Den-O: Singing, Dancing, Great Time!!'' * 2008: ''Kamen Rider Kiva: You Can Also be Kiva'' * 2009: ''Kamen Rider Decade: Protect! The World of TV-Kun'' * 2010: ''Kamen Rider W: Donburi's α/Farewell Recipe of Love'' * 2011: ''Kamen Rider OOO: Quiz, Dance, and Takagarooba!?'' * 2012: ''Kamen Rider Fourze: Rocket Drill States of Friendship'' * 2013: ''Kamen Rider Wizard: Showtime with the Dance Ring'' * 2014: ''Kamen Rider Gaim: Fresh Orange Arms is Born!'' * 2015: ''Kamen Rider Drive'' Hyper Battle: ** ''Type TV-KUN: Hunter & Monster! Chase the Mystery of the Super Thief!'' ** ''Type High Speed! The True Power! Type High Speed is Born!'' * 2016: ''Kamen Rider Ghost'' Hyper Battle: ** ''Ikkyu Eyecon Contention! Quick Wit Battle!!'' ** ''Ikkyu Eyecon! Awaken, My Quick Wit Power!!'' ** ''Truth! The Secret Of Heroes' Eyecons!'' *2017: ''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid "Tricks"'' **''Kamen Rider Lazer'' **''Kamen Rider Para-DX'' *2018: ''Kamen Rider Build'' ** ''Birth! KumaTelevi!! VS Kamen Rider Grease!'' ** ''Kamen Rider Prime Rogue'' *2019: ''Kamen Rider ZI-O: Kamen Rider Bi Bi Bi no Bibill Geiz'' *2019: ''Kamen Rider Zero-One: What Will Pop Out of the Kangaroo? Think About It by Yourself! Yes! It must be me, Aruto!'' *2021: ''Kamen Rider Saber: Gather! Hero! The Explosive Dragon TVKun'' *2022: ''Kamen Rider Revice: Koala VS Kangaroo!! Do you want to avoid love at the wedding?!''

Web exclusive

* 2015: ''D-Video Special: Kamen Rider 4'' * 2016: ''Kamen Rider Ghost: Legendary! Riders' Souls!'' * 2016–2017: ''

Kamen Rider Amazons , known in the overseas market as ''Amazon Riders'', is a 2016 Japanese tokusatsu web drama. It is a darker and more mature reimagining of the 1974 television series. ''Kamen Rider Amazon'', and part of Toei's Super Hero Year, celebrating the 45 ...

'' * 2017: ''Kamen Sentai Gorider'' * 2018: ''Kamen Rider Build: Raising the Hazard Level ~7 Best Matches~'' * 2019: ''Kamen Rider Zi-O Spin-off'' ** ''Rider Time: Kamen Rider Shinobi'' ** ''Rider Time: Kamen Rider Ryuki'' ** ''Rider Time: Kamen Rider Zi-O VS Decade -7 of Zi-O!-'' ** ''Rider Time: Kamen Rider Decade VS Zi-O -Decade Mansion's Death Game-'' * 2021: ''Kamen Rider Saber Spin Off: Swordsmen Chronicles'' * 2021: ''Kamen Rider Genms -The Presidents-'' * 2021: ''Kamen Rider Saber × Ghost'' * 2021: ''Kamen Rider Specter × Blades'' * 2022: ''Kamen Rider Revice: The Mystery'' * 2022: ''Kamen Rider Genms -Smart Brain and the 1000% Crisis-'' * 2022: ''Revice Legacy'' ** ''Revice Legacy: Kamen Rider Vail'' ** ''Part 2'' ** ''Part 3'' * 2022: ''

Kamen Rider Black Sun is a Japanese tokusatsu web drama that is a reboot of the 1987 television series ''Kamen Rider Black''. A co-production between Ishimori Productions and Toei, the series is directed by Kazuya Shiraishi and was released worldwide through Am ...

Others

* 2016: ''The Legend of Hero Alain'' * 2017: ''Kamen Rider Snipe: Episode ZERO'' * 2018: ''ROGUE'' * 2020: ''Project Thouser'' * 2021: ''Kamen Rider Saber Spin-Off: Sword of Logos Saga'' * 2022: ''DEAR GAGA''

Adaptations outside Japan

Taiwan

In 1975–1976, Tong Hsing Film Co., Ltd. in Taiwan produced a Super Riders series based on the Japanese version. * 1975: '' The Super Rider V3'' based on ''

'' * 1976: '' The Five Of Super Rider'' based on ''

* 1976: '' The Super Riders'' based on ''Kamen Rider vs. Shocker'' and ''Kamen Rider vs. Hell Ambassador''

United States

In 1995, Saban produced the first American '' Masked Rider'' series after its success adapting Super Sentai into ''

Power Rangers ''Power Rangers'' is an entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise '' Super Sentai''. Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS E ...

'' and the Metal Hero Series ('' VR Troopers'' and ''

Beetleborgs ''Big Bad Beetleborgs'' (later ''Beetleborgs Metallix'') is an American live-action superhero television series by Saban Entertainment and was co-produced with Renaissance-Atlantic Films, Toei Company and Bugboy Productions. Two seasons aired on ...

''). It was panned by critics and fans from the series, and it was regarded as one of the worst Kamen Rider series. In 2009, a new series, produced by Michael and Steve Wang, was broadcast: '' Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight'', which was adapted from '' Kamen Rider Ryuki''. Although it was canceled before finishing its syndicated run, it won the first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Stunt Coordination at the

37th Daytime Emmy Awards The 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, June 27, 2010, at the Las Vegas Hilton, and were televised on CBS. The Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy Awards were presented two days earlier on June 25 at the Westin Bonaventure H ...

Unofficial Thailand adaptation

In 1975, Chaiyo Productions made an unofficial Kamen Rider movie entitled ''

Hanuman and the Five Riders ''Hanuman and the 5 Kamen Riders'' (หนุมาน พบ 5 ไอ้มดแดง - ''Hanuman pob Har Aimoddaeng'' - literally "Hanuman meet the Five Ant Men") is a tokusatsu superhero film produced in 1975 by Chaiyo Productions of Thaila ...

'', which used original footage of Chaiyo's Hanuman character, spliced with footage from the "Five Riders Vs. King Dark" movie. However, Chaiyo went ahead with the production without authorisation after Toei denied them permission to make an official movie with them, putting the legality of the movie into question.

Merchandise

, Bandai Namco has sold ''Kamen Rider'' transformation belts since February 2000.

Homages and parodies

The Kamen Rider franchise has been parodied in and outside Japan. One parody is of the Kamen Rider ''henshin'' (metamorphosis) pose. In video games,

Skullomania The main titles of the ''Street Fighter'' fighting game series have introduced a varied cast of 80 ''World Warriors'' from the main series, and 34 from several spin-offs, for a total of 114 playable characters who originated from different countri ...

(from '' Street Fighter EX'') and May Lee (from '' The King of Fighters'') are examples of Kamen Rider parodies. In anime, examples include '' Fair, then Partly Piggy'', '' My-HiME'' (and its sequel, '' My Otome''), ''

Dragon Ball Z ''Dragon Ball Z'' is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. Part of the ''Dragon Ball'' media franchise, it is the sequel to the 1986 '' Dragon Ball'' anime series and adapts the latter 325 chapters of the original ...

'', and ''

Franken Fran is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Katsuhisa Kigitsu.Champion Red. ''「木々津克久先生にインタビュー！！」'' January 2011. 年1月号、610頁. ''Japanese language'' It was serialized in ''Champion Red'' from ...

''. In the '' Crayon Shin-chan'' series, the title character interacts with Kamen Riders in crossover specials. '' Detective Conan'' has a recurring TV series the detective boys like to watch, ''Kamen Yaiba''. In

One Punch Man is a Japanese superhero manga series created by One. It tells the story of Saitama, a superhero who, because he can defeat any opponent with a single punch, grows bored from a lack of challenge. One wrote the original webcomic manga v ...

, the C Class Hero Mumen Rider is a parody, being an ordinary man in a world of superhuman beings, riding a bicycle rather than a motorcycle. However, despite his weakness, he is extremely heroic and his actions form a counterpoint to his parodic character conception. The series has also been parodied and homaged in the

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Comp ...

series

Amphibia Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbo ...

. In live-action, parodies include "Kamen Renaider" by SMAP's Takuya Kimura and Shingo Katori, a parody of ''Ryuki''; "Kamen Zaiber", a parody of the original series; "Kamen Norider" by the Tunnels, a parody of

and as well as the first series; "Kamen Rider HG", Hard Gay's parody of the original for a Japanese TV show, and "Ridermen" (a short skit with a man called Ridermen, a parody of the Riderman on the set of '' Kamen Rider Kuuga''. Akimasa Nakamura, a Japanese astronomer named two

minor planet According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...

s in honor of the series: 12408 Fujioka for actor

, known for his portrayal of Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1, and 12796 Kamenrider for the series itself.

References

External links

TV Asahi

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Kamen Rider Geats
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Kamen Rider Revice
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Kamen Rider Saber
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Kamen Rider Zero-One
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Kamen Rider Zi-O
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Kamen Rider Build
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Kamen Rider OOO
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Kamen Rider W
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Kamen Rider Decade
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Kamen Rider Kiva
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Kamen Rider Ryuki
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Toei

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Kamen Rider Zi-O
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Kamen Rider Amazons Season 2
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Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
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Kamen Rider Amazons
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Kamen Rider Ghost
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Kamen Rider Drive
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Kamen Rider Gaim
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Kamen Rider Fourze
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Kamen Rider OOO
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Kamen Rider W
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Kamen Rider Decade
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Kamen Rider Kiva
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Kamen Rider The Next
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Kamen Rider Hibiki
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Kamen Rider Ryuki
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Bandai

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Kamen Rider Ghost
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Kamen Rider Wizard
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Kamen Rider Fourze
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Kamen Rider OOO
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Kamen Rider W
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Kamen Rider Decade
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Others

Kamen Rider Official
– The main site of the Kamen Rider franchise ,the background changes when next series premieres.
Ishimori@Style
– Shotaro Ishinomori with Ishimori Productions Official Website
Toei Kyoto Studio Park
– A theme park with official events, exhibitions and shops related to the ''Kamen Rider'' series
Bandai Korea's ''Kamen Rider'' site
– The site's look changes when the next series premieres in Korea {{Shotaro Ishinomori Bandai brands Bandai Namco franchises Manga series Mass media franchises introduced in 1971 Japanese drama television series Teen superhero television series Toei tokusatsu