Hiroshi Tsukuba

Skyrider (スカイライダー, Sukairaidā?) is a fictional character appearing in the 1979 Japanese Kamen Rider series Kamen Rider, more commonly referred to as Skyrider or The New Kamen Rider.



As the name suggests, he was the first Kamen Rider who could fly. He is also one of the most powerful of the Kamen Riders, having passed a survival test that involved being struck by the Rider Kicks of all his predecessors. He is portrayed by Hiroaki Murakami.

Fictional character biography
Hiroshi Tsukuba (筑波　洋, Tsukuba Hiroshi?) is a flying glider who witnesses the attempted abduction of scientist by soldiers of the terrorist organization Neo-Shocker. Landing, Tsukuba drives off the abductors. Later when Tsukuba is critically wounded by a Neo-Shocker mutant the scientist, Dr. Keitarou Shiba, who has been captured by Neo-Shocker, convinces General Monster that he should be allowed to convert Tsukuba into a cyborg warrior. Dr. Shiba does this to save Tsukuba's life. Hiroshi Tsukuba awakes to the new warrior of justice, Skyrider.

Unlike the original Kamen Riders who are based on grasshoppers Skyrider is based on a locust. As the name implies, Skyrider could fly. Skyrider's ability to fly came from the switches on his henshin belt. Dr. Shiba Keitarou disappears after episode 13. In episode 14 Tsukuba, Hiroshi meets Genjiro Tani (played by the late Nobuo Tsukamoto) who becomes the mentor to Skyrider (and later Kamen Rider Super-1).

For the first 19 episodes of New Kamen Rider the hero is known as "Kamen Rider", but in episode 20 Kamen Rider Stronger addresses him as "Skyrider". All of the previous Kamen Riders call him Skyrider and the Neo-Shocker kaijin do so as well after episode 20. Originally Hiroshi Tsukaba said "Henshin" to transform but starting in episode 35 he says "Sky Henshin". Like Riders 1 2 and V3, Skyrider is wind powered through his "Tornado" henshin belt.

At first Skyrider has only two special combat techniques, "Sky Kick" and "Sky Punch". He also the special power, "Sky Drill", using his hand to drill through solid rock. Using his motorycle Sky Turbo he can smash through walls with "Sky Break". In episode 21 Kamen Rider Stronger helps Skyrider to learn "Revolving Sky Kick". After the charge up Skyrider gains "Mid-air Sky Kick", "Gun Drop", "Sky Screw Kick", "Rider Spin", "Sky Chop", Sky Flying Saucer", "Sky Double Kick" etc.

Towards the end of the series comic relief is provided by the bumbling, superhero-wannabe, Gan Gan Jin.

In episode #48 Skyrider has to fight 3 fake Skyriders (Dororingo). As usual the evil Riders wear yellow scarves. In The Finale, The Riders fought The Great Boss of Neo-Shocker. The Leader and Neo-Shocker itself is destroyed at the hands of Skyrider & The Original 7 Riders.

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Skyrider also made his appearance in Kamen Rider Super-1 Movie, Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!!, and its last, Kamen Rider BLACK RX.