History Characters / TheRingAdaptations

--> '''Played By:''' Rie Inõ (''Ring'' and ''Ring 2''), Hinako Saeki (''Rasen''), Ayane Miura (''Ring: Kazenban''), Yuki Nakama (''Ring 0''), Ai Hashimoto (''Sadako 3D'' and ''Sadako 3D 2''), Elly Nanami (''Film/SadakoVsKayako''), Himeka Himejima (''Sadako'')

* RapeAsBackstory: In the novels, the Korean film, and all television adaptations. Sadako is sexually assaulted by Dr. Nagao, who discovers she is a hermaphrodite and chucks her down the well.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Survives the film series.

* CoolTeacher: His counterpart in the ''Rasen'' series.

* DeathGlare: A literal one; it's how she kills her victims in the films.

* PsychicPowers: Sadako pretty much has displayed the entire variety of powers listed on the trope's page. Her most notably power is psychography (or "nensha") which she used to create the videotape. In the novels, she is able to alter the genetics of human biology and mutate a smallpox strand with her DNA into a virus able to cause tumours, heart attacks, and impregnate women with said DNA to ensure that she can be resurrected, as well as create clones of the dead.

* WindowLove: Confesses to Toyama through one in one of the loveliest moments of the film series.
* XanatosGambit: Sadako's plan in the novels goes pretty much as she hoped, also backed up by the visions she had of the successful outcome.

* TraumaCongaLine: Where to begin? In the novels, her mother loses her second child to illness, becomes depressed and eventually commits suicide, Sadako joins an acting troupe and finds love but a recording of Sadako and her boyfriend Toyama having sex kills six people, her father develops tuberculosis, and then she is raped by Jotaro Nagao who discovers she is a hermaphrodite and chucks her down a well to her death.
** In the films, she is abandoned at birth, kills a journalist, her mother commits suicide, her out-of-control powers lead to several deaths, and she is the victim of a WitchHunt, murders all of her tormentors including her harmless boyfriend, is thrown down a well by her father, and survives down there for thirty years by sheer will.

* TheChessmaster: Her promary goal is to inflict suffering on the world. However, she will forgo this for the sake of a more immedate goal.
** [[spoiler: In the 1998 Japanese Ring Movie, she deploys the Towel Man to reveal to Reiko how to beat her curse. By doing this she gives up a victim, Yoichi, but is guarenteed a new one in his place. Furthermore, Reiko is a reporter and she knows that she will spread the story, and thus bring in new victims. Had Sadako simply taken Yoichi, the curse would have stopped and she would have had to wait until another group stumbled on the tape.]]
** [[spoiler: In the book Spiral she actually grants Ando a repieve from death in return for his assitance and non-interferance in her resurection plan.]]

* TheComicallySerious: Not in the films, but in her [[FunnyBackgroundEvent mostly background appearances]] in the ads leading up to the launch of [[Creator/CBSAllAccess Paramount+]]. It's not entirely clear how she joined the various other expeditioners, but she actually ''celebrates'' in the final ad by [[ItMakesSenseInContext swaying along to]] [[Awesome/SpongeBobSquarePants "Sweet Victory"]] (much to the confusion of WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead).

* KillEmAll: One part of Sadako's vendetta against the world.

* DrivenToSuicide: Grew depressed and threw herself into a volcano. In the novels, it was due to the botched public demonstration of her powers and the loss of her second child. The films had her go mad after Sadako killed a man by sheer will and then split into two twins.

* KarmicDeath: Shizuko predicts that Mount Mihara will erupt on a specific date. She jumps in into the volcano on the day it erupts.

* PeekABooCorpse: In the film, Tomoko's mother Yoshimi found her body in her bedroom corpse, her face frozen in a scream. Tsuji's corpse also springs out of a locked car when police try to get her out.

* GrumpyBear: Not the most approachable person, but with good reason.

!!Introduced in ''Ring''
[[folder:Reiko Asakawa]]
!!Reiko Asakawa
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ring_6.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Have you heard about what kind of video it is?]]
--> '''Played By:''' Nanako Matsushima

The female equivalent for Kazuyuki, Reiko fulfils the same role as he does in ''Ring'', investigating rumours of a cursed videotape following the death of her niece Tomoko. A modern Japanese career woman, she often leaves her son Yoichi home alone, and is Ryuji's ex-wife.

* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Very observant and notices small details in things, which helps in her job as a journalist and investigating the cursed videotape.
* BadassNormal: Willing to go to great lengths to protect her son.
* BrokenBird: By the second film, three dead family members and her son's powers boosted by Sadako has made her a very different woman then she was in the first.
* ChekhovsGun: The copy of the tape she makes for Ryuji.
* GenderFlip: The female equivalent of Kazuyuki.
* HeroicBSOD: In an ongoing state of this trope in ''Ring 2'' following the deaths of Ryuji and her father.
* IntrepidReporter: Pursues the rumours of a cursed videotape at first as a simple news piece, but it becomes personal when Reiko finds a connection to Tomoko's death.
* LuridTalesOfDoom: The rumours of the cursed videotape are this to Reiko but she still handles it in a professional manner. Turns out the rumours are real.
* MamaBear: Cares very deeply for Yoichi, and also shows motherly concern towards Sadako.
* MarriedToTheJob: Type 1. Reiko is very focused on her job, often leaving Yoichi alone to fend for himself. It has shades of parental neglect at times. In one scene, Reiko answers a call from Yoichi while researching newspapers with Ryuji and tells Yoichi he will be fine alone for a little while longer before hanging up. Ryuji, who has no role in his son's life, looks visibly uncomfortable with his ex's actions. He promptly tells her to spend some time with Yoichi whilst she can.
* NecessaryEvil: Forced to ask her father to watch the tape in order to save Yoichi's life.
* TheStoic: Becomes this in ''Ring 2'', completely altering her appearance too, going from lively and curious to reserved and grouchy.
* SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: Killed in both sequels. In the retconned ''Rasen'', she dies off-screen in a car crash. In ''Ring 2'', Reiko is hit by a truck.

* WorkingWithTheEx: Teams up with Ryuji to investigate the videotape. Both have a very good relationship despite being divorced, and there is still some love between them. Reiko even tells a policeman that she is Ryuji's wife, though that was to get into his apartment.

[[folder:Mai Takano]]
!!Mai Takano
--> '''Played By:''' Miki Nakatani (films), Akiko Yada (TV series)

Ryuji's student and possible girlfriend. She has a major expansion in ''Spiral'', being an emotional woman but very fond of Ryuji. Experiences a pretty horrible AndIMustScream moment in the novels. She is the main protagonist of ''Ring 2''. In ''Ring: The Final Chapter'', she is a troubled girl who is Ryuji's half-sister.

* ADeathInTheLimelight: The jist of ''Coffin in the Sky''.
* AndIMustScream: Used by Sadako as an incubator for her resurrection. She is trapped in the ventilation shaft on her apartment roof, unable to move as Sadako gives birth to herself and leaves Mai to die.
* AscendedExtra: Has a relatively minor role in the first novel and film, but gets a major boost to a protagonist in the sequels.
* HeroicBSOD: After finding Ryuji's corpse.
* LivingMacGuffin: In ''Ring: The Final Chapter'', Mai carries both the cure for the curse in her blood but also the trigger that activates it.
* MysteriousInformant: Mai becomes this in the ''Rasen'' TV series.
* MysticalPregnancy: Sadako impregnates her with herself.
* PromotionToParent: Becomes Yoichi's guardian in ''Ring 2'' after his parents both die.
* PsychicLink: Shares one with Ryuji in ''Ring: The Final Chapter''.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: Survives the film series.

[[folder:Tomoko Oishi & Her Friends]]
!!Tomoko Oishi, Shuichi Iwata, Haruko Tsuji, and Takehiko Nomi
--> '''Tomoko played By:''' Yuko Takeuchi\\
'''Takehiko played By:''' Creator/TakashiTakayama

Four high school students who go on a trip to the Izu Pacific Land Resort. There, they stumble across Sadako's curse, which is recorded onto a videotape and they watch it. A week later, the four all die of heart attacks, kicking off Asakawa's investigation.

* CameBackWrong: In the film, Tomoko comes back as an unseen ghost and allegedly told Yoichi to watch the cursed videotape. Ryuji theorises she became Sadako's minion ("She isn't Tomoko anymore.")
* DontGoInTheWoods: Subverted. Tomoko and friends go to a relatively popular camp ground. It is inside their cabin where they find terror.
* InnocentBystander: Find and watch the videotape by happenstance and die unaware of the rules to escape death.
* OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: All four of them.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: In the film, Tomoko's ghost is manipulated by Sadako into convincing Yoichi to watch the tape. As Ryuji puts it, "She isn't Tomoko anymore."
* OutWithABang: Tsuji and Nomi were parking when they both died.
* PeekABooCorpse: In the film, Tomoko's mother Yoshimi found her body in her bedroom corpse, her face frozen in a scream. Tsuji's corpse also springs out of a locked car when police try to get her out.
* SacrificialLamb: Killed off to kick off the plot.
* TheirFirstTime: Tomoko and Iwata.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: They record the cursed videotape and are Sadako's first victims.
* VictimOfTheWeek: A fitting trope, since they die a week after watching the tape.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shizuko Yamamura]]
!!Shizuko Yamamura
--> '''Played By:''' Masako

Sadako's mother. Gaining PsychicPowers via supernatural means, Shizuko had an affair with Heihachiro Ikuma and gave birth to Sadako. After a botched public demonstration of her powers, Shizuko became depressed and eventually was DrivenToSuicide.
----

-->'''Played By:''' Daisuke Ban

[[folder:Takashi Yamamura]]
!!Takashi Yamamura
--> '''Played By:''' Yoichi Numata

Shizuko's cousin and Sadako's uncle. A fisherman and inkeeper living on Oshima, Takashi has a minor role in the novels. In the films, he was the instigator of Sadako's doom, and became a bitter, guilt-ridden man in his later years.

* AscendedExtra: Films only. In the novel, he has a minor role and cared for Sadako. In the films, he is a bitter old man who describes her as the devil, when it was his opportunistic nature that damned his family.
* TheAtoner: Expresses great regret for what happened to Shizuko and Sadako, sending the latter's body out to sea in an attempt to appease her spirit.
* CharacterDevelopment: Takashi is haunted by the memory of Sadako, but also has great guilt for playing a part in the fates of her and Shizuko. Upon being forced to admit Sadako existed, he ends up taking Reiko and Ryuji to the mainland to appease Sadako. In the second film, when he learns Sadako was alive in the well for years, he takes possession of her body and performs a burial at sea.
* DrivenToSuicide: Drowns himself in ''Ring 2'' to try to stop Sadako.
** Commits suicide in ''Ring: The Final Chapter'' or at least implied when Kazuyuki finds a letter from him stating he has taken Shizuko's body to the volcano and won't be seen again.
* GrumpyBear: Not the most approachable person, but with good reason.
* EvilUncle: By no means evil, but he thought Sadako was a monster.
* HeroicSacrifice: Takashi sacrifices himself to Sadako to end her rage, drowning in a swimming pool.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: Attempts to stop his niece's wrath by sacrificing himself for causing her such pain.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: Pretends not to know Sadako, mainly because of how horrifying she was to Takashi.
* TearsOfRemorse: In ''Ring: Kanzenban'', Takashi cries when Kazuyuki hands him Sadako's corpse.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Films only. Takashi suggested putting Shizuko on display to the press, kicking off the chain of events that led to Sadako's imprisonment in the well.

[[folder:Yoichi Asakawa]]
!!Yoichi Asakawa
--> '''Played By:''' Rikiya Otaka (films), Yuta Fukagawa (TV series)

Son of Reiko and Ryuji, Yoichi is young and innocent but experiences a lot of hardships in his life. He possesses PsychicPowers like his father.

* BreakTheCutie: Suffers quite a lot, losing four family members to Sadako's wrath, but comes out of it surprisingly well.
* CannotTellALie: Is very honest and always tells the truth, even if he is cryptic about it. He knows falling into the well will lead to his and Mai's escape from Sadako.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: Definitely the most purehearted of characters in the film series.
* CreepyChild: Yoichi is innocent through and through, but there is something a little creepy about him and how he silently reacts to everything even when his own family members are dying.
* CuteMute: Doesn't talk much but is quite adorable.
* DemonicPossession: Subverted. Implied to be haunted by Sadako's anger, boosting his powers,
* GuestFighter: Appears in ''VideoGame/DeadByDaylight'' as a Survivor, [[KidHeroAllGrownUp but in his adult years]].
* PsychicPowers: Presumably inherited from his father, Yoichi is able to sense supernatural auras and talk to ghosts. In ''Ring 2'', his powers are boosted by Sadako, allowing him to project his voice through other people, and further exhibiting astral projection, telepathy, and even pull a PsychicStrangle on a police officer. The condition of his powers are unknown after Ryuji's ghost absorbs his anger and grief.
* TheStoic: Yoichi remains quite calm and unemotional throughout the films. He expresses TranquilFury after Reiko is hit by a truck, taking his fury out on the police officer who played a hand in her death but is calmed down by Mai.

[[folder:Koichi Asakawa]]
!!Koichi Asakawa
--> '''Played By:''' Katsumi Muramatsu

Reiko's elderly father who has a close relationship with his grandson Yoichi.

* CoolOldGuy: Very spry for his age and very selfless. Agrees to watch the cursed videotape to save Yoichi and performs a HeroicSacrifice to ensure Sadako can no longer harm others.
* FishingForSole: Has trouble catching fish when Yoichi and Reiko visit him.
* HeroicSacrifice: Does not copy the video but instead destroyed it to stop Sadako. Becomes a SenselessSacrifice when Koichi's ghost tells Reiko that Yoichi has been possessed by Sadako.
* JacobMarleyApparel: Wearing the clothes he died in.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Appears as a ghost when Reiko dies, trapped in a monochromatic version of a Tokyo street alongside Sadako's other victims.
* PapaWolf: To his children and grandchildren, even willing to give his life for Yoichi.

[[folder:Masami Kurahashi]]
!!Masami Kurahashi
--> '''Played By:''' Hitomi Sato (''Ring'', ''Ring 2''), Rie Tomosaka (''Sadako'')

Tomoko's best friend who tells her the rumours of the cursed videotape. It turns out to be true and Masami witnesses Tomoko's death, driving her mad and being institutionalised.

* BrokenBird: Witnessing Tomoko's murder and a ghost come out of a television sends Masami into the deep end, winding up institutionalised with a severe phobia of televisions and developing psychic powers. Her psychic torture in ''Ring 2'' only makes things worse. She returns twenty years later in ''Sadako (2019)'' as an unhinged StepfordSmiler, still haunted by the past. Her reunion with Sadako shatters whatever recovery she had gone through, leaving her a terrified, broken woman.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Tomoko.
* InnocentBystander / MauveShirt: Merely a witness to Sadako's first kill, Masami is influenced by her powers and develops thoughtography powers. She plays a supporting role in ''Ring 2'', being used as a mouthpiece by Yoichi to contact Mai. Reappears again years later in ''Sadako (2019)'', though her status as a MauveShirt has a warranty.
* PlayingWithSyringes: Masami is used as a test subject by Dr. Kawajiri to remove Sadako's psychic energy and transfer it to a blank videotape. It works at first only for Masami to fall unconscious from the trauma.
* ThePollyanna: Comes off as this until Tomoko's death. Evolves into StepfordSmiler territory in ''Sadako (2019)''.
* PsychicPowers: Develops thoughtography which causes trouble for her and others. Dr. Kawajiri attempts to exorcise her powers but it fails.
* RoomFullOfCrazy: When Masami approaches a television in the hospital, it nearly summons Sadako, causing all of the mental patients present to freak out.
* StepfordSmiler: Appears as this in ''Sadako (2019)'', trying to uphold her chirpy personality from her youth, but is passive-aggressive and looking for affection, turning violent when denied it.
* UnexpectedCharacter: A much older Masami appears in ''Sadako (2019)'', having spent years in hospital, remaining emotionally unstable. Though having a ghost of her former perky personality, she takes rejection hard when in search of an emotional connection, leading her to assaulting Mayu Akikawa. This leads to a reunion with Sadako, who has tormented her for two decades, with the [[SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome expected results]].

[[folder:Okazaki]]
!!Okazaki
--> '''Played By:''' Yurei Yanagi

An intern working alongside Reiko. He has a minor role in the first film but becomes the wouldbe deuteragonist in the sequel, teaming up with Mai to find Reiko, but his own curiosity about the videotape leads him to AFateWorseThanDeath.

* AFateWorseThanDeath: Ends up in psychiatric care with Kanae's laughing ghost tormenting him.
* AscendedExtra: Only has two scenes in ''Ring'', but becomes a supporting protagonist for the first half of the sequel.
* AssholeVictim: A non-fatal example. His actions make him this.
* DirtyCoward: In ''Ring 2'', he agrees to watch the videotape to save Kanae's life but chickens out and locks his copy in his draw. This comes back to literally haunt him later on.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Okazaki's cowardice proves to be his undoing when he fails to keep his promise and watch the tape. Kanae comes back from the dead as a ghost to torment him forever.
* IGaveMyWord: Promised Kanae he would watch the videotape for her sake. He doesn't.
* IntrepidReporter: A milder version than Reiko, and when it gets too much for him, he quits.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Chickening out of watching a copy of the videotape leads to Kanae's death. He is then haunted by her ghost and is institutionalised.
* SequelHook: His copy of tape is still locked in his office desk.

[[folder:Kenzo Yoshino]]
!!Kenzo Yoshino
--> '''Played By:''' Yutaka Matsushige (films), Kotomi Kyono (TV series)

A journalist friend of Reiko. He cameos in the first film but has a prominent role in ''Spiral''. In the TV adaptation, his role is genderflipped into that of Akiko Yoshino.

* DeathByAdaptation: In ''Spiral'', he falls victim to the ring virus, unlike in the book where he survives.
* DemotedToExtra: Has one scene cameo in the 1998 film, but gained a supporting role in the retconned ''Rasen'' film.
* GenderFlip: In ''Ring: The Final Chapter''.
* TheHeart: Akiko for Kazuyuki.
* ShipTease: Akiko and Kazuyuki. Akiko often serves as a motherly figure for Yoichi.
* ShrinkingViolet: Akiko, though she becomes more confident and open.

[[folder:The Towel Man]]
!!Towel Man
An enigmatic character who appears on the cursed videotape, Towel Man wears a cloth over his face and points enigmatically offscreen. He materialises during ''Ring'', pointing out things of significance to Reiko.

* EnigmaticMinion: His purpose seems to be foreshadowing or pointing out things to those who have watched the tape. He alerts Reiko to Yoichi watching the tape, and then again to Ryuji's copy.
* TheFaceless: Wears a cloth or towel, hiding his face. There is speculation he is either Ryuji Takayama (since he wears Ryuji's clothes) or Hiroshi Toyama, considering Sadako enslaves the ghosts of her victims.
* RuleOfSymbolism: Believed to represent Sadako's biological father when he appears in ''Ring 0''.

!!Introduced in ''Spiral''

[[folder:Mitsuo Ando]]
!!Mitsuo Ando
--> '''Played By:''' Koichi Sato (films), Goro Kishitani (series)

The protagonist of ''Spiral'' (referred to as ''Rasen'' in adaptations), Mitsuo Ando is a lonely man grieving his son's death, traumatized by the accident and blaming himself for it and for his wife's emotional condition. Because of that he lost the desire to live, he has suicidal tendencies, but is not brave enough to commit suicide. He is also very intelligent and curious, and a very good person who wants to do the right thing, but is easily tempted by beautiful women.

* ClassicalAntiHero: Ando works as a pathologist, his son drowned, and hates himself for not minding Takanori properly.
* CoolTeacher: His counterpart in the ''Rasen'' series.
* TheCoroner: Performs the autopsy on Ryuji's corpse, kicking off ''Spiral'''s story.
* DealWithTheDevil: Ando agrees to spread Sadako's virus in exchange for resurrecting Takanori. He rejects the offer twice in the TV series, leading Takanori's death a second time, and then his own.
* DrivenToSuicide: Tried this but was too afraid to.
* GuiltComplex: For Takanori's death. Explored on a deeper level in the TV series, including the relationship with his hosptialised wife.
* KilledOffForReal: TV only. Performs a HeroicSacrifice to prevent the spreading of the cursed video. However, he is revived by his loved ones as a clone, but expires quickly after due to the short lifespan of Sadako's clones without medication.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Has sex with Mai, leading to the resurrection of Sadako, who kills Mai while being reborn.

[[folder:Miyashita]]
!!Miyashita
--> '''Played By:''' Creator/ShingoTsurumi

A supporting character in ''Spiral''. Miyashita is Mitsuo Ando's co-worker at the pathology department and also his friend. He is a smart person, down to Earth, scientifically oriented and disbelieves in the paranormal. In the TV series, Miyashita is replaced by a female character Rieko Miyashita. Rieko is a very hardworking microbiologist, scientifically oriented, and a loyal friend to Asakawa.

* AgentScully: Disbelieves in the curse and the paranormal until he is dragged into it himself.
* TheCoroner: Works as a coroner alongside Ando.
* GenderFlip: In the TV series.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Ando.
* TheMedic: Rieko is a microbiologist but knows how to treat people too.
* NecessarilyEvil: Aids Ando is spreading the Ring Virus in order to save his friend and himself after handling Asakawa's cursed journal.

[[folder:Takanori Ando]]
!!Takanori Ando
--> '''Played By:''' Ryuichi Sugahara (''Spiral''), Koji Seto (''Sadako 3D'', ''Sadako 3D 2'')

Akane's boyfriend who is a graphics designer. He is the protagonist of the fifth novel ''S'', and is the son of Mitsuo Ando.

* BackFromTheDead: In ''Spiral'', he is the resurrected child of Mitsuo Ando.
* BadassNormal: Stops Akane from killing herself as a child, rescues her from Sadako, and takes a severe beating in ''Sadako 3D 2'' to protect his daughter Nagi.
* DisappearedDad: To Nagi in ''Sadako 3D 2''. The film makes it look like he resents her for Akane's "death", though it turns out to be quite the opposite.
* DistressedDude: Taken prisoner by Sadako to lure Akane.
* PapaWolf: Becomes this for Nagi.
* UnderstandingBoyfriend: Completely okay with Akane's powers. As a child, she rescued fellow students from a psychopath but he was the only one who was grateful, stopping Akane from commiting suicide. He becomes her SecretKeeper.

!!Introduced in ''Ring: The Final Chapter''
[[folder:Kazuyuki Asakawa]]
!!Kazuyuki Asakawa
--> '''Played By:''' Toshiro Yanagiba

The protagonist of ''Ring: The Final Chapter''. Kazuyuki is a Tokyo-based journalist who investigates the death of his niece Tomoko and three other teenagers, discovering the cursed videotape's existence and seeks to end its curse. At first he is a workaholic but when his wife and daughter watch the tape, he is determined to move mountains to save them. In ''The Final Chapter'', he is Yoichi's father.

* BadassNormal: Very determined to solve the mystery of the videotape, particularly when his wife and son watch it.
* ChekhovsGun: The copy of the tape Kazuyuki made for Ryuji. He tries to use it to save his family.
* HeroicBSOD: After his family watch the tape, Ryuji dies and realising the enormity of the virus' power.
* IntrepidReporter: Goes to great lengths to uncover the truth behind the videotape.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Kazuyuki finds Sadako's body and it gives it to her family and everything looks fine. That is until Ryuji dies of a heart attack, revealing the Ring Virus is still active and can only be stopped by copying the tape.
* PapaWolf: A good single parent to Yoichi in the TV series.
* {{Salaryman}}: A bit focused on his work and dislikes certain aspects of being a father.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: As part of Sadako's plan to spread the tape.

!!Introduced in ''Ring 2''
[[folder:Kanae Sawaguchi]]
!!Kanae Sawaguchi
--> '''Played By:''' Kyoko Fukuda

A high school student who is curious about the cursed videotape, meeting Okazaki and obtains a copy for him, [[CuriosityKilledTheCast only to watch it first]].

* CameBackWrong: Kanae dies by Sadako's hand, but her wrath against Okazaki causes her to return as a laughing StringyHairedGhostGirl to torment Okazaki.
* CuriosityKilledTheCast: Kanae's curiosity gets the better of her and she watches the videotape. Okazaki promises to watch the copy, only to chicken out, leading to Kanae's death.
* InnocentBystander: The most blatant example in the series alongside Tomoko and Yoichi.
* NightmareFace: Her face after she dies. And her face as a ghost.
* OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: Of high school age, but foolish enough to watch the cursed videotape.
* RedShirt: Just another victim of the tape. Though in this case, she comes back as a vengeful ghost.

[[folder:Ishi Kawajiri]]
!!Ishi Kawajiri
--> '''Played By:''' Fumiyo Kuhinata

A parapsychologist treating Masami after her hospitalisation, Dr. Kawajiri believes the psychic energy created from the videotape can be neutralised via an energy transfer and would like to prove his theories. He is old friends with Ryuji.

* DrivenToSuicide: Throws himself into a swimming pool carrying electrical equipment, once he is driven insane by Sadako's psychic energy and visions of the afterlife.
* EnergyAbsorption: Non-superpower example. The intended purpose of his experiments, to absorb psychic energy and make it harmless by exposing it to a neutralising component.
* ForScience: His main goal for trying to tame Sadako's influence.
* LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine: He wears it throughout the film.
* MadScientist: Believed to be this by his colleagues at the university. Turns out he might be judging by his arrogant need to prove his theories work.
* PlayingWithSyringes: His methods to remove the psychic energy from Masami and Yoichi falls into this trope even though Kawajiri's intentions are good. Both are [[StrappedToAnOperatingTable strapped to chairs]] and asked to feed their energy through a monitor into a secondary container (i.e. a blank videotape and swimming pool). Masami's test ends with her falling unconscious, so Dr. Kawajiri introduces water as a neutralising factor for Sadako's energy. That doesn't go very well either.
* SanitySlippage: A bit a kook to begin with, Kawajiri believes in ghosts, the afterlife, and psychic powers. Turns out he was right the whole time once he gets involved in Sadako's affairs. When he tries to exorcise Sadako from Yoichi's mind, it opens a doorway into the afterlife. Kawajiri goes mad from this, throwing himself into an electrified pool.

[[folder:Keiji Omuta]]
!!Keiji Omuta
--> '''Played By:''' Kenjiro Ishimaru

A police officer investigating the deaths of Ryuji and Reiko's father.

* AgentScully: He has a hard time believing in the powers of Shizuko and Sadako, and calls Yoichi a monster after being struck by a psychic attack.
* ByTheBookCop: Just an ordinary cop who is horrified by the supernatural horrors around him.
* HelloAgainOfficer: A subverted non-funny one where Mai meets Omuta at the hospital after his previous visit to her apartment to discuss Ryuji's death.
* TheInspector: Investigating the mysterious deaths of Ryuji and Reiko's father, leading him into the plot of ''Ring 2''.
* PsychicStrangle: Choked telepathically by Yoichi after Reiko is hit by a truck.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: A relatively fair cop but he has his limits, forcing Mai to reveal where Reiko and Yoichi are hiding when Kanae turns up dead. He also separates Reiko and Yoichi to interview the former, only to invoke Yoichi's psychic wrath.
* YouMonster: Subverted. Omuta calls Yoichi a monster after witnessing his psychic powers. Reiko, realising Yoichi could end up like Sadako, flees with him.

!!Introduced in ''Ring 0: Birthday''
[[folder:Akiko Miyaji]]
!!Akiko Miyaji
--> '''Played By:''' Yoshiko Tanaka

The antagonist of ''Ring 0'', Akiko is a journalist tracking down Sadako to avenge her husband, the journalist who Sadako murdered during her mother's fateful press demonstration.

This list covers the tropes for characters in the Japanese film and TV series adaptations of ''Literature/TheRing''. For their tropes as described in the books, go here. For tropes related to the American film adaptations, go [[Characters/TheRing2002 here]].