Kamen Rider Ryuki (character)

nihongo|Kamen Rider Ryuki|仮面ライダー龍騎|Kamen Raidā Ryūki [ [http://www.toei-video.co.jp/DVD/sp21/ryuki.html Masked Rider Ryuki (DVD)] ] [ [http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/ryuki/ Masked Rider Ryuki @ TV Asahi] ] [ [http://members.fortunecity.com/jillun/ryuuki/ Kamen Rider Ryuuki Spoiler Page] ] is a fictional character in the tokusatsu production "Kamen Rider Ryuki". He is the second of the 13 Kamen Riders the story revolves around. He is the eponymous character, and the main protagonist. His true identity is Shinji Kido and is portrayed by Takamasa Suga. His name, obtained from Kamen Rider Knight after their first team up, nihongo|Ryuki|龍騎, literally means "Dragon Knight" in Japanese to describe his form. He is one of the few main Kamen Riders in the franchise not to resemble an insect in his transformed state, though he still has the ever-recognizable bug eyes as part of his helmet design.

Kamen Rider Ryuki is a "balanced" Rider with equally powerful melee and far-range fighting capabilities. His special element seems to be fire, given his dragon's augmentation to his armor. His most used weapon is his Sword Vent, modeled after a Chinese Dao sword, and his Final Vent is a drop kick called "Dragon Rider Kick", which is a playoff from the usual "Rider Kick" the original Kamen Riders used.

Fictional character biography

Shinji is good-hearted, friendly, naive idealist. He is a journalist at the ORE news group. He came across his Vent deck while investigating a number of strange disappearances. Upon finding the deck he was attacked by Mirror World monster, Dragreder. After meeting Ren Akiyama, Kamen Rider Knight, and Yui Kanzaki, he contracted with Dragreder to become Kamen Rider Ryuki. His life suffered many hardships since becoming Ryuki; he has been lost his apartment, fired once and could barely maintain his job afterwards. Despite this, Shinji maintained his happy-go-lucky attitude throughout the series.

He has no prize, his reason for fighting is to protect people from the Mirror World monsters. Upon learning of the reason behind the Rider war, he then tried to stop the Kamen Riders from fighting. After constant rejection from the other Riders, including from Ren, whom he considers his best friend, Shinji eventually found a kindred spirit in Miyuki Tezuka, Kamen Rider Raia. The two tried to stop the Rider war together until Raia was killed by Kamen Rider Ohja. Ren would eventually come to return Shinji's offers of friendship, even though they also maintained something of a rivalry afterward.

At the end of the series, he was stabbed in the back by a monster before he could transform while protecting a little girl and died with a devastated Ren by his side shortly afterwards. When Shiro Kanzaki reverted time back to normal after Yui died, Shinji's life was restored as a normal journalist with no memory of being a Rider.

In the "13 Riders Special", his role in the Rider war was the same, but his origin as Ryuki was much different. It was by fate he was dragged into Mirror World by a monster to be saved by the previous Ryuki, Kōichi Sakakibara. But mortally wounded and wishing to save his life, Sakakibara gave Shinji his deck and faded while Shinji became the Kamen Rider Ryuki. Shinji still tried to prevent the other Riders from fighting as his way to thank Sakakibara. He was lured into the Mirror World by the others under the guise of a truce, but was ambushed. While fighting the other Riders, the Ryuki deck was destroyed by Kamen Rider Odin. After Kamen Rider Knight was killed by Kamen Rider Verde, Ren gave Shinji the Knight deck and he took the mantle of Kamen Rider Knight.

Forms

Blank Form

This is Ryuki's default form when lacking a Contract Monster. It is much weaker than any of his other forms and any of the other Riders, though it is enough to keep him from disintegrating in the Mirror World. Shinji began the series in this form before he contracted Dragreder, and he also reverted back to this form when his Contract Card was stolen by Kamen Rider Gai. This form's specifications are:
* Sight: ~5 km
* Hearing: ~5 km radius
* Speed: 45 km/h
* High jump: 10 m
* Punch: 50 Attack Points
* Kick: 100 Attack Points

Ryuki Form

This is Ryuki's standard form that he had throughout most of the series. He obtained this form by contracting with Dragreder. This form reflects the appearance and powers of his Contract Monster. This form's specifications are:
* Sight: ~15 km
* Hearing: ~15 km radius
* Speed: 72 km/h
* High jump: 35 m
* Punch: 200 Attack Points
* Kick: 400 Attack Points

urvive Form

This is Ryuki's Ultimate form. He can obtain this form by using his Survive Card.
* Sight: ~20 km
* Hearing: ~20 km radius
* Speed: 80 km/h
* High jump: 45 m
* Punch: 300 Attack Points
* Kick: 500 Attack Points

Contract monster

Dragreder

Modelled after a Japanese dragon. A.k.a. Matchless dragon. Compare with "Ryuga's Dragblacker". Its specifications are:
* Length: 6.15 m
* Breadth: 0.37 m
* Height: 0.55 m
* Weight: 210 kg
* Flight speed: 500 km/h

Dragranzer

The "Survive" version of Dragreder. Dragreder transforms into this form after Ryuki uses his Survive Card. Dragranzer could also transform into motorcycle form which Ryuki can ride on, preferable during Ryuki Survive's Final Vent.Dragranzer
* Length: 10.55 m
* Breadth: 1.10 m
* Height: 0.99 m
* Weight: 380 kg
* Flight speed: 900 km/hMotorcycle Form
* Length: 6 m
* Breadth: 1.10 m
* Height: 1.22 m
* Weight: 380 kg
* Speed: 760 km/h

Advent cards

Blank Form

;Ride Visor:Mounted on his left forearm, Ride Visor is Ryuki's card reader while in Blank Form.

;Sword Vent "Ride Saber":
:A fragile sword. Ryuki's only weapon while in Blank Form.

;Guard Vent "Ride Shield":
:No notable description.

Ryuki Form

;Drag Visor:Ryuki's card reader, mounted on his left forearm; resembles the head of Dragreder. Transformed from Ride Visor after the contract was made with Dragreder.

;Dragreder:
:Summons Dragreder.

;Sword Vent "Drag Saber" [Masked Rider Ryuki's Drag Saber was based on the Chinese Dao.]

:"'

;Strike Vent "Drag Claw":"'
flamethrower weapon.

;Guard Vent "Drag Shield":"'
shield array from Dragreder's body.

;Final Vent "Dragon Rider Kick":"'

;Survive Rekka [nihongo|Rekka|烈火 roughly means "Raging Flame" or "Wild Fire".] (Right Wing):Upgrades Ryuki to "Survive Form" and Dragreder to "Dragranzer". Infused with the power of fire.

;Strange Vent:A generic card that could be used by any of the 13 Riders. Once activated, it changed itself into one of the Advent Cards of the 13 Riders in a random manner. In the TV series, it had become the "Trick Vent" card of "Kamen Rider Knight" in one occasion and the "Steal Vent" card of "Kamen Rider Odin" in another. In the case of Ryuki, it seemed to follow a pattern: it consistently copied the next Advent Card that would be used by the opposing Rider.

urvive Form

;Drag Visor-Zwei:Ryuki Survive's card reader which resembled a blaster with a dragon's head on the front. "Zwei" means "two" in German, which is used to refer to his visor being in its second form.

;Dragranzer:"'

;Sword Vent "Drag Blade""':"'

;Shoot Vent "Meteor Bullet""':"'

;Guard Vent "Fire Wall""':"'

;Final Vent "Dragon Firestorm""':"'

;Strange Vent:A generic card that could be used by any of the 13 Riders. See above Strange Vent description for details.

References