Kamen Rider: Difference between revisions

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* [[Alternate Continuity]] - The Heisei-era movies play it straight, but a few (most prominently ''Den-O'''s ''Ore, Tanjou!!'' and ''Double'''s ''The Gaia Memories of Fate'') are in-canon. ''Kabuto'' has an interesting twist on this, {{spoiler|with movie!Tendou changing the past and bringing the TV series continuity into existence.}}

* [[Anyone Can Die]] - Not every season features this, but on occasion, you will get people dropping like flies within the last ten episodes.

* [[Artifact Title]]

** Some of the main Riders don't actually go by the "Kamen Rider" title in-universe at first. Showa Riders like Stronger popularized the practice of 'earning' that title via a crossover with previous Riders; Kuuga and Agito revived this practice in the Heisei era, which got pretty inconsistent after that (Hibiki is the best known aversion), but thanks to [[Kamen Rider Decade]], the title of Kamen Rider would become [[Insistent Terminology]] in future seasons.

** For a more literal version, some of the Riders don't use their bikes that much and others (like Amazon and Shin) don't even wear masks at all, they physically transform into their Rider alter-egos.

* [[Asskicking Pose]] - Earlier series usually depend on a series of this in order to Henshin.

** There are some exceptions, though: [[Kamen Rider Hibiki|Hibiki]] and [[Kamen Rider Ryuki|Ryuga]] do not pose when they Henshin, for example.

** [[Kamen Rider Black|BLACK]] (later [[Kamen Rider Black RX|BLACK RX]]) is pretty extreme with this. Not just henshin, they use them [[This Is Sparta|AS! EMPHASIS!]]

* [[Badass]] - Shiro Kazami, Shigeru Jo, etc.

** More visible in the Showa series, where the Riders often fight mooks while untransformed. Minami Kotaro (Kamen Rider Black & Black RX) was notable for going toe-to-toe with [[Monster of the Week|monsters of the day]] while still in human form since that particular series had no mooks. Justified by the fact that they are all cyborgs or enhanced humans (or, in the case of Amazon, Tarzan) who are stronger than the average human. Of course, there are also exception in the Heisei series, such as Hibiki where the Oni are all good fighters even in human form and can fight untransformed.

** [[Badass Abnormal]] - All of the Showa riders except Riderman.

** [[Badass Biker]] - It's there in the title, after all. Again, more apparent in the Showa series where more attention was drawn to them.

** [[Badass Normal]] - Taki Kazuya regularly faces cyborgs ''hand-to-hand'' despite being completely human. Riderman (V3's Rival) was, in his original appearance, basically a Mook with a swappable right forearm - he [[Took a Level In Badass]] between that and SPIRITS.

** [[Badass Normal]] - Taki Kazuya regularly faces cyborgs ''hand-to-hand'' despite being completely human. Riderman (V3's Rival) was, in his original appearance, basically a Mook with a swappable right forearm - he [[Took a Level in Badass]] between that and SPIRITS.

* [[Bare-Fisted Monk]] - Most of the Showa Era Kamen Riders didn't use any weapons. Instead, they relied on good old martial arts.

* [[BFG]] - Hyper Kabuto's Perfect Zecter in ''Kabuto'', Zolda's final weapon in ''Ryuki''. Riderman's Machine Gun Arm is literally that., Faiz's Faiz Blaster, Zeronos' Denebick Buster

* [[BFS]] - Zeronos' ZeroGasher in ''Den-O'', Kabuto's Perfect Zecter in ''Kabuto'', Den-O's DenKamen Sword in ''Den-O'', Blade's King Rouzer, Kiva's Zanvat Sword

** Special mention goes to the "Blade Blade", a BFS for Decade that is made out of the body of Kamen Rider Blade.

* [[Blessed with Suck]] - more prominent in Old Generation Riders; Gills is a prominent New Gen example. Some New Gen Riders get retconned to invoke this for Decade. Then there's [[Body Horror|Shin...]]

* [[Body Horror]] - Implied in any season where the Rider is created on the [[Big Bad]]'s operating table. [[Nightmare Fuel|Played completely]] [[Up to Eleven|straight]] with Shin Kamen Rider, in ways that Amazon and Gills can only hope to accomplish. His face broke open!

* [[By the Power of Greyskull]] - "Henshin!", and variations thereof.

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** Very rarely does a Kamen Rider Series get to be [[Lighter and Softer]]. The only known ones at the moment are ''Black RX'', ''Den-O'' and ''Fourze'' (though ''OOO'' can be a contender for this sometimes).

*** Newer series, while neither darker or lighter, managed to be more [[Mind Screw]]-y ([[Kamen Rider Kabuto]] and [[Kamen Rider Ryuki]], [[Gainax Ending|especially]]).

** [[Kamen Rider Black]], already at the dark and gritty end of the spectrum for the series, has a manga adaptation drawn and written by Ishinomori himself that's straight-up [[Nightmare Fuel]] material.

* [[Deadly Upgrade]] - Stronger's Charge Up, Kuuga Ultimate Form, the first version of G3X, the G4 Armour, Gills Exceed ''(subversion)'', the Kaixa and Delta Gear in ''555'', Blade King Form in ''Blade'', the Hopper Riders in ''Kabuto''.

* [[Deconstruction]] - Brutally in ''Shin''--so brutal that it caused a huge [[Broken Base]] among the fandom! Not to mention the [[Body Horror]] example above.

** Though the series itself has other examples and can vary sometimes. Ryuki while not as brutal as Shin really tears into the concept of Mons and what is a Kamen Rider, and Kuuga itself is a [[Deconstructor Fleet]] by being a more realistic take on the genre.

* [[Elemental Powers]] - some Riders have them, and here's a notable list.

** [[Blow You Away]]: [[Kamen Rider (TV series)|First]] [[Kamen Rider V 3|three Riders]].

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* [[Homage]]

* [[Hot-Blooded]] - Some of the Kamen Riders. Kuuga tops them all. Or Den-O Sword Form. Most of the Riders have their moments too.

** Also the theme songs of most Kamen Rider series. The original series, Kuuga, Agito, and Ryuki are just examples.

* [[Humongous Mecha]] - King Dark from ''[[Kamen Rider X]]''.

** Castle Doran and Powered Ixer from ''[[Kamen Rider Kiva]]''. (The former isn't quite a mecha, but the intent is there.)

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* [[Japanese Beetle Brothers]] - Either as heroes or villains, depending on the series. This is most prevalent in [[Kamen Rider Kabuto]] with the main protagonists, Kabuto and Gatack.

* [[Last Villain Stand]]: Many of the Generals/Commandants/Warlords, whatever they were called in their specific organization, would face down their Rider after he'd slaughtered their armies and ruined their plans enough, transform into a monstrous form with incredible power behind it, and fight the Riders one on one.

* [[Long Runner]]: As the trailers for the ''Let's Go Kamen Riders" film point out, 2011 is the franchise's 40th anniversary. Like [[Doctor Who|another popular science fiction franchise]], there was a lengthy gap in the middle, but Shin, RX and J kept the franchise going.

* [[Love Hurts]] - Boy howdy, ''does it''.

** Literally in ''[[Kamen Rider X]]'', where the titular character originates after being gunned down by his fiance, a spy for GOD...and later lost ''another'' love interest.

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* [[Meaningful Titles]]: Kamen Rider. Some use it right, some use it wrong. It has been an important plot point in several series, most notably the entire Showa Era, W and Fourze.

* [[Merchandise-Driven]] - anything from multiple Riders to multiple power-ups, season depending. Much more pervasive in the newer series.

** Many series will have the official toys as their props.

** In their defense, they make the henshin devices too awesome to resist.

* [[Moe Anthropomorphism]] - Ever try Google Search with term "Rider-tan"?

** The [http://www.jefusion.com/2010/11/kamen-rider-girls-revealed.html Kamen Rider Girls] [[Idol Singer|idol group]] is pretty much the closest thing to an official Rider-tan.

* [[Mons]] - Noticeably embraced by the Heisei Riders from ''Ryuki'' onwards (though Gouram in ''Kuuga'' can also count). Ranging from Deconstructions (Ryuki, Kiva), played straight (Blade, Hibiki, mechanical ones in Faiz) and parodied (Den-O)

* [[Monster of the Week]] - in the case of ''Den-O'' onwards, Monster of the Fortnight(thanks to two-week mini-arcs). Though ''Kuuga'' also did it.

* [[Multiform Balance]] - First started with Black RX. Since then, it has become a tradition for Heisei-era Kamen Riders.

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** [[Lightning Bruiser]] - Second strongest form.

** [[Super Mode]] - Strongest form.

* [[Mythology Gag]] - The first Monster of the Week in nearly every season is based on a spider, the second is just as likely to be based on a bat. ''Blade'' turned its one spider-based MotW into a recurring villain of sorts, while the first episode's monster was based on a grasshopper, much like the first [[Kamen Rider (TV series)|Kamen Rider]] was. And the first use of a [[Giant Spider]] in ''Hibiki'' paved the way for more [[Serkis Folk|massive CGI monsters]], after the one in ''[[Kamen Rider J]]'' had been all but forgotten.

** ''[[Kamen Rider Kiva]]'' had both the spider and bat. The spider was technically the first monster to appear, but wasn't the first MOTW and in fact managed to survive for almost half the series. Being vampire-themed, the bat motif was used for Kiva, [[Transformation Trinket|Kivat]], and the [[Big Bad|King Fangire]].

*** ''[[Kamen Rider Blade]]'' actually has Kamen Rider Leangle, a spider-themed Rider. We are through the looking glass.

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** ''Movie Wars CORE'' averts this trope and plays it straight ''simultaneously'', being a crossover between [[Kamen Rider Double]] and [[Kamen Rider OOO]]. While it fits neatly into Double's continuity, trying too hard to work it into OOO's chronology will just give you a migraine.

* [[Not Using the Z Word]] - Most of the Heisei era shows tend to avoid using the term "Kamen Rider" in series, except for the purpose of [[Crossover|crossovers]].

** Subverted in [[Kamen Rider Double|Double]]. In the beginning the titular Rider/Riders just called "Double", but the public eventually started referring to the [[Mask Power|mask-wearing]], [[Badass Biker|motorcycle riding]] hero as a [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|"Kamen Rider"]] and since then all the Riders in the show introduced themselves as Kamen Rider so-and-so.

** Also subverted in [[Kamen Rider Fourze|Fourze]], where the Kamen Rider Club is an important part of the plot.

* [["On the Next Episode of..." Catchphrase]]

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* [[Phantom Zone]]

* [[Phlebotinum Rebel]] - This one dates back to the very first series, and extends into the New-Gen; Shotaro Ishinomori's trademark, actually.

* [[Pragmatic Adaptation]]: ''[[Kamen Rider Dragon Knight]]'', to certain degree, rather successful ([[Screwed by the Network|not rating based, sadly]]).

* [[Product Placement]] - Honda makes all the bikes in the Heisei era since ''[[Kamen Rider Agito]]'' (Gas Gas made the bikes in ''[[Kamen Rider Kuuga]]'') and Suzuki in the Showa era, but it's nowhere as obvious as the Shoei helmets that all Riders tend to wear. Not averted till the Heisei era - Shinji of ''Ryuki'' uses a moped, and Ryotaro of ''Den-O'' use a bicycle, both of which do not require the full face helmet.

** Subverted in [[Kamen Rider Double]], where while main rider Shotaro/W rides a Honda, second rider Ryu Terui AKA Accel rides a red Ducati named Diablossa.

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*** ''[[Kamen Rider Den-O]]'' had about 6 by the series end, and a few more for the movies

* [[Numerical Theme Naming]]: The Kamen Riders after Kiva all took on number-related names. Decade ('''1'''0), Double (2), OOO (3) and Fourze (4).

** Several other riders took numerical names as well, like ZO (which is shaped like 20, signifying the 20th anniversary of Kamen Rider) and Faiz (which sounds like Fives, as in 555)

*** If all goes well, an adaptation of Faiz made by the Wang Bros. (who made [[Kamen Rider Dragon Knight|Dragon Knight]]), complete with a Japanese re-dub, will be the number 5 in this series of numeral themes, possibly [[Book Ends|book-ending]] it.

* [[The Movie]] - double-featured with the current year's ''[[Super Sentai]]'' movie in a "summer roadshow".

** Starting with Decade and Double, apparently there are plans for annual Christmas-time movies as well.

* [[The Musical]] - There's been a few, including a 2010 show simply called ''Masked Rider Live & Show 2010'' which is a ''Decade'' themed show, but actually focuses on Decade!''Kuuga'' and a Not So Evil member of Dai Shocker who eventually does a [[Heel Face Turn]]. It also features gratuitous appearances by Riders from just about every possible show, from both eras.

* [[The Rival]] - prepare for many a [[Face Heel Turn]] and [[Heel Face Turn]] in newer series - Riderman in V3.

* [[There Can Be Only One]] - The central concept of ''Ryuki''. Also featured in ''Kuuga'' and ''Blade'', interestingly between the bad guys. ''Kabuto'' forced this point somewhat with its BFS, and ''Faiz'' came up with a new definition for it. ''Agito''... erm, suggested it would happen. ''Decade'' does this with [[All the Myriad Ways|entire worlds]].