"We are those who've spread endlessly. We've surpassed the skies and prospered. We've stimulated revolution in ancient tribes...or perhaps I'm just the snake that they call me."
— DJ Sagara, Kamen Rider Gaim, "Mitsuzane! The Final Transformation"
Among the many heroes and villains to populate Kamen Rider over its decades long run, these are the most brilliant and charming.
All spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned!
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Showa Series
- Stronger: General Shadow is a cunning Majin warlord who more than earned his status as Stronger's top Worthy Opponent. Having joined Black Satan only so he can fight Stronger, Shadow doesn't care for the organization's underhanded tactics, even freeing children taken hostage by them. After Mr. Titan is revived, Shadow covertly sabotages several of his schemes to keep him from defeating Stronger. When the Great Leader brings in Dead Lion to replace him, Shadow deserts Black Satan and gives Stronger the information he needs to locate and destroy their HQ, seizing the remains of Black Satan for his own Delza Army. As leader of Delza, Shadow keeps his subordinates focused in an Enemy Civil War over who gets to defeat Stronger while he stays above the fray, manipulating Stronger into taking out his rivals for power. Finally displaced as leader by Marshal Machine after the loss of the Delza Majin First Team, Shadow aids Stronger in thwarting Machine's scheme to scorch all of Japan before being forced into a final confrontation with his fated rival. In his last stand, Shadow gives his own life to land a deadly mutual blow on Stronger, dying while leaving an injured Stronger at the mercy of his cohorts in Delza.
Heisei Series
Examples
- Double: The mysterious bandaged woman known as "Shroud" starts off as a ruthless onlooker on the sidelines of the conflict between the Kamen Riders and Museum. "Shroud" is actually Fumine Sonozaki, the wife of Museum's head Ryubee, who seeks one thing alone: vengeance on her husband for scarring her face and using their child Raito as a tool. Shroud manipulates both the heroes and the villains with ruthless efficiency, arranging for the genesis of both the mass-murdering Weather Dopant and Kamen Rider Accel to use them both as pawns in her plan. While she's unfettered enough to coldly try and arranges the death of Ryu Terui—the man who became Accel—when he fails to meet her criterion as the weapon with which she will destroy Museum, Shroud retains enough humanity to regain the love for Raito buried beneath her persona and finally acknowledge that the heroes can stop Museum without succumbing to their own hatred.
- Gaim:
- DJ Sagara, the avatar of Helheim Forest, is the hidden mover behind the Helheim crisis who seeks to stoke change and evolution using Helheim's flora. Having absorbed the Femushinmu civilization in the past, Sagara comes to Earth after the Femushinmu Overlords prove lazy rulers to begin a new race for the Forbidden Fruit. Infiltrating the Yggdrasill Corporation as the host of "Beat Rider Radio", Sagara uses the Inves Games to select candidates for his game, secretly giving the Beat Riders information and powerups to make sure things stay even. When the Overlords intervene to invade Earth, Sagara persuades the Overlord King to hold back and give humanity a chance. Later, when Mai Takatsukasa becomes the host for the Golden Fruit, Sagara tricks her into going back in time and letting his past self know everything he needs to do to bring about Helheim's chosen, making his plans go even more swimmingly. In the end, Sagara gets exactly what he wanted with Kouta Kazuraba claiming the Forbidden Fruit and becoming the new Man of the Beginning of Helheim, moving Helheim to a different planet to begin the cycle anew.
- Kaito Kumon/Kamen Rider Baron, leader of Team Baron, proved both a key ally and Worthy Opponent to Kouta Kazuraba. Believing strength is everything, Kaito is ruthless in combating Team Gaim's lead in the Inves Games. Growing suspect of Yggdrasill's conspiracy, Kaito joins forces with Kouta to uncover the truth. After learning of the Helheim invasion, Kaito joins Ryoma Sengoku's inner circle, obtaining a Genesis Driver in the process. When the Overlord Inves attack Zawame, Kaito quickly organizes the Armored Riders into a united defense, earning the loyalty of a disaffected Yoko Minato. Once the Overlords are destroyed, Kaito turns to seeking the Forbidden Fruit and becoming Helheim's champion, giving up his own humanity to become an Overlord. As Lord Baron, Kaito assembles an army of Inves to claim the Forbidden Fruit and remake the old world to one where the weak are not oppressed by the strong. Defeated ultimately by Kouta, with his dying breath Kaito acknowledges Kouta as a truly worthy rival. Revived by Megahex, Kaito rebels against the being and joins Kouta in fighting it, encouraging Kouta to defend the future he fought hard for.
- Drive: 001 Freeze Roidmude is the shadow leader of the Roidmude uprising and the driving force behind much of their success. Infiltrating the Japanese government as Secretary of Defense "Soichi Makage", Freeze alters the minds of the entire Japanese police to forget the word "Roidmude" and uses his position to obstruct any investigations that might uncover his kind's existence. When the Special Investigation Unit begins to unravel his conspiracy, Freeze appoints Mitsuhide Nira to oversee them and hinder their efforts. His identity exposed by Chase, Freeze lures Drive into defeating him and uses the humiliation from it to undergo a Super Evolution, easily nearly slaying Drive with his newfound powers. When Shinnosuke turns out to be barely alive, Freeze attempts to finish him off before he can recover. Only defeated when Drive unlocks Type Tridoron, Freeze nevertheless accomplished much for his kind before his demise and was invaluable to the Roidmude efforts to attain the "Promised Number".
- Build: Shinobu Katsuragi/Kamen Rider Build (Prototype) is the father of Sento Kiryu aka Takumi Katsuragi and the progenitor of Project Build. Following the Sky Wall Disaster, Shinobu successfully fakes his death after being blackmailed by Evolt, working with the sinister alien while secretly taking steps to stand against him and his universe destroying plans for a whole decade. Soon after Sento obtains his Super Mode, Shinobu reveals himself alive and having aligned with Evolt to Sento and his allies, using this as the opportunity to play Stealth Mentor in order to raise the Hazard Levels of his son and Banjo Ryuga for his own ends. When found out and fatally wounded by Evolt, Shinobu uses his last moments to pass on important information to his son, giving Sento the tools he needs to execute his true plan in his place: merging parallel worlds by using Evolt himself as a Living Battery, effectively deleting the evil alien from time and reality. Fully determined to atone for his role in all of the tragedy that occurred in the series, Shinobu's actions led to the world of love and peace he and his son became scientists to create.
- Zi-O: Woz is a prophet from the future seeking to ensure the rise of Oma Zi-O. Once captain of a resistance cell, Woz infiltrated Oma Zi-O's forces while secretly defecting to his side for real, feeding the resistance faulty information in order to lure them into a trap. Traveling back in time to ensure Tsukuyomi and Geiz do not prevent Oma Zi-O's rise, Woz gives Sougo the Ziku Driver that allows him to become Kamen Rider Zi-O and assists him by providing him with data on various past Kamen Riders. When his Alternate Self "White" Woz travels back in time to stop Sougo's rise, Woz temporarily allies with the Time Jackers and tricks White Woz into giving him his Rider powers. In the end, Woz was successful in bringing about Sougo's ascension as Oma Zi-O, and when Sougo chose to his new powers to restore everything to normal, Woz accepted his decision, forever loyal to his Demon King.
Reiwa Series
- Saber: Daichi Kamijou/Kamen Rider Calibur was the previous Kamen Rider Saber of the Sword of Logos, until his friend Hayato Fukamiya's sudden betrayal led him to suspect there was a traitor in the guild. Faking his death and taking his late friend's identity as Calibur, Kamijou works with the Megid to access the Table of Revelations so he can use it to confirm his suspicion. When the swordsmen Riders overpower him, Kamijou creates the Jaou Dragon book to counter them and defeats Kento, but seals him inside Kurayami to avoid killing him while keeping his promise to Hayato. After the Megid gather enough Alter Ride Books, Daichi uses them to create a portal to the Table of Revelations while the Megid generals hold off the Riders. Defeated by Touma, Daichi realizes his mistake was not trusting his friends and entrusts Touma to carry on his search for the traitor shortly before his demise. His spirit would later reconcile with Hayato and helps the Kamen Riders defeat Storious in the Final Battle.
Films
Examples
- God Speed Love: Souji Tendou/Kamen Rider Kabuto, despite showing more emotion, vulnerability, and compassion than his TV counterpart, is still the ever-competent and prideful long lost older brother of Hiyori Kusakabe. Taking advantage of the civil war between ZECT and Neo-ZECT for his own ends, Tendou, through his interactions with Arata Kagami/Kamen Rider Gatack, discovers the plan known as Jacob's Ladder to supposedly restore Earth's water supplies, with Tendou relaying this information to Neo-ZECT, knowing that ZECT has ulterior motives. After enduring a torture session without breaking, Tendou successfully infiltrates Jacob's Ladder with the help of Neo-ZECT despite interference from Shura Hokuto and uncovers ZECT's true goal of getting a second meteor full of Worms to Take Over the World. After Hiyori's death, Tendou teams up with Kagami to go up into space once again and put a stop ZECT's plans, successfully stealing the Hyper Zector from Kamen Rider Caucasus, using it to go back in time with the second meteor, having it collide with the meteor that devastated Earth in the first place and preventing his Bad Future from occurring. Going on to pass on his driver to his younger self, Tendou fades away knowing his sister and friends will be safe now.
- Movie War Full Throttle & Type LUPIN: ~Lupin, The Last Challenge~: Zoruku Tojo/Ultimate Lupin was a Gentleman Thief in his twilight years who uploaded his mind into the Roidmude body Cyberoid ZZZ, all so he could recapture the thrill of his youth. Tojo pronounces himself "Kamen Rider Lupin" and proceeds to pull off a series of masterful heists while daring the Special Investigation Unit into trying to stop him, running rings around them nearly every time. Tojo eventually concedes Kamen Rider Drive/Shinnosuke Tomari as a Worthy Opponent after having tried to claim the mantle of the city's hero for himself. When he's outdone and mortally wounded by a Roidmude that takes his name, Tojo effortlessly sets up Shinnosuke to destroy his imposter and joins him in finishing the Roidmude off. Tojo dies soon afterward, happy he's going out with "fireworks," and remains as slick, honorable and charming as his namesake, even after sacrificing his own humanity.
- Genm VS Lazer: After both fighting and assisting CR, Kuroto Dan/Kamen Rider Genm masterminds a plan to revive everyone lost to Game Disease and prove his godly talents. Convincing Emu and Parado to play a puzzle game he created, Kuroto escapes while they're distracted to put his plans into motion. Reviving the Lovelica Bugster, Kuroto uses him to provoke Taiga into bringing out his Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat, allowing Kuroto to seize it and use it to revive his father Masamune Dan. Allying with Saiko Yaotome of the Next Genome Institute, Kuroto has her extract Black Parado from within him before having him pose as the real Parado to trick Emu into leveling him up into a human. He then betrays Saiko and absorbs Black Parado, using his data to create the God Maximum Mighty X Level 1,000,000,000 Gashat and commence a new game in the form "Zombie Chronicle", creating a horde of Zombie Gamer clones who, upon being defeated, will revive one person lost to Game Disease. Defeated only by Kiriya exchanging a mutual blow with him, Kuroto takes his supposed death in stride, proclaiming his games never end as he seemingly dies.
- New World Kamen Rider Cross-Z: The regenerated Evolt/Kamen Rider Evol lacks his most unsavory qualities, while keeping his charm and brilliance. Resurfacing from a piece he placed inside Ryuga, Evolt allies with Team Build to stop his older brother Killbus from destroying the universe. Slain while helping Ryuga, Evolt uses his final moments to toss Ryuga the Dragon Fullbottle so Sento can develop a new powerup from it. Revived by Sento to assist in the final battle, Evolt fakes a betrayal to make Ryuga angry enough to use the Muscle Galaxy Fullbottle. After fusing with Ryuga to become Cross-Z Evol, Evolt mocks Killbus for his underestimation of humanity before he and Ryuga finish him off. Deciding to return to space to rebuild his power, Evolt leaves Earth peacefully after bidding Team Build a final "Ciao!"
- Zero-One: REALxTIME:
- Rihito Isshiki/Kamen Rider Eden, aka "S", sought to destroy and remake the world into a paradise using nanomachines. Losing his wife in the Daybreak Town Accident, S preserved her consciousness digitally and sought to create a virtual paradise for them both. Forming Thinknet, S has his followers spray people with nanomachines to assimilate them into his virtual world. While his followers believe they will ascend alongside S, the true purpose of Thinknet was to recruit malicious people so they could be weeded out from S's paradise, with the true "chosen ones" being the victims of Thinknet's attacks who are transported to S's utopia. Luring Aruto Hiden into fighting him, S steals his Zero-Two Driver and use its connection to Satellite Zea to help kickstart doomsday. Confronted by Aruto once more, S gives up on his plan after realizing that his desire was a selfish one and chooses to spend his final moments Together in Death with his wife.
- Bell/Kamen Rider Abaddon is S's second-in-command who proved to be far more committed to Thinknet's goals than his leader. In the name of Thinknet's plan to create paradise, Bell led the effort to spray people with nanomachines and upload them into the virtual world. When S suddenly begins doomsday early, Bell immediately deduces that S had betrayed them and moves to intercept him. After waiting for Aruto to defeat S, Bell steals his Driver from him to become Kamen Rider Lucifer and fulfill S's original plan. In the end, Bell came exceedingly close to bringing about his paradise, being defeated only milliseconds before his vision was to be realized.
- Zero One Others: MetsubouJinrai: Lyon Arkland/Kamen Rider Zaia is the charismatic and charming CEO of ZAIA Enterprise. Desiring to sell his Solds on the mass market, Lyon Arkland kidnaps Jin in order to lure the rest of MetsubouJinrai.net out and tricks them into becoming Kamen Rider MetsubouJinrai to create an enemy for his Solds to fight. When As tries to tempt him into become another Ark, Lyon insightfully points out why justice will always trump malice before shooting her dead. He later crashes an AIMS press conference and sways public opinion to his side by painting his company as the victim while using AIMS's ties to MetsubouJinrai.net to discredit them. Though killed by Kamen Rider MetsubouJinrai, Lyon dies with a triumphant "ZAIA forever!" and ultimately gets the last laugh from beyond the grave: his Solds are needed to defeat Metsuboujinrai and his actions result in over half the Zero-One Riders being taken out of commission as well as the public view on Humagears turning negative once more, singlehandedly undoing everything Aruto and his allies worked for.
- Kamen Rider Saber: Trio of Deep Sin: Shinjiro Shinozaki/Kamen Rider Falchion is a member of the titular "Trio of Deep Sin" who seeks justice for the victims lost in the Swordsmen Riders' battles. Originally someone who worked to save people, after witnessing a battle between the Sword of Logos Riders and the Megid that resulted in many people dying, Shinozaki came to believe the Swordsmen Riders posed a danger to the world. Accepting an Amazing Siren Wonder Ride Book from Mamiya, Shinozaki works with him to covertly wipe all memory of the swordsmen from the individuals who knew of them, until the swordsmen are completely forgotten and erased from existence. Once he becomes the only one who remembers his son, Shinozaki reveals himself to Rintaro and challenges him to a one-on-one duel. After being fatally wounded by Rintaro, Shinozaki uses his last words to tell Rintaro how proud he is of him, remorseful that his death will cause his son to disappear.
