Kamen Rider Skull

Kamen Rider Skull, as he appears in a promotional photograph for Movie War 2010. The ripped white fedora (which covers an S-shaped "crack" in his skull-like mask) and the tattered white scarf around his neck are both signature aspects of the costume.

Kamen Rider Skull (仮面ライダースカル Kamen Raidā Sukaru) is a fictional character who appears in the films of the 2009-2010 Kamen Rider Series Kamen Rider W. Kamen Rider Skull first appears in the film Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 2010 in the portion Kamen Rider W: Begins Night, and then makes appearances in the Movie War 2010 portion,[1] Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider The Movie: Cho-Den-O Trilogy in the Episode Yellow film,[2] a music video,[3] in Kamen Rider W Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate,[4] and a starring role in the Kamen Rider Skull: Message for Double portion of Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider OOO & W Featuring Skull: Movie War Core.[5] Kamen Rider Skull's design motifs include the skull[1] and the letter S.

Sokichi Narumi

In both the W television series and its related films, Sokichi Narumi (鳴海 荘吉 Narumi Sōkichi, portrayed by singer Koji Kikkawa[1]) is the father of Akiko Narumi and the founder of the Narumi Detective Agency in the fictional city of Futo. Sokichi's mantra was to keep the client safe at all costs. He also gave his old friend Fumine refuge after she was forced to leave her Family and become Shroud. He eventually would confront Dopants during the Melissa case. Initially making it a policy of his to never use Gaia Memories even faced with Dopants, a guilt-ridden Sokichi eventually uses the special Gaia Memory and Memory Driver belt that was made by Shroud to deal with Museum, enabling him to become Kamen Rider Skull to combat the Spider Dopant, revealed to be his partner, Seichiro Matsui. This policy has since then changed into using his driver and memory only when left with no other favorable options. Since the incident, Sokichi took the motto "Now, count up your sins!" to heart because he saw himself to be unable to realize his ex-partner's madness and stop it before the city suffers as a result. Furthermore, Sokichi's Spider Bomb did not fade after the memory's destruction and he decided to distance himself from Akiko to ensure her safety. Since then, Sokichi became involved in investigating cases involving Dopants that the police force could not handle, including the armored car robberies performed by the "Beastman".

Eventually taking on Shotaro Hidari as his protégé, Sokichi agrees to help Shroud stop Museum by infiltrating a research facility known as the Gaia Tower with Shotaro in order to find the young man at its center. After fighting several Masquerade Dopants and the Taboo Dopant, he and Shotaro find the young man as Sokichi offers him freedom to find atonement for his part in the creation of the Gaia Memories, naming him Philip after his favorite fictional character Philip Marlowe. After Sokichi frees Philip from the Gaia Tower and begins to take both him and Shotaro out of the building, he was shot by several armed guards. As he dies, he gives his white fedora to Shotaro and asks for Shotaro to become a man worthy of wearing it. It was after the Gaia Tower fell into ruins that Shotaro and Philip, spurred by his advice to continue in his place, learn that Sokichi's body is nowhere to be found. Sokichi's death had also caused Shotaro great guilt, as he found it his fault that his mentor had to die. Even in death, Sokichi often inspires Shotaro and Philip within their memories and through his words. Kamen Rider Double has been mentioned to "contain Sokichi Narumi's will".

In Begins Night, Sokichi Narumi and Kamen Rider Skull are among the identities taken by the Dummy Dopant while pretending to be the Death Dopant in a scheme to assume the identities of Futo's upper class members, using Sokichi's form to drive Shotaro off from the case before he realizes the truth. However, Shotaro finally overcomes this, and Kamen Rider Double ultimately defeats the imposter Kamen Rider Skull. After the case is concluded in Movie War 2010, Tsukasa Kadoya uses a Kamen Rider Skull card he has acquired to summon an iteration of Sokichi Narumi from an alternate dimension, giving Shotaro closure. This Sokichi Narumi does not seem to know Shotaro but recognizes the very thing that the real Sokichi wanted of Shotaro: for Shotaro to become a true detective.

In Kamen Rider W Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate, in spirit, Kamen Rider Skull gives Shotaro advice on Philip's feelings, as well as his Lost Driver before fading away as he takes his leave, enabling Shotaro to transform into Kamen Rider Joker.[4] The Skull Memory is one of the 26 T2 Gaia Memories in the film.[6] In this film, Koji Kikkawa does not make an appearance.

Other media appearances

Kamen Rider Skull briefly makes an appearance in Kamen Rider W episode 13 "The Radio Q/Targetted Princess". Sokichi Narumi (portrayed by Kikkawa) makes an appearance in a flashback in episode 10 "The S Terror/The Great Detective's Daughter", as well as in a flashback in episode 31 "The B Carried on the Wind/The Beast Pursues".

During the encore at Koji Kikkawa's concert at the NHK Hall, Kikkawa appeared dressed up as Sokichi Narumi and performed the song "Big Sleep". At the same time, he was joined on stage by Kamen Rider Double.[7]

Kamen Rider Skull later appears as one of the Kamen Riders summoned by Kamen Rider Diend's Complete Form and his Gekijouban Card.[2] In this appearance, he performs a Rider Kick, with a kicking stance similar to Kamen Rider Double's Joker Extreme.

Sokichi Narumi and Kamen Rider Skull are the main characters in the side-story presented in the "Nobody's Perfect" music video, a song credited to Narumi but sung by Koji Kikkawa. In the music video set during his life and prior to Philip's freeing, Narumi takes on a case of a kidnapping by the Museum of a young girl. He crosses paths with several Masquerade Dopants and the Terror Dopant, fighting the latter as Kamen Rider Skull.[3]

Kamen Rider Skull

By using his Gaia Memory in the Lost Driver belt, Sokichi Narumi is able to transform into Kamen Rider Skull. As Kamen Rider Skull, he still wears his signature white fedora and also wears a white scarf. After the hat is damaged in his fight with the Taboo Dopant, it appears torn, even as a disguise used by the Dummy Dopant. As Kamen Rider Skull, Narumi's strength is increased and he also has access to a unique motorcycle and is armed with the Skull Magnum gun.[8][9][10] Before entering a fight, he announces "Now, count your sins!" (さあ、お前の罪を数えろ！ Saa, omae no tsumi o kazoero!),[11] a motto taken up by his protege. Like any of the Kamen Riders in W, his weapon is capable of performing a Maximum Drive (マキシマムドライブ Makishimamu Doraibu) finishing attack capable of destroying Gaia Memories.

Skull Crystal

Kamen Rider Skull Crystal (仮面ライダースカルクリスタル Kamen Raidā Sukaru Kurisutaru) is the incomplete form of Kamen Rider Skull that first appears in the events of Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider OOO & W Featuring Skull: Movie War Core. It differs from Kamen Rider Skull's standard form in that the helmet is iridescent and it lacks the S-shaped "crack".[5] This form is named after the crystal skulls.

Equipment

Lost Driver

The Lost Driver (ロストドライバー Rosuto Doraibā) belt is a second-generation Memory Driver belt that enables the transformation into Kamen Rider Skull by inserting the Skull Memory into its single Memory Slot (メモリスロット Memori Surotto) on the belt buckle. Like the Double Driver, it also has a Maximum Slot where a Gaia Memory can be inserted for a melee Maximum Drive. Although he does not use one in Begins Night, an unnamed Rider Kick is activated by inserting the Skull Memory into the Maximum Slot when Kamen Rider Skull is summoned by Kamen Rider Diend Complete Form in Episode Yellow.[8][9][10] In Message to Double, Kamen Rider Skull is also shown to have another Maximum Drive that involves releasing a giant energy skull from his chest and launching it towards an opponent with a jumping roundhouse kick.

Gaia Memory

The Gaia Memories (ガイアメモリ Gaia Memori) are mysterious USB flash drives imbued with the powers of the Earth itself. Originally created with funding by the Sonozaki Family, one Gaia Memory makes its way into the hands of Sokichi Narumi.

Skull Magnum

The Skull Magnum (スカルマグナム Sukaru Magunamu) is Kamen Rider Skull's firearm and only weapon.[8][9][10] When the Skull Memory is set in the Skull Magnum's Maximum Slot (マキシマムスロット Makishimamu Surotto), and then the gun is set in Maximum Mode, it initiates the Skull Memory's Maximum Drive: a series of powerful energy bursts called the Skull Punisher (スカルパニッシャー Sukaru Panisshā).[12] Skull typically uses the Magnum in Maximum Mode, but in Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider OOO & W Featuring Skull: Movie War Core, Skull Crystal wields the weapon in its Normal Mode.

SkullBoilder

The SkullBoilder (スカルボイルダー Sukaru Boirudā) is Kamen Rider Skull's motorcycle. It is a modified Honda CBR1000RR resembling Kamen Rider Double's HardBoilder, but all black in color. It is armed with a series of guns called the Universal Launchers (ユニバーサルランチャー Yunibāsaru Ranchā).[13]

SkullGarry

The SkullGarry (スカルギャリー Sukarugyarī) is a tank/garage that holds the SkullBoilder. It was created by Shroud and the vehicle later becomes Kamen Rider Double's RevolGarry. The SkullGarry only appears in the Kamen Rider Skull: Message for Double portion of Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider OOO & W Featuring Skull: Movie War Core.

Stag Phone

The Stag Phone (スタッグフォン Sutaggu Fon) is the only existing Memory Gadget in 1999, used by Sokichi Narumi as his primary weapon prior to his becoming of Skull. The Stag Phone switches between Cell Phone Mode (携帯モード Keitai Mōdo) and Stag Mode (スタッグモード Sutaggu Mōdo) with the use of the Stag Memory (スタッグメモリ Sutaggu Memori). When in Cell Phone Mode, it allows Kamen Rider Skull to summon the SkullGarry.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "吉川晃司が変身！前代未聞のドクロライダー（芸能） ― スポニチ Sponichi Annex ニュース". 2009-10-05. Archived from the original on October 6, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  2. 1 2 Uchusen, No. 128
  3. 1 2 "吉川晃司 : 吉川晃司、 仮面ライダーを見ている子供たちに「路上で真似しちゃダメだよ」 / BARKS ニュース". 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  4. 1 2 Figure Oh, No. 149
  5. 1 2 Figure-Oh, No. 153
  6. ↑ Figure Oh, No. 150
  7. ↑ "吉川晃司 : 吉川晃司、仮面ライダーとシンバルキック対決？ ライヴで夢の共演 / BARKS ニュース". 2009-11-09. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Televi-Kun, December 2009
  9. 1 2 3 4 Televi Magazine, December 2009
  10. 1 2 3 4 Figure Oh, No. 141
  11. ↑ Figure Oh, No. 142
  12. ↑ Detail of Heroes 05 Kamen Rider W Special Photobook: KIRIFUDA: Hobby Japan, 2011 (ISBN 978-4-7986-0205-9)
  13. ↑ Televi Magazine, April 2010

See also

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