Kamen Rider

1971 • TMDB 6.5 • 37 seasons • Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama

Overview

Kamen Rider is Japan’s iconic tokusatsu franchise, running since 1971 and created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It began with Takeshi Hongo, a promising young motorcycle racer kidnapped by Shocker, an evil secret organization plotting world domination. Remodeled into a cyborg, Hongo escapes and swears to protect humanity from the organization’s inhuman monsters, riding into battle as the masked hero Kamen Rider. Across more than five decades, the franchise has reinvented itself again and again — new Riders, new eras, new threats — while keeping its core formula: a transformed hero on a motorcycle, spectacular martial-arts action, and a fight for justice against shadowy villains.

Creator and Main Cast

Created by Shotaro Ishinomori. The original series stars Hiroshi Fujioka as Takeshi Hongo / Kamen Rider #1, Takeshi Sasaki as Hayato Ichimonji / Kamen Rider #2, and Akiji Kobayashi as Tobei Tachibana, with Shinji Nakae as the narrator.

Seasons Snapshot

• The original Kamen Rider (1971–1973) — Hongo and Ichimonji battle Shocker’s monsters in the series that started it all.
• Showa and Heisei eras (1973–2019) — Dozens of new Riders, from V3 and Black to Kuuga, Den-O, and Build, each redefining the hero for a new generation.
• Reiwa era and beyond (2019–present) — Modern series such as Zero-One, Geats, and the current MY-TH season keep the franchise going into 2026.

Why Watch Kamen Rider

Watch it for the sheer history: no superhero franchise has lasted longer or reinvented itself more often. Whether you start with the 1971 classic or a modern season, you get inventive action, memorable villains, and a hero whose mask has become a symbol of Japanese pop culture.

Trailer

Watch official Kamen Rider trailers and clips on Toei’s official YouTube channels.

Where to Watch

In the US, Kamen Rider streams on the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. This was checked against JustWatch US listings on October 29, 2026; check the JustWatch US page for Kamen Rider for the latest options.