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Shin Kazamatsuri
Shin Kazamatsuri/Cyborg Soldier Level 3/Kamen Rider Shin
Portrayed by: Shin Ishikawa
- Anti-Hero: He's not in any way a bad person, but in contrast to previous Riders his concerns don't stretch much further than himself and the people around him, and he only winds up fighting the ISS after he's roped into it by the CIA.
- The Berserker: Surprisingly inverted. while Shin is capable of inflicting horrific damage and violent finishers on his enemies, he's largely docile until provoked, avoiding confrontation with the CIA after his first transformation, and even embracing Ai despite his horrific appearance.
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character: To Kotaro Minami from Kamen Rider BLACK and Kamen Rider BLACK RX. Kotaro is the adopted son of the Akizukis who was turned into a Century King cyborg by Gorgom as one of their intended sucssessor to the Creation King, only for him to opposed them as a Kamen Rider, while Shin volunteered to become a test subject for his father's research at the ISS after giving up his dream of being a motorcycle racer, only for him to discovered his mutation as a grasshopper mutant.
- Cyborg: Subverted. Although he's designated as "Cyborg Soldier Level 3" in the English subtitles, none of his augmentations or abilities are remotely cybernetic in nature. This is due to Japanese usage of the term not making a distinction between cyborgs and other forms of augmentation
- Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of the Henshin Hero. Shin doesn't immediately become a fighter for justice upon receiving his powers and spends much of the film unaware of what's going on. His "henshin" into his Rider form isn't instantaneous and is instead a very painful process that sees his body slowly remold itself. His transformed form is also much more horrific-looking than the streamlined appearances of previous Kamen Riders, and because of how powerful it is, Shin is immediately branded a dangerous threat by the CIA.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: He gave up a promising motorcycle career to help his father with his research, believing it would save lives. Instead, he found himself transformed into a horrific grasshopper mutant and him and everyone he cares about being engulfed in tragedy.
- Painful Transformation: He isn't your daddy's Henshin Hero. His transformation into his Rider form is a very grueling process full of Body Horror.
- Red Is Heroic: His transformed state has red eyes, a noticeable contrast to the white eyes of Onizuka's transformed state.
- Sole Survivor: He's the only prominent character to survive the film's events, apart from his infant son.
Ai Asuka
Ai Asuka
Portrayed by: Yumi Nomura
- The Heart: She is Shin's main source of support and comfort throughout the movie.
- Meaningful Name: Her name means "love" and she's Shin's lover.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Despite being easily the nicest character in the movie, she's mercilessly gunned down by Himuro.
Daimon Kazamatsuri
Daimon Kazamatsuri
Portrayed by: Akira Ishihama
- Reluctant Mad Scientist: He isn't even aware that the people bankrolling his research are a criminal organization and didn't intend at all to turn his son into a mutant. When he finds out the truth he immediately tries to back out, and only goes along with it when Himuro threatens the people he cares about.
Giichi Onizuka
Giichi Onizuka/Cyborg Soldier Level 3/Onizuka Rider
Portrayed by: Kouki Kitaoka
- A God Am I: Thinks his Cyborg Soldier mutation makes him equivalent to a god.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Although he believes himself to be a god thanks to his mutant transformation, he ends up being taken out rather easily by a squad of regular humans.
- Dragon with an Agenda: He's fully aware of the ISS's plans to use Dr. Kazamatsuri's research to create super-soldiers, but unlike them he seeks to use it to make himself the first in a race of superior beings.
- Evil Genius: He's evidently well versed when it comes to genetics, but he's also a complete psychopath.
- Evilutionary Biologist: Seeks to use Dr. Kazamatsuri's research to create a race of superior grasshopper men and become their ruler.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Wears glasses and is one of the most sadistic characters in the film.
- The Heavy: He's the one who sabotaged Dr. Kazamatsuri's experiment so it infected both himself and Shin, setting in motion the entire plot.
- Mad Scientist: He's very definitely unhinged, viewing the scientific research he's involved in as simply a means to obtain godhood for himself.
- Sadist: He spends his time at night brutally maiming and murdering any humans he can find.
- The Sociopath: He's self-centered, very egotistical and enjoys using his newfound mutant powers to kill others.
- Transhuman Treachery: Freely forsakes his humanity to obtain godhood.
- The Unfought: Shin never actually fights him and only awakens his own mutant transformation after Onizuka has been killed by Sarah and her squad.
Iwao Himuro
Iwao Himuro
Portrayed by: Daijiro Harada
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: When Dr. Kazamatsuri tries get him to shut down his research, Himuro forces him to keep going and doesn't even listen to his request not to get his son involved.
- Arms Dealer: Plans to use Dr. Kazamatsuri's research to create Living Weapons and sell them on the black market.
- Big Bad: He's not the only villain at play, but as the one who oversaw and exploited Dr. Kazamatsuri's research, he's the main person responsible for the conflict.
- Diabolical Mastermind: He heads the ISS and manages their operations, although he's just a representative of the mysterious Foundation.
- Last Villain Stand: Once the CIA raids his laboratory, he pulls out a submachine gun and tries to shoot Shin and everyone he cares about.
- Non-Action Big Bad: He's not a mutant like Shin or Onizuka, so he leaves the muscle to his bodyguard and never fights himself. Although he does fire a submachine gun in the climax.
- The Sociopath: Very cold-hearted and transactional.
- Would Hit a Girl: Would shoot one in fact. He kills Ai Asuka when he attempts to gun down Shin.
Goushima
Goushima/Cyborg Soldier Level 2
Portrayed by: Reiji Andou
- The Brute: He's tough enough to tear through concrete.
- The Dragon: Himuro's bodyguard and top enforcer.
- Dragon Their Feet: After Shin kills Himuro, Goushima shows up to fight him.
- Off with His Head!: Shin kills him by decapitating him.
- Sinister Shades: Wears a pair of black-tinted specs while he's carrying out assassinations.
Sarah Fukamachi
Sarah Fukamachi
Portrayed by: Kiyomi Tsukada
- Action Girl: She's a CIA team leader and the one who mainly handles the regular human Mooks.
- Anti-Villain: While she's helping Shin for much of the movie, she eventually ends up trying to eliminate him on order of her superiors.
- Badass Normal: She's a regular human, but she's able to keep up with Shin and even saves him a few times. She and her team are also the ones to eliminate Onizuka.
- Distaff Counterpart: She's basically the film's counterpart to Kazuya Taki, being a Japanese-American intelligence agent who assists the protagonist.
