3 Kilograms is an internet exclusive doujinshi site inspired by various genres, including henshin heroes. The authors of the manga admitted on their official Twitter page that one of the mangas they made had the design of the main hero based off of Kamen Rider.[1]
Action Heroine Cheer Fruits[]
This series contains several references to Kamen Rider as well as Super Sentai, due to its being an affectionate parody of Tokusatsu in general and being written by Naruhisa Arakawa, who has written for both franchises.
The narration added to the opening sequence as of Episode 5 is a play on the iconic introduction narration from the original Kamen Rider series.
The costumes worn by the Hina-Nectars (the heroines of the Cheer Fruits' stage shows) include stylized belts reminiscent of the Kamen Riders' belts.
In the preview at the end of Episode 1, Ann Akagi paraphrases Kamen Rider Stronger's trademark pre-battle speech.
In the preview at the end of Episode 2, Roko Kuroki describes Misaki Shirogane as "the unluckiest person in Japan" who gains the power to transform, seemingly referring to Ryotaro Nogami.
In Episode 3, the girls decide to add a Henchman to their stage show; among the designs they consider are the Shocker Combatmen, Dogma Fighters, and Combat-Roids, before they ultimately choose a costume resembling the female Shocker Combatmen.
In Episode 4, Ann is shown to be such a bad singer that her singing causes earthquakes and physical pain, much like Jimmy Nakata.
In Episode 5, Ann tells Kanon Shimura "that explanation is too Armadilong!"
In Episode 8, the Cheer Fruits watch an action heroine show from another city titled "Sanjou! Momohime" ("Arrival! Peach Princess"), which is a pastiche of Kamen Rider Den-O and the legend of Momotaro. The team has the same colors and weapons as Den-O's four main forms (with the blue dog heroine wielding a staff that looks identical to Urataros' Uratarod) and the Momotaro character uses an attack resembling Den-O Sword Form's Extreme Slash (even proclaiming "My finishing move!" beforehand).
While rehearsing for their upcoming show, Genki Aoyama tells Ann that talented suit actors use body language to communicate their characters' personalities; this is followed by a heavily pixelated image of Hibiki and Ouja.
Later, Genki explains to Roko Kuroki (who plays the Cheer Fruits' main enemy) that having a sexy female villain is essential for Tokusatsu as "service" for the fathers watching along with their children; this is accompanied by images of characters resembling Mele, Mezool, and Shizuka of the Wind
At the start of Episode 10, the Taka, Tora, and Batta Core Medals fly out of Mana Midorikawa's eye when she spots a money-making opportunity.
Later in the episode, it's mentioned that the popular show Kamidaioh is getting a sequel named Kamidaioh RX.
Ah My Buddha[]
In Episode 6, Yuko watches an episode of a Tokusatsu series titled Kamen Ranger, a portmanteau of Kamen Rider and Power Ranger. In said show, the main protagonist transforms in a style similar to Kamen Rider Faiz into a warrior named Kamen Ranger Hayausa Twenty.[2]
Akazukin Chacha[]
Riiya shouts "Transform" (Henshin) while mimicking Kamen Rider 1's pose.
In Episode 1, Riiya transforms into his werewolf form by evoking Takeshi Hongo's pose.
Am I Actually the Strongest?[]
Haruto shouts “Transform” (Henshin) and mimics Kamen Rider 2’s pose.
In episode 3, the main protagonist, Haruto Zenfis, mimics Kamen Rider 2’s transformation pose to transform into his alter-ego Shiva.
Apocalypse Zero[]
Zero
A graphic manga and OVA, the series features a fortified armor shell called Zero, a Kamen Rider-like exosuit worn by Kakugo Hagakure designed for killing monsters. Incidentally, the suit's design was created by Keita Amemiya, who would later direct the Kamen Rider ZO and J films[3].
Arachnid[]
This action manga features the character Hibiki who based his fighting style on the TV show "Kahen Rider" and later improved it by further observation of the series.
Arewa Tenbei[]
This 70's shonen manga features a villain named "Wasp-Man", who resembles a Kamen Rider.
A chapter in The Arrival of the Yellow Dragon features one of the protagonists' Kimidori doing a pose and wearing a belt and scarf similar to Kamen Rider #1.
Azur Lane[]
In episode 2, when Belfast saved Enterprise from Zuikaku's attack, Zuikaku demanded for Belfast's identity. Belfast replied that she is just a passing-through maid. This is a nod to one of Kamen Rider Decade's catchphrases.
Bandai Kamane wa Asobitai[]
Kamen Master Boze
A romance manga about two high school rivals who coincidentally share the names of two rival toy companies, Bandai and Takara. The two both go to a cultural school club that has many distracting toys to play with. In the third chapter, the two play with a "hero belt" from Kamen Master Boze, a parody of Kamen Rider OOO with a monk motif (as Boze is a wordplay of the Japanese word Bouzu, meaning "Priest").
Battle Angel Alita[]
In Battle Angel Alita: Last Order Phase 73, a practitioner of Space Age Karate named Grasshoppa uses a style called Rider Karate. In turn he resembles Kamen Rider Black's Batta Man form.
In chapter 46 of Binbō-gami ga!, there is a parody of the preludes of Kamen Rider OOO, which tells the audience what happened in previous episodes by describing three major events.
The character Mashiro Kuna's Hollow form gives her a bodysuit with an insect-like mask and a scarf, making her resemble a Showa-Era Kamen Rider. She also uses a kicking based fighting style, furthering the reference.
Brave Express Might Gaine[]
In the first episode, during an attempted bank robbery, a crowd of people react to the arrival of the robot hero Gaine. Amongst the crowd is a man wearing Kamen Rider 2's Typhoon and scarf.
During the Black Gaine two part arc, Hoi Kow Lon initiates the transformation of Black Might Gaine by doing Kamen Rider 1's pose.
Cafe Detective Club[]
Miyo Hatoyama is a fan of Tokusatsu, especially Kamen Rider, and often does the associated poses.
One of Toya Kinomoto's part-time jobs is portraying one of the Shocker Combatmen for a stage show.
Cardfight!! Vanguard Extra Story -IF-[]
During a rescue mission, Ren Suzugamori appears in front of Emi Sendou and Shuka and he told them he’s just a high school student, passing through, referencing Tsukasa Kadoya’s pre battle catch phrase.
In the twelfth episode, Ryutarou dress as the mascot, Mask, the Vanguard and said the roll call identical to Kamen Rider Black RX, “I am the child of the wild, Mask, the Vanguard! RX!
The animated opening of the famous 1983 Osaka sci-fi convention, created by future founding members of Gainax, contains a vast number of split-second cameos by many vehicles, robots and characters from pop culture. Among those in the crowd of the final shot was Kamen Rider 1, Jigoku Taishi, a Shocker Combatman and V3. If viewers pause the video frame before the crowd scene ends, Kamen Rider Stronger's head can be seen among the crowd.
An unnamed grasshopper-like Devilman from the fifth story of Neo Devilman strongly resembles a Kamen Rider.
Devils Candy[]
In this manga, a character named Devilizer is seen quite a bit throughout the manga. He is inspired by Kamen Rider Amazon with the belt looking very similar to Devilizer's belt.
The anime, Digimon Tamers featured a Digimon named Justimon, whose appearance and abilities are based on Riderman. Justimon X is redesigned to seemingly be based on Heisei Riders, specifically Fourze as his armaments can now attach to his legs as well as his arms and change by pressing buttons on his Digivice-like belt.
The design of the Digimon Stingmon was inspired by Kamen Rider #1.
Digimon Xros Wars had posters of Tokusatsu characters in Taiki's room that were based on Kamen Riders Double, OOO, and Fourze whenever they were shown. It should be noted that Riku Sanjo also wrote for Xros Wars, along with W and Fourze.
Omnimon Merciful Mode is stated by designer Kenji Watanabe to have elements of Ishinomori heroes in its overall appearance, mostly due to the artist being tired of variations of Omnimon being mostly the same thing repeated. The glowing blue lines were inspired by Riders such as Faiz, a scarf that transforms into wings and the "tear" lines under the eyes being based off Kikaider.[4]
Justimon
Silphymon
Stingmon
Doctor Slump[]
Arale wearing a Kamen Rider mask while she's sleeping.
In Chapter 50 of the Akira Toriyama manga series, Arale is sleeping in her bedroom wearing a Kamen Rider 1 mask. She later attacks Dr. Slump with a Rider Kick after doing 1's henshin pose.
Doraemon[]
During the episode "Experimental Dream Scheme", using one of Doraemon's gadgets, Nobita enters a dream. In one of those dreams, during the fight with Big Spicy Mamma, Nobita executes a transformation by announcing "Henshin" (Transform). He called himself "Kamen Nobita" (Masked Noby in the dub).
In an interview with series creator Akira Toriyama, he mentioned that Goku Black was directly inspired by the "copies of the hero" troupe most often seen in Tokusatsu such as Kamen Rider', noting Kamen Rider Black as a direct inspiration.[5]
One of the Warriors of Team Universe 3 is Catopesra, a masked superhero who can change into 3 different colored forms to fight his enemies. Catopesra's status as a cyborg superhero and belt design are evocative of the original Kamen Rider series, with his form change ability evoking tropes associated with the Heisei Riders.
Dr. Hedo poses like Kamen Rider 1 in his superhero costume in the promotional material of the movie.
Duel Masters! (2018)[]
Joe getting ready to disguise himself.
In episode 5 of Duel Masters! after Joe creates his first Twinpact monster Katsuraderansu/「I'm going to Afro!!」he performs a Gattai/transformation scene parodying Kamen Rider Build's transformation scene complete with the parts where the armor is formed and even Sento's Henshin pose with Joe saying "Hensou" (lit. Disguise) instead of Henshin.
"Otakiri" Joe.
In episode 17 when Joe is discussing of who should play him in a hypothetical "Duel Masters! Movie" he mentions famous actor Otakiri Joe likely a nod to Yusuke Godai's actor Joe Odagiri because both of their names have "Joe" and their names have a similar word being "giri" for Odagiri Joe and "kiri" Kirifuda Joe.
In episode 26, General Rabbit does the classic 1 henshin pose.
In the 2014 anime's 47th episode, Natsu, Lucy and Happy try to learn Transformation Magic from Mirajane. As they attempt to utilize the magic, Wakaba and Macao are seen posing in manners similar to that of Kamen Rider 1 and Kamen Rider 2.
Fastening Days[]
In the first short, a series of toy figures on a shelf are seen in Yoji and Kei's room. Among those figures is a Kamen Rider 1-like soft vinyl figure next to a Superman-like figure.
Fate franchise[]
In one scene, Saber does Kamen Rider Black's transformation pose when explaining a cards ability.
Franken Fran[]
The Sentinels from the manga Franken Fran are based off the early Showa Era Kamen Riders including possessing similar costumes and techniques and the four main ones are an obvious homage to #1, #2, V3, and Riderman.
The 12th diary owner, Yomotsu Hirasaka, dons a costume and poses similar to a Kamen Rider and even has a team of brainwashed victims that functions similar to a Super Sentai team.
Twelfth's Belt
Twelfth's Transformation Pose
The QuinTwelve do Kamen Rider 1's pose as part of their introduction
In episode 65 of Gintama, Sougo Okita uses Ryutaros' catchphrase "Mind if I beat you? I can't hear your answer!" (倒してもいい？答えは聞いてないけど！,Taoshite mo ii? Kotae wa kiitenai kedo!) and his eyes flash purple while battling Kagura.
Episode 89 of Gintama also features this visual gag. Kenichi Suzumura, who voices Ryutaros in Den-O, voices Okita in Gintama.
Kamen Roachief Black RX.
In episode 285 (episode 20 of season 7), Isao Kondou wears a Kamen Rider-themed mask with a cockroach motif and walks around in a festival using the alias Kamen Roachief Black RX (a name created by Kagura, also a pun of Kamen Rider Black RX).
Great Teacher Onizuka[]
In episode 4, Onizuka’s room is shown to have a mannequin of a tokusatsu character with a helmet that resembles a Kamen Rider.
Gunbuster[]
The Inazuma Kick attack in the franchise is an homage to the Rider Kick, with one character even mentioning the attack as being exactly like it and equally as impressive.
This series contains countless references to all of Kamen Rider, as the title character Nyarlathotep/Nyaruko is an alien who is obsessed with Earth's popular culture (especially anime and tokusatsu) and will use quotes, special attacks, and poses from her favorite shows as part of her everyday life. She is also given to occasionally performing Kamen Rider poses apropos of nothing, as seen when she performs Takeshi Hongo's pose upon first meeting Mahiro Yasaka, the series' male lead (making this the very first pop culture reference in the entire series). The series' original creator Manta Aisora is himself a huge Kamen Rider fan, at one point joking that the story was getting so convoluted that by the tenth volume, Nyaruko would have to destroy and re-create the universe just so everything made sense again.
The 12th and final novel's cover shows Nyaruko in Kouta Kazuraba's pre-transformation pose, made more obvious in the limited edition version where she's shown holding an orange-shaped festival lantern (the standard release instead shows her holding a super-deformed Mahiro). This novel was released on March 17th 2014, during Kamen Rider Gaim's run on Japanese television, exactly one day after the airing of the 22nd episode.
Nyaruko's combat form, dubbed her Full Force Form, is (as stated directly by Aisora) primarily a reference to KnightBlazer, a character from the video game Wild Arms 2, but with many Kamen Rider references added on. An official listing of Nyaruko's abilities in the novels mentions Clock Up, a dimension-cleaving mechanical sword (OOO's Medajaribur), an orange rocket-shaped propulsion unit that fits over her arm (Fourze's Rocket Module), and the ability to change people into weapons or vehicles. In particular, her pet shantak-bird Shanta-kun can change into the Machine Shantaker, which possesses a Slider Mode.
Additionally, Nyaruko's favorite television show on Earth is Kurogane no Striver (Iron Striver), a pastice of the Kamen Rider franchise borrowing elements from several different series. In particular, the main character resembles Tsukasa Kadoya (though he wears clothing reminescent of Philip) and transforms using a card-reading belt. A sequence from the show, seen in the direct-to-DVD episode "How to Defeat a Kind Enemy", even has Striver delivering one of Tsukasa's more famous quotes: "Bring it on! I'll destroy everything!"
A more comprehensive listing of Haiyore! Nyaruko-san's references to the Kamen Rider franchise (as well as all the other pop culture references it makes) can be found on the NyaruReferences blog.
Nyaruko posing like Wizard.
In particular, the first episode has Nyaruko, Cuuko, and Hasta change into their school uniforms using a magic circle transformation identical to Haruto's, followed by Nyarko pulling her school bag out of a portal similar to the Connect Wizard Ring. When Mahiro asks about it, Nyarko responds that they wanted to try out "the latest version's" transformation and gushes "Isn't it super-cool? Isn't it the best?!", referencing the lines said by the Wizardriver when Haruto scans one of the special rings (Kick Strike, Special, Thunder, Blizzard, and Gravity).
In the 2015 OVA, Nyaruko: Crawling with Love F, she wields a Daidaimaru while Mahiro uses the Musou Saber to fight.
Episode 16 of Hayate the Combat Butler (ハヤテのごとく!,Hayate no Gotoku!) featured "guest" appearances of the DenGasherSword, Rod, and Ax Modes as well as cameo appearances of the Owner, Momotaros, and Hana on a train very similar to the DenLiner Gouka.
In manga Chapter 245, when Athena ask Isumi and Sakuya, they told her they’re just a ghost sweeper, passing through, referencing Tsukasa Kadoya’s pre battle catch phrase.
In Cuties Episode 4, the suit Isumi gave Sakuya has the text "Tajadol Combo" and the henshin sound, are the parodies from Tajadol Combo of Kamen Rider OOO.
Henchin Pokoider[]
Henchin Pokoider on the cover of a manga in the Mazinkaiser OVA
Henchin Pokoider is an adult parody gag manga by Go Nagai, a former assistant to Shotaro Ishinomori, with the title character based on the original Kamen Riders and their transformation sequences. He also appears as a background character or easter egg image in Go Nagai's other works, such as an infamous cameo in Re: Cutie Honey or on the cover of a manga in the Mazinkaiser OVA series.
Hero Company[]
Hero Company is a 2015 ongoing manga created by Kazuhiko Shimamoto about Japanese superheroes doing their roles as a full time paying job. One of the main characters resembles Takeshi Hongo in his civilian clothes, but with a bug-eyed mask covering his face and a black scarf around his neck.
Hero-san and Former General-san[]
The main protagonist's name is "Hayate Honjou", which resembles "Hongo" from Takeshi Hongo and "Hayato" from Hayato Ichimonji. She also has a hero name and emblem that resembles Kamen Rider Build, which her hero name being "Rapid Rabbit".
Orb Owl
Another hero named "Orb Owl" bears a resemblance to Kamen Rider Mage.
The anime version of this series features an Adult Video character called Kaben Rider Pinky who is played by Momo Momozono.
Also, in episode 10 of the first season, just before unleashing his finishing move for the first time, Issei does a pose similar to that of Takeshi Hongo when transforming.
In episode 10 of Hinamatsuri, Atsushi dressed up as a Rider-like superhero for a stage show where he fights against Hitomi in a bear costume, who is playing the kaiju.
Originally written by manga artist Moyoco Anno, the manga and anime revealed some interesting things about her husband, director Hideaki Anno's personal life, with Kamen Rider influences:
Anno had invented a length unit called "1 KR" (=18 cm) as a standard to purchase their furniture.
During their wedding, Anno was in a Kamen Rider 1 suit all day.
As revealed in a comment made by Hirohiko Araki in JOJOVELLER, the design of the Stand Judgement is inspired by the works of Shotaro Ishinomori, with Araki naming Kamen Rider and Ultraman in particular.
In the 17th song of the Vocaloid song series Kagerou Project and the 9th episode of its anime adaptation, Mekakucity Actors (lit. Blindfold City Actors), Ayano's Theory of Happiness (アヤノの幸福理論,Ayano no Kōfuku Riron), Ayano says that red is the color of heroes, which she demonstrates by taking a red scarf and posing like Kamen Rider 1. Later, while playing with her adopted siblings and her dad, Ayano still wears the scarf and pretends to be the Graffiti Ranger, a parody of the Super Sentai heroes.
Kaijin Kaihatsu-bu no Kuroitsu-san[]
Divine Swordsman Blader
Kaijin Kaihatsu-bu no Kuroitsu-san is a show that parodies Tokusatsu tropes mainly the villains making new Monster of the Week, one of the characters suit bears resemblence to Kamen Rider 1 with a Driver similar to Kamen Rider Saber.
The opening of Katte ni Kaizou OVA bears a striking resemblance to Kamen Rider Faiz's (it is even sung by Mizuki Ichiro, known for many songs in toku), and also ends with an introduction that is a clear reference to the original Kamen Rider in both its audio and visual parts. Kaizo, the main character, believes he is a cyborg himself, and that his destiny is to fight evil. Futhermore, the entity that was supposed to turn him into a cyborg is a girl with a strange desire to rule the world. When Kaizo got an "upgrade", he also wanted a changed name for his "new form". One of the examples he mentioned before his "creator" gave him his new name was "RX", a reference to Kohtaro Minami's change at the beginning of Kamen Rider Black RX.
Kekko Kamen[]
One of the main villains in Go Nagai's Kekko Kamen manga is Kamen Lion Maru, a character based on Kamen Rider and Lion Maru.
Kill la Kill[]
The living uniform Senketsu has glowing red veins when activated that make it resemble Kamen Rider Faiz. Likewise, Senketsu Kisaragi's inverted color scheme resembles Faiz Blaster Form. In addition, Junketsu's colour scheme resembles Kamen Rider Psyga. It should be noted that Kazuki Nakashima was the head for both Kill la Kill and Kamen Rider Fourze, and that both shows take place in a high school setting. Notably Senketsu shares a voice actor with Kamen Rider Den-O's Momotaros that being Toshihiko Seki.
Ki ni Naru Mori-San[]
Kuuga and Agito on social media.
In this manga during one of its chapters, Mishikima and Mori talk about a new text messaging app called Raitter that is popular at their school. During their conversation, an image of the app in use is shown with two people chatting. A user named Agito thanks a user named Kuuga for inviting him to the chat and Kuuga responds with a thumbs up emoji. It is shown that Agito has the actual Kamen Rider Agito's emblem as his avatar.
King of Braves GaoGaiGar[]
A Rider Machine-like motorcycle on display in the dealership.
In Episode 9, the Motorcycle Zonder enters a motorcycle dealership and begins absorbing more motorcycles to reconfigure into its giant form to attack the city. One of the motorcycles it absorbs resembles a Rider Machine.
Guy with a Rider-like belt on his coat.
In certain episodes, Guy Shishioh, the series protagonist, wears a trenchcoat with a silver and red belt as his civilian clothes. This is actually a reference to one of the outfits Takeshi Hongo wore in the original Kamen Rider TV series. Much like some of the Showa Era Kamen Riders, Guy is a human who was converted into a cyborg to be revived from near death to stop the forces of evil.
Kinnikuman[]
In the first episode’s second half, the Diet is under attack by a giant monster and a hero approaches from the sky. The prime minister is at first relieved and thinks it is one of Japan’s great superheroes such as Astro Boy, Ultraman or Kamen Rider, only to be horrified that it is actually Kinnikuman and the politicians in the Diet start screaming for him to go away.
In episode 6, The Hall of Fame superheroes of the Choujin Olympics were placed on murals of Planet Olympic’s committee office, among them was a portrait of Kamen Rider X.
In episode 30, a nameless green Kamen Rider-like character can be seen amongst a mob of Choujin ready to attack Kinnikuman during The Big Fight roller derby competition.
In episode 77, when the chairman of the Choujin committee finds Geronimo listed in the Choujin Encyclopedia, a picture of a Rider-like Choujin can be seen next to his picture.
KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World![]
Yunyun mimicking Kamen Rider #1's pose
Episode 2 of the second season introduced the character, Yunyun, who while introducing herself to the main cast, mimicked Kamen Rider #1's pose.
Bukkororii mimicking Kamen Rider #2's pose
The movie, "KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Legend of Crimson", introduced more Crimson Demons that are a part of Megumin and Yunyun's clan. One Crimson Demon, Bukkororii introduced himself while also mimicking Kamen Rider #2's pose.
Lucky Star[]
Two of the live action endings portray Minoru Shiraishi with a Den-O belt while mimicking Kamen Rider #1's pose while giving out a transformation phrase.
Konata's father when utilizing static electricity calls out "Stronger".
A CGI Cyclode buckle appears on Sojiro's waist in his delusion.
Konata gives her father advice on buying items to help with his allergies. Before putting them on, he did the transformation pose of Kamen Rider Super-1. This sequence included an imaginary scene featuring the Cyclode belt opening up and a modified version of the instrumental variant of the show's opening theme plays in the background.
Akira and Minoru looking out with their Kamen Rider #1 Styled outfits, with small star stickers scattered about.
During the "Lucky Channel" scene of Lucky Star's "Lucky Star OVA", you can hear The "Lucky Star OVA Main Theme[6]", and it's a cover of "Ai Wo Torimodose!!", with the cover for the Single sporting Akira Kogami and Minoru Shiraishi looking out to the sun with Kamen Rider inspired outfits, as seen on the CD.
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha[]
Garyu
The summon Garyu is given a scarf and fighting style similar to early Kamen Riders including a Rider Kick.
In episode 4 of Maou Shoujou Destroyers, one of the side characters in the episode has a belt similar to the Typhoon but it has the Super Sentai "V" emblem on it and he also poses in the classic 1 Henshin pose but the twist is that the belt he's using is a toy in the show and not a real belt that lets him transforms.
Masked Boxer[]
Masked Boxer
Masked Boxer is a one-shot manga created by Kamen Rider fan and artist Kazuhiko Shimamoto. The book is a sports manga that parodies Kamen Rider with the main protagonist wearing a bug-eyed mask and riding to his matches on a Cyclone-like motorcycle. The protagonist also fights opponents who resemble evil kaijin.
In episode 26, Mazinger Z and the God Scrander are about to activate the Big Bang Punch configuration for the first time. Koji's grandpa Juuzo Kabuto, who is part of the God Scrander's A.I., exclaims: "Henshin! God Scrander!" while doing a Rider-like pose.
Medabots[]
Space Medafighter X
Once the mysterious thief The Phantom Renegade is hounded by the police in the second half of the 1st season, he needed to adopt a new persona to enter the World Robattle Tournament. He donned a gold mask and a red scarf and became the heroic Space Medafighter X. His poses and mannerisms seem to be a parody of the original Kamen Rider.
Karen as Space Medafighter X
In a later episode during the World Robattle Tournament Arc, Karen puts on the Space Medafighter X costume and does a Kamen Rider-esque pose, much to the embarrassment and shock of her friends.
Medaka Box[]
In Chapter 40, the cyborg antagonist Koga Itami introduces herself by performing Takeshi Hongo's transformation pose and reciting an altered version of the opening narration from Kamen Rider. Akune Kouki responds by performing Shinji Kido's transformation pose and says that he prefers Heisei-era series, with Kamen Rider Ryuki as his favorite. Koga then attacks Akune with a Rider Kick. These references are retained in the animated adaptation (Episode 8 of the first series).
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya[]
IXA mask on display
A mask that looks simlar to Kamen Rider IXA is on display at the Bon Festival.
In episode 7 of Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, a figure is shown that resembles Kamen Rider Den-O Sword Form, but with wings and eyes similar to Den-O's Wing Form and a chest, belt, and head that resemble Skyrider.
Chapter 1 of the manga has narration introducing the premise of the story, a world full of superpowers. One panel during this narration features silhouettes of several iconic superheroes from both American and Japanese media including Superman, Spider-Man, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider #1.
One of the background characters in the following episode is a Kamen Rider-esque superhero trainee.
In Chapter 32 of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, a pair of black market dealers called the Hotta Brothers, with their individual names being Ichiro and Jiro, use the Trigger drug to assume humanoid grasshopper-like forms and perform the "Double Hotta Kick" technique, referencing the original Double Riders.
The character Saiko Intelli is introduced in episode 55 of the anime. Her quirk called IQ grants her the ability to temporarily boost her intellect after drinking tea and closing her eyes. When she does this, some formulas are shown around her, referencing Sento Kiryu from Kamen Rider Build. Furthermore, her catchphrase, "my formula of success is already decided" is also almost identical to Sento's catchphrases: "my winning formula has been determined."
In Chapter 110 of the manga, principal Akane Koumoto encourages the main character Asahi Kuromine to become a superhero, with silhouetted images of Asahi dressed as Kamen Rider #1, Akaranger, and Ultraman in the background behind her.
Kamen Rider 1 statue
Kamen Rider Wizard Mask
In Episode 11 of the anime adaptation, a statue of Rider #1 on his Cyclone motorcycle and a Kamen Rider Wizard mask are among the prizes offered at a festival's game stands.
In Episode 9, there is a famous scene where EVAs 01 and 02 finish off an Angel with a twin flying kick attack. This was inspired by the Rider Double Kick from the original 1971 series, which NGE creator Hideaki Anno is a huge fan of.
In the Rebuild films, there is a scene where EVA 02 performs a Rider Kick-like attack to break through an AT Field to reach its target.
Nichiasa Reincarnation[]
A Kamen Rider can be seen when Yugo Kurei mentions some of his favorite type of Heroes.
In chapter 1, before dying and reincarnating, the main protagonist Yugo Kurei mentions that he is fan of many types of Heroes, one of them is a Masked Knight Riding an Iron Horse, this type of Hero is represented by a Kamen Rider-like warrior. Later in this chapter, after reincarnating as Hugo Clay, he gets a magic armor named “Blaster” from his younger half-brother Phi. The armor has a Kamen Rider-like aesthetic.
Hugo Clay as his alter-ego Blaster thanking Ixa and Ryuki for inspiring him.
In chapter 2, after defeating a clasmate in a duel, Hugo acknowledges Ryuki and Ixa (The two of them with their names and visors censored due to copyright reasons) as the main inspirations for his finisher move Dragon Fang Blaster.
In a chapter of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, there was a man who wore a mask that was very similar to Kamen Rider Double's and called himself "Nurae Rider".
After transforming into Soba Mask in episode 925, Sanji strikes Kamen Rider 1's Pose for a split second. During his battle with Page One, Sanji executed the “Shooting Star Soba Kick” to try to finish him off.
One of the recurring hero characters is called Mumen Rider, whose costume is an homage to Kamen Riders 1 & 2. Unlike the Kamen Riders, however, he rides an ordinary bicycle.
In the animated segments of this comedy/Gainax documentary there are a few references to Kamen Rider. When the main cast go to a convention, two men cosplaying as Kamen Rider 1 and a Shocker Combatmen are seen in a still shot. When they decide to take a picture of the cosplayers, a man dressed as Apollogeist is seen in the background.
Overlord[]
In one episode, some of Momonga's servants are dressed up in a manner similar to Shocker Combatmen.
A later episode of Pokemon X&Y involves Pikachu in a movie where he fights against a Libre Pikachu and an army of Pikachu combatmen similar to the classic Shocker Combatmen. The usage of the Libre Pikachu with the "Shocker Pikachu" may refer to the Mexican monster Sabotegron, who was the first monster to use the classic Combatmen as his grunts.
Meowth tries to activate the Dark type Z-Crystal with a Kamen Rider 1 pose.
In Episode 25 of Pokémon Sun and Moon, Team Rocket learn about the Z-Crystal and Z-Ring and about how trainers must do a pose to activate it. During the episode, Jessie's Wobbuffet and Meowth do Kamen Rider 1's transformation pose, with Meowth doing it to try to activate the Dark type Z-Crystal.
The Powerpuff Girls have belts that are used to access their powers similar to those of Kamen Riders. Specifically, it is more similar to Kamen Rider Wizard's way to transform.
The Pretty Cure Series, a Magical Girl action anime, shares the same Sunday morning kids block with Super Hero Time and is owned by Toei. Thus, the series occasionally makes references to Kamen Rider Series in-show as well as its fanbase in certain instances. The series also has writers and actors from tokusatsu series serving as writers and voice actors for the Pretty Cure series, explaining some of the in-jokes.
During a battle with a monster, Cure Peach does an attack that is near identical to Kamen Rider Super-1's Super Rider Moon Surface Kick attack. While it is the exact technique, she does not call it out by name.
Tsubomi's grandmother's maiden name was KaorukoGodai. While this is likely just coincidence, some viral fan art shows Tsubomi's grandma with the Arcle belt.
Yayoi Kise/Cure Peace is a fan of tokusatsu shows and superheroes. She dreams of becoming a manga artist like Shotaro Ishinomori so she can create her own superheroes.
In episode 5, while trying to come up with a roll call phrase, she references Kamen Rider Decade by saying, "We're just passing through superheroes!".
Kamen Rider-esque figure as alarm clock
Episode 9 opens on an image of a moon themed alarm clock in Yayoi's room with a Kamen Rider-like figure (which could be named Taiyouman) on it, which goes off to wake her up.
Her fangirl status has made her a viral art meme/unofficial mascot of Tokusatsu. As many artists on sites such as Pixiv draw her and her teammates with different Kamen Rider and Super Sentai gear/costumes or meeting certain superheroes.[7]
Doki Doki! Pretty Cure contains a couple references to Kamen Rider with the first episode featuring Mana Aida actually using Kamen Rider 1's pose and saying "Henshin!" before she becomes Cure Heart.
The Pretty Cures' transformation spells out L-O-V-E in a manner similar to Kamen Rider Beast's transformation spelling out L-I-O-N, with Cure Heart being heavily featured in fan art in the same manner as Beast.
Cure Heart later obtains a new finishing move that uses a similar technique to Kamen Rider Chalice.
When the fairies learn to take human form, the transformation is performed by doing the Kamen Rider 1's signature pose while actually saying "Henshin," jumping with a "Toh!" and then flipping, exactly as per the first Kamen Rider.
In episode 14 (the 500th Pretty Cure overall episode), the Cures chaperone a children's clam festival and one of the kids named Takuma is pretending to be a superhero called "Kamen Takuma", a parody of Kamen Rider, with his mask borrowing the style of Kamen Rider 1 with Kamen Rider Stronger's color scheme, and a belt that looks like a fusion of the Typhoon and Kamen Rider Black's Kingstone. Megumi plays with Takuma, who even shouts, "Toh!", like the Showa era Riders and while Takuma searches for clams, he says "Lock ON!", a reference of Lockseeds from Kamen Rider Gaim.
Starting episode 29, the Cures obtain a power up group attack called "Land Beat Dynamic" on which a pink elephant performs a Rider Kick as the finishing move.
Sailor Moon[]
In Season 1 Episode 32 “Umino's Resolve: I'll Protect Naru”, an actor for a tokusatsu TV series called Redman was turned into a Youma that the Sailor Guardians had to fight. During a fan event, Redman did Rider 1’s pose and his signature attacks were the “Redman Leg Attack” and the “Redman Punch”.
Saint Young Men is a slice-of-life comedy manga and anime where Jesus and Buddha are on Earth in Japan and living among mortals. Jesus is a fan of Kamen Rider and during one episode, he purchases a capsule from a gashapon machine and gets rare Kamen Rider Black mini figurines. This makes Buddha jealous when he finds out. Jesus then posts an image of his figures on social media. Another character is seen with a Kamen Rider Fourze mask.
Samurai Flamenco features several references and parodies to tokusatsu, with Kamen Rider being the most prominent, such as the Typhoon Belt being shown in the protagonist Masayoshi Hazama's closet and his costume being slightly redesigned to resemble the costume worn by Kamen Riders 1 and 2. One of the episodes also features a scene where Masayoshi imagines himself in an homage to the ending of Kamen Rider Black.
Sayonara, Zetsubo-Sensei[]
The prologue to Zoku Sayonara, Zetsubo-Sensei quickly turns into a parody of Kamen Rider after its introduction about cult stories.
The comedy anime Sgt. Frog (ケロロ軍曹,Keroro Gunsō) features several episodes that make reference to some of the more notable Kamen Rider Series including: Kamen Rider Kabuto, Den-O, and W.
The spin-off magazine Keroro Land also features a character based on the early Kamen Riders named Foruru.
Part A of episode 169 of Sgt. Frog was titled "Urere: King of the Trains" and featured the Keroro Platoon piloting various frog-themed bullet trains similar to the control of the DenLiner. The episode featured phrases such as "Here I come!" (僕、参上！,Boku, sanjō!), "I am from the start, at the climax" (僕は最初からクライマックスだよ,Boku wa saisho kara kuraimakkusu dayo), and "My finishing attack…" ((僕の必殺技…,Boku no hissatsu waza…) spoken by Urere (Urere replaced Momotaros's boastful "Ore" (俺,"Ore") with the more humble "Boku" (僕,"Boku")). Urere is also voiced by Toshihiko Seki, who also provides the voice of Momotaros in Den-O. The phrase "It's good! It's great! It's awesome!" (いーじゃん！いーじゃん！スゲーじゃん？！,Ī jan! Ī jan! Sugē jan?!) is spoken by Giroro, as these are the lyrics of "Climax Jump", the opening theme song of Den-O. Keroro also re-enacts the opening sequence of Den-O on his "KeroLiner" (ケロライナー,Kerorainā).
The form similar to Double is: *KeroTama=CycloneJoker *KeroGiro=CycloneAccel (?) *KeroDoro=CycloneTrigger *KuruDoro=LunaTrigger
Episode 295-A of Sgt. Frog titled "Keroro, The Two of Us are One Kerororm" features the members of the Keroro Platoon finding an artifact that allows two of them to combine into a single Keroro, each with new powers. The episode title is based on Kamen Rider W's catchphrase and the resultant transformation resembles that of Kamen Rider Double (the characters appear to be split down the middle, with one side being, for example, Keroro and the other Tamama).
Episode 327-B of Sgt. Frog titled "Keroro, Invasion in a Blink!" features the members of the Keroro Platoon trying to invade Earth in Clock-Up mode.
In one episode, The Ronier aliens, enemies of the Keroros, communicate with their boss in a way identical to the Great Leader of Shocker.
Taiko Fourze
In the Manga, the kids watch a 3D superhero film on a 3D HDTV, said superhero resembling Kamen Rider Fourze with a Taiko drum themed motif and utilizes drumsticks as weapons like Hibiki.
OOO-like hero on TV wielding the powers of Mt. Fujiyama, a hawk and an eggplant.
In another manga story, a hero resembling Kamen Rider OOO appears on TV.
Shikizakura[]
Shikizakura (シキザクラ,Shikizakura) is a Japanese original anime series about a group of teenagers who transform into armored superheroes to fight against an army of oni from the spirit world.
The main character, Kakeru Miwa, though unintentional, dresses in an outfit similar to Aruto Hiden's.
Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan[]
Deer Shocker grunts.
When Koshi-tan was freaking out with what creature Noko-tan is, she imagines a group of Shocker grunts but instead of the eagle imagery its replaced with deer's.
Shinryaku! Ika Musume[]
A popular television series called Nohmen Rider appears regularly in series.
Tiger & Bunny[]
In season 2 episode 4 of Tiger & Bunny, the heroes Rock Bison and Origami Cyclone are posing together for a photo as buddy heroes and are instructed to pose in a certain way by Sky High. The pose Origami Cyclone uses is that of Kamen Rider 1.
In the anime series Transformers: Energon (originally produced in Japan as Transformers: Super Link), one of the main human protagonists, Kicker Jones, utilizes a battlesuit which contains elements similar to the Showa Kamen Riders. The belt also bears a slight resemblance to the Typhoon used by the Double Riders.
In Season 2’s episode 11, Mio uses her power to create an armor simply refered as the “Hero Suit” which resembles a Kamen Rider.
In Season 2’s episodes 21 and 22, the main protagonist Makoto Misumi dons this suit to hide his identity.
Mio herself dons the suit in a Kuzunoha Sentai Akuranger promo for the last episode of the series.[8]
In episode 147, Ryunosuke Fujinami is given a box containing an old outfit that once belonged to her mother. Though she initially believes it will be a dress of some kind, the outfit turns out to be a Kamen Rider costume, as Ryunosuke's mother used to play a costumed superhero in amusement park stage shows.
There is a Yo-kai called Hovernyan whose belt is a reference to Kamen Rider.
During the events of the second movie, when Hovernyan changes into Darknyan, he yells out 'Henshin', jumps up and yells 'TOH!' similar to Takeshi Hongo when he transforms into Kamen Rider 1. [9]
In Yokai Watch: Shadowside, a character named Masked Biker appeared in an episode. He was a parody of Kamen Rider, specifically Black RX based on his belt design resembling the Sunriser.
Posters of V3 and Kamen Riders 1 and 2 in Kenta's room
Kenta Hirono is a Japanese school kid otaku turned superhero. Among the various collectibles in Kenta's room, there are posters of Kamen Rider V3 and the Double Riders on the wall above his bed.
Zettai Karen Children[]
During the 29th episode of the anime, one of the supporting characters is shackled to a table and is seen wearing a red belt with a Typhoon buckle. This is a parody reference to the first episode of Kamen Rider, as Takeshi Hongo was strapped to a table during his cyborg conversion.
Cartoons[]
The Amazing World of Gumball[]
Techno Power bike
In the Episode “The Spinoffs”, Rob hijacks the show and pitches several shows without Gumball as the main focus. One such series is Techno Power Teenage Warriors, a spoof of Power Rangers. One of the mecha the main heroes summon is a giant motorcycle that resembles Battle Hopper from Kamen Rider Black. The show also pokes fun at these kinds of shows heavy reliance on merchandise sales.
One of the characters in an episode of Amphibia can be seen wearing Kamen Rider-esque battle armor, references Kamen Rider 1, Riderman and Kamen Rider Kuuga.
After donning CrystalBot, Hang Kasa performs a Kamen Rider-inspired transformation pose before gaining an armored suit, complete with an explosion going off behind him after transforming.
Dragon Lancer[]
A villain named Lucie is inspired by Kamen Rider Fourze Magnetstates. Her catchphrase is also "Magnet On!", part of the transformation announcement of Magnetstates.
In the Fairly Odd Parents TV Movie "Channel Chasers," Timmy watches a program called "Maho Mushi." The character he imitates on screen bears a resemblance to Kamen Rider V3.
Hero Inside[]
In the cartoon series Hero Inside, there's a hero called Locust Man.
Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi![]
There is a boy nicknamed Atchan who wears a superhero suit similar to his favorite hero, Mangbee Man, who resembles Kamen Rider V3 and Kamen Norider.
Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go[]
Chiro performing Kamen Rider 1go's pose
In the fifth episode of the first season, "The Sun Riders", the main protagonist Chiro explains to the Monkey Team about his favorite TV show, "The Sun Riders" (which is an obvious nod to the Kamen Rider Series) and Chiro even mimics the pose that Kamen Rider 1go usually performs in the first ever Kamen Rider show.
Nova performing Kamen Rider 1go's pose
In the opening theme for Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go, Nova (A member of the Monkey Team) performs the pose that Kamen Rider 1go usually makes in the first Kamen Rider show.
According to artist Chris Burnham, Jiro Osamu, the Batman of Tokyo, had his second costume visually inspired by both Kamen Rider 1 and Battle Kenya from Battle Fever J.
In Batman Incorporated Special #1, the comics further referenced the Kamen Rider series by Jiro calling out his attacks. When Doctor Inside-Out tried to use knockout gas on him, he activated a gas mask which gave him a further resemblance to a Kamen Rider. Earlier, Jiro also battled a gang of female bikers who wore colored outfits.
Batman: Brave and the Bold (2023)[]
Base Form
Caped Crusader Form and Dark Knight Kick
In a short story at the end of the first issue, Batman is depicted in an alternate universe where he fights crime in a power armor while riding a motorcycle. He finds two young boys under attack by a Royal Flush Gang amalgam robot avatar of the Joker and fights the Clown Prince of Crime. After being overpowered during the fight, he fuses with his sentient bat drone V2 to change into Caped Crusader Form and executes his finisher, the “Dark Knight Kick” to destroy the robot Joker avatar.
The short story, written by tokusatsu fan and former MMPR comic writer Dan Mora, was a tribute to Kamen Rider. Batman’s V2 drone fusing for the finisher is similar to Darkwing fusing with Knight from Ryuki, the armor has spiked shoulder plates and a short cape similar to Kiva Emperor Form in Caped Crusader Form and Bruce’s power suit having the ability to form change is similar to many modern Kamen Riders.
Batman and Superman: World’s Finest[]
BatRider Returns
At the start of Issue #20, Barry Allen aka The Flash is racing through the DC Multiverse and observing the various Earths in order to map the various parallel worlds. One of the images appearing reveals that Dan Mora’s Kamen Rider inspired take on Batman exists somewhere in the official DC Multiverse.
Batman: Urban Legends[]
In issue #7, the story "The Batman with No Name" features Batman One Million and his sidekick Robin the Toy Wonder chasing after a group of escaped convicts. To stop them, Batman One Million uses the prototype device "Legacy Driver". Similar to the Decadriver, it allows Batman One Million to take up iconic, though altered, forms of other Batmen.
Blue Beetle[]
Dawn of DC: Blue Beetle features three scarab-based superheroes and one villain with each of their designs having been heavily inspired by various Kamen Riders, according to the issue's artist Adrian Gutierrez who took inspiration from Kamen Rider Kabuto and Kamen Rider Wizard.[10]
Dial H for Hero[]
In Issue #7 of the Wonder Comics iteration of the series, the villainous Mr. Thunderbolt hijacks the H Dial and connects it to Metropolis, causing its citizens to transform into random super powered beings. Among the assortment of characters seen in the issue is a brief appearance of a hero who resembles a mash-up of the manga version of Kamen Rider 1 and the Skull Man.
Green Hornet[]
"Green Hornet 2.0"
Closeup of the "Green Hornet"'s mask
Starting in Issue #32 of the Green Hornet comic, a new character impersonated the titular hero using a high-tech battle suit. Said battle suit resembles a Kamen Rider with design elements of Kamen Rider Black RX and Kamen Rider ZO's Break Douser on the mask.
Joker: One Operation Joker[]
In Issue #13, Joker takes a toddler Bruce Wayne to a toy store and he fusses about wanting a toy for Joker to buy. Among the ones that Bruce played with was a Kamen Rider-like toy belt.
Super Sons of Tomorrow: Part One[]
In SUPERMAN #37, the bat emblem on Batman's battle suit resembles Night Rogue's.
Marvel[]
Arana[]
In the comics, Anya Corazon aka Arana has the ability to summon an exoskeleton form to boost her combat capabilities. Some artists draw this exoskeleton in a very Rider-like fashion, with the face bearing a resemblance to Kamen Rider Amazon.
During the planning stages of the Marvel Mangaverse version of Spider-Man, a concept idea drawn up was to make Spider-Man a Kamen Rider-like hero and his rouges gallery of villains into tokusatsu style villains. Spider-Man's concept design seems heavily influenced by Kamen Riders Kuuga and Black.
Muties[]
In Issue #2, an autistic boy named Seiji Honda develops mutant powers to control toys and bring them to life through his willpower. One of his favorite toys to play with is a Kamen Rider-like motorcycle hero who loosely resembles Kuuga with glyphs on his belt and parts of DragonRanger's shield on his shoulders. Upon being paralyzed by his abusive stepdad knocking them both off the balcony of their apartment, Seiji still uses his conscious mind to move his toy around his hospital room.
Ninja High School[]
Ramen Rider on the cover of a Ninja High School issue.
Sammi Kondo assumes the alter ego of Ramen Rider, which disguises her gender partly because of a bet made with her father. Appearance wise, she resembles Kamen Rider Black with Kamen Rider 1's chest armor.
Secret Wars: Inferno=[]
In Secret Wars: Inferno Issue #3, Darkchild, an evil alter ego of the X-men mutant hero Magik, attacks Captain Britain with a spell that uses Kamen Rider Wizard's Magical Portal.
Wolverine[]
Hibiki mentioned.
In Wolverine (Vol.3) #29, Kamen Rider Hibiki is mentioned in Wolverine's narration as the favorite TV show of a nine year old boy named Rikuto whose death he is using as motivation to fight.
Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW)[]
During issues 69-75 of the IDW run of the Sonic the Hedgehog comics, Sonic dons a guise known as the Phantom Rider, granting an armor evocative of various Riders, with the most resemblance to Black RX. Additionally, during issue 73, as the Phantom Rider attacks Surge, it is done in an attack similar to a Rider Kick.
The Kamen Rider similarities were confirmed intentional by writer Evan Stanley.[11]
Transformers[]
In the IDW run of Transformers comics, two different Kamen Rider-like Decepticon robots appear as background characters in two separate stories. One issue called "The Reluctant Specialist" featured a Decepticon who was basically a Cybertronian version of Kamen Rider V3. The second was in the issue "The Fecund Moon", an unnamed Titan Hunter who bore a resemblance to Kamen Rider Den-O Sword Form.
In an issue called "Cybertron's Most Wanted", one of the fleeing fugitives in the panel resembles Kamen Rider Amazon and two Decepticon prisoners that are arm-wrestling resemble Kamen Rider Stronger and Kamen Rider Agito.
Most characters were drawn by artist Matt Frank, an avid fan of the Tokusatsu genre and a writer and artist of IDW's Godzilla comics.
Indie[]
Devil's Candy[]
To be added
Nemu*Nemu[]
In this webcomic a pair of rival tokusatsu hero characters called Henshin Rider (based on Kamen Rider and Kikaider) and Hanshin Flyer make sporadic appearances in this webcomic.
Red Belt[]
Red Belt Issue #1 cover.
Red Belt is an indie Comixology Submit publication and webcomic created by James Findlay of TH3GADFLY Comics. The comic is a loving tribute to tokusatsu, with a heavy influence from Kamen Rider.
During the opening panel of the book's first issue, several Kamen Rider references are made: The female Narrator is DJ Kiwami (a mash-up of the Kiwami Lockseed and DJ Sagara) and Futo-kun and Gamel are seen on neon billboard ads, with Gamel advertising "Yummy Cola". The cover of Issue #1 pays tribute to the original 1971 manga by Shotaro Ishinomori.
The main character, Alex Reyes, is a full tribute to Kamen Rider Decade; using a touchscreen belt that resembles the K-Touch phones used by the Decade riders including a symbol that resembles Den-O's, and performs a finishing move with holographic symbols that resemble Decade's Final Attack Ride and Wizard's magic circles. The hero even uses Decade's catchphrase of "Just (someone) passing through".
Her rival, Green Hawk, meanwhile is based on Kamen Rider Diend having a gun transformation device, is a thief, and makes use of a cloak.
In Issue #7, a tokusatsu show Alex guest stars in features Toast Mask, a visual parody of Kamen Rider Gaim and Baron featuring a belt resembling the Sengoku Driver with a mix of knight and samuari-esque armor as well as an orange slice-based shield.
Super A.I.[]
One of the main characters heavily resembles Kamen Rider OOO.
The Adventures of Mighty Mite[]
Mighty Mite (Art sample courtesy of Bobbytriesatlife)
The Guardian Force Design Manual is a comic book written and drawn by Ulises Fariñas. The book involves a meta-fictional look at the world tokusatsu superheroes and their costumes. Among those featured in the design history page are expys of Kamen Rider 1 and a hybrid design of Kamen Rider X, Kuuga and Double.
Unlikely Heroes Studios' Super! Issue #2[]
This failed Kickstarter crowdfunding project was an indie comic book comedy-action series where being a superhero is not only a very common thing but can be a form of occupation for many. Some of the superheroes featured in the comic are parodies of famous superheroes or original creations. One of the superheroes on the cover art of the proposed comic is an expy of Kamen Rider 1.
Prop battle flags used in this television series bear a symbol similar to Kamen Rider Kuuga's symbol.
Lab Rats[]
In season 2 episode 7, The Rats Strike Back, a belt which bears a resemblance to the Arcle is built by resident mad scientist Donald Davenport. It’s possible that a toy Arcle belt is used as the prop.
A comedy produced by Teruyoshi Uchimura in 2024. One of its episodes sees a short parody on Kamen Rider uses the title Battle Rider 1 (バトルライダー1号,Batoru Raidā Ichi-Gou).
In episode 12 of season 1, a character named Unmasked Rider is saving people from the vampires.
Oriental Radio 10th Anniversary[]
Japanese comedian duo Oriental Radio had filmed a short video Jet Gaizer VS Kamaging (ジェットガイザーVSカマギーグ,Jetto Gaizā tai Kamagīngu) homaging the Kamen Rider series in celebration of their 10th anniversary in 2008.
In Episode 1, Takahashi, a classmate of Moruyu Honoo, shows him a photo of his cosplay of Takeshi Hongo on his motorcycle. Honno asks what is wrong with him and tells his classmate that "The days of Kamen Rider being thrilling at all are long over, this is the age of anime." However, he quickly changes his opinion when Takahashi mentions that the original Kamen Rider mask was blue and not green like the opening theme described, admiring his classmate's knowledge.
Honoo's comment is referencing that fact that historically by 1980, some Japanese fans felt that the plots of the franchise were getting dull and repetitive despite both Skyrider and Kamen Rider Super-1 keeping the franchise going, resulting in a 5 year hiatus from TV. Meanwhile, anime was slowly reaching a golden period of high quality shows and films such as the works of Yoshiyuki Tomino like Mobile Suit Gundam or the rise of Hayao Miyazaki's career to super-stardom.
In Episode 2, Honoo is talking Kentarō Yano whilst sitting on a motorcycle. When Yano asks if the motorcycle is his, Honoo says it isn't his but he feels it makes him look cool sitting on it as the bike reminds him of Kamen Rider 1's Cyclone
There are multiple references to Shotaro Ishinomori throughout the series, as in 1980 where the show takes place, he was still at the peak of his career and well respected in the manga artist community.
Pocari Rider
In Episode 3, the Osaka Arts University professor asks his class to make TV commercials to promote a product of their choice as an assignment. One of the student film commercials shown was for the Pocari Sweat sports drink with a Kamen Rider-like hero that transforms using a soda can-themed belt.
In Episode 4, Honoo visits Tokyo and reenacts famous running scenes from Japanese anime, TV and film. Among the ones he performed, he did the "Hiroshi Fujioka Stair Ascent". To help his friend work on his manga project, he suggests they do what Shotaro Ishinomori did while writing manuscripts for his Cyborg 009 and Kamen Rider mangas and work on it in a cafe.
In Episode 7, Anno and his classmates meet with a friend of his about his proposal to animate an opening intro for Daicon III. (A fateful event that would eventually result in the birth of the anime studio Gainax) When Anno's friend says they must meet with a wealthy kid named Toshio Okada to get financial backing or face his wrath, Anoo responds in agreement by saying :"Let's go.. before Shocker attacks us, we will strike at their base!"
The Shocker emblem in Aoi Honoo
There is a scene in Episode 8 where a young fictionalized Hideaki Anno believes that he is inside a Shocker base and that he and his friends are going to be captured and converted into cyborgs. During this delusion, the Shocker emblem can clearly be seen. Earlier, during his entrance into Okada's house, Anno references that the creepiness of the house reminds him of Episode 13 of Kamen Rider.
In Episode 9, Honoo tries to come up with a 3 minute anime for a class project. While thinking of the concept, he realizes he needs a villain to add texture to the story. While pondering what he should make, he notes that Kamen Rider's Shocker was founded by the remnants of the Nazis.
In the credits of the final episode of the series, behind the scenes footage is shown of the real manga and anime artists interacting with the cast. Kazuhiko Shimamoto, who played the Honda salesmen who gives Honoo (a character based on himself) advice on his future, does part of Kamen Rider 2's henshin pose off set.
During the end credits, Toto is seen in Toru’s room on a shelf next to a Kamen Rider Ryuga figure.
Good Morning, Sleeping Lion[]
Good Morning, Sleeping Lion (グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子,Guddo Mōningu, Nemureru Shishi) is a 2022 Japanese movie starring Seiji Takaiwa, with direction from Koichi Sakamoto. Although Takaiwa had initially joined the project on his own, four starring Rider cast members which include Gaku Sano (Gaim), Shun Nishime (Ghost), Masahiro Inoue (Decade), and Takayuki Tsubaki (Blade) had signed on as antagonists in support for Takaiwa, who had suit-acted for all of them. Furthermore, Takaiwa's character points up to the sky like Kabuto while wearing a Double mask.[12] A sequel released in 2023, with Takaiwa starring alongside a new cycle of leading Rider stars such as Toshiki Kashu (Agito) and Kento Handa (555/Faiz).
A Kamen Rider parody character Kamen Norider appeared in the 1988-1990 Fuji Television comedy drama Ton'neruzu no Minasan no Okagedesu.
Later in 2019, Kamen Norider makes an appearance in Kamen Rider Zi-O: Over Quartzer.
In season 2, various supporting police characters portrayed by veteran Kamen Rider actors appear throughout the show. In the final episode, when the police characters face the final "big bad", these actors performed their famous pose of their Kamen Rider role. The names of these characters also sound similar to their characters' names in Kamen Rider, with the main character Yabe Kenzo mistakenly calling them by their Rider name.
Kamen Rider Agito - Toshiki Kashu (portrays Ajito Youichi)
Kamen Rider Ryuki - Takamasa Suga (portrays Yuuki Makoto)
Kamen Rider Zanki - Kenji Matsuda (portrays Zaigi Kuranosuke)
Kamen Rider Garren - Kousei Amano (portrays Kiya Ren)
Kamen Rider Chalice - Ryoji Morimoto (portrays Kakisu Hajime)
Reboot Kamen Rider 1 - Masaya Kikawada (portrays Hoppa Ichirou)
In an interesting twist, Katsuhisa Namase, who portrays the titular character of the show, would later go on to star as Junichiro Tokiwa in Kamen Rider Zi-O, an official Kamen Rider season commemorating the Heisei Riders.
In Episode 36, a character called Higan Rider shows and attacks delinquent boys. This character is revealed to be a girl. Later in the same episode, a second rider with the same name and costume appears.
According to director Hideaki Anno, before the shooting of ShinGoji started he was watching Kamen Rider 555 at home. Therefore, he added some 555 references to the film.
The coagulant that Japanese government used to cool Godzilla's internal temperature are from a company named Smart Brain Peculiar Chemicals Pharmaceutical Company.
There has also been a few references to the Kamen Rider Series in its sister tokusatsu franchise, despite the fact that the two series have only officially cooperated on several occasions.
Lije breaks the fourth wall and tells Apostle of Infinity Voffa they cannot summon a Giganoid, as the movie is over and Kamen Rider 555 was coming up. This movie was originally double billed with Faiz's summer movie.
In Akibaranger Season Tsuu, the toy shop owner is portrayed by Yuu Kamio, who previously portrayed Kiyoto Maki in Kamen Rider OOO.
He was seen holding Bae's plush toy on his right arm, the similar way he did for his doll, Kiyo-chan, when he was in OOO, as well as the actual Kiyo-chan on the computer monitor.
Scorpio has a technique called the Venom Kick that is similar to Kamen Rider Kiva's Darkness Moon Break, as both techniques cause the target to be slammed into a wall, and leave an imprint in the shape of an emblem after the target is destroyed.
The Spy Which I Hate[]
Ryuhei performs Wizard's transformation pose
A character named Ryuhei Toruma in this show The Spy Which I Hate (私の嫌いな探偵,Watashi no Kiraina Tantei), always made Haruto Soma/Kamen Rider Wizard's pre-transformation pose and said "Henshin!" when he was in trouble. Coincidentally, he was portrayed by Shunya Shiraishi, who also played Haruto.
In Episode 16, R3 and R4 perform the Kajibano Friendship Power Kick on a pair of Axtos grunts. The kick attack resembles the Rider Double Kick Kamen Rider 1 and 2 used in the original series.
In episode 18, R5's debut episode, Captain Ishiguro behaved much like a Showa Era Kamen Rider in some of his mannerisms. This included shouting "Toh!" when he jumped and shouting his attacks (Ex. "Rescue Punch!")
This in-joke is carried over to the next episode when one of the villain commanders named San says that R5 "Reminds him of the heroes of a previous generation". Another ironic twist is the fact that Ishiguro's actor would later play a Kamen Ridertwo years later. Additionally, Hiroshi Fujioka, the original actor for Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1, also played Reiji Osakabe/R0 in the Rescue Force movie and the sequel series, Rescue Fire.
Voicelugger is a Japanese tokusatsu that aired from January 12 to March 30, 1999. It was the last production by Shotaro Ishinomori, released posthumously, who intended for the series to be serious, while it was originally written to be a parody of older tokusatsu programs. Protagonist Akiko Homura/Voicelugger Ruby is a fan of tokusatsu series of the 1970s, particularly Kamen Rider.
Wingman (2024 live action series)[]
The live action adaptation of the 1980s anime and manga series is updated with a present day setting, as Kenta is a fan of Heisei Era tokusatsu with a room full of DVDs, Blu-Rays, posters and toys.[13] The lead role of Kenta Hirono is portrayed by Maito Fujioka, the son of Hiroshi Fujioka.
Aside Kamen Rider merchandises on Kenta's room, this series also contains several references on the franchise:
In the first episode, days before Aoi comes to the 3D world, Kenta demonstrates to his friend, Fukumoto, Kamen Rider 1's variation of Rider Kick, Denkou Rider Kick.
In the ending scenes of the third episode, Kenta asks Aoi about his Raver Stray, which Aoi says it's helpful. Then, he confesses that in the creation process, he tried to make it look like Revolcane from Kamen Rider Black RX.
Stock footage of Mantis Man appears in the Aquabats pilot.
Tokusatsu shows such as Kamen Rider and Ultraman have been cited as influences of The Aquabats. Their promotional video The Aquabats in Color! in particular features several homages to Kamen Rider as well as stock footage from Ultraman and Kamen Rider, such as a brief appearance of ShockerkaijinMantis Man.
In 1999, the CTI company had made a commercial called CTI Bargain Rider, which used a new-lyrics Let's Go!! Rider Kick as its background song.
The Devil Wants a Toy[]
This light novel, released at the end of 2023, is about Kaito Sunaho, a Tokusatsu fan who meets a demon girl named Quosha, who has become stranded in the human world and hopes to use Kaito's love of Tokusatsu merchandise to return to the demon realm. The cover for the first volume depicts Quosha surrounded by a number of real Tokusatsu transformation devices, including the Desire Driver (with Geats' ID Core and the Magnum and Boost Buckles) and the Gotchardriver along with several Ride Chemy Cards, most prominently Hopper1 and Steamliner.
Disney[]
Disney's Imagination Belt
To commemorate the Disney corporation's 100th Anniversary, Bandai would release the Imagination Belt, a belt-like device designed similarly to other Kamen Rider belts.[14]
Entertainment Weekly[]
In an article about Dannielynn Birkhead, the daughter of Anna Nicole Smith, attending the 2024 Kentucky Derby with her father, she wore a red dress that she dictated to her father on Instagram was similar to the Tajadol Combo of Kamen Rider OOO because of the shoulder frill patterns on the straps.[15]
KFC[]
A 2018 marketing campaign for KFC's Hot and Spicy Chicken in Hong Kong features figures clearly based on Kamen Riders.
One of the items available in this game is the Survive Card, described as "A mysterious card inherited from a masked motorcycle-riding sentai hero", which lets a Maid change into a more powerful "Survive Form".
There is also an item, that lets the maid input numbers 777 to get a battle suit from a satellite. Clearly a reference to Faiz's Blaster Form.
Products Made in China[]
Since 2010, ERKE started to produce shoes decorated with Kamen Rider Kuuga's symbol.
iGame, a brand registered by Colorful Video Card is very similar to Kamen Rider Agito's symbol.
Professional Wrestlers in Japan[]
Hiroshi Tanahashi: Hiroshi Tanahashi is a well-known Japanese wrestler and a fanatical fan of Kamen Rider Series. His uniforms are usually based on a Kamen Rider.
Kamen Shooter Super Rider: Yūichi Watabe, another Japanese wrestler, claiming he is the "Kamen Rider of Wrestling" and using a Kamen Rider-like mask since his debut in 1993. His theme song is Kamen Rider Black RX.
UFO Kamen[]
Nissin Food had produced a hero-style commercial UFO Kamen Yakiso Boy to promote their instant noodles in 2017. In the commercial, Yakiso Boy (portrayed by Taishi Nakagawa) had a partner portrayed by Hiroshi Fujioka named Legend Kuroobi and able to transform into a motorcycle. Coincidentally, Taishi Nakagawa's character in civilian outfit bears a striking resemblance to Kouta Kazuraba.
Video Games[]
Amagami[]
Sae Nakata is a fan of the TV show Inago Mask.
Ai Nanasaki wears a belt that places a blue grasshopper on in references to the Hopper Riders from Kamen Rider Kabuto. The TV version also includes a voice similar to the Zecter as well as a Smart Brain-like logo.
KK Slider's song "Go K.K. Rider!" is a reference to the Kamen Rider franchise, along with the picture of KK Slider on a bike similar to Kamen Rider #1's Rider Machine.
Some of her quotes have reference to some Kamen Rider series:[16]
Details: Milord, we cannot survive unless we fight! (殿、戦わなければ生き残れませんよ！,Tono, tatakawanakereba iki nokoremasenyo!) - Kamen Rider Ryuki series tagline
Task Complete: The mission rewards are here! A bagel? Is this a snack for me? Thank you, Milord. Well then, let's move out! (任務が完了した件なら、自分に知らせなくとも——うん？差し入れ、ですか？ありがとうございます！いただきます！,Ninmu ga kanryō shita kudan nara, jibun ni shirase nakutomo--Un? Sashiire, desuka? Arigatou gozaimasu! Itadakimasu!, If you're done, don't let yourself know--Yeah? Insert it? Thank you! I will!) - Kamen Rider Mach's catchphrase.
Strengthening: Thank you very much, Milord! Shall we go run a lap to test my new strength? (ありがとうございます！殿、ひとっ走り付き合ってください！,Arigatou gozaimasu! Tono, hitoppashiri tsukiatte kudasai!) - Kamen Rider Drive's pre-battle catchphrase.
Start Mission: Now, count up your sins! (さあ、お前たちの罪を数えろ！,Sā, omaetachi no tsumi o kazoero!) - Kamen Rider Double's catchphrase.
MVP: Despair... shall be your final destination! (絶望が……お前たちのゴールだ！,Zetsubō ga... omaetachi no gōru da!) - Kamen Rider Accel's catchphrase that he says after defeating his enemy.
The achievement for activating your ability for the first time is called 'Henshin!' and the logo for the achievement depicts a belt. The belt itself designwise has the Typhoon's red strap with the Arcle's buckle.
Cassette Beasts[]
An indie developed monster battle game similar to Pokemon with a bit more complex battle mechanics. One of the monsters in the game is Tokusect, an insect monster whose design and fighting style is based on Kamen Rider.
The Kicker Skeleton, first introduced in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, is an enemy designed as an overall homage to the Kamen Rider franchise. An animate skeleton with a red scarf, it attacks by performing a diving kick, and when defeated its Ability Soul allows Soma Cruz to likewise perform a mid-air jump kick. The skeleton can also drop one of two items when defeated: its Red Scarf, or more rarely the Ancient Belt, which is modeled off of the Double Riders' Typhoon belt.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night features a belt called the King's Stone, a direct reference to Kamen Rider Black's Vital Charger and Kingstone.
The very first PC demo for Ciconia Phase 1 used the "Stage Select" sound effects from Kamen Rider Ex-Aid during the Gauntlet Knight propaganda video in the prologue. These sound effects were removed and replaced in later demos and in the official release.
Drei 6, one of the enemies in this game, has an ability to change form at will. Like Kamen Rider Skull, his main battle form is a black and white skeleton wearing hat and scarf, and used a gun as his weapon.
Chroma Squad[]
Night Driver
A game about players producing their own tokusatsu show, the game comes with extra heroes outside of the Sentai genre such as "Night Driver", a Kamen Rider parody. Players can unlock the character by defeating Tammy before defeating Lord Gaga in the Season 4 finale, thus setting the story of the game to the Rider Campaign, in which the Assault character becomes the Night Driver. The Night Driver is a man named Kanji Ahbo, an obvious reference to Kenji Ohba, and he tells the Ranger at the start of the Rider campaign that his daughters had to fight for Gargan with one becoming their queen. This is a parody reference to the plot of Kamen Rider Black.
One of the available commands when playing the character is the "Driver Kick" and one of the materials is a motorcycle called the Driver Cyclone.
D4DJ[]
Elsie at the climax
A rhythm gacha game with a story told in visual novel format. In the story for event side:nova Season 1 -The Revolution Live-, chapter 1 "The Black Ships" features the character Elsie of DJ unit Abyssmare saying "From start to finish, we're always at the climax♪", a reference to the catchphrase of Momotaros. This is more notable due to the fact that Elsie's voice actress, Tomomi Jiena Sumi, is both a member of the Kamen Rider Girls and has played three roles in Kamen Rider herself (such as a member of Team Pop Up, Masako Suzuka, and Mai). D4DJ also features a cover of Climax Jump by the unit Merm4id, in addition to covers of Kamen Rider Black by Peaky P-Key and Journey Through the Decade by RONDO.
D4DJ also has a parody of Kamen Rider known as Kamen Jockey, a double reference to DJ (Disc Jockey) and Jockey being a similar word to Rider in meaning. The character Rinku Aimoto talks about having watched the show as a kid and does his transformation pose.
Dawn of the Monsters[]
Rider skin on the Workshop selection screen
In this sidescrolling beat ‘em’ up, players take control of one of four different characters loosely based on beloved giant Tokusatsu characters to defend the world from a kaiju invasion. One of the collectibles players can unlock in the game are pallet skins which makes each character reference something from Japanese pop culture (Burning Godzilla, RX-78 Gundam, EVA 01). Ageis Prime, the Ultraman character of the group, has an unlockable “Rider” pallet skin that if activated gives him Kamen Rider 1’s colors on his game sprite.
Dead or Alive 6 introduces a new character to the series, NiCO, who bears many similarities to Sento Kiryu. Like Sento, NiCO is a young genius with a somewhat arrogant and antisocial personality who creates her own weaponry. Furthering the connection, her pre-battle quote is "Now then, shall we begin the experiment?" and she can often be seen performing the Right-hand rule hand gesture, both of which are Kamen Rider Build's trademarks.
Disgaea[]
Disgaea 2 features a character named Adell who uses a couple of techniques reminiscent of various Rider Kicks, his necktie also resembles the traditional scarf.
Disgaea 4 features the character Artina who can do the Tatoba Kick. After the attack ends, medals can be seen dropping.
Additionally, her motif of greed and her class Angel Of Avarice could be references to Kamen Rider OOO
Etna does Kamen Rider 1's pose.
Disgaea: Dimension 2 features an attack called the Space Galaxy Kick that plays out similar to Kamen Rider Fourze's Rider Kick. After the Episode 4 chapter ends, a "preview" for the next chapter is shown. It features a parody of the original Kamen Rider show with Etna wearing antennae and a belt and talking about saving Laharl from a mysterious organization.
In Disgaea 5, the characters Zeroken and Goldion can do the Shadow Smash, a attack resembling Faiz's Crimson Smash.
In Disgaea 6, the character Piyori Nijino does a Rider Kick in one of her skills.
The Rider class version of Sakata Kintoki (coincidentally, voiced by a Kamen Rider alumni) is a very obvious reference to the franchise, using a Rider Kick for his Buster card attack, riding a Motorcycle, and his description mentions that he is equipped with a Rider Belt.
Final Fantasy VII Remake[]
The "Episode INTERmission" DLC features a pair of accessories called the Gozu Drive and Mezu Drive, devices resembling USB memory sticks which are said to contain the data of fierce demons; either one can be combined with the Chthonian Armlet armor piece to provide special benefits, forming an homage to the Gaia Memories. The reference is made more explicit in the official design book Ultimania Plus, which says that the design of the Drives was based on "the gadgets that are set into a hero's transformation belt".
Girl Friend Beta[]
In this dating simulation game, one of the female students, Nozomi Miyauchi is a Movie Club member and evidently a tokusatsu fan. One of the cards feature her in a Typhoon-like belt with a red scarf, mirroring Kamen Rider 1.
There is also another card which feature her demonstrating the use of a Den-O Belt-like toy to a child.
Genshin Impact[]
During the "The Art of Cooking" world quest at the start of the game, when Lynn ask traveler and Paimon are the travelers from around, Paimon answer: "No, we just happen to be passing by". As can hear in Japanese audio, she said "Toorisugari no tabibito dayo". This is a nod to one of Kamen Rider Decade's catchphrases: "Toorisugari no Kamen Rider daa."
Growtopia[]
The "Scarlet Rider" set, with the bike.
The game features a set of clothing items known as the "Scarlet Rider" set, which includes the "Scarlet Rider's Mask," "Scarlet Rider's Armor," "Scarlet Rider's Pants," "Scarlet Rider's Boots," and the "Scarlet Rider's Bike." When equipping the "Scarlet Rider's Bike," a message pops up saying, "Henshin! (Speedy: Scarlet Rider's Bike mod added)." This is a clear reference to the Kamen Rider series.
Gunbuster (PS2)[]
In the game, players can customize the RX Machine with specific pallets to make them resemble popular mecha and superheroes in fiction, one option allows players to customize their machine to resemble Kamen Rider V3. Much like how the anime source material references Kamen Rider’s finisher with the Inazuma Kick, the game enhances the moveset with attacks based on V3’s Return Kick and the Inazuma Kick V3.
Console versions of the story arc Hajisarashi-hen feature chapters named after Heisei Kamen Rider catchphrases and show taglines.
In the gacha game Higurashi When They Cry Mei, the "Pompompurin" Shion Sonozaki story features the character Shion buying a hamster and naming it Satoko #2 (Satoko Nigou), after another character Satoko. Satoko remarks that she isn't a transforming superhero, referencing the naming schemes behind Kamen Rider #1 and Kamen Rider #2.
Honkai: Star Rail[]
During the time-limited "Ring & Stage" event quest, when asked about the monster armor, the Trailblazer's dialogue has the option "I'll need a belt to serve as a tokusatsu costume", making reference to the traditional Kamen Rider transformation device.
The playable character Firefly has the ability to use a device to transform into an armored warrior known as SAM.
Neptune from Hyperdimension Neptunia has a quote in which she says "From the start, I'm always at a climax!" This is a nod to Momotaros, as it is the Imagin's pre-battle catchphrase. The character, Nisa has a scarf, kicking techniques, as well as the iconic poses.
A quote from the character B-Sha in the Japanese version of Victory II is a female version of Yuto Sakurai's pre-battle catchphrase when he transformed into Zeronos.
Another quote in Megadimension Neptunia VII is the trademark catchphrase of Shigeru Jo.
Leona Heidern's Rebel Spark super move is based on Black RX's Revolcrash. Additionally, her jumping Heavy Attack is Black's Rider Kick, complete with a red energy aura around her feet.
May Lee - Hero Mode
May Lee from King of Fighters, specifically her Hero Mode pays homage to the early Kamen Riders.
The remastered version of the game for the PlayStation 5, and later added into the original Playstation 4 version, has an original costume for Spider-Man named Arachnid Rider, with a very Kamen Rider-inspired design (specifically Kamen Rider Thouser). This costume may also have been a deeper homage to the Toei-produced Spider-Man tokusatsu series.
The sequel game sees the return of the Kamen Rider inspired S.T.R.I.K.E. Suit to the selection of alternate costumes Miles can have.
Designer Dave Rapoza has revealed that the S.T.R.I.K.E. Suit, an original unlockable costume designed for the game, was inspired by the design of the Hopper Riders from Kamen Rider: The First. [17]
Mega Man[]
In Megaman 11, an enemy known as Shimobey is in the game. They are robots who attack Mega Man with a kicking technique. They bear a resemblance to the Shocker Combatmen from the original Kamen Rider show. Further alluding to this is the fact their bio states before they were reprogrammed by Dr. Wily, they were actor bots used in "hero show programs".
Additionally, there is the Double Gear System, which has the colors of Build RabbitTank Form but the functions are reversed (Red represents power, blue represents speed).
Monster Hunter[]
A Hunter and his Palico perform the Double Riders' poses
In Monster Hunter World, one of the gestures available under the "Unique Pose" collection is Kamen Rider #1's transformation pose; furthering the connection, while using this gesture, the Hunter's Palico assistant will perform Kamen Rider #2's pose.
The mobile game Monster Hunter Explore featured a collaboration with Kamen Rider in early 2019, during which players could unlock armor sets and weapons from the franchise:
Travis Touchdown often calls out Henshin when assumes his Full Armor transformation.
During the Midori Midorikawa boss stage, Travis and Midori teleport to the Iburagi Rock Quarry. An excited Travis mentions that this is where many tokusatsu shows and movies are filmed and recognizes the spot they are in is where Kamen Rider Zi-O may have had fight scenes shot.
Overwatch[]
Genji's Sentai skin
Genji, a character in the game, is a cyborg ninja. For a special event, the developers created a second DLC skin costume for Genji called the Sentai skin. Genji's helmet is loosely based on a Showa Kamen Rider's helmet and he has ninja abilities akin to Kamen Rider ZX. On the left of the chest has the kanji "変身" (Henshin). Some of his phrases are references to the series:
"Atcha!" - Kamen Rider Meteor's Kiai
"HENSHIN!" - Basic transformation call of the Kamen Riders
"Genji is Here!" - a play on the catchphrase of Momotaros, "Ore, Sanjou!"
"TOH!" - The Kiai cry of the Showa Riders when they jump.
When the characters are customized into their Neo Featherman costumes, Yosuke mentions that he prefers the "Rider" series.
Naoto Shirogane, the last character to join the protagonist's team, has a Persona named Sukuna-Hikona which has a head resembling a Heisei-era helmet and a jacket resembling Skullman's. Her personality is also an amalgamation of Shotaro Hidari and Philip, wanting to be seen as a serious hard boiled detective while also being inquisitive and inventive, even building her own detective tools as a child. Like Shotaro, she tries to hide a childlike side in order to be treated with respect and can lose her temper when confronted on the subject. Her Neo Featherman victory pose also resembles a stance used by Kamen Rider Double when using the Magnum Gaia Memory.
In Persona 5, when Morgana first transforms into a van, he strikes Takeshi Hongo's iconic Rider Henshin pose. Furthermore, he shouts "Morgana, transform!" while doing so.
One of the team members, Queen, has a motorcycle as a Persona. Due to this, Skull suggests that her codename should be "Rider" in reference to the show.
In Persona 5 Strikers, it is revealed that there is an in-universe TV show known as Zephyrman, who is an Kamen Rider-esque superhero and an obscured variant of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R. One of the game's antagonists, Akira Konoe, is a fan of the show and his Shadow Self takes on the form of Zephyrman in combat.
The character Ruferu in Persona 5: The Phantom X strikes Kamen Rider 2's transformation pose when he first transforms into a car.
In the Sun and Moon game set, the Galarian Pokémon known as Marshadow has a Z-Move named the "Soul Stealing 7-Star Strike". Part of the move involves the Pokémon performing a kick attack through an energy projection of a symbol, before re-emerging from the back of the target to finish the attack. This is similar to the Exceed Charge finishing attacks of the Riders from Kamen Rider 555, most of which involve attacking through an energy projection before re-emerging from the back of the target to finish the blow. Footage of the Z-Move can be viewed here.
Also, in the same set of games, the pose for Electric-type Z-Moves greatly resembles Kamen Rider OOO's transformation pose. Incidentally, actor Shu Watanabe, who portrays Eiji Hino, was involved in a series of specials promoting the games, there being a scene where he performs the pose himself. The specials can be seen on Pokemon's official Japanese YouTube channel (link to one of the specials here).
In the Scarlet and Violet game set, the Paldean Pokémon known as Nymble has an evolution called Lokix who is likely a reference to Kamen Rider, being a bipedal grasshopper with a belt pattern on its waist. Its signature move, Axe Kick, reinforces the reference further.
It's shiny colors is possibly a reference to Kamen Rider Zero-One with it having the same color as him which is highlighter green.
Lokix’s Pokédex photo in the game is based off of the famous Rider Kick.
River City Girls[]
Some of Sabuko's henchmen in the game are young men with dark sunglasses that have antennae-like tufts of hair on their heads. When they are about to attack the player with a ki fireball projectile, they glow and do a Kamen Rider 1-like pose.
BEST MATCH!
One of the hidden shops in the game has a Bunny Button and a Tank Button, with both having different stat boost attributes of speed and power, a reference to Kamen Rider Build's RabbitTank form.
Seigi no Mikata[]
A PS2 game in a tokusatsu hero show setting where players are the hero of the “show” and must stop the monsters of the week, gain a reputation with the public by helping and navigate the city for missions and mini games. Upon starting a new game, players can customize their character with different hero costume choices. One of the default costume selections is “Modified Mask”, a Kamen Rider like hero.
Snatcher[]
A Kamen Rider among the guests of a Night Club in the PC-8801 version of Snatcher
A Kamen Rider among the guests of a Night Club in the CD Romantic version of Snatcher
During a scene taking place at a Night Club, a Kamen Rider can be seen among the guests who are characters from other Sci-Fi movies. In the PC-8801 version, this Kamen Rider bears a resemblance to Kamen Rider Black RX while in the CD Romantic version, it resembles either Kamen Rider Black or Skyrider.
The character Azwel has an alternate palette swap of his costume being white while retaining the red and blue aura of his gauntlets resemble that of Kamen Rider Build's Genius Form.
Hwang's Critical Edge has him tossing his sword and finishes his opponent by executing a Rider Kick-styled attack with his blade complete with Kanji superimposed at the end of the animation invokes the finishers of the Zero-One Riders, more specifically the MetsubouJinrai.net Riders.
Additionally, a piece of promotional artwork made for Street Fighter EX2 depicts Ryu strapped to a circular operating table while Skullomania (and several other Street Fighter characters wearing skull-patterned body stockings) prepare to perform surgery on him, homaging the iconic scene of Takeshi Hongo being turned into Kamen Rider by Shocker.
The third generation Dynamic General Guardian robots RaiOh and DaiRaiOh are obvious homages to early Kamen Riders possessing scarves as well kicking based fighting styles.
When Excellen Browning uses the {{IW|Gespenst#PTX-007-2 Gespenst MK II Type-S_Specifications|superrobotwars|Gespenst MK II Type-S]]' Gespenst Kick attack in PS2 game, Super Robot Wars: Original Generations, one of her dialogue includes "Ges-chan jump! Ges-chan kick!", which is a reference to the chorus of Kamen Rider's opening song, Let's Go!! Rider Kick.
In the same game, when Arado Balanga uses the Wild Wurger's Victim Beak, he will sometime calls "Wurger Cast Off!", and when Arado uses Gespenst Kick, he will chant "1,2,3 Gespenst Kick!" and "Maximum Gest Power!", all of this reference to Kamen Rider Kabuto series.
In PS3 game 2nd Super Robot Wars Original Generation, when Arado Balanga uses the Grungust Kai's Keitou Ragouken Goousatsu (計都羅睺剣・五黄殺), he will chant Evil Star is here! (凶星キター!,Kyōsei Kita!), which is a reference to Fourze's Space is here!.
In this game series, the character Captain Falcon (who comes from the F-ZERO games), has two emblematic special abilities named "Falcon Punch" and "Falcon Kick", which are homages to the Rider Punch and the Rider Kick, respectively.
Megami Tensei/Shin Megami Tensei[]
Frost Ace
Along the Megami Tensei series, from where the Persona games come from, there are some references:
In Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE, there's a demon exclusive of a 7th anniversary quest called Frost Ace. Frost Ace is a Jack Frost transformed into a lonely hero in search for revenge. He is based on Kamen Rider Stronger amoung other old Tokusatsu heroes, having even a theme resembling a Kamen Rider opening during his boss fight. He also appears in later installments like Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, Shin Megami Tensei: D-Children Light & Dark series and Shin Megami Tensei DX2 Liberation.
In Shin Megami Tensei V, when the protagonist Nahobino casts the "Roaring Thunder" skill, his pose resembles that of Kamen Rider Kabuto's signature pose.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE[]
An in-universe TV series and stage show in the game is titled 'Masqueraider', a slight French translation of 'Masked Rider', which in turn is Kamen Rider. One of the protagonists is Masqueraider Raiga, an electricity powered hero like Kamen Rider Stronger or Blade. All of the Masqueraiders have a kick attack with Raiga's being a "Raiga Kick".
Touhou Lostword[]
Kaiju 080-01, firefly type
The Universe H5 version of Wriggle Nightbug, also known as the Kaiju of Augmentation and Mutation, wears a red scarf, has a high-tech belt on her waist, was remodeled into her current form, uses her motorcycle for a Rider Break, and her Last Word sees her motorcycle form armor so she can do a powerful Flying Side Kick, making her a full-fledged pastiche of Showa Riders.
This article is about a list of references and popular cultures in the Kamen Rider Series.
, due to its being an affectionate parody of Tokusatsu in general and being written by Naruhisa Arakawa, who has written for both franchises.
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