 This article is about a character in Kamen Rider Ghost.
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Chikara Saionji (西園寺 主税, Saionji Chikara) also known as the Mysterious Man (謎の男, Nazo no otoko) in early episodes of the show, summons and controls the Gamma to do his bidding. He too seeks Eyecons in the hopes of granting his wish to become the ruler of the world.
Character History
Pre-series events
Ghost Hunter Chikara Saionji
In 2005, Chikara was a ghost hunter and one of Ryu Tenkuji's partners, studying the paranormal in the hopes of understanding it and researching the monolith in their lab, as well as to create an infinite life and bonds between human and Gamma worlds. Chikara secretly used a human experiment on Kanon and Makoto Fukami, without them knowing, opening the Monolith activated a Gamma Hole which sucked in those siblings, in the same time Ryu and Kenjiro Igarashi arrived and too late to stop Chikara from escaping.[Reminiscence! Secret of the Mind!]
Ghost
Chikara Saionji appears as he performs a ritual at night to summon a pair of Eyecons which proceed to take form as Gamma, granting their primal bodies evolution to Empowered Gamma by providing a Yari and a Katana. Ultimately, both Gamma are destroyed by Kamen Rider Ghost, reincarnated from a youth who they themselves had slain in their search for the Eyecons. While Alain witnesses the destruction of the Katana Gamma at the hands of Ghost as he acquired the Musashi Eyecon, Saionji merely smiles and walks off as Alain notes to him that an obstacle to their agenda has emerged. [Eyes Open! It's Me!]
Following this, Saionji creates the Denki Gamma as he manipulates the dreams of Yoshinori Sonoda, a scientist who idolizes Thomas Edison, into creating a transporter that summons a Gamma Hole which would allow more Gamma to enter the world. This plot is foiled by Ghost, who closes the Hole before destroying the Denki Gamma having reclaimed the Edison soul that the Gamma had briefly acquired. As Alain observes that his efforts were for naught, Saionji assures him that his endeavor was in fact quite productive and that it would prove useful in the long run. [Blitz! Inventor King!]
Saionji next appears to a musician named Kosuke Kimijima in an effort to bring out the Beethoven Eyecon, offering him a collection of music sheets created by Beethoven and some of his equipment so Kosuke could create the Onpu Gamma. [Destiny! Reviving Melody!]
Saionji arrives at Ryu Tenkuji's grave to spite the late ghost hunter, saying that he will achieve his goals while Ryu rots in his grave. Upon leaving, he crosses paths with Makoto Fukami. He is then spotted at a Wild West-themed shop by an anonymous tipster to the Mysterious Phenomenon Institute. He approaches Makoto, trying to put doubt in his mind by lying about Ryu's experiment 10 years ago that caused Kanon Fukami to become a Gamma Eyecon not being an accident. All so that Specter could be manipulated into getting rid of Ghost for him. Later, he is making a deal with the Wild West shop owner who is a collector of Wild West memorabilia and antiques in order to get his passion to unseal Billy the Kid from the outlaw's original hat. He then captures it and converts the Parka Ghost into a Ghost Eyecon. What he does not realize is he is followed by Akari and Onari to the abandoned office building where he was hiding. Onari manages to catch Saionji off guard by accidentally knocking him over and the swiping the Billy the Kid Eyecon from him. Despite Saionji's efforts to get it back by summoning several Gamma Commandos, the pair escape using the Bat Clock in Animal Mode to release a sonic blast to disorient him. [Fast Shooting! Legendary Gunman!]
Witnessing the striking albeit ultimately temporary sight of the Renaissance Gamma unleashing its full power upon the human world alongside a pleased Alain, Saionji presumed that the behemoth was creating the world which Alain's people had wished for. [Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Ghost & Drive: Super Movie Wars Genesis]
Supposed Victory and Death
Sensing his evil and lack of a Ghost Driver, the Ghost Eyecons destroy Saionji and absorb his body into the Monolith.
After Ghost obtained the Benkei Ghost Eyecon, Saionji managed to steal the remaining Eyecons from Ghost and Specter while they were distracted in battle by Jabel who was unknowingly a pawn by being used as a diversion. After drawing all the Eyecons into his briefcase, he arrived at the Daitenku Temple and activated the Monolith. He then pleaded to the Monolith and the Ghost Eycons to make him the ruler of the world, but much to his horror and shock, the Eyecons rejected his demands, dissolving his body into the Monolith which killed him instantly. Sennin stated that he should not have let Saionji come so close after he gained five of the Eyecons on his own. He also coldly stated what a fool Saionji was, as only those who possess a fully functional Ghost Driver can have their wish granted. [Magnificent! The Mysterious Eye!]
[Kamen Rider Ghost: Truth! The Secret Of Heroes' Eyecons!]
Ghost RE:BIRTH: Kamen Rider Specter
Chikara was somehow revived and approached Makoto to not be involved with Danton, but Makoto only pushed him to break through. He later died again protecting Kanon from Danton's wrath. His last words were that he finally became a hero to Ryu Tenkuji. [Ghost RE:BIRTH: Kamen Rider Specter]
Personality
Chikara Saionji is shown to be a calculative man, who is ready to betray both of his friends and the Gamma to achieve his own goals.
However, after realizing he overestimated Ryu, he eventually reformed himself, with his renewed respect for him resonating with the Mona Lisa. Allowing Takeru to create the Da Vinci Ghost Eyecon from his feelings. Though Takeru said it was Saionji's own Heroic Eyecon, he told Takeru to keep it instead.
Some time after his reformation, he tried to not let Makoto to approach Danton so he will not learn his horrible origin. He even protected Kanon at the cost of his life.
As shown in The Legend of Hero Alain: Chapter 1, Saionji has a mischievous hobby to mock the Gamma's inability to eat, by introducing and enjoying takoyaki in front of them.
Powers and Abilities
- Parka Ghost Unsealing and Ghost Eyecon Creation: Much like the Kamen Riders, Saionji could unseal Parka Ghosts and then capture them by sucking up and imprisoning them in his briefcase. He then converts them into Ghost Eyecons using Proto Driver inside the bag. [Fast Shooting! Legendary Gunman!]
- Gamma Commandos Summoning: Saionji could use Gamma Eyecons to create Gamma Commandos to protect himself or prevent any interference by the Kamen Riders or their allies. [Fast Shooting! Legendary Gunman!]
Arsenal
Saionji retrieving the Billy the Kid Eyecon from his Proto Driver.
- Proto Driver - Saionji carried an unfinished Ghost Driver named Proto Driver connected to electronics inside his briefcase to create Ghost Eyecons. It presumably incapable of being used for transformation due to its incomplete state as it lacks a trigger mechanism. [Fast Shooting! Legendary Gunman!]
- Gamma Invocation Equipment: As a mortal human, Saionji lacked the Gamma's power to physically create the Gamma Holes himself, [Amazing! The Castle in the Sky!] and so carried a set of equipment which allowed him to create miniature Gamma Holes and bring forth Gamma Eyecons, consisting of a white sheet bearing a Gamma eye symbol and a vial of a mysterious blue liquid which he dropped onto the eye in a similar fashion to eye drops. [Eyes Open! It's Me!]
Behind the Scenes
Portrayal
Chikara Saionji is portrayed by Yoshiyuki Morishita (森下 能幸, Morishita Yoshiyuki).
Appearances
Kamen Rider Ghost
- Episode 1: Eyes Open! It's Me!
- Episode 2: Blitz! Inventor King!
- Episode 3: Bullseye! Bow and Arrow of Justice!
- Episode 4: Amazing! The Castle in the Sky!
- Episode 5: Shock! Mystery Kamen Rider!
- Episode 6: Destiny! Reviving Melody!
- Episode 7: Fast Shooting! Legendary Gunman!
- Episode 8: Activate! Another Monolith!
- Episode 9: Imposing! A Man of Loyalty!
- Episode 10: Gather! The 15 Eyecons!
- Episode 11: Magnificent! The Mysterious Eye! (death)
- Episode 12: Heroic! A Man's Resolve! (flashback)
- Episode 13: Exciting! A Free Man! (mentioned only)
- Episode 31: Bizarre! Power of the Gammaizers! (flashback)
- Episode 32: Reminiscence! Secret of the Mind! (flashback)
- Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Ghost & Drive: Super Movie Wars Genesis
- The Legend of Hero Alain
- Kamen Rider Ghost: Truth! The Secret Of Heroes' Eyecons!
- Ghost RE:BIRTH: Kamen Rider Specter
