! All spoilers for ''Series/KamenRiderBlack'' are unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_rx_volume_1_4.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Wake up, the Hero!]]

->''"I am the child of the sun! [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Kamen Rider! BLACK! R! X!]]"''

''Kamen Rider BLACK RX'' is the ninth TV series in the ''Franchise/KamenRider'' franchise and, unusually for the series, a direct sequel to the previous series, ''Series/KamenRiderBLACK''. It was broadcasted from 1988 to 1989 and was the last TV series aired during the Showa era before the transition to stand-alone movies throughout the 90s.

After being practically left alone at the end of ''BLACK'', Kotaro Minami has finally gotten on the road to a normal life. He's been adopted by the Sahara family and has a steady job as a helicopter pilot.

However, a new threat to the peace of Earth comes in the form of the Crisis Empire, which seeks Earth as their new invasion target. Acknowledging Kamen Rider BLACK as a threat, they capture Kotaro while preventing his transformation and attempt to goad him into joining the Empire. Kotaro refuses, and as a result he has his King Stone destroyed and gets thrown off to space.

The sun's radiation, however, resurrected Kotaro's Kingstone and split it into two. Thus, Kamen Rider BLACK evolved into ''Kamen Rider BLACK RX''. It also resurrects the destroyed Battle Hopper, upgrading it into Acrobatter. Now, Kotaro must use his new powers to defend Earth from the Crisis Empire, consisting of General Jark, Colonel Maribaron, Naval Commander Bosgan, and Captains Gatenzone and Gedorian.

The LighterAndSofter tone of the show clashed horribly with the DarkerAndEdgier ''Series/KamenRiderBLACK'', and fans did not approve. However, it's quite wrong to label it a FranchiseKiller, as the series had pretty good ratings (it performed better than ''Series/KidouKeijiJiban'', the ''Series/MetalHeroes'' series that aired during the same season, and actually scored a slightly higher series average than ''BLACK''[[note]]To elaborate, ''BLACK'' scored a 9.2% series average, while ''BLACK RX'' scored a 9.3% series average.[[/note]]). It's also notable as the first ''Kamen Rider'' series to introduce the concept of [[SwissArmyHero form changes]], which became a staple of the Heisei era. ''BLACK RX'' still remains popular amongst the older franchise, and like its predecessor, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff it enjoys massive popularity in the overseas market]].

''Kamen Rider BLACK RX'' received a 3D film tie-in, ''Film/KamenRiderRunAllOverTheWorld'', that was screened at special events.

This show was adapted by Creator/SabanEntertainment (the guys behind ''Franchise/PowerRangers'') into ''Series/MaskedRider''.

Creator/DiscotekMedia released a Blu-ray of the show with English subtitles for the United States on August 29, 2023.

It was the last ''Kamen Rider'' TV series Creator/ShotaroIshinomori was involved in before his death in 1998, two years before the premiere of the franchise's next installment, ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga''.
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!!Recurring ''Kamen Rider'' tropes include:
* FinishingMove
** Black RX: Two of them:
*** ''RX Kick''
*** ''Revolcrash''
** Roborider: ''Hard Shot''
** Biorider: ''Spark Cutter''
* {{Mooks}}: The Crisis Empire has the robotic Chaps.
* MultiformBalance: Black RX was the first Kamen Rider to be a SwissArmyHero, which would become a series staple. His selection of forms was rather simple compared to future Riders: his normal form was [[JackOfAllStats rather balanced, stat-wise]], and he could switch to the [[MightyGlacier stronger-but-slower]] Roborider, or the [[FragileSpeedster faster-but-weaker]] Biorider.
* VillainsActHeroesReact: As is the norm for ''Kamen Rider'', Crisis generally sends forth a MOTW with an EvilPlan OnceAnEpisode, with Black RX then arriving on the scene to stop them.
%%*: RX has a different weapon for each form.
%%** Black RX: [[LaserBlade Revolcane]]
%%** Roborider: Vortech Shooter
%%** Biorider: [[CoolSword Bio Blade]]

!!''Kamen Rider BLACK RX'' provides examples of the following tropes:
* AlienInvasion: The Crisis Empire is the second evil space empire to invade the Earth, following [[Series/KamenRiderSuper1 Dogma]].
* ArtifactTitle: Despite Kotaro still using the moniker of Kamen Rider Black, The majority of the RX suit is Green.
* AsLongAsThereIsEvil: Uttered by Emperor Crisis, the BigBad (who may be the same BigBad of Original ''Series/KamenRider'' through ''Film/KamenRiderZX'') upon his demise.
* BackFromTheDead: Battle Hopper, becoming Acrobatter. Also later, Shadow Moon.
** In #45, Maribaron revives several monsters from the Spirit World: Skullma, Metaheavy, Zunojin, Gynaninpo, Gynakamakil, the lead Culculten, Elgitron and Antront. Because they are dead spirits, they are all a grayish-white in color.
* BadassDriver (Look below)
** CoolCar: RX was one of the first heroes of the Franchise/KamenRider franchise to use a car. It's called Ridron. Later given a tribute by the ''T''ridron of ''Series/KamenRiderDrive''.
* BittersweetEnding: As much as the earlier LighterAndSofter tone, the shows ends in this note, though less so than ''Black''. [[spoiler:Crisis Empire has been destroyed by Kotaro and the past Riders. However, in process, the Sahara parents were KilledOffForReal, orphaning their children. Still, Kotaro has avenged their deaths and made sure they can rest in peace, and happily says his goodbyes to his friends before going on to his next adventure.]]
* CanonWelding: While ''Series/KamenRiderBlack'' was completely standalone, having been conceived as a ContinuityReboot, ''Black RX'' ties itself to it predecessors by reintroducing the ten Riders in the final episodes.
* CelebrityParadox: In episode 1, one of the characters actually pick up and read ''[[MindScrew the manga adaptation of]] Series/KamenRiderBlack''
* CerebusSyndrome: While it's lighter in tone than ''Black'', it has three cases of this: First during a StoryArc where Black RX gets two alternate forms via TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening, then when Shadow Moon shows up, and in the final arc, when [[spoiler:General Jark goes OneWingedAngel and [[KilledOffForReal kills the Sahara parents]]]].
* ChefOfIron: As noted on the ''[[Series/KamenRiderBlack Black]]'' page, star Tetsuo Kurata is a heck of a steak chef (with his own restaurant) and once battled the star of ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'', Takayuki Tsubaki, on a cooking show - and [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] him.
* {{Crossover}}: RX teams up with his [[Series/KamenRiderBlack past self]] (along with Robo and Biorider) in the short movie ''Running Around the World''. He also teams up with all the other past Riders (from [[Series/KamenRider Kamen Rider I]] through [[Film/KamenRiderZX ZX]]) in the final episodes of the series.
* DefiedTrope: OrcusOnHisThrone. Jak and his captains may be content to simply send a monster a week at Kotaro, but eventually Emperor Crisis gets tired of this and forces them to take a more hands-on approach.
* DiscardAndDraw: After losing the Satan Saber to Kotaro at the end of ''BLACK'', Shadow Moon wields the [[DualWielding Shadow Sabers]] as its replacements.
* DolledUpInstallment: Sort of. ''RX'' was originally planned as a stand-alone show starring a new protagonist, but Toei decided to keep Tetsuo Kurata for another year due to his popularity and retooled the show at the last minute into a continuation of ''Black''. Outside Shadow Moon's brief guest appearance, ''RX'' barely acknowledges the events of the original ''Black''.
* EndOfAnAge: The last ''Kamen Rider'' series to be made in the Showa period. No new TV series would be produced until ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga''.
* EqualOpportunityEvil: As bad as Crisis is, they at least do seem to treat their robot minions the same as the living ones.
* GagSub: [[http://tipping40s.com/Videos.aspx?key=251 of the first episode,]] done by The LetsPlay/TippingForties as part of a mod challenge on Website/SomethingAwful.
* HeelFaceDoorSlam: Shadow Moon, who told Black RX the details of Crisis' EvilPlan before [[HeelFaceTurn going out]] [[DyingAsYourself in a blaze of glory]] [[HeroicSacrifice by saving two chained-up kids]].
* FakeShemp: [[spoiler:When Kotaro cradles Nobuhiko's dead body after Shadow Moon dies, it's obvious that the producers didn't get a hold of the original actor who played Nobuhiko, as someone else is used for the shot.]]
** High Priest Darom is voiced by a different actor during his appearance in TheMovie.
** None of the actors for the first ten Kamen Riders reprised their roles when they return in the later episodes. Thus, they are all voiced by substitute voice actors and remain [[TheFaceless Faceless]].
* TheHeroDoesntKillTheVillainess: Maribaron, the sole female antagonist, gets vaporized by Emperor Crisis for [[BadBoss questioning his orders.]] Every other Golgom member, who are all males, gets killed by Kotaro.
* IdiotBall: Crisis grabs it pretty hard whenever they try to trap RX while forgetting that he can just turn into Biorider and escape in his liquid form. [[spoiler: This even gets Gatezone killed.]]
* ImprobableWeaponUser: Maribaron uses the feather on her helmet as a weapon.
* InformedAttribute: A great many monsters are described as the "best" of their respective units, and then quickly meet their doom on the end of the Revolcane.
* IntrepidReporter: Reiko.
* LaserBlade: The Revolcane.
* LifeSavingMisfortune: Yukio, the kid investigating a cave in #28 misses out on being possessed by the VillainOfTheWeek like the rest of his family.
* LighterAndSofter: For the majority of the series.
* MassiveMultiplayerCrossover: By the end of the series, all the older Kamen Riders before ''Black'' join forces with RX to defeat the Crisis Empire.
* MoodWhiplash: From the intense and dark ''Series/KamenRiderBlack'' to the goofy and light-hearted ''RX''... until near the end when [[spoiler:Jark murders the Sahara parents in cold blood.]]
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Odds are, Black would've been outclassed by the Crisis Empire, but the villains decided to throw the ''Child of the Sun'' into space where he'd be directly exposed to sunlight, causing him to evolve into the much stronger Black RX.
** Similarly, it’s likely that RX wouldn’t have had his MidSeasonUpgrade if they hadn’t chosen one of the Sahara children as their ReplacementGoldfish.
* NoAccountingForTaste: Shunkichi and Utako Sahara argue ''so much'', you sometimes wonder how did they even manage to have two kids.
* OldHeroNewPals: None of the supporting cast from Black return, though it’s justified, since they moved to America in the previous season.
* ThePowerOfTheSun: The source of the RX powers.
* NonstandardCharacterDesign: Bujin from episode 7, an ''extremely'' rare tokusatsu monster-of-the-week who actually has an exposed human face.
* NobleDemon: Zig-zagged with Bosgan; he refused to let Grand Zairus help him in his duel with RX...but he did have Chaps laying in wait.
* PutOnABus: Kasumi no Joe after some extensive injuries in episode 26. He comes back in episode 37.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: Shadow Moon, at the end of his second reappearance.
* Retcon: Kotaro brings Rideron to life by using the magic sea cave that brought him to life (never mind how the heck he got it down there). Except it ''wasn't'' the sea cave in ''Black'', it was the elixir that Whale Mutant gave him. The cave was just Whale Mutant's home.
* RubberForeheadAliens: For some reason, some Crisisians have fleshy antlers for ears, while others don't.
* RevengeBeforeReason: Shadow Moon wants to get back at Kotaro for his previous defeat in ''BLACK'', even going so far as to prioritize their duel instead of waiting for him to finish rescuing two kids. Unsurprisingly, Kotaro calls him out for it.
* SameCharacterButDifferent: Kotaro's a lot spacier and more happy-go-lucky since [[Series/KamenRiderBlack last time we saw him]]. It helps that the Sahara family doesn't induce the same guilt or tension Kotaro had during the last battle with Nobuhiko/Shadow Moon (with Kyoko being his sister, and Katsumi being his girlfriend), and they really took good care of Kotaro, allowing him to show more of his more cheerful/joking side that he occasionally showed to Kyoko and Katsumi.
* SuperpowerLottery: The upgrades of Roborider and Biorider
** Really, Black RX as a whole has this. The Kingstone Flash alone is capable of ridiculous feats.
* SwissArmySuperpower: Biorider ends up being Kotaro's most versatile form.
* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Maribaron attempts to do this in the final episode when she was fatally wounded by The Crisis Emporer. She failed.]]
* TechnicolorDeath: All over the place, but special mention goes to [[spoiler: General Jark,]] who shoots lighting and fire everywhere, explodes into a cloud of flames, and then ''the cloud of flames explodes.''
* ThemeNaming: A variation, though not by name. Each Crisis general summons monsters based on certain themes. Maribaron uses supernatural monsters, Gatenzone uses mecha monsters, Gedorian uses alien monsters, for example.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Variation. RX was the first Rider to use ''both feet'' for his Rider Kick. Every Rider before him only used one foot in their kicks - including Kotaro himself in his [[Series/KamenRiderBlack previous suit]].
** And note that his RX Kick wasn't ''even the FinishingMove'' - it was mostly used to weaken foes before RX stabs them with the Revolcane.
*** Meaning that, in a series considered LighterAndSofter, they take a double-powered Rider Kick ''and more'' to go down for good. A FridgeBrilliance case of CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass.
* ThrownOutTheAirlock: The Crisis Empire ''tries'' to dispose of Kotaro in this fashion. Fortunately, they didn't realize that the previous villains didn't call him [[ThePowerOfTheSun Black Sun]] for nothing and this merely exposes him directly to the sun, evolving him into Kamen Rider Black RX.
* TransformationIsAFreeAction: Subverted; Kotaro is shown a few times to be able to change forms and back in less than a second, so presumably all the posing and speeches is just for show.
** Also subverted in a different way in the first episode, as the Skull-ma use a beam to bind Kotaro's arms together just as he's about to do his henshin pose into Kamen Rider Black. Yes, despite not being wind or electric powered like his predecessors, Kotaro's inability to use his arms prevents him from transforming.
* WildCard: Jark is smart enough to see Shadow Moon as this and has no intention of letting him take over Gedorian's position as captain.
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