Takeshi (Kamen Rider)

Takeshi (猛士?) is a fictional secret organization in the Japanese tokusatsu production Kamen Rider Hibiki. It has been defending Japan against the threats imposed by an assortment of monstrous creatures called Makamou for at least hundreds of years.

Contents

Organization

Headquartered in Yoshino, Nara, Takeshi has offices and agents all over Japan. Each office is assigned a number of combatant agents called Oni and a backup team for intelligence, research, logistics, etc. Takeshi has been around for nearly 200 years as stated in Kamen Rider Hibiki & The Seven Senki. The group was originally started as a partnership between the original Oni warriors and humans named in honor of the departed Takeshi, student of the Hibiki of that time and brother to the founder of Takeshi, Asumu. Today the group is more of a training and support group for the Oni.

Personnel

Oni

An Oni is an exceptional athlete who has acquired amazing fighting abilities through intensive training and the use of advanced weaponry. His or her most powerful equipment is both a weapon and a musical instrument, whose 'pure' sounds are the only means to purge the evil spirits of the Makamou. Oni follow a one-master-one-apprentice tradition.

Upon the retirement of their master, an apprentice will inherit the responsibilities as well as all equipment from his or her predecessor. He or she will often inherit the master's title too, but there are exceptions. When a person transforms into an Oni, the persons' clothes are often burnt up or sliced to pieces in the process, though there are ways to learn how to not let them be destroyed. If an Oni fights relying on his or her anger, the forehead emblem will grow over the face. When an Oni becomes evil, the headquarters decide if they should be eliminated. If they decide to eliminate the Oni, they send someone from the head family to carry out the task. In the TV series, there are a total of 113 active Oni in Japan, a total of eleven active Oni operate in the Kanto region, but only eight have shown up in the series. Also 3 other Oni are later introduced and another one is mentioned as the show proceeds. Five more Oni are introduced in The Seven Fighting Demons, the movie spin-off of the TV series.

Disk Animals

Produced mainly for reconnaissance purpose, the Disk Animals (ディスクアニマル Disuku Animaru?) or Onshikigami (音式神?) are an advance version of the shikigami that Oni had used in the past. The Disk Animals can switch between their compact discs form and animal forms like origami, and can turn invisible at will. They record the noises made by Makamou and return to their master to reveal the monsters' location in the area.
The following kinds of Disk Animals are featured in the TV series:

List and Description of Disc Animals

Movie Only Disc Animals

Shikigami that were an ancestral basis for the design used for the Disc Animals. Unlike the present series counterparts, the Disc Animals used in the movies were gigantic in size. Each being roughly as large as a tree.

Movie Only Disc Animals Motif Meaning Japanese
Keshizumigarasu Crow Charcoal gray Crow 消炭鴉
Iwabenishishi Lion Rock crimson Lion 岩紅獅子
Shironeriōzaru Ape Snow white Ape 白練大猿

Takeshi Gear

The Takeshi Gear existed long before the human-Oni Kamen Rider alliance. It is not stated how the original Oni Kamen Riders received their transformation items and weapons. After the human-Oni Kamen Rider alliance known as "Takeshi" was formed, human science was used to help improve the usefulness of the Oni Kamen Rider weapons and transformation devices. These have gone on to be code named as Takeshi Gear after the original Armed Saber crafted by Takeshi Asumu.

Primary Systems

Transformation Tuning Fork

The Transformation Tuning Fork (変身音叉 Henshin Onsa?) is an item resembling a tuning fork. It is the most commonly used transformation device among the Oni Kamen Riders, usually those whose arsenal revolves around the Taiko. It is said to be the simplest of all transformation devices to make, yet has the capability to unlock the greatest power within all Oni that use it. During the events of the movie, the Onsa was used by all Oni and possessed a katana mode called the Echo Sword Onsaken (鳴刀・音叉剣 Meitō Onsaken?).

Transfromation Whistle

The Transfromation Whistle (変身鬼笛 Henshin Onibue?) is considered the most difficult of the Takeshi Gear to create. It is used mainly by Kamen Riders who wield weapons based on the use of wind such as a trumpet or flute. These are also the only of the Takeshi Gear that the Head Family of the Takeshi organization uses. The color of the Henshin Onibue usually defines the color of the Oni. For example Ibuki's is gold with blue accents and so is his armor color (mainly face and gloves are blue).

Transformation String Brace

The Transformation String Brace (変身鬼弦 Henshin Kigen?) is used mainly by the string instrument based Kamen Riders. These are considered to be uncommon, but neither as rare as the Onibue or as common as the Onsa. The Henshin Kigen is a wrist device, attached the wrist, the user pulls on a chain that lifts a face plate on the Henshin Kigen. The user then plucks the strings and their body is filled with a powerful burst of lightning as they transform. The strings of the Henshin Kigen are the color of the ornamental strings on the Oni's armor. For example the strings on Todoroki's Henshin Kigen are red as are the ones on his armor.

Special Systems

Aside from the basic three transformation devices, there is also a number of other devices that the Oni Kamen Riders can use to either transform or power up into a new form. Most Takeshi Gear that fall into this category are man-made items.

Oni Armor

Oni No Yoroi (or Oni Armor) was an specialize armor that can be utilized by humans to, at least match an Oni's power and only utilized a katana. However, it was a weapon rarely used in combat and was only used as a decorative piece by Takeshi. The armor design pays homage to the Ishinomori tokusatsu, Ninja Arashi.

Armed Saber

The Armed Saber (アームドセイバー Āmudo Seibā?) is an ancient sword that was once wielded by the ancestor of Kamen Rider Hibiki. Over the years it was improved with the use of human technology, eventually becoming the sword that it is today. The Armed Saber is equipped with a built in megaphone that allows for Hibiki to use stronger attacks. This weapon can also only be used by advanced Oni, anyone who tries to use it when not yet of the proper skill will lose their transformation abilities for usually an entire month.

Rekkū

The Rekkuu is a long staff-like flute. It is only shown to be used by Habataki in the movie. It is much like the weapon of Kamen Rider Ibuki in that they both have a similar attacking style and both allow for powerful long range attacks.

Onifugu Daigo

The Onifugu Daigo is one of the larger of the Takeshi Gear. It is only used by Kamen Rider Shouki. It is a large weapon that is attached to its users' back and can be fit with different ends, allowing for large attacks or a sniper like attack. It was only made for the S.I.C toy line.

OniTenku Tenku

The OniTenku Tenku is essentially a large trombone. It can be fit with either a normal trombone end that allows for wind based attacks or an end that allows for spider-like projectiles to be launched from it. It is uses by the series' counterpart to Kamen Rider Touki. It was only made for the S.I.C toy line. The weapon debut in the Hibiki Journey of Kamen Rider Decade, which was used as Ibuki's alternative weapon.

Other Oni Arsenal

Taiko-Based

Wind-Based

String-Based

Movie Only

Oni Techniques

Takeshi Vehicles

 
Kamen Riders
Other characters
Makamou · Takeshi
Media
  1. ^ Attack not used in the Hibiki series itself, but in later movies and tv shows. The name of Hibiki's Rider Kick comes from the Ganbaride card 4-014.