List of Kamen Rider 555 characters
This is a list of the fictional characters that appear throughout the Japanese tokusatsu series Kamen Rider 555. These characters play a major role within the series and often influence many key events.
Takumi Inui
Takumi Inui (乾 巧 Inui Takumi) is the main wearer of the Faiz Gear, though reluctantly at first, enabling him to transform into Kamen Rider Faiz (仮面ライダーファイズ Kamen Raidā Faizu). He is also often teased by Mari for being a "nekojita" (literally meaning "cat tongue"; someone who cannot stand food that is too hot).
Prior to the events of the series, Takumi became an Orphnoch when he was hit by a car as a boy. As the Wolf Orpnoch (ウルフオルフェノク Urufu Orufenoku), Takumi wanted to use his new-found power to protect people. However, his attempt to save the Ryusei School students from the massacre caused by Kitazaki, and an implanted memory that he caused the event, forced Takumi to isolate himself from others out of fear of betraying them. By chance, Takumi encounters Mari and followed her on the notion that the bag she carried was the one stolen from him three days prior, getting caught up in her war with the Orphnoch as he reluctantly transforms into Kamen Rider Faiz (仮面ライダーファイズ Kamen Raidā Faizu) to fight off the Orphnochs pursuing her for the Faiz Gear. Takumi ends up becoming Mari's bodyguard as they arrive in Tokyo and starts working at Keitaro's shop to pay her back for helping him with a traffic fine. Overtime, having numerous conflicts with Kusaka and the Horse Orphnoch, Takumi accepts his role as Faiz. After he learns that the Horse Orphnoch's human identity is Yuji Kiba, he finds him to be a kindred spirit that also desires to protect humans, despite being an Orphnoch.
Eventually, Takumi's true nature as an Orphnoch is revealed and he learns the truth of his role in the Ryusei School massacre as he fights with renewed resolve. At the end of the series, Takumi settles his rivalry with Kiba as they manage to defeat the Arch Orphnoch together. In Heisei Rider vs. Shōwa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai, his final battles with the Orphnochs are retold in a more tragic light, Takumi renounced fighting over guilt of not being able to save Kusaka from Kiba. While he refused an offer by Tsukasa Kadoya to join with other Heisei era Riders to fight the Underground Empire Badan and the Showa era Kamen Riders, a series of events and an encounter with Keisuke Jin convinces Takumi to take up the mantle of Faiz to protect Shu Aoi, while eventually move on with his life.
Takumi Inui is portrayed by Kento Handa (半田 健人 Handa Kento).
Mari Sonoda
Mari Sonoda (園田 真理 Sonoda Mari) is a member of the Ryusei School who was sent the Faiz Gear and Auto Vajin by their father, but was unable to use them. She insists that Takumi accompany her and use the Faiz Gear to fight Orphnochs. She always believes the good in her friends, even Sawada and Takumi after she found out they were Orphnochs as well. She dreams of becoming a beautician.
Mari Sonoda is portrayed by Yuria Haga (芳賀 優里亜 Haga Yuria). As a child, Mari is portrayed by Aoi Yūki (悠木 碧 Yūki Aoi).
Keitaro Kikuchi
Keitaro Kikuchi (菊池 啓太郎 Kikuchi Keitarō) is a young man that Mari and Takumi meet by chance not long after receiving the Faiz Gear. Keitaro and his family are dry cleaners and it's his dream to make everyone in the world happy. As such, he lets Mari and Takumi stay with him and work at his family's dry cleaning business for room and board in hopes that he can encourage them to use the Faiz Gear for good. He also seem to have an Orphnoch allergy, though he thinks he is allergic to people with bad hearts. He exchanges cell phone e-mails with his penpal, Yuka, and becomes infatuated with her in real life, although he doesn't realize that they are the same person until later in the series.
In Kamen Rider 555: Paradise Lost, he briefly wore the Kaixa Gear.
Keitaro Kikuchi is portrayed by Ken Mizorogi (溝呂木 賢 Mizorogi Ken).
Masato Kusaka
Masato Kusaka (草加 雅人 Kusaka Masato) is a member of Ryusei School who was apparently absent from the reunion, but signed the autograph card. Kusaka is also a childhood friend of Mari, having fallen in love with her after she once saved him from bullies to the point of destroying any obstacles between them. To that end, Kusaka uses the Kaixa Gear to become Kamen Rider Kaixa (仮面ライダーカイザ Kamen Raidā Kaiza) to destroy the Orphnochs with extreme prejudice for the events that occurred at the Ryusei School reunion, having developed a compulsion to wipe his hands of the blood he imagined spilled that night. Unlike his other classmates who used the Kaixa Gear and disintegrated soon after, Kusaka had a great deal of more Orphnoch DNA implanted into him to resist the fatal side effects of Kamen Rider Gears. Despite him and Takumi having a common enemy, Kusaka considered him an enemy as he once stole the Faiz Gear to attack Kiba. Kusaka also once used the Delta Gear to battle the Beetle Orphnoch. Eventually, Kusaka begins to suffer the effects of the Kaixa Gear as it becomes increasingly harmful to him. In the end, Kusaka is killed by Kiba with no one aware of his death.
In Heisei Rider vs. Shōwa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai, Masato's death was redone to have him killed by Kiba during Faiz's fight with the Arch Orphnoch. Kusaka dies in hateful regret that Takumi lives despite not having anyone to protect. That event forced Takumi to renounce fighting, later seeing the spirit of Kusaka who manipulates him to revive him, but Haruto Soma and Keisuke Jin manage to convince Takumi to move on from his survival guilt, causing Kusaka's spirit to disappear.
In the Paradise Lost movie, Kusaka's death was at the hands of Kamen Rider Psyga with his Kaixa Driver destroyed soon after.
Masato Kusaka is portrayed by Kohei Murakami (村上 幸平 Murakami Kōhei).
Yuji Kiba
Yuji Kiba (木場 勇治 Kiba Yūji) is a young man who becomes the Yuji Kiba/Horse Orphnoch (ホースオルフェノク Hōsu Orufenoku) after dying as a result of a car crash, although he lived in a comatose state for two years. Upon awakening, Kiba finds his life in ruins from his uncle selling his family's company to his girlfriend Chie Morishita leaving him for his cousin Kazuaki Kiba. This causes Kiba to murder his cousin out of uncontrolled rage, and later Chie for selling him out, turning to Smart Brain for protection. But Kiba quickly comes to deplore Smart Brain's tactics and resolves to become an Orphnoch who will protect humans and fight Smart Brain, yet ends up fighting Faiz due to a misunderstanding between them both there they later learned each other's true identity and intent. But after he believed Yuka to have been killed by the police, killing Kusaka for his Kaixa Driver, Kiba discards his ideals and eventually replaces Murakami as the chairman of Smart Brain. Kiba's faith in humanity is eventually restored after his final battle with Takumi, later sacrificing himself to enable Faiz to defeat the Arch Orphnoch. In the film's storyline, Kiba becomes the user of the Orga Gear.
Yuji Kiba was portrayed by the late Masayuki Izumi (泉 政行 Izumi Masayuki).
Yuka Osada
Yuka Osada (長田 結花 Osada Yuka) is a teenage girl who is bullied terribly by her younger sister and other girls in her school and basketball team. Yuka's parents favored her sister over her. After suffering extreme emotional stress she falls down snow covered stairs and revives as the Crane Orphnoch, and slaughters the entire basketball team, her sister included. She meets Kiba, and agrees with his ideals of protecting humans, although occasionally kills humans who seem bad (bullies, etc.) without others knowing. She exchanged e-mails with Keitaro before (and to a lesser extent after) becoming an Orphnoch, and seemed to have a semi-romantic relationship. She later developed a strong crush on Kaido, though he did not reciprocate.
Yuka Osada is portrayed by Yoshika Katō (加藤 美佳 Katō Yoshika).
Naoya Kaido
Naoya Kaido (海堂 直也 Kaidō Naoya) is a young man sired the Snake Orphnoch by Eiichi Toda, the temporary chief of Smart Brain, to make an example to Kiba and Yuka of how Orphnochs must make allies. He is an overly eccentric person prone to incredibly fast speeches and constant mood swings. He played the guitar in his younger days, but sabotage by his teacher destroyed some of the motorskills in his left hand, forcing him to abandon his music. After struggling with his nature as an Orphnoch, Kaido ends up living with Kiba and Yuka, although he is the least concerned about protecting humans. At times he sides with Smart Brain over Kiba and Yuka, but his powerful conscience often stops him from committing heinous acts at the last second. He temporarily used the Faiz Gear and the Smart Buckle in the series. In the movie Paradise Lost, Kaido confesses to Yuka then gets eaten by the Elasmotherium Orphenoch.
Naoya Kaido is portrayed by Mitsuru Karahashi (唐橋 充 Karahashi Mitsuru).
Ryusei School
The Ryusei School (流星塾 Ryūseijuku) is a group of orphans fostered by the former Chief of Smart Brain, Hanagata, and were schooled under their teacher Mr. Masuda (増田教諭 Masuda Kyōyu), portrayed by Michihiro Yamanishi (山西 道広 Yamanishi Michihiro). These students became known as the Ryuseiji (流星児 Ryūseiji). Shortly before the series started they attended a reunion, with all students killed and resurrected as Smart Brain's "hope", with only Kusaka having memories of the night intact. They each were sent the three Rider Gears: Mari obtaining Faiz and the bulk under Mr. Masuda obtaining Kaixa. The members other than Mari and Kusaka include:
Shuji Mihara
Shuji Mihara (三原 修二 Mihara Shūji) is a relatively cowardly member of Ryusei School who would rather forget about Orphnochs and go back to living a normal life. He would become the default wearer of the Delta Gear and fight as Kamen Rider Delta (仮面ライダーデルタ Kamen Rider Deruta) despite his cowardice. After Rina was hit by a truck retrieving the Delta case he had thrown into the street, he resolved to stop running and fight alongside the others.
Shuji Mihara is portrayed by Atsushi Harada (原田 篤 Harada Atsushi).
Others
- Saya Kimura (木村 沙耶 Kimura Saya): A "nekojita" much like Takumi, Saya briefly wore the Delta Gear. Eventually she found her way to the Kikuchi Dry Cleaning shop and worked part-time there. She waited to see what kind of person Takumi was before deciding to hand over the Delta Gear to him. Unfortunately, she was killed by Sawada before she could. Saya Kimura is portrayed by Mai Saito (斉藤 麻衣 Saitō Mai).
- Rina Abe (阿部 里奈 Abe Rina): Shuji Mihara's friend, former classmate and co-worker in the orphanage where Teruo Suzuki (Orphnoch King) stayed. After the series, she, Mihara, and Mari were the only surviving Ryuseiji. Rina Abe is portrayed by Rie Kasai (河西 りえ Kasai Rie).
- Kyosuke Tokumoto (徳本 恭輔 Tokumoto Kyōsuke): After Shindo's death, he tried to put on the Kaixa belt, but couldn't out of fear because of the other users' deaths. After the Delta belt was discovered and he used it, he believed the belt was rightfully his because of the belt's side effect. Not only that, he also gained some power from the belt. Along with Arai, he kidnapped Mari to lure out Sawada to get the belt. Killed by Sawada. Kyosuke Tokumoto is portrayed by Shun Saeki (佐伯 俊 Saeki Shun).
- Shoji Inukai (犬飼 彰司 Inukai Shōji): Shoji Inukai is portrayed by Takuma Watanabe (渡辺 琢磨 Watanabe Takuma).
- Kiyotaka Nishida (西田 清高 Nishida Kiyotaka): Temporarily used the Kaixa belt in episode 11 and 12. With the Kaixa Gear, he destroyed Crocodile Orphnoch's first life. But he soon died in Mr. Masuda's arms from the belt's side effect. Kiyotaka Nishida is portrayed by Yoshiaki Kawasaki (河崎 芳明 Kawasaki Yoshiaki).
- Takahisa Shindo (神道 貴久 Shindō Takahisa): Used the Kaixa belt in episode 12 to fight the Crocodile Orphnoch, despite others' protest, but the Orphnoch knock the belt off him, forcing him to revert and disinterage from the belt's side effect. Takahisa Shindo is portrayed by Shintaro Chikada (近田 慎太郎 Chikada Shintarō).
- Haruko Kamijo (上条 晴子 Kamijō Haruko): Haruko Kamijo is portrayed by Hiroko Hayashi (林 裕子 Hayashi Hiroko).
- Asami Ito (伊藤 麻美 Itō Asami): She was killed by Kawachi when he tried to take the Delta belt. Asami Ito is portrayed by Kaoru Kurasawa (倉澤 薫 Kurasawa Kaoru).
- Ken Arai (新井 賢 Arai Ken): Temporarily knocked out by Kawachi. He gained power and became obsessed with the Delta belt like many other users after using it. Along with Kyosuke, he kidnapped Mari to lure out Sawada to get the belt. Killed by Sawada. Ken Arai is portrayed by Hirohito Honda (本田 博仁 Honda Hirohito).
- Yuki Kawachi (河内 勇樹 Kawachi Yūki): He suddenly attacked Arai and killed Asami because of the obsession with the Delta belt. But it was proven wrong since he called Kusaka to rescue him from the Frog Orphnoch. Still, it was too late. Before dying, he said that Sawada had the belt, but it was false. Yuki Kawachi is portrayed by Kenta Hinokio (檜尾 健太 Hinokio Kenta).
- Shingo Ota (太田 信吾 Ōta Shingo): After Mari's second death by Sawada, he constantly tried to persuade Mihara to fight with the members. Later killed by Sawada. Shingo Ota is portrayed by Takuji Kawakubo (川久保 拓司 Kawakubo Takuji)
- Aonuma (青沼 Aonuma): Transformed into the Sloth Orphnoch after the attack. Aonuma is portrayed by Kazuma Kurihara (栗原 一馬 Kurihara Kazuma).
Orphnochs
They are the series kaijin; they are humans who are reborn either naturally or by Smart Brain. Their goal is to annihilate humanity either by turning other humans into more orphenoch or killing them off completely. However, there are those who believe that they can still live as humans; those who possessed that mindset become targets for elimination by Smart Brain.
Smart Brain
A company that is a front for a group of Orphnochs dedicated to overthrowing humanity, Smart Brain (スマートブレイン Sumāto Burein) is ironically where the Rider Gears were developed from. This is the largest coordinated group of Orphnochs ever seen, and in Paradise Lost they seem to have formed a de facto government after the Orphnoch revolution.
Kyouji Murakami
Kyouji Murakami (村上 峡児 Murakami Kyōji): The Rose Orphnoch, Murakami replaced the temporary chief of Smart Brain, Eiichi Toda, after Toda was defeated by Faiz. He was later overthrown from his position by Hanagata and was replaced by Kiba. In Paradise Lost he has somehow been reduced to a head in a tank, although he still commands a high place in Smart Brain.
Kyouji Murakami is portrayed by Katsuyuki Murai (村井 克行 Murai Katsuyuki).
Hanagata
Hanagata (花形 Hanagata): The Ryusei School's foster father and the former chief of Smart Brain. He also created the three Rider belts. He disappeared because he discovered that he was dying from his evolution into an Orphnoch, taking the Rider Gears with him and sending them to surviving members of Ryusei School. He returned to Smart Brain to strip the acting chief of his duties and appointed Kiba as the permanent head of the company before he finally dies.
Hanagata is portrayed by Koji Naka (中 康治 Naka Kōji).
Smart Lady
Smart Lady (スマートレディ Sumāto Redi): Smart Brain's "mascot", she works closely under the orders of the company's chief and helps fledgling Orphnochs. She never exhibits Orphnoch powers, and her species is left ambiguous. She acts friendly and playful towards the many workers at Smart Brain, although she doesn't realize that no one enjoys her company.
Smart Lady is portrayed by Hitomi Kurihara (栗原 瞳 Kurihara Hitomi).
Leo
Leo (レオ Reo) is a foreign Orphnoch who is the main wearer of the Psyga gear. He did not appear in the TV series and only appeared in Paradise lost.
Leo is portrayed by Peter Ho (ピーター・ホー Pītā Hō).
Riotroopers
Riotroopers (ライオトルーパー Raiotorūpā) are Smart Brain's personal army of users of mass-produced Kamen Rider-like transformation devices known as Smart Buckles.
Lucky Clover
The Lucky Clover (ラッキークローバー Rakkī Kurōbā) are an elite quartet of Orphnochs within Smart Brain who are 'cream of the crop' and answer to the Chief. Only two of the original four survived.
Itsuro Takuma
Itsuro Takuma (琢磨 逸郎 Takuma Itsurō): The Centipede Orphnoch. He is always in fear of Kitazaki and takes any opportunity when Kitazaki is weakened or hurt to bully him back. Takuma is one of the few Orphnoch to survive at the end of the series. He ran away during the final battle and decided to join human society.
Itsuro Takuma is portrayed by Jun Yamasaki (山崎 潤 Yamasaki Jun).
Saeko Kageyama
Saeko Kageyama (影山 冴子 Kageyama Saeko): The Lobster Orphnoch, the calmest of the group. She often will show up to provide emotional support to her fellow Orphnoch when they seem scared or confused; many times for Takuma and Takumi.
Saeko Kageyama is portrayed by Waka (和香).
Kitazaki
Kitazaki (北崎 Kitazaki): The Dragon Orphnoch, the strongest of the group. He has two forms as an Orphnoch. His first form is the largest and most powerful. His second form is smaller and much faster than the first one. Everything he touches turns into ashes and he continually uses this fact to tease and bully Takuma. His ability to turn anything to ash has caused him to suffer from mental incapacitation.
Kitazaki is portrayed by Ray Fujita (藤田 玲 Fujita Rei).
J
J (ジェイ Jei): The Crocodile Orphnoch who usually travels with his pet dog, Chaco. He has three lives and was finally killed by Takumi.
J is portrayed by Kenneth Duria (ケネス・ヅリア Kenesu Zuria).
Aki Sawada
Aki Sawada (澤田 亜希 Sawada Aki): The Spider Orphnoch. Formerly of the Ryusei School until the attack at the reunion, with Sawada turned into an Orphnoch in the aftermath during a Smart Brain experiment. He killed Saya to get the Delta Gear in order to become the new fourth member of "Lucky Clover". He has a habit of crafting animal origami and lighting them on fire just before a massacre. The flame would usually die out once the massacre is over.
Aki Sawada is portrayed by Gō Ayano (綾野 剛 Ayano Gō).
Others
- Joji Soeno (添野 錠二 Soeno Jōji): A senior detective, he investigates Ryuseiji case as well as the recent Orphnoch attacks that are similar to it. Joji Soeno is portrayed by Taro Ishida (石田 太郎 Ishida Tarō).
- Sawamura (沢村 Sawamura): A detective. Sawamura is portrayed by Koji Iwakawa (岩川 幸司 Iwakawa Kōji).
- Hikaru Soeno (添野 ひかる Soeno Hikaru): Joji Soeno's daughter and Mari's sempai beautician. Hikaru Soeno is portrayed by Manami Miwake (三訳 真奈美 Miwake Manami).
- Tetsuo Itagaki (板垣 哲生 Itagaki Tetsuo): One of the two excavators who ended up in the underground Ryusei School and encounter the Goat Orphnoch. Tetsuo Itagaki is portrayed by Atsushi Fukazawa (深沢 敦 Fukazawa Atsushi).
- Kazufumi Mizuno (水野 和史 Mizuno Kazufumi): One of the two excavators who ended up in the underground Ryusei School and encounter the Goat Orphnoch. Kazufumi Mizuno is portrayed by Kengo Ōkuchi (大口 兼悟 Ōkuchi Kengo), who would later play the character of Nobunaga in Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider OOO & W Featuring Skull: Movie War Core and Emperor Z in Ressha Sentai ToQger.
- Masahiko Minami (南 雅彦 Minami Masahiko): A high officer of the National Police Agency. Masahiko Minami is portrayed by Atsushi Ogawa (小川 敦史 Ogawa Atsushi).
External links
- Kamen Rider 555 cast at TV Asahi (Japanese)