Kamen Rider Black (character)
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Kohtaro Minami (南 光太郎, Minami Kōtarō) is a fictional character in the Kamen Rider Series portrayed by actor Tetsuo Kurata, serving as the titular protagonist of the 1987-1988 television series Kamen Rider Black as well as its 1988-1989 sequel Kamen Rider Black RX.
Kohtaro Minami
Kohtaro Minami (南 光太郎, Minami Kōtarō, portrayed by Tetsuo Kurata) was born on the day of a solar eclipse alongside his stepbrother Nobuhiko, revered by the Gorgom as the heirs to their leader's throne, with Kohtaro serving as Century King Black Sun (世紀王ブラックサン, Seiki-O Burakku San). Once the two were of the ideal age, the Gorgom captured them and infused them each with a King Stone. However, Soichiro Akizuki (portrayed by Kantaro Suga), Nobuhiko's father and Kohtaro's legal guardian/foster dad, interrupted the final mind-altering stage of the surgery and Kohtaro barely escaped with his life while Nobuhiko was in a state of hibernation. Before Soichiro was killed for his actions at the hands of five Spider Mutants, revealing to Kohtaro that his parents were murdered by Gorgom while he was a baby, Kohtaro took on the name of "Kamen Rider Black" (仮面ライダーBLACK, Kamen Raidā Burakku) to fight Gorgom and later Shadow Moon, Nobuhiko's perfected Century King form and a pure, cold-blooded Gorgom leader. When he was initially killed by Shadow Moon, his remaining family members (Kyoko and Kasumi) were forced to evacuate from Gorgom's hegemony over Japan. He was eventually resurrected and fought his way through the remaining monsters before presumably killing Shadow Moon (and in the process, Nobuhiko) and destroying the Creation King. Soon afterwards, Kohtaro visits the Capitola bar for the last time and then leaves for an unknown destination.
After defeating Gorgom, Kohtaro Minami finds himself homeless until the Sahara family embraced him into their family. With their connections, he found employment as a helicopter pilot for their family business, and began to build a new life for himself. But half a year later, Kohtaro was abducted into the interstellar mother-ship of the Crisis Empire. Knowledgeable of his identity as Kamen Rider Black, the organization attempted to offer him to join them. Kohtaro refused so they had him jettisoned into space after leaving him incapacitated and his King Stone damaged, floating aimlessly through space. However, the sun's radiation altered his King Stone as he miraculously survived entry into Earth's atmosphere. Upon his rebirth, Kohtaro learned he had evolved into Kamen Rider Black RX (仮面ライダーBLACK RX, Kamen Raidā Burakku Āru Ekkusu). With his new powers and vehicles, he battled the Crisis Empire and thwarted their plans to take over Earth.
When Hitomi Sahara was kidnapped by Maribaron to assume the identity of the Crisis Empire's only living heir, Kohtaro uses Deathgaron to enter the Desert of Death after them. By the time he finds Hitomi, Kohtaro falls into a trap set up by Maribaron to do away with him and Deathgaron. When it looked as if Deathgaron had actually killed Hitomi, Black RX was in a state of sorrow and sadness over the death of Hitomi that he invokes a new power, Robo Rider. Using his power, Robo Rider fatally wounds Deathgaron before learning that the Hitomi killed was a fake and the real one is being taken to the Valley of Miracles. On his way, he meets Joe the Haze who is under the control of Necksticker, freeing him before they and Shigeru are captured by Maribaron and the Princess Karuoriya. It was after they break free that Kohtaro realizes the princess is Hitomi, who was abducted and was force grown by the nearby waterfall to replace the real princess who died. When he attempts to restore Hitomi's memory, Kohtaro is forced to surrender when the Triplon captured Shigeru and Joe. Kohtaro was then placed into a room for a hole designed to counter his abilities as both RX and Robo Rider for a slow painful death. His rage to save those he loves invokes another new form, Bio Rider. After killing Triplon, with Shigeru's help, Kohtaro succeeds in having Hitomi regain her memory as she and the other kidnapped girls are returned to their original ages by the people who originally resided in the valley. With only Joe, Shigeru and Hitomi knowing his identity, Kohtaro returns to Earth.
During the middle of the series, Shadow Moon mysteriously returns to seek revenge against him, shortly after, Shadow Moon was finally defeated when RX thrust the Revolcane through Shadow Moon's King Stone, effectively turning him good shortly before he died and finally reverting to Nobuhiko. In the finale, he was helped by the 10 veteran Kamen Riders to destroy the Crisis Empire. After destroying the Crisis Empire for good, Kohtaro bids farewell to the remaining Sahara siblings and his allies to pursue the remnants of the Crisis Empire.
In Super Hero Taisen GP after Shocker alters the timeline by sending Kamen Rider 3 into 1973, Kotaro's timeline changed where as he didn't received RX powers in the present, yet regained his original memories on what happen in the timeline he is in now. He is seen as one of the two Rider resistances beside Takumi Inui secretly. He first fought Shocker Rider Drive (shortly before he somehow regained his old memories back as Kamen Rider Drive) and Cheetahkatatsumuri. When the Shocker members' projectile goes shots to the children, BLACK protects them, revealing the role of what the true Kamen Rider looks like in protecting people's smiles and hapiness, which caused Drive shortly remember. As Drive is gone chasing Rider 3, who saved his life, and Shocker left to chase them, a fully recovered Kiriko "arrest" a weakened Kotaro under "custody" and secretly taken to Drive Pits, where the members of Special Investigation Division (except Otta, who is one of Shocker member in that timeline) fully recovered their original memories under their care. He soon discuss with Kiriko and Shinnosuke about what happen in the timeline they are in and about Kamen Rider 3 for being a Rider who should never be exist. When Shocker somehow spots Special Investigation Division on hiding Kotaro under their care and attacks the Drive Pit, Kotaro sacrifice his life to get Shinnosuke and Kiriko escape. He is soon revived thanks to Shinnosuke's light, and receive RX powers back once more. Learning that Drive challenge Shocker for a race and Shocker themselves secretly plotting a dirty tricks, he is joined by Faiz and Mach to counter Shockers' cheats, and to save Kiriko and Yuto Sakurai/Kamen Rider Zeronos. After Drive won, in a same time Rider 3 redeeming himself and Shocker doesn't know how to accept their lost, using Rider 3 as a vessel for Rider Robo's power to destroy the Riders and their civilian resistance, BLACK RX and his Rider resistance allies are joined a fully recovered Royal Ace Kamen Riders from Kamen Rider Blade, until by the luck, Rider 3's will of redemtion, thanks to Shinnosuke's emphaty revives original Double Riders and restores Shocker Riders' memories back to Kamen Riders, then Rider 3 manage to escape from the Great Leader's control of the Rider Robo, rendering the leader powerless to use a timeline modifier, when he is gone too far erasing most of the Riders from the existence.
Kamen Rider Black
- Rider Punch and Rider Kick: The primary killer moves in the entire series were the Rider Punch (ライダーパンチ, Raidā Panchi) and Rider Kick (ライダーキック, Raidā Kikku) which is charged with King Stone Energy at the right fist and the right foot. After delivering either one or both moves to any monsters, they would be engulfed in flames before finally destroyed. Kamen Rider Black discovered his weakness when he was fighting a Crab monster. His Rider Punch had no effect on the monster due to its strong shell. To increase his capabilities, Kamen Rider Black trained himself to find a new killer move to destroy the monster. While training, he discovered a new Rider Punch which was more effective and more deadly. These stronger variations of Rider Punch & Rider Kick gave out stronger force of light and were more blinding. The difference between the new and the old moves were that the new ones required Kamen Rider Black to touch his knees before hitting his enemies.
- Rider Chop: Though not used by Black for finishing off monsters, this move can slice through most materials, and the series mentions that it can cut through 100mm of solid steel.
- Multi-Eye: His eyes would glow and the functions were to see monsters' movements in the dark and to detect their weaknesses.
- Sensoring Ears: The triangular structures on both sides of his head would glow purple and the function was to hear voices and sounds from far away.
- Rider Sensor: Kamen Rider Black's antennas would move to detect monsters which were moving too fast to be seen.
- Power Stripes: His Yellow-Red-Yellow bands on his neck and wrists would glow to repel any monsters' sticky fluids or goo on his body.
- Dragon Shoot: A move only seen in episodes 16 and 30. The Dragon Shoot was taught by the Interpol Agent, Ryusuke Taki. Ryusuke threw the Ultra Quartz (a wanted object in the episode) towards Kamen Rider Black where he quickly jumped and kicked it with one foot. In episode 30, Kohtaro, having recovered some from memory loss caused by Bilgenia's Dark Storm move, uses the move again to return a soccer ball to some children.
- King Stone Flash: Perhaps the most powerful technique. By shouting out "King Stone Flash", Kamen Rider Black could fire a burst of energy from his belt. It worked every time to fend off the villains; whether it's the High Priests or even the powerful Shadow Moon. In Kamen Rider Decade, however, it was shown that the King Stone Flash is able to take out several Crisis minions.
Equipment
King Stone
The King Stone (キングストーン, Kingu Sutōn) is Kamen Rider Black's means of transformation. Embedded upon the center of his belt is the artifact called the Stone of the Sun (太陽の石, Taiyō no Seki).
In order to transform, Kohtaro uses an arm twisting pose, then shouting "Henshin!" The King Stone is revealed in a red flash, materializing with the belt. With the intensity of several red & white flashes, Kohtaro's body first evolves into a grasshopper-like mutant exoskeleton before refining itself into Kamen Rider Black. The King Stone is also means of charging several energies to perform his signature attacks.
Satan Sabre
The Satan Sabre (サタンサーベル, Satan Sāberu) is a weapon created for use by the Century Kings. Initially used by Shadow Moon, Black, being a Century King himself, has the ability to use the weapon. Black used it in the finale to damage Shadow Moon's King Stone in their final confrontation and once again to ultimately kill the Creation King.
Rider Machines
Battle Hopper
The Battle Hopper (バトルホッパー, Batoru Hoppā) is a living motorcycle created by Gorgom, made specifically for the upcoming Creation Kings Black Sun and Shadow Moon. The Battle Hopper has the ability to heal its own wounds if damaged, and can stand on its own if knocked over. His special move is the Dynamic Smash, a body slam attack that is executed at full speed. Before the finale, Battle Hopper was later stolen by Shadow Moon and dies in the final episode, but would later be resurrected as Acrobatter in response to Black's evolution to Black RX.
Road Sector
The Road Sector (ロードセクター, Rōdo Sekutā) is a motorcycle created by Yoichi Daimon for Gorgom. The Road Sector is a prototype made with the intention of making it a mass-produced vehicle for their mutant soldiers, but instead it became Kamen Rider Black's second Rider Machine. The Road Sector has a special function called the Attack Shield that shields the rider from harm. In this mode, the Road Sector can perform its special ramming maneuver, the Sparkling Attack. The Road Sector can travel at the speed of 500 kilometers per hour with its 1,515 horsepower engine. The Attack Shield is activated at the speed of 800 km/h, which enables the Road Sector to reach the maximum speed of 960 kilometers per hour to perform the Sparkling Attack.
Kamen Rider Black RX
Kamen Rider Black RX was the first Kamen Rider to have multiple forms: Robo Rider and Bio Rider. The concept of "multiple form changing" Riders would be repeated throughout the Heisei Kamen Rider series. Form changing is best described as alternating back and forth between forms to adjust to different situations. In his base form, Black RX is a photosynthetic warrior as well as the evolved form of Black using the sun as his main energy source. When Kohtaro becomes Black RX, he says, "I am the Child of the Sun! Kamen Rider Black RX!" (俺は太陽の子！仮面ライダーＢＬＡＣＫ ＲＸ！, Ore wa Taiyō no Ko! Kamen Raidā Burakku Āru Ekkusu!) While in this form, Black RX uses his Macro Eye to detect his opponents' weaknesses, hidden objects, or people behind any obstacles. His signature weapon is the Revolcane sword and can perform his dropkick Rider Kick called the RX Kick (ＲＸキック, Āru Ekkusu Kikku).
Robo Rider
Robo Rider (ロボライダー, Robo Raidā), known as the Prince of Sadness or Prince of Flames, is Black RX's armored form manifested through sorrow for the love of humanity. In this form, Black RX's armor becomes bulky and more robotic-like, with black and orange coloring as his insignia becomes a "R2" and his Sunriser resembles a gearbox. Though lacking agility and speed, Robo Rider makes it up in not only enhanced strength and defense but his Robo Form (ロボフォーム, Robo Fōmu) skin allows him to absorb heat energy to utilize his signature weapon is the Vortech Shooter pistol and can perform the Robo Punch (ロボパンチ, Robo Panchi).
Bio Rider
Bio Rider (バイオライダー, Baio Raidā), known as the Prince of Nature or Prince of Anger, is Black RX's high speed form manifested through rage. In this form, Black RX's armor becomes much sleeker, blue and silver all over with his insignia changed to "R3" and his Sunriser belt resembles a single King Stone belt. Though having a weaker defense, Bio Rider makes it up with enhanced speed and the ability to transform into gel for escaping traps or attacking enemies while not getting hurt in the process. His weapon is the unbreakable sword, Bio Blade and can perform the Bio Attack (バイオアタック, Baio Atakku)
Equipment
Sunriser
The Sunriser (サンライザー, Sanraisā) is Black RX's transformation belt that is actually the King Stone. The King Stone was split in half in response to Black's evolution, able to communicate to him telepathically and use sunlight to power RX up. That factor places RX at a disadvantage while in an area devoid of sunlight. The Sunriser also allows for Form Change, changing its design to suit the form.
Revolcane
The Revolcane (リボルケイン, Riborukein) is Black RX's sword comes out from his Sunriser belt and it has a beam saber mode that executes the Revol Crash (リボルクラッシュ, Riboru Kurasshu) finishing attack, sending unlimited energy to the enemy.
Vortech Shooter
The Vortech Shooter (ボルティックシューター, Borutikku Shūtā) is Robo Rider's signature pistol weapon that is formed from the right side of his body. It can shoot a powerful solar blast that can destroy an enemy in one blow in the Hard Shot (ハードショット, Hādo Shotto) attack. As it is powered by sunlight, this gun ranges limitless and never misses the target.
Bio Blade
The Bio Blade (バイオブレード, Baio Burēdo) is Bio Rider's signature weapon formed from the left side of his body. Like the Revolcane, the Bio Blade also has a light saber mode that can slash his enemy in one blow in his Spark Cutter (スパークカッター, Spāku Kattā) attack.
Rider Machines
Acrobatter
Acrobatter (アクロバッター, Akurobattā) is the revived version of Black's old motorcycle, the Battle Hopper in response to Black's transformation to Black RX. It is now capable of speaking coherent Japanese, and often has conversations with Kohtaro. Powered by sunlight, Acrobatter can execute the Acrobatic Burn (アクロバットバーン, Akurobatto Bān) attack. Whenever Black RX transforms into any of his two other forms, it does the same: Becoming the high speed Roboizer (ロボイザー, Roboizā) for Robo Rider with two Vulcan Gun (バルカン砲, Barukan Hou) blasters mounted at its rear and the Macjabber (マックジャバー, Makkujabā) for Bio Rider.
Ridoron
Ridoron (ライドロン, Raidoron) is a high-speed car created by Kohtaro based on the blue prints provided by Prof. Walter of one of the colonies the Crisis Empire set up. Though immobile at first, Kohtaro brought Rideron into the cave of the Kujira Mutant where he was brought back to life in Kamen Rider Black. Able to reach speeds up to 1500 km, Ridoron can travel over land and sea. It is highly intelligent, similar to Acrobatter. It has two mandibles that can extend from the front to do break-ins or ramming enemies. In the series production, Ridoron was built by Mazda, an automobile company in Japan. Kamen Rider Black RX is the only Shōwa Kamen Rider to have a car in his arsenal.