Takeshi Hongo


 * For the reboot version in the Kamen Rider The First film series, see Takeshi Hongo (reboot)

Takeshi Hongo is Kamen Rider #1, a fictional character and main Superhero or Henshin character featured in Japanese Tokusatsu. He first appeared in the television series Kamen Rider, the first in the famous Kamen Rider franchise of tokusatsu programmes. The primary Protagonist of the series, Kamen Rider #1 is a Motorcycle-riding Superhero modelled upon a Grasshopper. One of the most recognisable and iconic characters in Japanese entertainment, Kamen Rider #1 is as irrecoverably burnt onto to the cultural subconscious as the series itself.

In the original series, he was portrayed by Hiroshi Fujioka, who also performed most of his own stunts. In the movie, Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker, Rider #1 is voiced by Tetsu Inada. Kamen Rider #1 appears again as a main character, alongside Kamen Riders Den-O and OOO, in the 40th anniversary film OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Rider, were Fujioka reprised his role.

Takeshi Hongo
The character, before being transformed into a powerful hero, was a college biochemistry student. Born in 15 August, 1948, he is an intelligent young man who enjoyed riding motorcycles, in the first episode of the series he witnessed the murder of a scientist at the hands of a Shocker Kaijin named "Kumo Otoko" ("Spider Man," not to be confused with the Marvel Comics character). He is then kidnapped and forced to undergo a procedure that turns him into a super-powered Cyborg, but escapes before he can be brainwashed to do Shocker's bidding.

After this initial introduction, the series becomes, as with most tokusatsu programmes of the era, fairly formulaic. Each episode sees Hongo meeting another of Shocker's mutants, interacting briefly with supporting characters, such as his mentor Tachibana Tobei, and ultimately defeating the enemy, often with trademark "Rider Kick" or "Rider Punch" attacks.

However, this formula was drastically altered during the filming of episode ten. Fujioka, while attempting to perform a stunt on his motorcycle, shattered his leg. The surrounding episodes were quickly edited or otherwise altered to account for this, but Fujioka's injury forced him to take a longterm hiatus from acting, so production company Toei hired a new actor, Takeshi Sasaki, to play a new Kamen Rider character, dubbed Kamen Rider #2. In the show, it was explained that Shocker had built a duplicate of their original Kamen Rider cyborg in an effort to combat the threat that Hongo posed to their organization. This new character was introduced in episode 13, as Hongo's character was gradually phased out as unused footage of Fujioka ran dry, a process that had been occurring since episode 11.

By the time Fujioka had recovered from his injuries, Kamen Rider had become fairly successful, and Fujioka found other work, so Sasaki continued to portray the main character of the series until episode 49, when Fujioka returned to the series full time. During this time, the two characters worked together as the "Double Riders", and Sasaki's character was eventually written out. By episode 53, through the end of the series with episode 98, Hongo was again the sole protagonist, but Ichimonji returned for guest spots intermittently, in episodes 72-3, 93-4, and the finale.

Kamen Rider 1 and his partner Kamen Rider 2 next appeared in the sequel Kamen Rider. The titular V3 was Kazami Shiro, a junior of Hongo's, and begged them to turn him into a Kamen Rider after the murder of his family by the Destron organisation. Despite initially refusing, when the young man was mortally wounded assisting them, the two Riders transformed him into Kamen Rider V3, possessing both Kamen Rider 1's "skill" and Rider 2's "strength". The Double Riders were apparently killed detonating an atomic bomb, but reappeared alive and well later on in the series.

The Double Riders would make appearances in most succeeding Kamen Rider TV series, with the exception of Kamen Rider Amazon, Kamen Rider Super-1 (although they show up in the Super-1's movie) and Kamen Rider Black. Kamen Rider 1 would lead the senior Riders one last time in the final episodes of Kamen Rider Black RX. This would prove to be the last time the 10 original Riders appeared together onscreen. Until Kamen Rider Decade, no Showa-era riders would be return to the show.

The Double Riders have since been seen in Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker (Hongo voiced by Tetsu Inada) and OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders! (Hongo voiced by his original actor, Hiroshi Fujioka.) Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax will feature all seven Tachibana-era Riders, with Tetsu Inada again voicing Hongo.

Manga Version
Unlike in the TV Series, after a bike accident during his race course with his mentor Tobei Tachibana, Hongo awoke during the procedure that turns him into a super-powered Cyborg, but escapes before he can be brainwashed to do Shocker's bidding. Then he battled some Shocker Kaijins just like in the TV series, but until he fights 12 Shocker Riders, then he was subsequently killed but 1 of the 12 named Hayato Ichimonji had received a head injury and then he regain his good consciousness, then he comes to destroy all 11 Shocker Riders and becomes Kamen Rider by reprising Hongo's role during his recovery. At the mid-end of the manga story, Hongo was resurrected and returned to battle along with Kamen Rider #2 to confront Big Machine, a Shocker's Commander, and destroy his super computer he wanted to use to brainwash the citizens of Japan.

Kamen Rider: Seigi No Keifu
Hongo Takeshi stars the main character to the 1971 Timeline in this crossover game. (Although for a time, he is replaced as the playable character by Ichimonji.) Hongo must fight off Shocker and General Zol, who is slowly turning human beings into werewolf kajin as part of a much larger part in the not-so-distant future. Eventually, he travels to 1988 along with Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider to aid Kamen Rider in the final battle. Hiroshi Fujioka returns to voice the role. Kamen Rider 1 appears in his second outfit (although the green version of his classic outfit is available as an unlockable).

Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider
In the short film "Super Battle: Ultraman vs Kamen Rider" The main characters, Ultraman and Kamen Rider 1 appear on the scene separately, each fighting an original kaijin and kaiju. When the two monsters are nearly defeated, they merge into a more powerful kaiju. Ultraman experienced trouble he called for Kamen Rider 1's help. Hongo grew to enormous size to fight alongside Ultraman. Combining their powers, the two were able to successfully destroy the monster.

Kamen Rider X Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen
Hongo is set to return to lead the Kamen Riders against the Super Sentai who are led by Akaranger,

Kamen Rider 1 Statistics
Abilities:
 * Height: 180 cm
 * Weight: 70 kg
 * High jump power: 15.3 m
 * Long jump power: 18.7 m

Because he was meant to be Shocker’s greatest altered human Kamen Rider 1 has the ability to hear at distances of 4 kilometers. He can break a meter thick tree trunk, a metal rod 10 cm thick with his Rider Chop. Rider Kick has enough power to bend steel supports of buildings.

The original manga gave an in-depth analysis of the entire schematics used by Hongo, Ichimonji, and the Shocker Riders.
 * Ultrasensitive Antenna: a radar from the antenna
 * Cat's Eye: allows infrared night vision
 * Signal O: a brainwave transmission device that can detect other cyborgs
 * Crusher: The face plate that can break chains
 * Artificial Lungs: can recycle oxygen for two hours
 * Pulmonary Converter: catches wind power to convert it to energy, also acts as a radiator
 * Power Converter: capsules on the belt to store energy
 * Typhoon: transformation belt which is an anemometer which measures the rider's energy
 * Artificial Muscle: gives the rider the strength to jump like a giant locust
 * Jump Shoes: the soles are elastic-like springs.

Transforming
Kamen Rider 1 uses the power of the wind to fight. To transform Rider speeds on his Cyclone and leaps into the air, creating wind-pressure against his Typhoon belt. The pressure spins the wheel in the center of his belt which then activates the micro-nuclear engine and allows him to transform. The “old” Rider did not have a shout or a pose when he transforms.

Rider Henshin
Hongo shouts and throws his right arm at a diagonal to his right then rotates it clock-wise until it’s a diagonal to his left, then he retracts it to his waist and thrusts out his left arm at a diagonal to his right. After that pose Hongo leaps into the air where the wind-pressure activates his transformation.

Techniques

 * Rider Kick
 * Lightning Rider Kick
 * Rider Return Kick
 * Rider Flash of Lightning Kick
 * Rider Drop Kick
 * Rider Screw Kick
 * Rider Windmill Triple Kick
 * Rider Throw
 * Rider Reversal
 * Rider Tailspin Shoot
 * Rider Scissors
 * Rider Chop
 * Rider Wheel
 * Rider Punch
 * Rider Head Crusher
 * Rider Jump
 * Rider Back Jump
 * Rider Hammer
 * Rider Crash
 * Rider Knee Block
 * Rider Screw Block
 * Rider Double Kick

Typhoon Belt
Hongo's Henshin belt. His first belt has a white strap until he has a new costume with his new red strap similar to Kamen Rider #2's belt. Furthermore, the Typhoon is also presence to Shocker Kaijins as well.

Cyclone

 * Maximum Speed: 400 km/h
 * Jump Power: 30 m (40 m after alteration)
 * Engine: Nuclear Engine, 200 horsepower.
 * Designer: Hiroshi Midorikawa; Tobei Tachibana (Kamen Rider/Kamen Rider)
 * Base Model: Suzuki T20 (original model); Honda SL350K1 (original model prior to henshin; second model)

A machine given to Kamen Rider by Professor Midorikawa. Cyclone takes the form of an off-road bike and can be ridden by people other than Hongo. When Hongo transforms into Kamen Rider the switch for the bike is also activated and the bike becomes an on-road bike. In episode 40 when Rider 1 goes to save Rider 2 the Cyclone has a similar form to Rider 2’s Cyclone. It’s assumed that the Cyclone was upgraded while he was overseas.

New Cyclone

 * Maximum Speed: 500 km/h
 * Jump Power: 50 m (40 m after alteration)
 * Engine: Nuclear Engine, 250 horsepower.
 * Designer: Takeshi Hongo, Kazuya Taki, and Tobei Tachibana
 * Base Model: Suzuki Hustler TS250III

A new machine designed by Hongo, Taki and Tachibana. New Cyclone transforms automatically when Hongo does.

Attacks using the Cyclone

 * Cyclone Crusher: A ramming attack with the Cyclone
 * Cyclone Attack: An attack where Rider #2 rams an enemy while riding the Cyclone while the Cyclone Cutters are exposed.