Skyrider

In 1979, after a four year hiatus, the Rider series was back, this time
with a show simply titled Kamen Rider, today known as New
Kamen Rider to distinguish it from the original. The hero of the show
is initially referred to as just “Kamen Rider”, but starting in episode
#20, all the guest Riders refer to him as “Skyrider”, which is the most
common name the character goes by today. Of course, everyone
else still calls him just “Kamen Rider”. It can get a little confusing, I
know, and in the off chance that Kamen Rider THE FIRST ever
leads to a TV series, Skyrider’s show is probably going to be known
as Middle Kamen Rider. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.

Tsukuba Hiroshi is an all-around average guy who loves nothing
more than to soar through the sky on his hang-glider. Well, he also
likes tearin’ up the pavement on his motorcycle, but for Tsukuba,
few things take precedence over his love of flying. One day, while
out camping with friends, he has the unfortunate luck of running into
minions of the evil Neoshocker, who are trying to capture a hapless
scientist, Doctor Shido Keitarô. He gets in over his head and is
critically wounded by Neoshocker mutant Chameleonjin, while the
good doctor is taken captive by the bad guys. Shido convinces the
Neoshocker commander General Monster that if he is allowed to
save Tsukuba's life, Neoshocker will have a new & powerful cyborg
minion at their disposal. The General agrees, but unfortunately for
him, Shido turns the tables and transforms Tsukuba not into a
Neoshocker Kaijin but into the newest Kamen Rider– Skyrider!

Name: Skyrider
(Sukairaidaa)

*Referred to as simply
"Kamen Rider" in much
of his series.

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 70 kg

Human Identity:
Tsukuba Hiroshi

Rider Machine: Sky
Turbo

Henshin Belt: Tornado

Henshin Phrase:
"Henshin!" (#1~34),
"Sky Henshin!" (#35~)

Enemy: Neoshocker

Combat Techniques:

-Sky Kick
-Sky Punch
-Sky Chop
-Sky Nage (Throw)
-Enshin Nage
(Centrifugal Throw)
-Sky Drill
-Dai Kaiten (Great
Revolving) Sky Kick

Additional attacks after
being powered-up by
the other 7 Riders:

-Dai Hanten (Great
Return) Sky Kick
-Sky Screw Kick
-Sky Flying Saucer
-Dai Senkai (Great
Rotating) Sky Kick
-Sky Double Kick
-Suihei Kaiten
(Horizontal Revolving)
Chop
-Taketonbo (Spinning
Top) Shoot
-Fuusha San-Dan
Nage (Windmill 3-Step
Throw)
-Ganseki Otoshi
(Rock Drop)
-Rider Typhoon Nôten
Otoshi (Head Drop)
-San-Ten (3-Point)
Drop
-Hissatsu Kuuchuu
Inazuma Otoshi
(Certain Kill: Aerial
Lightning Drop)
-Rider Moon Sault
-Sky Arm Drop
-Sky Back Drop
-Fuujin Jigoku Otoshi
(Wind God’s Hell Drop)
-Sky Lightning Storm
-Pile Drop
-Nenriki Gaeshi (Will-
powered Reversal)
Rider Spin
-Yari-Watari Kagerô
No Jutsu
(Art of "Shimmering
Heat" Spear Crossing)
-Rider Dai Fuusha
(Great Windmill)
-Kuuchuu Godan
(Aerial Fifth Rank) Kick
-Hissatsu Tobi-Ishi
Kudama (Certain Kill:
Stepping Stone Smash)
-Cross Chop, etc.

Combination attacks
with the previous 7
Riders:

-Hachinin (8 Person)
Sailing Jump

Special
Equipment/Weapons
& Powers:

-True to his name,
Skyrider can fly, with
the "Sailing Jump".

-While previous Riders
had special attacks
using their motorcycles,
Skyrider’s wall,
window, or anything-
smashing “Rider Break”
is an especially notable
signature of his.

-After getting powered-
up, Skyrider gains 99
new Combat
Techniques, and often
executes many of the
above moves by saying
"One of the 99
Techniques: (Insert
attack name here)".

Well, he's not exactly called Skyrider just yet, but to keep things simple, I'll call him Skyrider for the rest of this thing. Skyrider &
Doctor Shido escape, and following his first battle, Tsukuba vows to never rest until Neoshocker is defeated. I have to say here
that the end of the first episode is very easily one of my favorite scenes in Kamen Rider history, and one of the most emotional in
the series, when Skyrider shows Shido his ability to fly for the first time.

Skyrider can fly via the "Sailing Jump". Although he really is supposed to be flying, that name sort of makes it sound more like he's
just gliding. But then again, I think we can all agree it’s best if we not worry about the logic in a show that features an episode
where the hero adopts the illegitimate child of one of the Kaijin. Oh, I’ll get to that later. In any case, the whole flying power
results from the fact that Skyrider is based on the more commonly airborne locust (Inago) rather than a regular old jumping
grasshopper (Batta.)

Skyrider's motorcycle is called Sky Turbo. With it he can perform the devastating "Rider Break", and smash through walls as if
they were made of cardboard (which usually, they were.) I must make a note that Skyrider’s “Rider Break” is perhaps my
favorite motorcycle move of any kind in any Rider series ever, and I was happy to see it return in Kamen Rider Blade. Skyrider
gets help from Dr. Shido until episode #13. From #14 on, Tani Genjirô, a sort of Tachibana 2.0, assists our hero. Tani will later
go on to aid Kamen Rider Super-1. As an amusing side note, Tsukuba always calls Tani Senpai (a senior in a working or
academic relationship, as they apparently go back even before the series begins) rather than Oyassan (“Pops”, what all the other
Riders called Tachibana.) There’s also the requisite bunch of Rider Girls (who rotate in and out like on the original series), a kid or
two, and the comic relief bartender guy who works at Tani’s all-purpose snack shop to support our man Tsukuba.

Skyrider battles with General Monster until episode #17, where the big guy turns into Yamorijin and is defeated. The General's
replacement is Admiral Majin, who is the Neoshocker officer for the rest of the series. Overseeing both is the Leader of
Neoshocker, who is eventually revealed to in fact be the same guy from the end of the Kamen Rider Stronger (and thus leader of
all previous groups.) Guess he somehow managed to survive that 7-Rider smackdown, although it took four years to get back on
his feet. And what big feet they turn out to be!

In episode #20, Skyrider gets some much-needed help from Kamen Rider Stronger,
who finally calls him "Skyrider". He also helps Skyrider learn the Dai Kaiten (Great
Revolving) Sky Kick, and together both Riders take on Neoshocker. V3 drops by in
episode #23, and Riderman & X-Rider show up unexpectedly to help out in episode
#26. Apparently, Stronger told Skyrider about the rest, because he knows them all.

In episodes #27 & 28 all previous 7 Riders appear to help Skyrider out against a
revived Neoshocker mutant army and give him a power-up. In order to get powered
up, Skyrider needs to strengthen his body to its limits. This leads to a highly amusing
scene in which the other Riders beat the tar out of Tsukuba. Highlights include a ball-
and-chain beating from Stronger, getting run over by V3 on the Hurricane, and
getting a Rider Kick from each of his predecessors. You know Skyrider must be one
tough mutha to survive this onslaught.

It all pays off in the end though. Following a power surge from his Riders-in-arms,
Skyrider's costume color changes from dark green & brown to light green & brown.
This lighter-shaded Skyrider is sometimes known as Kyôka, or “Strengthened”,
Skyrider; and more commonly just "New" Skyrider, ala "New" Rider 1 & 2. (The
first suit is now either "Old " Skyrider or "Pre-Power-Up" Skyrider.)

Most significantly, he also gains a TON of new combat techniques, and is now powerful enough to put the hurt on the once-
unbeatable Granbazâmî, Neoshocker’s self-proclaimed “Biggest badass from Mount Kilimanjaro” (he decapitates a dude just for
questioning his street cred. Brutal.)

Many of those new attacks Skyrider gets are filed under the name "99 Techniques", and prior to pulling one out, he often yells
"Kyuujyuu-Kyuu No Waza No Hitotsu" ("One of the 99 Techniques") before the attack name. I especially like how many of the
attacks are of the more unusual variety, rather than being Rider Punches & Kicks. For example, Skyrider's San-Ten Drop is an
especially nasty move that involves lifting the enemy over his shoulders, leaping into the air, spinning around, kicking them
downwards while still holding onto them and plummeting back to the ground, essentially breaking their back. Of course, with 99
new attacks, not all of them see use (in fact, only about a quarter are used in the series) and since further Skyrider appearances
haven't seemed to add any new ones, there's still a lot of stuff our hero has up his sleeve. So it's my belief that if every Rider ever
were to someday have a big (friendly) rumble, Skyrider just might come out on top because he could literally pull out new moves
and nobody could say he isn't supposed to have them. This is assuming, of course, that the Double Riders are playing fair and not
teaming up, because then it's pretty much over for everybody else!

Like nearly everyone before him, Tsukuba/Skyrider isn’t alone in his quest for
justice, as aside from the guest Riders, there’s another new hero in New
Kamen Rider. Unlike everyone before him, the super heroic help he gets is
from an unlikely source: GanGan G! This comic relief character doesn't have
any super powers, he's just a guy in a homemade suit who rides around on his
scooter. He first appears in episode #34, and despite usually just getting in the
way, he does help Skyrider out a few times, and even plays an important part
in Kamen Rider Spirits! We also see him unmasked as of episode #41.

Okay, a little earlier I mentioned an episode where Skyrider adopts a son-of-
the-episode’s Kaijin. As it’s probably become apparent, New Kamen Rider
is one of the weirder Rider series, with some far-out plots and increasingly
wackier monsters. The culmination of this is episode #25. Tsukuba runs into
this foreign woman named Elza (who has one of the oddest makeup jobs I’ve
ever seen.) She begs him to adopt her child, Bongo, who seems like any
normal baby, except he weighs 50 tons, and grows up at an accelerated rate.

It turns out, he’s the son of Zôgameron, Neoshocker’s turtle monster. The episode ends tragically with little Bongo (who has his
own kid-sized Kaijin form) sacrificing himself to save Skyrider, who then cleans house on Neoshocker. I’m still not sure if Elza
actually consented to being the mommy of a junior Neocker Kaijin, but either way, this episode ranks as one of the weirdest
single Rider episodes ever in my book. But hey, weird is better than boring, which is why New Kamen Rider ranks highly in that
same book. I mean, this is the guy who loves Kamen Rider X partially because of a poison dart blower, remember?

New Kamen Rider can be divided into several major arcs, some of which overlap into each other. As mentioned, the first 17
episodes see our hero up against General Monster. From #18~27, it's the early battles with Admiral Majin. #28 marks the
beginning of the "New" Skyrider episodes, and then every episode from #31~40 features a guest Rider. X-Rider shows up in
#31~32; #33 sees the return of Riderman; and #34~35 has a second helping of V3. Rider 2 guest stars in #36~37 & #39~40
(which are a mini epic unto themselves for Rider 2 fans), while Stronger once again appears in #38. Episodes #41~46 make up
the "Kaidan (Ghost Story) Series", drawing on the supernatural and occult for monsters and plots. The last two "Kaidan Series"
episodes, #45 & 46, as well as episode #47, make up "The Abunger Saga", where our hero takes on arguably one of his toughest
villains, who determines and tries to exploit Skyrider's secret weakness. #48 is the beginning of the end, with the arrival of the
Imitation Skyrider, who's pretty nasty– he turns even innocent, every day ice cream cones into dangerous weapons of mass
destruction (well okay, he shoves them into people's faces. But that's pretty sick and twisted!)

Stronger returns to help out in #52, the beginning of the 3-part finale. Both
Rider 2 & Stronger are in #53, and finally, in episode #54, all 8 Riders come
together once more to take down Neoshocker for good. In an interesting
twist, Skyrider’s show ends with the sort of tragic loss that began series like
Kamen Rider V3 & Kamen Rider X: the villains kill Tsukuba’s parents (who
were previously thought to have died in an accident, as stated in the first
episode by Tsukuba, until turning out to be alive near the end where we
finally get a flashback to what he alluded to in the first episode. That's good
continuity for you!)

Needless to say, Skyrider & the crew take care of Admiral Majin (who
doesn’t even get a mutant Kaijin form, and to add insult to injury, gets the
final blow from a very ticked-off Leader of Neoshocker) and finally the big
man himself. The ending is bittersweet, as it appears the 8 Riders sacrifice
themselves for the greater good, but come on– you know they’re all going to
be fine! The next time we catch up with Skyrider will be in the Kamen Rider
Super-1 movie, where the 8 Riders show up out of nowhere to save the day
when Supes finds himself neck-deep in trouble (and evil revived Kaijin.)

He later shows up to help ZX and then BLACK RX along with everyone
else in their respective odysseys. He's currently still flyin' high in Kamen
Rider Spirits, and recently teamed up with ZX against, quite literally, "every
single villain we've ever fought!"

Okay, so now the real question on everyone's mind: why has New Kamen Rider taken the spot as my #3 favorite Rider series,
surpassing shows like Kamen Rider V3, Kamen Rider BLACK, and Kamen Rider Agito, which some have said is (literally) a
gift from the God?

Part of it is the back-to-basics approach. Although New Kamen Rider actually begins as a sort-of remake of the original series,
part of Toei's way of trying to relaunch the franchise, it really is unique even from the get-go. While it maintains the simplicity of the
original series (the biggest material difference being in Skyrider's ability to fly) it also incorporates a lot of new ideas, even early
on. Later, when Toei rethought the formula a bit and started having the other Riders show up, it really began to come into its own
even more, and compared to say, Kamen Rider THE FIRST, New Kamen Rider starts to feel like a very different beast than the
original show. But then, as I said, it never really tries to imitate the original so much as draw upon it. Considering how Tsukuba
could have just been Hongô & Ichimonji rolled into one, he's an amazingly fresh character, and Skyrider really sets himself apart
from Rider 1 & 2, particularly following his power-up.

Part of it is the X-Rider factor, as, like Kamen Rider X, New Kamen Rider is one of the more underrated and unknown Rider
series. Even in Japan, Skyrider stuff was hard to come by until more recently, thanks in part to the show's DVD release and a
resurgence of popularity (now Skyrider's getting toys before some of the more well-known Riders.) Considering New Kamen
Rider is the second-longest running series (beating Kamen Rider V3 by two episodes) and it was a smash hit when it aired, it's
good to finally see the sky man get the recognition he deserves. Another interesting bit of trivia about Skyrider related to this: He
was actually based somewhat off of an early, unused design for X-Rider.

And part of it is that, after repeated viewings, it's just a really cool show, and has soared (no pun intended) ever higher in my eyes.
Even though I'll readily admit it's one of the craziest Rider series, and basically proudly wears its age on its sleeve (this is 1979-80,
remember, so electronic keyboard music was the coolest thing ever) there's a charming quality to the show, because no matter
how silly things it get, it always delivers on the action. The many Rider team-up episodes are very cool, and even on his own,
Skyrider is just a geat character. I'd go as far as to say Tsukuba Hiroshi is my favorite human alias (followed closely by the
original guys, of course), and Skyrider just might be my favorite Rider costume yet. His arsenal is also one of my favorites, and
even if the special effects are primitive by today's standards, the whole flying thing is really cool.

So there you have it. I often think of New Kamen Rider, along with Kamen Rider BLACK, as being the two real "bridge" shows
between the older and newer Rider series, as we see a lot of the best elements of both generations. Sure, some people might still
write it off because of the whole "remake" angle, but we all know that I'm right and they're wrong, so check it out for yourself.
One final thing, I have a lot of respect for actor Murakami Hiroaki, who's debut role was in New Kamen Rider after being
selected out of 2,000 other hopefuls. Murakami, who later went on to have a successful career in movies and especially prime
time TV dramas (including one I watched last time I was in Japan!), speaks very highly of the role in interviews. Considering his
appearances as Tsukuba are only in the New Kamen Rider series and movie, that's pretty cool, and I hope he gets to play
Skyrider again some day.

Movies/Specials & Guest Appearances/Cameos

~TV Series~

Kamen Rider BLACK RX (1988~1989)

Episode 41: Rider 1 calls Skyrider and the crew to Arizona for some training.
Episode 42: The Riders are still chillin' in Arizona, and training for the big battles to come.
Episode 43: Yet more training in the desert. Nothing strengthens the body like kicking tumbleweeds and punching out cacti.
Episode 44: The gang heads back to Japan to save RX from getting hammered into the ground by Granzairus.
Episode 45: Skyrider joins his fellow Riders in busting evil revived Kaijin heads.
Episode 46: The Rider team, Skyrider included, help RX as the end draws near.
Episode 47: Skyrider & his 9 fellow Riders leave the last battle for RX, but they're around for the ending.

~Movies/Specials/Other~

Immortal Kamen Rider (1979): This otherwise low-key TV Special (which is mostly made up of stock footage from the
various Rider movies) actually served as Skyrider's real introduction, in a short segment at the end (introduced by Tachibana
himself!) Some interesting highlights include alternate SFX footage of Skyrider's flight sequence, as well as the narrator actually
calling him "Skyrider" twice. Which makes me wonder why the whole thing is so complicated to begin with! *Murakami
Hiroaki appears!

8 Riders vs. Milky Way King (1980): Hands-down, Skyrider’s big sceen adventure is the wackiest Rider movie of all. It opens
with aliens attacking a space station. There’s a walking, talking evil computer named Ginga-Ô (the titular Milky Way King) who
teams up with Neoshocker to blow Tokyo to bits with a huge missile. There’s a cameo from Ishinomori himself, who gets killed
within the first 5 minutes of the movie. There’s dancing astronaut robot guys. There’s a disco version of all the Rider theme songs.
There’s a pull-out-all-the-stops action sequence with multiple Riders up against a giant Neoshocker tank. There's a throwaway
plot device that would have great repercussions later on (here's a hint: it involves something call "Sigma Energy".) And most
importantly, there’s one of the biggest, longest and most complex exploding base scenes ever filmed. In short, it’s totally
awesome. *Murakami Hiroaki appears!

Kamen Rider Super-1 (1981): Skyrider joins Super-1 & the boys for some Dogma Kingdom-fightin' action. Man, it's a good
thing the 8 Riders survived the end of the show, huh?

Number Ten's Birth! Kamen Riders Back Together Again!! (1984): Skyrider joins the others in celebrating ZX's arrival by
trouncing the evil Badan Empire.

Kamen Rider: SD Riders (1993): Skyrider has a brief cameo in this animated flick, and for some reason, is flying around over
at a football game.