There are relatively few franchises that can boast more than 50 years of history while still surviving well into the modern day. Many in the English speaking world will know of doctor whoor Star Warsbut when it comes to Japan, Kamen Rider is one of the biggest and oldest names out there, especially in the superhero genre.
Kamen Rider is a series that focuses on the titular horsemen, superheroes who often work alone or in small groups to stop a large, evil organization. While the sister series Super Sentai was introduced outside Japan as Power Rangers, Kamen Rider has never received a worthy adaptation and remains largely exclusive to Japan. This means it can often be a challenge to get into the series, but thankfully most seasons tell their own story and there are lots of great points jumps.
8 Kamen Rider Fourze
in many ways, Kamen Rider and other ‘tokusatsu’ TV shows share many aspects of anime, from mannerisms and jokes to themes of friendship and determination. Because anime is such a huge cultural force, these similarities can help anime fans understand the Kamen Rider world.
fourzeUsing a traditional high school environment is an aspect of the show that it shares with a lot of anime. The main character Gentaro is also a classic “delinquent” character like Yusuke Urameshi from Yu Yu Hakusho. Even beyond the anime links, the focus on space provides a rather popular motif for newcomers to cling to.
7 Kamen Rider Decade
Kamen Rider is divided into 3 eras; ‘Showa’, ‘Heisei’ and ‘Reiwa’, corresponding to the period of the Imperial rule of Japan, was broadcast every season. Kamen Rider Decade aired in 2009, in the midst of the Heisei era. It’s an anniversary season, which makes it a good place to learn more about the series as a whole.
It is primarily a tribute to the 9 seasons that precede it in the Heisei era. This era started in 2000, after a 10-year hiatus for the series, so it acts as the series’ first modern installment. Decade not only gives newcomers a brief overview of all seasons in the Heisei era, but is also quite short at only 31 episodes.
6 Kamen Rider x Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen
Kamen Rider and its sister series Super Sentai are very closely related, share an entire broadcast block together, and often cross over into different movies and specials. Super Hero Taisen is such a crossover, mainly with Kamen Rider Decade and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger.
While it’s best to enjoy the movie with knowledge of all the different seasons of both shows, these crossover events are also designed not to be too overwhelming for newcomers. Ever since Decade and gokaiger are both anniversary seasons that use powers from their respective series, SHT offers a chance to see a wide variety of what both series have to offer while enjoying some great action.
5 Kamen Rider Zi-O
As the last Kamen Rider series to air in the Heisei era, Zi-O is a spiritual successor to Decade in many ways. Like Decadeit pays tribute to previous seasons by giving the protagonist access to powers from several other Kamen Riders.
Zi-O might be a better springboard than Decadeas it aired about 10 years later in 2018. This means 10 years of improvements to the series’ visual style, action sequences and grasp of modern technology, enabling Zi-O much less shocking to modern viewers. This season also has a Terminator-esque time travel storyline that is easy to understand.
4 Kamen Rider Gaim
Among the fans, 2013 Kamen Rider Gaim is still one of the most popular seasons in the franchise, meaning it can show newcomers the best the franchise has to offer. A big part in making Gaim as beloved as it is is the writer Gen Urobuchi, best known for his creation Madoka Magicaone of the most iconic anime ever made.
Due to Urobochi’s involvement, the season’s storytelling is somewhat similar to that of an anime, further helping anime fans smoothly transition to Kamen Rider. Gaim also has fruits and samurai as its main motifs, giving it a uniquely attractive range of colorful costume designs.
3 Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen
Most of the seasons listed here are from the Heisei era, as this is the longest-running era in the series’ history. It will probably be quite difficult for many to enter the Showa era seasons, due to their highly visible age and lower production values. However, they are the beginning of the series and are worth knowing at the very least.
While many of Kamen Rider movies and specials will feature the Showa riders, Kamen Rider Taisen put them all in one movie, as they take on the Heisei riders. This film will allow newcomers to see the older riders in a more modern context, potentially sparking interest in watching the older seasons in the series.
2 Kamen Rider ex-helper
Each Kamen Rider season needs something to stand out from the crowd. Especially in recent years, each season is committed to a common visual motif, be it cars, fruits or ghosts. ex-caregiver is a season that chooses to pay tribute to video games.
Like anime, video games are a huge industry, and many fans are eager to get involved Kamen Rider will have some background in video games. This helps ex-caregiver feel more familiar, even for newcomers. It’s also one of the more popular seasons, even facing off against Pac-Man in a crossover movie.
1 Kamen Rider Geats
For long-running franchises, if the story between entries is more disconnected, the newest entry is sometimes the best place to jump in. Just like starting pokemon with the coming Scarlet and purple is a very easy way to try out the series, Kamen Rider Geats is an easy way to try out this series.
geats‘ first episode will air on September 4, 2022, so newcomers can watch from the start. The season also features a Battle Royale-style story, inspired by other Battle Royales such as Fortnite and squid gamemeaning many newbies will be familiar with the structure the story uses.
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