Houdini Damashii

This article is about a set of alternate forms in Kamen Rider Ghost.

Harry Houdini
Houdini Ghost
Gender	Male
Ally Type	Rider Form
Affiliation	Kamen Rider Specter
Homeworld	Earth (Main Timeline Continuity)
Series	Kamen Rider Ghost
First Appearance	Anguish! The Stubborn Escape King!
Actor	Tomokazu Seki Arisa Komiya ("Yuki Shirai")
Houdini Damashii

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"Kaigan! Houdini! (Drum roll and cymbal flourish) Mashi-i-jan! Sugee magician!"

―Transformation announcement with Ghost Driver^[src]

"Tengan! Ghost! Mega Ulord!"

―Transformation announcement with Mega Ulorder^[src]

Houdini Damashii (フーディニ魂, Hūdini Damashī, lit. "Houdini Soul") is an alternate indigo flying-based form of the Ghost Riders themed after Harry Houdini, the early 20th century master magician and escape artist. What is somewhat lesser known about Houdini is that the man was also a debunker of the supernatural. Accessed through the Houdini Ghost Eyecon, this form bears the Persona Illusionist (ペルソナイリュージョニスト, Perusona Iryūjonisuto) helmet with the Face Restraint (フェイスリストレイント, Feisu Risutoreinto) faceplate. While it is mostly used by Kamen Rider Specter, it can also be used by other Riders.

While assuming Houdini Damashii, a Kamen Rider fuses himself with Specter's Machine Hoodie to don the Psychic Hunter Hood (サイキックハンターフード, Saikikku Hantā Hūdo) where that Rider gains the power of flight by using the wheels of the bike as jet turbines and the body of it as wings, thanks to the Lazuli Avionics (ラズリアビオニクス, Razuri Abionikusu) helm attached to the Psychic Hunter Hood that helps control flight. The Rider also has the ability to teleport instantly, catching any opponents into surprise.

As one of the 15 heroic souls, Houdini Damashii's power is also channeled through the Grateful Damashii which is accessed by Ghost via the Eyecon Driver G, appearing on Grateful's Armor Sublime as the HoudiPlate (フーディプレート, Hūdipurēto). Manifesting as a body, the Houdini Ghost can manifest chains from his hands to attack or bind. ^{[Miracle! Infinite Thought!]}

History

Reincarnation

In 2005, long after his death, Harry Houdini was reincarnated as a Parka Ghost by the Ghost Hunters with help from Sennin. Among the 15 luminary ghosts assembled by the lead Ghost Hunter, Ryu Tenkuji, who personally picked them with his reasoning being that these figures were people whose lives burned the brightest, their purpose was to counter the Gammaizers, the 15 deities of the Gamma World, in preparation for the Gamma invasion of the human world. Vacant Ghost Eyecons were prepared for each of the luminary ghosts, however, with the unforseen betrayal of Chikara Saionji leading to Ryu's death and the dissolution of the Ghost Hunters, all 15 ghosts were left sealed in unique objects which pertained to them each and would not be freed until the Gamma invasion finally arrived ten years later. ^{[Reminiscence! Secret of the Mind!]}

War with the Gamma

Unsealing

The Houdini Parka Ghost was unsealed at an unknown point in time by Makoto Fukami. For unknown reasons, it became stored in the Machine Hoodie despite its Eyecon remaining separate. Unlike the other heroic spirits, Houdini had always refused to lend Specter his power.

Serving Specter

This was until Makoto's sister Kanon was abducted by Jabel. Makoto decided to confront Houdini's Eyecon, controlling the Machine Hoodie, head-on in a bid to gain Houdini's power. Houdini finally relented when Makoto stopped trying to force him to help and instead asked for his assistance. Using Houdini's power, Makoto as Specter was able to defeat Jabel in his empowered Gundari form. ^{[Anguish! The Stubborn Escape King!]}

Outmatched by Kamen Rider Necrom, Specter assumed Houdini Damashii, brushing past Necrom with Ghost Toucon Boost Damashii boarding him as they made their escape. ^{[Perfect! The White Kamen Rider!]}

Along with Nobunaga and Tutankhamun, Houdini (though only as an Eyecon instead of a summoned Parka Ghost) aided Takeru and Kanon Fukami in banishing the Necrom Eyecon to free Makoto, springing his Ghost Driver open by ramming into it, allowing Nobunaga to remove the Necrom Eyecon and throw it back to Alain. ^{[Explode! Flames of Friendship!]}

Driven by his trauma in the Gamma world, Takeru's desperate attempt to use the Eyecons to make a wish again made all of his Eyecons in his possessions to leave him. Eventually, with Specter lending Takeru his Eyecons and Alain had his left him due to no longer being subjected, all Eyecons agreed to cooperate and contributed to the creation of Eyecon Driver G, allowing Takeru to transform into Ghost Grateful Damashii. ^{[Intimate! The Giant Eyecon!]}

Houdini was brought forth amongst all fifteen heroic Parka Ghosts when Ghost Grateful Damashii performed the Grateful Omega Drive kick to defeat the Shocker cyborg Siomaneking. ^{[Ep. 7: Gho-Gho-Gho-Ghost Appears]}

^{[Conflict! The Terms of Resolution!]}

His Eyecon later possessed Yuki Shirai, through whom he asked Takeru if taking her to meet her seemingly revived deceased father was really the best thing to do, claiming that attempting to commune with the dead would only bring tragedy. Houdini describes in vague terms his own tale of attempting to speak with his late mother revealing only spiritualist frauds. However, as Takeru persists in his efforts and explains why not trying would be a worse result, Houdini agrees to lend his power as part of Ghost Grateful Damashii. ^{[Second Coming! Ordeal of the Escape King!] [Forever! Cries of the Heart!]}

Houdini was summoned by Ghost to stop Alain from cannibalizing his own life force while fighting the Gammaizer Fire as Necrom, using his chains to pull him back as his transformation was negated. ^{[Miracle! Infinite Thought!]}

Houdini was defeated alongside Nobunaga by Adel Magnetic during the disastrous engagement against Adel and his 11 remaining Gammaizers by the 15 Heroic Ghosts and Ghost Grateful Damashii, having chosen not to rely on Mugen Damashii's power alone while facing the Gammaizers. Viewing themselves as now obsolete, the heroic ghosts would enter a brief period of unresponsiveness before soon enough returning to Takeru's side, as he asserted his faith in them, against Gyro. ^{[Resurrection! Hero's Soul!]}

Acting on the advisement of Billy the Kid, Ghost Grateful Damashii summoned Houdini and Musashi to restrain the Gammaizer Magnetic Blade's magnetism and blades respectively, providing an opening for Billy the Kid to use his firepower to free Shinichiro Natsume from the Gammaizer's body. ^{[Courage! Tragic Resolution!]}

Village of Heroes

Houdini's human form

Attacked by Dark Necrom Yellow, Specter was robbed of his Eyecons which were taken as part of Argos' machination. When Takeru and his friends followed them to the Island of Eyecons, Houdini was found to be living in harmony as one of 100 reincarnated historical figure within the Village of Heroes. When Argos' Gamma forces attacked the village, Houdini was struck down and reduced back to an Eyecon which was recovered along with the others by Argos. Gathering all 100 heroic Eyecons, Argos used them as a sacrifice along with Darwin's power of evolution to convert Takeru's dead body into a vessel for the ultimate Eyecon, the Extremer Driver, which he intended to use to fulfill his ultimate agenda of converting all life on both Earth and the Gamma World into ghosts. Ultimately, however, Takeru was able to gain the strength of the 100 heroes along with his friend's spirits, allowing him to defeat Argos seemingly at the cost of his own existence only for the 100 heroes to use their power to restore his soul with the original fifteen heroes returning to his side as he came back to Earth. ^{[Kamen Rider Ghost the Movie: The 100 Eyecons and Ghost's Fateful Moment]}

Endgame

^{[Conciliation! All Resolutions!]}

^{[Gather! Chain of Grief!]}

^{[Infinity! Power of Humanity!]}

The Dr. Pac-Man Incident

Houdini was first in a succession of Specter's three personal Damashii which he assumed in his fight against the Next Genome Institute's Doral Bugster alongside Kamen Rider Brave. Later, while facing the Hatena Bugster, Ghost would bring forth all fifteen heroic spirits with the Eyecon Driver G only for the Bugster to repel even the God Omega Drive; Takeru would ultimately resort to a new power. ^{[Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Riders]}

Record

The Legendary Magician: Harry Houdini

Houdini is among the historical figures who are featured in Stories of the World's Greatest People, the book passed down to Takeru Tenkuji by Ryu Tenkuji. He is acknowledged under The Legendary Magician: Harry Houdini (伝説の奇術師 ハリー・フーディーニ, Densetsu no Kijutsu-shi: Harī Hūdīni). ^{[Anguish! The Stubborn Escape King!]}

Final Stage

Houdini - Sennin Edith

Sennin as Specter Houdini Damashii

Houdini possesses Sennin in the stage show, assuming his Kamen Rider Specter form. ^{[Kamen Rider Ghost: Final Stage]}

Users

• Kamen Rider Specter (Ghost Episodes 15, 16, 23, The 100 Eyecons and Ghost's Fateful Moment, Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Rider)
  • Deep Specter (Ghost Change)
• Kamen Rider Ghost (Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbarizing)
  • Toucon Boost (Ghost Episode 26)
  • Grateful Damashii (Ghost Episode 23, Zyuohger Episode 7, Ghost 33, 38, 40, Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Rider)
  • Mugen (Ghost Change)
• Kamen Rider Necrom (Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbarizing)
• Kamen Rider Dark Ghost (Ghost Change)

Specter Houdini Damashii

Specter Houdini Damashii w/ Houdini Parka Ghost

Deep Specter Houdini Damashii

Ghost Houdini Damashii

Ghost Toucon Houdini Damashii

Ghost Toucon Houdini Damashii w/ Houdini Parka Ghost

Ghost Grateful Houdini Damashii (exclusive to Ghost Change)

Ghost Mugen Houdini Damashii

Necrom Houdini Damashii

Ghost Change

The Ghost Change Houdini Damashii was released alongside the DX Machine Hoodie and Houdini Ghost Eyecon.

Ghost Eyecon

Houdini Ghost Eyecon (Blank)

Houdini Ghost Eyecon

Houdini Ghost

Houdini Ghost (Materialization)

Top Sticker

Standby Time

Startup Time

Transformation Time

Move Invocation Time

Finisher

• Omega Drive (Houdini) (オメガドライブ フーディニ, Omega Doraibu (Hūdini)): Specter allows the Machine Hoodie in Glider Mode to bind the enemy with chains generated from the turbines and then he jumps towards the enemy with a drill kick.

Omega Drive (Houdini) (Setup: Chain Generation)

Omega Drive (Houdini)

Notes

• This is the only Parka Ghost that is not summoned from the Ghost Driver, for obvious reasons.
• It is ironic that Houdini is one of the Heroic Eyecons, as Houdini himself was infamous for debunking spiritualism when he was alive.
  • This was acknowledged in Episode 29 when Houdini (while possessing Yuki Shirai) states emphatically that ghosts do not exist, at which Takeru and Onari point out that both Takeru and Houdini himself are currently ghosts.
• Houdini Damashii's ability to fly references that in life Houdini owned and flew a plane, specifically a Voisin 1907 biplane, which is currently unaccounted for.
• When Specter transforms into Houdini Damashii, he bears a larger pair of Striker Horns that resemble the ones on Machine Hoodie.
• Houdini is the only Heroic Damashii outside of Necrom's arsenal to retain its Horns no matter which Rider uses it. These may carry over from his bike form.
  • However in the Ganbarizing game, if Ghost transforms into the normal Houdini Damashii, he will keep his single Wisp Horn but when he changes into Toucon Houdini Damashii he bears Specter's Striker Horns.
• Harry Houdini is the youngest of the fifteen heroic ghosts. Despite this, however, he is the second-to-last to have died, having been outlived by Thomas Edison.

Behind the scenes

Portrayal

As with the rest of the 15 heroic Parka Ghosts, Houdini is voiced by Tomokazu Seki (関 智一, Seki Tomokazu). When assuming the form of Machine Hoodie, Houdini is based on a Honda CBR650F. While possessing the body of Yuki Shirai in episodes 29 and 30, Houdini is portrayed by Arisa Komiya (小宮 有紗, Komiya Arisa), who is best known for her role as Yoko Usami/Yellow Buster in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters. His suit actor when manifesting as a body is currently unknown. His human form in Kamen Rider Ghost the Movie: The 100 Eyecons and Ghost’s Fateful Moment is portrayed by Jeremy Eaton (ジャーミー・イートン, Jāmī Īton).

Appearances

• Kamen Rider Ghost
  • Episode 10: Gather! The 15 Eyecons! (as Houdini Eyecon)
  • Episode 11: Magnificent! The Mysterious Eye! (as Houdini Eyecon)
  • Episode 15: Anguish! The Stubborn Escape King!
  • Episode 16: Perfect! The White Kamen Rider!
  • Episode 20: Explode! Flames of Friendship! (as Houdini Eyecon)
  • Episode 23: Intimate! The Giant Eyecon!
  • Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger Ep. 7: Gho-Gho-Gho-Ghost Appears!
  • Episode 26: Conflict! The Terms of Resolution!
  • Episode 29: Second Coming! Ordeal of the Escape King! (as Houdini Eyecon and Yuki Shirai)
  • Episode 30: Forever! Cries of the Heart! (as Houdini Eyecon and Yuki Shirai)
  • Episode 33: Miracle! Infinite Thought! (Parka Ghost only)
  • Episode 38: Resurrection! Hero's Soul! (Parka Ghost only)
  • Episode 40: Courage! Tragic Resolution! (Parka Ghost only)
  • Kamen Rider Ghost: The 100 Eyecons and Ghost's Fateful Moment
  • Episode 47: Conciliation! All Resolutions! (Parka Ghost only)
  • Episode 48: Gather! Chain of Grief! (Parka Ghost only)
  • Episode 49: Infinity! Power of Humanity! (Parka Ghost only)
• Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Riders

See also

• Machine Hoodie