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2007 animeMain Characters
Skull Man
Skull Man
Voiced by: Hiroshi Tsuchida
A mysterious man in skull shaped mask making appearances in Ōtomo City and rumored to have been killing numerous people at night. He is believed to be the missing Tatsuo Kagura. Eventually though, it's revealed he's Father Yoshio Kanzaki, who donned the suit to kill those transformed into mutants by the White Bell cult. After Yoshio's death, Hayato becomes Skull Man himself to save Maya from the White Bell's ritual.- Adaptational Heroism: While still a villain, he's a lot less sadistic than his original counterpart from the one-shot manga and makes sure to limit the collateral damage from his murders so he only kills his target.
- Antagonist Title: He's the titular character and the one Hayato is investigating. Though later Hayato himself dons the suit, inverting this trope.
- Badass Biker: Rides around on a motorcycle, basically making him a darker version of Kamen Rider.
- Big Bad Friend: It turns out he's really Father Yoshio Kanzaki, the owner of the orphanage and Hayato's close friend.
- Cast as a Mask: His seiyuu, Hiroshi Tsuchida, only voices the wearer of the mask and not his civilian identity when he doesn't have the mask on. Either of them.
- Consummate Professional: Commits his killings as swiftly as possible and doesn't revel in spilling blood.
- Expy: He takes more than a few cues from Kamen Rider, which is ironic considering the original Skull Man manga is what was used as the basis for Kamen Rider in the first place.
- Evil Versus Evil: The Skull Man at several points finds himself going up against other bad guys, such as Otomo Group's assassins or the SIRKS cyborgs.
- He Who Fights Monsters: In his own words, to fight evil he became a greater evil.
- Legacy Character: Yoshio is the Skull Man for most of the series, but after he dies Hayato dons the suit and becomes the second Skull Man.
- Prophecy Twist: It's theorized by most that the Skull Man is Tatsuo Kagura, out for revenge for the incident ten years ago. It later turns out the Skull Man is actually Yoshio, only for Hayato to become the second Skull Man soon after and to be revealed to be Tatsuo Kagura.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: While he's perfectly willing to kill innocents who've been mutated, it's implied mutants become insane the moment they're fully transformed, and thus he sees it as better to kill them even if they haven't done anything wrong yet so it's before they've become a monster.
Hayato Mikogami
Hayato Mikogami
Voiced by: Makoto Yasumura
A 23-year-old reporter who once lived in the orphanage in Ōtomo City. After being adopted and raised, he left Ōtomo to move to Tokyo so he can work for a famous newspaper. Years later while for a second rate newspaper he leaves to go back to Ōtomo City to investigate rumors of the legendary figure, Skull Man.- Expy: He's a dead ringer for Hayato Ichimonji, the second Kamen Rider, even sharing the name "Hayato" with him. Not to mention, he's also the second person to don the identity of masked, motorcycle-riding superhero.
- Fallen Hero: After becoming the second Skull Man and losing Maya, Hayato gets fully taken over by the suit and transformed into Skull, the nefarious leader of the Black Ghost organization and Big Bad of Cyborg 009. How's that for a twist?
- Intrepid Reporter: Comes to Otomo City seeking to investigate the Skull Man firsthand for his newspaper.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: He later turns out to be the brother of Maya after being revealed as Tatsuo Kagura. The epilogue also implies he may be the father of Joe Shimamura.
- Ship Tease: He gets a few moments that tease something between him and Kiriko, most notably the scene when he's hiding out in the forest after being framed for Nami's murder and she brings him. In the epilogue Kiriko is shown having given birth to a child alluded to be Hayato's.
- Take Up My Sword: After Yoshio becomes too injured to use the Skull Man suit, Hayato dons it against his friend's wishes to save Maya.
- Tomato in the Mirror: He spends most of the anime believing the rumors that Tatsuo Kagura is the Skull Man. It later turns out he is Tatsuo Kagura, right after he dons the Skull Man suit.
Kiriko Mamiya
Kiriko Mamiya
Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi
A 16-year-old girl aspiring to be a photographer who Hayato helps get into the city. She ends up sticking with him so she'll have a place to stay and helps him with his work. It's later revealed she came the city to look for a friend of hers from the anti-war movement who disappeared two years ago.- Action Girl: She knows martial arts.
- Boyish Short Hair: Wears her hair short and is quite the Plucky Girl.
- Friend to All Children: She spends a lot of time playing with the children in Yoshio's orphanage.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: The ending implies she's the mother of Joe Shimamura aka Cyborg 009.
- Plucky Girl: Is perfectly willing to throw herself into dangerous situations just to get photos of the Skull Man.
- Ship Tease: Late into the anime it becomes clear she has a crush on Hayato. If her giving birth to a child alluded to be Hayato's is anything to go by, she may have been successful.
Kyoichiro Tachigi
Kyoichiro Tachigi
Voiced by: Katsunosuke Hori
A 70-year-old Private Detective who comes to Ōtomo City on the same train as Hayato Mikogami and Kiriko Mamiya. He helps Hayato and Kiriko at several points in their investigation.- Action Survivor: Subverted. He makes it through the main conflict of the series, only to be killed in the epilogue by a resurrected Hayato.
- Cool Old Guy: He's a pretty friendly, and frequently provides help to Hayato throughout the series.
- Private Detective: Claims to be one. It's later revealed he's working for Brain Gear to catch the Skull Man for them.
Tsuyoshi Shinjou
Tsuyoshi Shinjou
Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki
A detective in the Ōtomo City Police sent to keep tabs on Hayato Mikogami, eventually becoming an acquaintence of his after he becomes involved in the Skull Man incidents.- Broken Pedestal: Eventually learns that his partner Mitsuo, who he looked up to and learned everything about being a fair cop from, is actually a spy for White Bell.
- Inspector Javert: He's initially dead set on arresting Hayato, though he eventually comes around once more pressing matters arise.
- Maybe Ever After: The epilogue implies: he may have become a couple with Rena after starting a Private Detective business with her.
Yoshio Kanzaki
Yoshio Kanzaki
Voiced by: Masayuki Kato
A 23-year-old catholic priest working at an orphanage, and a childhood friend of Hayato. Later revealed to be the true identity of Skull Man.- Affably Evil: Even after it's revealed he's the Skull Man, he's still perfectly friendly with Hayato and clearly regretful about his actions.
- Badass Preacher: He's a priest by day and the Skull Man by night.
- Evil All Along: He's actually the Skull Man, though he's more a Punch-Clock Villain than anything else.
- Face Death with Dignity: He's completely accepting of his death when the SIRKS destroy his church with him in it, believing it to be justified punishment for the murders he's committed.
- Nice Guy: He's a pretty friendly guy, opening his church to everyone and providing a home for orphaned children.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Though he's the one murdering people as Skull Man, he views it only as a duty given to him and is clearly regretful about some of his actions.
Rena & Tetsurou Shingyouji
Rena & Tetsurou Shingyouji
Voiced by: Michiko Neya (Rena) and Hideki Tasaka (Tetsurou)
A mysterious biker and her brother who are seen hanging around the city occasionally. They're actually a pair of mutants serving the Skull Man who were originally experimented on by the Otomo Group.- Brother–Sister Team: They're a brother and sister who were both turned into mutants.
- Co-Dragons: They're both the Skull Man's henchmen and aid him on his hunts.
- Heel–Face Turn: Rena ends up joining Hayato and co. in fighting the cult after Hayato becomes the second wearer of the Skull Man costume.
- Maybe Ever After: The epilogue implies Rena may have become a couple with Shinjo after starting a Private Detective business with him.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: While aiding the Skull Man in his hunts, they also show up to help Hayato several times.
- Super Prototype: Somewhat. While they don't appear to too much stronger than other mutants, the fact that they're early prototypes of the mutant process means that they retain their humanity in their mutant forms and can freely switch between them.
Otomo Group
In General
General Tropes
The MegaCorp responsible for developing Otomo City.- Omniscient Council of Vagueness: The Otomo board, which appears at several points to speak vaguely of their mysterious "Gago Plan" and provide commentary on the events going on.
- One Nation Under Copyright It's an open secret that they run Otomo City. They developed the city from the ground up, the mayor is their former spokesman, the police chief is also on their payroll and the most popular religious organization in the city is also controlled by them.
Gozo Kuroshio
Gozo Kuroshio
Voiced by: Osamu Saka
The chairman of the Ōtomo Concern and financial backer of Otomo City's White Bell religion, as well as a friendly acquaintance of Hayato's. Secretly, he's involved in a number of dirty dealings behind the scenes and is planning something mysterious known only as the "Gagou Plan".- Affably Evil: He may be a Corrupt Corporate Executive, but he's a remarkably down-to-Earth guy who's friendly with Hayato and also a dedicated family man.
- Big Bad Ensemble: Gozo Kuroshio is the mastermind behind Otomo's "Gagou Plan" and the main one responsible for the mutants springing up in the city. Next to him is the Skull Man, who is hunting the mutants, as well as his illegitimate son Masaki and Van Vogt, who both have their own plans. He eventually willingly steps out of this role after losing faith in the Gagou Plan when he sees the strain the preparations for it are putting on his daughter.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: He's the head of his city's ruling MegaCorp and secretly planning to turn everyone in the city into mutants.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Despite the evil acts he's responsible for, he deeply cares for his daughter Maya, putting her safety first and foremost. He's also on good terms with Hayato, and pulls strings at several points to get him out of trouble.
- Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: Is seen chomping on a cigar in a few scenes.
- Non-Action Big Bad: Subverted. While he spends most of the series not doing anything physical, in the final episode he grabs a shotgun and goes to put down his Bastard Bastard son. Though by that he wasn't really the Big Bad anymore either.
Masaki Kumashiro
Masaki Kumashiro
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa
The illegitimate son of Gozo Kuroshio and an executive of Otomo. Is resentful towards his father for refusing to acknowledge him as his son while in public and appears to be involved in his own dealings behind his father's back.- Bastard Bastard: He's Gozo's illegitimate son and an absolute piece of work.
- Big Bad Ensemble: While technically subordinate to Gozo, it's clear from early on that Masaki has his own agenda apart from his father. Once Gozo attempts to close the Gagou Plan, Masaki takes his father's place in managing it and winds up the final opponent of the Skull Man in the series.
- Final Boss: After transforming into a super-mutant, he serves as the last villain faced by Skull Man in the series.
- Incest Subtext: After using Maya's power to transform himself, he declares he has both married her and become her child.
Squick indeed. - Light Is Not Good: His One-Winged Angel form is bright yellow, but is so twisted and monstrous it's clear he's not good at all.
- Motive Decay: He starts off mostly wanting to get back by his father, but by the end of the series it's clear he's mostly just out for power and to become God.
- One-Winged Angel: After hooking Maya up to the White Bell cross, Masaki enters the cocoon and uses her power to evolve into a super-mutant, proclaiming himself god of a new human race.
- Phlebotinum Overload: While his One-Winged Angel form is on equal if not greater footing with the Skull Man, it also lacks the stability the Skull Man's helmet provides and thus, he instantly becomes unstable once he detaches from the cocoon he came out of.
- The Starscream: It becomes clear early on that he's planning to sweep the rug out from under his father and is slowly building up power in order to do so. Once the Gagou Plan goes into motion, Masaki betrays the other members of White Bell and hijacks it all for himself.
Takumi Kusaka
Takumi Kusaka
Voiced by: Katsuhisa Hoki
The 53-year-old Mayor of Ōtomo City. Prior to becoming mayor he was a spokesperson of the Ōtomo Group and is still on their payroll.- Puppet King: Even though he's the mayor, it's clear he's just a figurehead and Gozo is the one really running the town.
- Shout-Out: His name is taken from the names of the main and secondary Rider of Kamen Rider 555, Takumi Inui and Masato Kusaka.
- Villainous BSoD: Freaks out when he believes the Skull Man is Tatsuo Kagura having returned to punish them, leading Otomo to have him assassinated out of fear he'll spill their plans.
Gisuke Haniwa
Gisuke Haniwa
Voiced by: Shinpachi Tsuji
The corrupt police chief of Ōtomo City, effectively acting as Gōzō's attack dog.- Bald of Evil: He doesn't have a hair on his head and is easily one of the most vile characters in the entire series.
- Dirty Cop: Outside of being on Gozo's payroll, Haniwa frequently abuses his position for selfish reasons. He's also the one responsible for framing Hayato for Nami's murder late into the series.
- The Dragon: He's the one Gozo usually gets to do his dirty work.
- Fat Bastard: He's a noticeably portly fellow and an amoral SOB.
- Hate Sink: There is nothing redeemable about Haniwa. He's cares for no one but himself and relishes in abusing his position. He's also the one responsible for carrying out the incident at the Kagura residence, burning the house down with the family still inside it, which even his associates thought was going too far.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Is shot and killed by Kyoichiro Tachigi, who turns out to be the very same soldier whose family Haniwa was responsible for the deaths of (see below).
- Sociopathic Soldier: While an officer of the Japanese military in World War II, Haniwa took part in the sacking of villages, embezzled valuables and sold guns on the side. When a soldier in his platoon threatened to expose him, Haniwa sent him to the frontlines so he would be killed and had the soldier's entire family locked up in prison, where they later died.
White Bell Association
In General
General Tropes
A popular religious organization within Otomo City, with many prominent figures in the city being members.- Light Is Not Good: Though they're the White Bell, they're really just a cult propped up by a sinister MegaCorp.
- Scam Religion: While founded with sincere intentions, by the present day they're just being used by the Otomo Group to peddle Transformation Trinkets that turn people into mutants
- Transformation Trinket: The silver membership pendants they give people are really devices to mutate them into G.R.O. that fully transform their wearers once removed.
Maya Kuroshio
Maya Kuroshio
Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa
The 17-year-old frail daughter of Gōzō and the religious figurehead of the White Bell Association.- Friendly Enemies: While nominally heading a religion hostile to Yoshio's church, Maya has no resentment for him at all and frequently helps him take care of the kids at his orphanage, apparently out of her attraction to him.
- Living Macguffin: She's a key part of the Gagou Plan, as she's the central to the White Bell's ritual.
- Nice Girl: She's a sweet girl with not a bad bone in her body.
Sara Kuroshio
Sara Kuroshio
Voiced by: Kazue Komiya
Gōzō's wife and the head of White Bell.- Abusive Parents: Unlike her husband, she thought nothing of using her daughter for a dangerous ritual in spite of her weak health.
- Lady Macbeth: She runs the White Bell for her husband and, when Gozo gives up on the Gagou Plan, Sara continues to go through with it.
- Sinister Minister: Runs the White Bell and is secretly one of the key players in Otomo's Gagou Plan.
Jin Koichi
Jin Koichi
Voiced by: Kenji Matsuda
A member of the White Bell working as an assassin for the Otomo Group who turns out to be an old friend of Kiriko's, having been involved in the same anti-war movement she was in two years ago, and is the one she came to the city to search for. On Gozo's order, Jin becomes a fake Skull Man in order to use the real Skull Man's murdering spree as a cover to eliminate targets for him.- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Has a scar right below the left side of his mouth. It's later what Hayato uses to identify him as the fake Skull Man.
- Tragic Villain: He's only working for Gozo and Otomo because he has no where else to go as, were it not for them, he would be a fugitive for his actions in the anti-war movement.
- Villainous BSoD: When Hayato witnesses him murder the mayor, Jin tries to kill him as well for being a witness, only to hesitate when Kiriko rushes in to shield him, recognizing her as his close friend from two years ago and choosing to walk off instead and leave them alive.
Brain Gear
In General
General Tropes
A multinational tech conglomerate partnered with the Otomo Group. Secretly a front for Black Ghost from Cyborg 009.- The Bad Guy Wins: At the end, they get their hands on the Skull Man suit after Hayato is taken over by it.
- Greater-Scope Villain: They're a much bigger force than the Otomo Group. After Hayato becomes Skull and subsequently leader of Black Ghost, he is welcomed by a mysterious voice whom he pledges to serve.
- MegaCorp: They're a global tech conglomerate even larger than the Otomo Group.
Alucard van Vogt
Alucard van Vogt
Voiced by: Unshō Ishizuka
An executive of Brain Gear who comes to Otomo City seeking to obtain the Skull Man suit for Brain Gear.- Big Bad Ensemble: He's also seeking to claim the Skull Man, like Otomo, though he's considerably less active than the others in the Ensemble. Either way, he's the one of them to come out getting exactly what he wanted in the end.
- The Cameo: He's pretty clearly Van Vogt from Cyborg 009.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Even without the knowledge that he's the second-in-command of an amoral war-profiteering group, Van Vogt's actions such as employing the SIRKS cyborgs show he's not a man of many morals.
- Demoted to Dragon: After Hayato Mikogami is taken over by the Skull Man suit and transformed into Skull, Van Vogt willingly subordinates himself to him and is seen bowing before him in The Stinger.
- Eviler than Thou: To Kanji Isurugi. After the major tries to gun him down, Van Vogt reveals his cyborg body and makes short work of Isurugi and his coup attempt.
- Large and in Charge: He has a large, stocky figure that noticeably towers over others.
- We Have Reserves: Sent the SIRKS against the Skull Man in order to see how powerful the Skull Man was, not intending for them to return.
Helen
Helen
Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino
Alucard van Vogt's secretary.- The Cameo: Is Helen from the Yomi arc of Cyborg 009.
- Cool Shades: Dons a pair of sunglasses in a few scenes.
- Satellite Character: Her characterization in this anime doesn't go far beyond her being Van Vogt's secretary.
Dr. Gamo Whisky
Dr. Gamo Whisky
Voiced by: Seizō Katō
A scientist working for Brain Gear and the one responsible for creating the SIRKS.- The Cameo: Like Van Vogt and Helen, he's another character lifted from Cyborg 009.
- Even Evil Has Standards: He seemed rather unnerved about Van Vogt's cavalier attitude over the SIRKS being lost.
SIRKS
SIRKS
Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo (SIRKS 01), Chafurin (SIRKS 02), Mitsuo Iwata (SIRKS 03), Nobuo Tobita (SIRKS 04) and Akio Ōtsuka (SIRKS 05)
A team of five cyborg mercenaries employed by Brain Gear as assassins.- Expy: They're pretty clearly based off of Cyborgs 002, 004, 005, 006 and 008, though some of their powers and appearances differ.
- Monster Clown: Their suits all have clown makeup on them, presumably for the spooky factor.
- No Name Given: They're all only known by their code names. SIRKS 04 can't even remember his real name from before he was a cyborg. It's later revealed by Yoshio to be "Jack Goodman".
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: SIRKS 04, who is clearly still reeling from PTSD from the war he fought in.
- Sociopathic Soldier: Most of them think nothing of killing innocents while on the job.
- Would Hurt a Child: SIRKS 02 had a lot of fun setting fire to Yoshio's orphanage. Luckily he was stopped before he could actually harm the orphans themselves.
Spoiler Character
Skull
Voiced by Norio Wakamoto
The sinister leader of Black Ghost, revealed to be the Skull Man after Hayato was taken over by the suit.- Archnemesis Dad: It's implied by the ending that Kiriko's child is Joe Shimamura and that Hayato is the father, meaning that Cyborg 009 is Skull's son.
- Dark Is Evil: While the Skull Man helmet is silver for most of the anime, after Hayato is transformed into Skull it turns black.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: His helmet has bright red glowing eyes on it.
- Walking Spoiler: Knowing he exists spoils the Twist Ending of the entire anime.
Other
Kanji Isurugi
Major Kanji Isurugi
Voiced by: Hōchū Ōtsuka
A nationalistic member of the Japanese military secretly plotting a military coup. Has an alliance with Masaki Kumashiro of the Otomo Group.- The Coup: Is plotting once against the government to restore Japan to be a military power.
- Evil Reactionary: He carries a lot pre-World War II sentiments about Japanese imperialism and seeks to restore Japan as "the leader of Asia".
- Too Dumb to Live: As he learned the hard way, picking a fight with Van Vogt is not a good idea.
Tatsuyuki Kagura
Tatsuyuki Kagura
The scientist who studied the Skull Man suit before perishing in a mysterious incident ten years ago.- Posthumous Character: He's long dead by the time the series begins, but his actions helped to shape the entire plot.
Tatsuo Kagura
Tatsuo Kagura
The son of the researcher of the Skull Man suit, believed by many to have survived the incident ten years ago and to be the true identity of the Skull Man. Eventually it turns out Hayato Mikogami is really him.- The Reveal: He's really Hayato Mikogami, having been saved by Gozo and sent to an orphanage after the Kagura incident.
