Kamen Rider V3

, is a Japanese tokusatsu drama in Toei Company's Kamen Rider Series. It is the second series to debut in the Showa Era, serving as a direct sequel to the original Kamen Rider. A joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei, the series aired from February 17, 1973 to February 9, 1974 on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV (now TV Asahi), with a total of 52 episodes.
This is also the first Kamen Rider TV series to be officially available on DVD in the west with English subtitles through JN Productions' Generation Kikaida.
==Story==
One night, Shiro Kazami accidentally witnesses a murder by the evil organization Destron, making him their next target. In their first attempt, they planted a bomb pebble into his coffee, but the attempt was foiled when Shiro's sister, Yukiko, surprised him, causing him to spill his coffee. In their second attempt, they attacked him while practicing motorcycle racing with Tobee Tachibana. In their third attempt, a Destron soldier, disguised as a doctor, tried to put a poison shot in Shiro, while he was being transported to the hospital (after Destron's second attempt), but Shiro regains consciousness and kills the soldier. Meanwhile, a young woman named Junko Tama stumbled upon Destron's base. Suddenly, she was attacked by Destron. While trying to escape, she ran into Shiro, who was heading home on his motorcycle, but Shiro didn't see the Destron soldiers. Surprised, Junko fainted and Shiro took her home. While Junko was being taken care of by Shiro's family, Shiro reported her story to the police. When he returned home, he found his family being murdered by the Hasami Jaguar, a jaguar monster with blades for hands. Hasami Jaguar then prepares to kill Junko and Shiro, but is stopped by Shiro's high school teacher, Takeshi Hongo, who transformed into Kamen Rider 1. Shortly after he drove off the Destron forces, Kamen Rider 2 shows up, but too late. A vengeance-fueled Shiro asked the Riders to turn him into a cyborg, but the Riders refused, explaining to Shiro what would happen if he did get turned into a cyborg: he wouldn't be able to live up to his family. Then the Riders asked Junko for the location of the Destron base she stumbled upon earlier. The next day, the Riders infiltrate the base, only to get caught in a trap. Shiro shows up and saves their lives, but gets injured in the process. The Riders had no choice but to turn Shiro into a cyborg. When the Riders were attacked, and almost killed, by Kame Bazooka, Shiro shows up as Kamen Rider V3. Now, Shiro uses his new power to protect mankind against Destron.
==Characters==
===Kamen Riders===
====TV Show====
Kamen Rider V3	Shiro Kazami
Riderman 	Joji Yuki
====Novel-exclusive====
V3	Shiro Kazami
===Debatable Riders===
Destron Riderman 	Coelacanth Kid
Destron Rider 	General Yoroi
Decoy Kamen Rider V3	Tobee Tachibana
===Allies===
*Tobee Tachibana
*Junko Tama
*Shigeru Tama
*The Boys' Kamen Rider Squad
*Ken Sakuma
====Double Riders====
Kamen Rider 1	Takeshi Hongo
Kamen Rider 2	Hayato Ichimonji
====Other Heroes====
Spider-Man	
===Villains===
====Destron====
*Great Leader of Destron
*Doctor G / Kani Laser 
*Baron Kiba / Kyuketsu Mammoth 
*Archbishop Tsubasa / Sibito Koumori 
*General Yoroi / Zarigarna
* Revived Villains
**Colonel Zol
**Dr. Shinigami
** Jigoku Taishi
** General Black
==Episodes==
Main article: Kamen Rider V3 Episodes
==Other media==
===Manga===
#
#
#
#
#
#
# 
===S.I.C. Hero Saga===
#Riderman Another After
===Magazine Story===
#''
==Cast==
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: (Played as )
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
===Suit Actors===
*Kamen Rider V3, Kamen Rider 1 (episodes 1 & 2): 
*Kamen Rider V3 (episodes 1 & 2), Riderman (stunts): 
*Kamen Rider V3 (trampoline): 
*Riderman: 
*Riderman (sub), Monsters: 
*Riderman (stunts): , 
*Kamen Rider 1, Riderman (stunts), Monsters: 
*Monsters (Ika Fire et al.): 
*Hasami Jaguar: 
*Kamisori Hitode: 
*Gama Boiler, Genshi Tiger: 
*Yuki Ookami: 
==Songs==
;Opening theme
*
**Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
**Composer: Shunsuke Kikuchi
**Vocals: Hiroshi Miyauchi and 
;Ending themes
:
*
**Lyrics: 
**Composer: Shunsuke Kikuchi
**Vocals: Ichirou Mizuki and the 
**Episodes: 1-42
*
**Lyrics: 
**Composer: Shunsuke Kikuchi
**Vocals: Masato Shimon and the Columbia Yurikago-Kai
**Episodes: 43-52
==Other Songs==
*V3 No Hitori Uta
*V3 No Komori Uta
*V3 No March
*V3 Action
*Destron Sanka
*Fujimi No Otoko
*Boku-Ra No Kamen Rider V3
*Bokura no Riderman
*Kamen Rider Sanka
==Release==
===Broadcast===
*The series premiered on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV (now TV Asahi) on February 17, 1973. It ran for 52 episodes, with the final episode airing on February 9, 1974.
===Home Media===
==Notes==
*Following the success of V3, Hiroshi Miyauchi would later go on to star in several other Tokusatsu series' such as , , Kaiketsu Zubat, , , and .
==External links==
* at 
*Kamen Rider V3 at Japanese Wikipedia
*Generation Kikaida Hawaii Online Store (English)
*Kamen Rider V3 2011 Online Fan Community Page (English)
*Official website at Kamen-Rider-Official
Category:Kamen Rider Series
Category:Showa era