Kamen Rider Series

Shōwa era

Produced by Toru Hirayama (平山 亨, Hirayama Tōru) and designed by Shotaro Ishinomori (creator of Cyborg 009), Kamen Rider premiered on April 3, 1971 initially intended as an adaptation of Ishinomori's Skull Man. He and Hirayama redesigned the main character to resemble a grasshopper. The hero Takeshi Hongo, played by actor and stuntman Hiroshi Fujioka, was described as a transformed human (改造人間, kaizō ningen) (cyborg). During the filming of episode 10, Fujioka was thrown from his motorcycle during a stunt and broke both legs. His character was phased out until the introduction of another transformed human, Hayato Ichimonji (played by Takeshi Sasaki) was introduced in episode 14. The return of Fujioka and his character, Hongo, in episode 53 united the two actors and Kamen Riders 1 and 2 appeared in every show of the first half of the Shōwa series. The series from April 1971 to January 1976 (Kamen Rider, V3, X, Amazon, 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. In these shows, Tachibana was replaced by a similar character named Genjiro Tani (谷 源次郎, Tani Genjirō). The annual new shows ended briefly during the 1980s, punctuated by the 1984 Kamen Rider ZX special Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!! (Hirayama's last project for the franchise).

Kamen Rider Black 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's 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.

Kuuga to Decade

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.

In 2005, Kamen Rider The First was produced. Written by Toshiki Inoue, 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 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, an adaptation of Kamen Rider V3 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. Differing from past Kamen Rider series, it introduces a rider who is unsure of himself. The series has a large vehicle, the DenLiner: a bullet train which can travel through time. 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's 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 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) was an epilogue for the series. According to Takeru Satoh, who played the lead character of Den-O in the television series and first three films, the series was successful because of its humor.

The 2009 series, Kamen Rider Decade, commemorated the Heisei run's 10th anniversary. Japanese recording artist Gackt 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 said that the series was scheduled for only 30 episodes.

Ten-year project

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, 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 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, 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 premiered; its protagonist was the first Kamen Rider to use magic. Wizard had the first homosexual character and cast member with Kaba-chan. 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 Raidā Gaimu (仮面ライダー鎧武（ガイム）^?). Kamen Rider Gaim previewed on July 25, 2013, revealing a Sengoku period and fruit-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 Haruyasumi Gattai Supesharu (春休み合体スペシャル^?, Spring Break Combined Special) 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, the first Kamen Rider since Kamen Rider Black RX(who also used a motorycle), to use a car instead of a motorcycle. The fourth Super Hero Taisen, Super Hero Taisen GP, marks Kamen Rider 3's first live-action appearance after the Showa Kamen Rider manga. Kamen Rider Ghost was introduced in 2015. In 2016 the Kamen Rider Series celebrates its 45th anniversary, and Toei planned to celebrate by releasing the film Kamen Rider 1 on March 26, 2016. Kamen Rider Ex-Aid was introduced in 2016. 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's original character created by Namco prior merging with Bandai in 2006, Pac-Man.

Main series

The following is a list of the 26 Kamen Rider Series (one television special part of the canon and one as the part of web series) and their broadcast years:

Television specials

Theatrical releases

V-Cinema releases

V-Cinema 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.

Taiwan

In 1975–1976, the Tungstar Company in Taiwan produced a Super Riders series based on the Japanese version.

United States

In 1995, Saban produced the first American Masked Rider series after its success adapting Super Sentai into Power Rangers and the Metal Hero Series (VR Troopers and Beetleborgs). In 2009 a new series, produced by Michael and Steve Wang, was broadcast.

Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight, airing in 2009, was adapted from Kamen Rider Ryuki. Although it was cancelled before finishing its syndicated run, it won the first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Stunt Coordination at the 37th Daytime Emmy Awards.

Homages and parodies

The Kamen Rider franchise has been parodied in and outside Japan. One parody is of the Kamen Rider henshin (transforming) pose. In video games, Skullomania (from Street Fighter) and May Lee (from 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, and Franken Fran as parody or homage. 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 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; "Kamen Norida" by the Tunnels, a parody of Kamen Rider 1 and 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 named two minor planets in honor of the series: 12408 Fujioka for actor Hiroshi Fujioka, known for his portrayal of Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1, and 12796 Kamenrider for the series itself.