Kamen Rider Tiger

nihongo|Kamen Rider Tiger|仮面ライダータイガ|Kamen Raidā Taiga is a fictional character in the tokusatsu production "Kamen Rider Ryuki". He is one of the 13 Kamen Riders that the story revolves around. His true identity is Satoru Tojo, and he is portrayed by Jun Takatsuki, who is also known for another Tokusatsu series, Ultraman Neos. On some merchandise, the name is "Taiga," (which means "Big Fang" in Japanese) and on others it is "Tiger".

Like Kamen Rider Scissors and Kamen Rider Gai, Tiger relies on brute force to win his battles, lacking any sort of long-range weaponry. His usual weapon of choice is a large axe, which doubles as his card-reader. As an alternate weapon, his Strike Advent equips him with katar-like arm-guards which he can use to hack and slash away at an enemy. He usually relies on the help of his contact monster Destwilder to assist him in battle, as well as in his Final Advent "Crystal Break" where Destwilder attacks by dragging his enemy on the ground towards him, then Tiger lands the final blow using his Dest Claw.

Fictional character biography

Satoru Toujo presumably was a student of Seiinen University, the University in which Shiro Kanzaki mysteriously disappeared. It is also presumed that he was a colleague of Hajime Nakamura, and a student of Hideyuki Kagawa, both of whom would later become Kamen Rider Alternative (Alternative, and Alternative Zero respectively). Due to wanting to become a "hero" (likely an idea Satoru got from Kagawa), Satoru was chosen to be Kamen Rider Taiga by Shiro. However, through circumstances unknown, Satoru apparently revealed his role as a Rider to Kagawa, which would eventually lead to the two, along with Nakamura on the goal to close the Mirror World, making their base within Lab 401, the laboratory in which Kanzaki had been experimenting with the Mirror World. It is never specified when exactly Satoru was chosen to be a Rider. However, it can be presumed, assuming that Nakamura had been involved from the beginning, that it took place around after Nakamura's first appearance.

On Satoru's first appearance, he is merely presented as an assistant of both Kagawa and Nakamura. However, when Shinji bumps into Satoru by accident, causing him to drop a few notes he had been carrying by accident, Shinji read one of the notes and discovered that Kagawa's group very likely had knowledge of the Mirror World. However, Shinji was later ushered out, only to sense Monsters nearby. As Shinji battled the Monsters, Kamen Rider Taiga made his first appearance, aiding Shinji in defeating the Monsters. This confirmed Shinji's suspicions that Kagawa's group did have some connection to the Mirror World and immediately returned to interrogate them. Kagawa, who was carrying what appeared to be the Taiga Card Deck at the time, was immediately labeled as Kamen Rider Taiga by Shinji. Kagawa revealed that the Mirror Monsters had actually been sent by Shiro to kill them, as they had found a way to close the Mirror World. Shinji, tired of the Rider War, wished to help Kagawa, only to be told that Shinji had not received their trust yet. Later, it is revealed that copies of the Taiga Deck had actually been made for Kagawa and Nakamura, thus obscuring the identity of Taiga.

The next appearance of Satoru (although his identity is obscured at that point) shows him making an assassination attempt at Yui Kanzaki, by shoving her in front of a passing car. Luckily, Shinji had managed to save Yui before she was killed. Later on, Satoru aided Shinji in defeating Asakura, who had yet again escaped from police custody. The next time Satoru was seen, was when Shinji returned to Lab 401 to question Kagawa about the way to close the Mirror World. Instead, Kagawa revealed that both Nakamura and Satoru had Taiga Card Decks as well, further confusing Shinji. Kagawa reasoned with Shinji that if he couldn’t trust Shinji with the identity of Taiga, then it’d mean that Kagawa was even more reluctant to show Shinji the way to close the Mirror World.

Shinji, however, continued to persist, prompting Kagawa to give Shinji a chance in proving he could be trusted. Kagawa made the analogy of what Shinji would do if given the choice between saving a group of people or saving a single individual. According to Kagawa’s logic, a ‘hero’ should be able to have the courage to sacrifice a single life for the good of the greater population. Later, Satoru would appear as an employee at Atori. When Shinji realized this, he took the opportunity to ask Satoru about Kagawa’s plans to close the Mirror World. Satoru merely stated that the job was best left to himself, Kagawa and Nakamura. However, Shinji later noticed that Satoru had been eyeing Yui while working, suggesting that Satoru had an ulterior motive to working there.

Satoru later appeared after Shinji had fended off Kamen Rider Alternative (who had already attacked Yui before on one occasion). Shinji became suspicious that Satoru was actually Alternative and began questioning him. It was then, that Satoru told Shinji the manner in which the manner the Mirror World could be closed: The Death of Yui Kanzaki. Satoru reaffirmed Kagawa’s previous statement that a small sacrifice was needed for the greater good. Back in Lab 401, Nakamura berated Satoru for telling Shinji about their plans. Satoru justified his decision to do so, thinking that Shinji would eventually come round to their way of thinking. Although this only further infuriated Nakamura, Kagawa managed to calm things down, stating that everything was to be done for the greater good.

Later, Alternative made another attempt on Yui’s life only to be interrupted by Shinji yet again. Shinji managed to defeat Alternative, and believing him to still be Satoru, told him that he did not wish to sacrifice Yui. Alternative however, had not been completely beaten and attacked Shinji yet again. However, Shinji was once again saved by Taiga’s intervention, resulting in Nakamura’s death and the revelation of Taiga’s identity as Satoru.

Later, when Shinji wanted to investigate the former Kanzaki household, Satoru decided to follow him. Along the way, the two sensed the presence of Mirror Monsters. After finishing the battle, Satoru turned on Shinji claiming that he didn’t like that Shinji was unwilling to sacrifice Yui. Before Satoru could deal a fatal blow, he was stopped by Kagawa, who did not wish for any unnecessary fatalities.

However, Kagawa would later find himself being forced into making a heavy decision. Shiro had arranged for a Mirror Monster to kill Kagawa’s wife and son. Shiro would allow the two to live if Kagawa gave Shiro the Alternative Zero Deck. Satoru loyally stated that Kagawa’s decision had already been made beforehand. Satoru firmly believed that Kagawa would readily sacrifice his family for the betterment of mankind. Satoru would be proven right as Kagawa joined a massive battle between himself, Satoru, Shinji (who had just moments ago saved Kagawa’s family), Ren, Kitaoka, Asakura (who had developed a grudge against Satoru) and an entire swarm of Zelles.

After the battle’s end, Kagawa checked on the condition of his family, glad to realize that they were indeed alive. Satoru was actually surprised by Kagawa’s show of compassion, to which Kagawa told Satoru that a hero was useless if he was numb to human emotions. Satoru and Kagawa would later find themselves interrogated by Reiko, leading to Satoru identifying the woman as a threat. Satoru made an attempt to kill the woman but his efforts were in vain thanks to Kitaoka. The result was a battle between the two which ended with Kitaoka being critically injured. However, Kagawa voiced his disappoint yet again over Satoru’s rash actions, reprimanding the young man yet again.

The two would later find themselves having to deal with another variable in their plans. Apparently, a young Rider by the name of Mitsuru Sano wishes to ally himself with them, throwing rather exaggerated compliments at them. As proof of his worth, Sano took it upon himself to defeat some nearby Monsters, who coincidentally were being handled by Shinji as well. It would turn out that Shinji and Sano appeared to be familiar, and even friendly, terms. Satoru took it upon himself at that moment to attack Shinji. Quite unsurprisingly, Sano chose not to participate in the fight, although he did opt to cheer Shinji on. Before Satoru could kill Shinji, he was once again stopped by Kagawa. After Kagawa, Satoru and Sano returned to the lab, Sano queried on whether he would be allowed to join them. When questioned about his cheering of Shinji, Sano simply feigned ignorance, all the while saying that he’d offer his services to them for the right price.

Kagawa, despite admitting that Sano probably did not understand what exactly he and Satoru wanted, decided to allow Sano to help them much to the chagrin of Satoru. However, due to the increasing knowledge of the significance of Lab 401 by outsiders, Kagawa and Satoru decided to abandon their base. During that time, Kagawa invited Satoru for dinner with his family, hoping to allow Satoru to realize the compassion he believed a ‘hero’ should have. Later, when Sano had located Yui, Satoru and Kagawa arrived to aid him in killing the girl, while trying to stop Shinji from interfering. However, before Yui could be killed by the Contracted Monsters of the three Riders, she somehow managed to control them into attacking their masters. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Kagawa attempted to kill Yui himself. However, Satoru betrayed Kagawa, claiming that in order to be a true hero, one had to win the Rider War. Because of that, Satoru would have to kill Kagawa, an act which he swiftly committed based on Kagawa's words that a hero must sacrifice those he loves.

Satoru would be confronted by Sano later on, the latter wondering if the contract he made with Kagawa was still in effect. Satoru merely dismissed Sano, stating that his wish to become a hero did not involve Sano’s participation. Sano complied though not before noting that Satoru did not at all seem as clear as he did before. Asakura would later appear to pick a fight with Satoru, still holding a grudge against the young man for having defeated him before. Asakura’s rage coupled with Satoru’s guilt over the death of his teacher, led to Satoru’s quick and painful defeat. Satoru barely managed to escape with his life, contemplating on how unlucky the day seemed to be. Satoru would later be seen at the University campus, only to be once again confronted by Kitaoka, still curious as to why Satoru had wanted to attack Reiko. Satoru took his words as a challenge and the two began to battle. However, like the battle with Asakura, Satoru was quickly defeated, and matters were only made worse when Asakura himself appeared eager to settle the score with Satoru. However, Asakura’s mauling was cut short by Kitaoka’s Final Vent, resulting in Satoru receiving heavy injuries. Luckily for Satoru, Sano found him in his weakened state and decided to allow Satoru to stay with him until he got better. During his stay with Sano, Satoru admitted that the reason he wanted to be a ‘hero’ was because he wanted people to like him more. It was also during this period that Satoru admitted that he saw Sano as a friend.

However, Satoru’s next appearance would contradict what he had last said to Sano. Satoru had interrupted a battle between Sano and Shinji, presumably to help Sano. However, Satoru betrayed Sano and injured the man. He was however, interrupted by Shinji from dealing a fatal blow. However, Satoru was convinced that he managed to kill Sano. Satoru would later rescue Asakura from a police chase, wishing to challenge the man. However, Asakura revealed to Satoru that he did not kill Sano. In fact, after Satoru had injured Sano, Asakura found him and dealt the fatal blow. This caused Satoru to panic and abandon his attack against Asakura. Satoru later ambushed Kitaoka and began a battle with him. As the battle went on, Kitaoka explained to Satoru that the moment he wanted to become a ‘hero’, was the moment he failed in his goal. After that, Kitaoka left the battle much to the anger of Satoru.

Satoru later returned to Lab 401 in order to destroy all the notes of the Mirror World, to the chagrin of Shinji who had arrived to investigate the notes. Satoru admitted that he was confused about his next stop and wished that Kagawa was still alive. Satoru’s next battle would be the last he’d ever have. After watching Kitaoka, Asakura and Ren participate in a three-way battle, Satoru poured kerosene all over Kitaoka’s car, as an act of desperation. Later, Satoru interrupted the battle only to be defeated by Asakura yet again. Luckily, Satoru managed to once again escape, believing the rest of the Riders had been killed after hearing an explosion. As Satoru made his escape, he heard in his head Kagawa telling him that a hero needed to be compassionate, to which Satoru agreed. While on the road, Satoru saw a father and son, briefly reminding him of Kagawa and his own child. However, a truck was about to crash into the two, and Satoru sacrificed himself to save them. The injuries Satoru sustained were fatal. During his last moments, Satoru remembered what Kitaoka had told him about his wish to be a hero. As Satoru died, he wondered about how he could have been a hero. Ironically, the following day, a newspaper featured an article on Satoru's good deed. He was labeled a "hero", but would never live to know about it. After Shiro restored time to its proper course after Yui's death, Satoru was given a second chance in life with no memory of being a Rider. He is seen reading in the park as Shinji passes him.

Personality

Satoru is very clearly a disturbed man, with a twisted moral background. Satoru is continuously persistent in his goal to become a ‘hero’, a motive most likely influenced by Kagawa, and has proven himself very willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. Satoru is untrustworthy and would readily betray anyone who would get in his way, including supposed allies (the most notable example being his own teacher, Kagawa).

Satoru appears to be quite arrogant, under the context that he seems to think rather lowly of the other Riders, having even once commented on Shinji ‘not having what it took to be a hero’; another example of his single-minded nature in relation to his goal. In contrast, Satoru seemed to have shown a great amount of respect to his teacher, and was quite noticeably shaken after killing the man. In fact, Satoru appears to have adopted most of Kagawa’s analogies on the concept of hero, although Satoru himself often ends up going against them due to his bloodthirsty nature.

Conceptually, Satoru bears a strong resemblance to his Contracted Monster. Satoru has all the craftiness and cunning that would be associated with a tiger. Never one to attack straight on, Satoru has shown a preference for sneak attacks, only initiating the first offense while his target is off-guard. And, it is this tactic that makes Satoru all the despicable, for it is exactly the tactic he utilized when attacking Shinji, Nakamura, Sano and Kagawa, all of whom had been his allies at one point, and all of whom had put their trust in him.

In truth though, Satoru actually seems to be a sort of social outcast, having admitted that the reason for his wanting to become a ‘hero’ was so that everyone would like him more, suggesting that socially, he is quite inept. For example, when Kagawa was checking on the safety of his family, Satoru actually seemed surprised that Kagawa cared about them. Along with the true motives behind his wish, it is quite possible that Satoru never actually had someone he could consider a 'friend' (beyond Kagawa or Sano). Incidentally, this may have resulted in his antisocial and bloodthirsty behavior, unable to properly accept the concept of friends. While attacking Kagawa and Sano, he even stated that he had kill them, them being important people to him (his reasoning being that he’d become stronger by doing so). As Kagawa had stated, receiving the Taiga deck may have given Satoru a medium through which he could vent out his bloodthirsty tendencies.

Satoru, though, does appear to have a compassionate side as well. Despite his actions, Satoru did actually appear to have suffered from the death of Kagawa, whom he looked up to in his ideals. In fact, Satoru's performance in battle had dropped quite considerably, being defeated or held off quite easily by those he attempted to challenge after Kagawa's death. His final act before death itself professes that he at least has some amount of compassion in him.

pecifications

Alter Ego: Satoru Tojo
* Sight: ~20 km
* Hearing: ~15 km radius
* Speed: 72 km/h
* High jump: 45 m
* Punch: 250 Attack Points
* Kick: 400 Attack Points

Contract Monster

"Destwilder": Resembled a cross between a tiger and a humanoid.
* Height: 2.45 m
* Weight: 280 kg

Advent Cards

Dest Visor: Resembled a battle axe with a tiger head at the top of the haft.
* Length: 1.20 m
* Width: 0.40 m
* Weight: 3 kg

Destwilder (5,000 Attack Points)
* Summoned Destwilder.

Strike Vent (3,000 Attack Points) - "Dest Claw"
* Equipped Taiga with 2 gauntlets that resembled the claws of Destwilder.

Freeze Vent (1,000 Attack Points)
* Freezed the opponent for a certain period of time. In the series it froze the opponent rider's monster, to an advantage, though it was short lived in one instance when Tiger fought Ohja and with Ohja's three monsters, Tiger was out of his counters (Metalgelas was distracted by Destwilder, Venosnaker was frozen by this card, so Ohja used Evildiver for a final blow, which fortunately wasn't strong enough to kill Tiger, though his Tiger claws).

Final Vent (6,000 Attack Points) - "Crystal Break"
* Destwilder dragged the target across the floor and let Taiga finish his prey with a stab in the torso.

References

* [http://www.toei-video.co.jp/DVD/sp21/ryuki.html Kamen Rider Ryuki (DVD)]
* [http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/ryuki/ Kamen Rider Ryuki @ TV Asahi]
* [http://members.fortunecity.com/jillun/ryuuki/ Kamen Rider Ryuuki Spoiler Page]