Kamen Rider Ryuki

is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It was the sixteenth installment in the Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu shows. It was a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei, and it was shown on TV Asahi from February 3, 2002 to January 19, 2003 and it joined on TV Asahi's Super Hero Time. The catchphrase for the series is . In 2009, Ryuki was adapted into the American television series Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight, the first adaptation of a Kamen Rider Series in the United States since Saban's Masked Rider in 1996.
The average rating of the series was 9.4% 
==Production==
This series uses the term "Kamen Rider" for the first time in the Heisei Kamen Rider series. For the first time in series history, there were evil Kamen Riders. The series featured 13 Riders fighting and killing each other with the promise of a wish being granted. It is a work that emphasizes the expression of human relationships. It also adopts a system that incorporates elements of a card game, influenced on the popularity of at the time.『ユリイカ』9月臨時増刊号（通巻615号）、青土社、2012年8月8日、 ISBN 978-4-7917-0242-8。https://tokusatsunetwork.com/2018/08/how-dueling-kamen-riders-in-kamen-rider-ryuki-represent-ishinomoris-ideas/
Following the in the United States, TV Asahi requested the production team to teach kids about justice for their next series. However, producer Shin-ichiro Shirakura, tackled the concept of justice itself as it is a difficult one to grasp. Some of the Kamen Riders are fighting because they have someone to protect, some simply because they enjoy killing.https://tokusatsunetwork.com/2018/08/kamen-riders-reaction-to-9-11/ Yasuko Kobayashi was signed on as main writer and Toshiki Inoue became the secondary writer.
During pre-production, the number of Kamen Rider is scheduled to have 50 Kamen Riders, and each monster-of-the-week would feature a different Rider to challenge the main character Ryuki. However, the number of Riders was deemed too high and was eventually reduced to 13. The number of 13 is reminiscent of the original manga version of Shotaro Ishinomori's Kamen Rider featuring Takeshi Hongo and the Shocker Riders.宇宙船100 2002, p. 25, 「INTERVIEW 田﨑竜太」『仮面ライダー龍騎』朝日ソノラマ〈ファンタスティックコレクション〉、2003年6月4日。ISBN 4-257-03676-1。
==Story==
Thirteen were created for thirteen Kamen Riders. They make Contracts with monsters from the mysterious , a parallel world opposite to the real one in which only the Kamen Riders can exist. The Riders draw on their monsters' strength in exchange for feeding them the life force of the creatures they destroy. The creator of the has only one rule: that there can be only one Kamen Rider. The others must be killed, and the sole victor will be granted a single wish, which leads to a conflict known as the Rider War.
All over the city, innocent people are being mysteriously abducted, never to be seen again. During his investigations of these incidents, Shinji Kido – an intern at the online news service ORE Journal – discovers one of the Card Decks at an apartment where every reflective surface has been covered by the newspaper. He is soon sucked into the Mirror World, discovering the terrifying truth behind the disappearances: people are literally being pulled through mirrors by the monsters of the Mirror World so that they may feed. He is about to be killed by a powerful dragon named Dragreder when he is saved by Kamen Rider Knight: Ren Akiyama. Ren seeks to win the Rider War at all costs. He works with a young woman named Yui Kanzaki, who seeks her missing brother: the master of the Rider War, Shirō Kanzaki. Seeing Ren's strength, Shinji enters the Rider War, not for the prize, but so that he may protect innocent people from the threat of the Mirror World, and stop the senseless fighting between the Kamen Riders. With Dragreder as his Contract Monster, he becomes Kamen Rider Ryuki.
He will discover that there are some people who cannot be saved. That he must sometimes fight in order to stop the fighting. The extent to which he must go if he wants his deepest wish to come true, and the sacrifices that he must make. In the end, there can be only one Kamen Rider.
==Characters==
===Kamen Riders===
====TV Show====
Kamen Rider Ryuki 	Shinji Kido
Kamen Rider Knight 	Ren Akiyama
Kamen Rider Scissors	Masashi Sudo
Kamen Rider Zolda 	Shuichi Kitaoka ► Goro Yura
Kamen Rider Raia 	Miyuki Tezuka
Kamen Rider Gai 	Jun Shibaura
Kamen Rider Ouja 	Takeshi Asakura
Kamen Rider Odin 	Unidentified users
Kamen Rider Tiger 	Satoru Tojo
Kamen Rider Imperer 	Mitsuru Sano
====Movie/Special-exclusive====
Kamen Rider Agito 	Unidentified user
Kamen Rider Ryuki 	Koichi Sakakibara ► Shinji Kido , Shinji Kido
Kamen Rider Knight 	Ren Akiyama ► Shinji Kido , Ren Akiyama
Kamen Rider Scissors	Masashi Sudo
Kamen Rider Zolda 	Shuichi Kitaoka , Shuichi Kitaoka
Kamen Rider Raia 	Miyuki Tezuka
Kamen Rider Gai 	Jun Shibaura
Kamen Rider Ouja 	Takeshi Asakura , Takeshi Asakura
Kamen Rider Femme 	Miho Kirishima, Miho Kirishima
Kamen Rider Ryuga 	Mirror Image Shinji/Shinji Kido ► Mirror Image Shinji, Unidentified user
Kamen Rider Verde 	Itsuro Takamizawa
Kamen Rider Tiger 	Unidentified user
Kamen Rider Imperer 	Unidentified user
Kamen Rider Odin 	Unidentified user
====Stageshow-exclusive====
Kamen Rider 	Mirror Fortune Teller
Kamen Rider Cerberus 	Unidentified user
Kamen Rider Papillon 	Unidentified user
Kamen Rider Cerberus 	Researcher
Kamen Rider Zebraskull Lady	Unidentified user
Kamen Rider Agito 	Evil Agito
====Novel-exclusive====
Kamen Rider Ryuki 	Shinji Kido
Kamen Rider Knight	Ren Akiyama
Kamen Rider Zolda 	Shuichi Kitaoka
Kamen Rider Ouja 	Takeshi Asakura
Kamen Rider Femme 	Miho Kirishima
====S.I.C. Hero Saga-exclusive====
Kamen Rider Ryuki 	Shinji Kido , Shinji Kido
Kamen Rider Knight	Ren Akiyama , Ren Akiyama
Kamen Rider Ryuga 	Shinichi Kido/Shinji Kido , Dark Shinji /Shinji Kido
Kamen Rider Zolda 	Shuichi Kitaoka
Kamen Rider Ouja 	Takeshi Asakura , Takeshi Asakura
Kamen Rider Tiger 	Satoru Tojo
Kamen Rider Odin 	Ren Akiyama
====Concepts====
Kamen Rider Blade	Yuichi Saito
===Debatable Riders===
====TV Show====
Alternative 	Hajime Nakamura
Alternative Zero	Hideyuki Kagawa
====Other media====
Fake Agito 	Evil Agito
Jackie 	Jackie
Fake Knight 	Itsuro Takamizawa
Alternative 	Alternative Army
Alternative Zero	Yui Kanzaki
===Kanzaki Family===
*Yui Kanzaki
*Sanako Kanzaki
*Shiro Kanzaki
===ORE Journal===
*Daisuke Okubo
*Reiko Momoi
*Nanako Shimada
*Megumi Asano
===Mirror Monsters===
====Rider's Contract Beasts====
Dragreder 	Dragreder
Darkwing 	Darkwing
Volcancer 	Volcancer
Magnugiga 	Magnugiga
Evildiver 	Evildiver
Metalgelas 	Metalgelas
Venosnaker 	Venosnaker
Genocider 	Genocider
Destwilder 	Destwilder
Gigazelle 	Gigazelle
Goldphoenix	Goldphoenix
Psyco-Rogue	Psyco-Rogue
Blancwing 	Blancwing
Dragblacker	Dragblacker
Biogreeza 	Biogreeza
====Wild Monsters====
*Deadlemur
*Gelnewt
*Sonorabuma
*Brobajell
=====Spiders=====
*Dispider
*Mispider
*Respider
*Solospider
=====Zelles=====
*Gigazelle
*Megazelle
*Negazelle
*Omegazelle
*Magazelle
=====Zebraskulls=====
*Zebraskull Iron
*Zebraskull Bronze
=====Boarders=====
*Wildboarder
*Shieldboarder
=====Biters=====
*Zenobiter
*Terabiter
=====Krakens=====
*Bakraken
*Wiskraken
=====Gulds=====
*GuldThunder
*GuldStorm
*GuldMirage
=====Abyss=====
*Abysshammer
*Abysslasher
=====Buzzstingers=====
*Buzzstinger Hornet
*Buzzstinger Bee
* Buzzstinger Wasp
*Buzzstinger Broom
*Buzzstinger Frost
=====Sheerghosts=====
*Sheerghost
* Raydragoon
*Hydragoon
==Episodes==
==Other media==
===Manga===
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===S.I.C. Hero Saga===
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===Novel===
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==Video game==
A video game based on the series, developed by Digifloyd and published by Bandai, was released in Japan during 2002 for the PlayStation. It is a basic fighting game where all thirteen Riders are playable with all the forms seen in the show, movie and specials (with the exception of the Alternatives and Ouja's Blank Form, seen in EPISODE FINAL). Four of the Contract Monsters (Volcancer, Metalgelas, Destwilder and Gigazelle), the two Zebraskulls (Iron and Bronze) and Megazelle are also playable.
==Cast==
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===Suit Actors===
* Kamen Rider Ryuki, Kamen Rider Knight (Trick Vent): 
* Kamen Rider Knight, Zebraskull, Shieldboarder: 
* Kamen Rider Zolda, Alternative, Alternative Zero, Kamen Rider Knight (Trick Vent), Volcancer, Dispider, Buzzstinger Bloom, Gigazelle, Raydragoons: 
* Kamen Rider Ouja, Kamen Rider Odin, Kamen Rider Ryuga, Kamen Rider Knight (Trick Vent, Special, Verde Copy Vent), Destwilder, Sheerghosts, Kamen Rider Imperer (Special), Metalgelas: 
* Kamen Rider Scissors, Megazelle, Kamen Rider Ryuki (sub): 
* Kamen Rider Raia, Kamen Rider Ouja (sub), Metalgelas, Magnugiga: 
* Kamen Rider Gai, Kamen Rider Knight (Trick Vent), Deadlemur, Metalgelas, GuldThunder, Gigazelle (24 episodes), Omegazelle, Abysslasher, Sheerghosts, Raydragoons: 
* Kamen Rider Tiger, Kamen Rider Ryuki (sub), Kamen Rider Knight (Trick Vent), Omegazelle, Genocider, Shieldboarder, Buzzstinger Bee, Raydragoons: 
* Kamen Rider Imperer: 
* Kamen Rider Verde, Kamen Rider Knight (Trick Vent), Wildboarder, Bakraken, Wiskraken, Gelnewt, Sonorabuma, Buzzstinger Wasp, Mispider, Metalgelas, Genocider, Destwilder, Omegazelle, Raydragoons: 
* Respider, Kamen Rider Femme: 
* Kamen Rider Ryuki (sub), Kamen Rider Knight (sub): 
* Buzzstinger Hornet, Solospider, Raydragoons: 
* Volcancer (Special), Destwilder: 
*Brobajell: 
*Buzzstinger Frost, Psyco-Rogue, Destwilder, Sheerghosts, GuldStorm, Genocider: 
*Magazelle, Sheerghosts, Raydragoons: 
*Sheerghosts, Raydragoons: 
*Sheerghosts: , 
==Music==
==Release==
===Broadcast===
*Ryuki premiered on TV Asahi on February 3, 2002.
===International===
In addition to the Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight adaptation, Ryuki has been broadcast in its original form in many languages and nations. 
*This series has two English dubs produced with both dubs covering all 50 episodes. In 2003, the first dub goes by the name of Masked Rider Dragon was made by Omni Productions in Hong Kong for VCD in the region released by MTV Productions. This dub was also released in Malaysia by Speedy Video. In 2004, a second English dub was made separately by Voiceovers Unlimited in Singapore for the now-defunct SPH MediaWorks Channel i.
*It was dubbed in South Korea as Masked Rider Dragon ( Gamyeon Raideo Deuraegeon) in 2004.
*In the Philippines, it received a Tagalog dub and aired on ABS-CBN from 2004 to 2005 as Masked Rider Ryuki.
*It was dubbed in Malay on NTV7.
*It was dubbed Indonesian and aired on RCTI in 2004 and aired again Indosiar from February 5, 2006 to January 21, 2007.
*It was dubbed in Cantonese in Hong Kong as (幪面超人龍騎Mung Min Chiu Yan Lung Ke) on TVB Jade and Taiwanese Mandarin in Taiwan as ( 假面騎士龍騎 Jia Mian Qi Shi Long Qi)
*Ryuki was dubbed in Arabic and aired on Space Toon. 
*On April 24th, 2021, Ryuki, alongside Agito and Faiz, appeared dubbed in Spanish on Latin American countries except Brasil and Puerto Rico in the streaming service FreeTV, as of 2024 the series got removed from the catalog.
*Shout! Factory announced that they obtained the North American rights to Ryuki and would premiere all 50 episodes on TokuSHOUTsu on November 1, 2021.https://twitter.com/tokushoutsu/status/1454151244717576192 A Blu-Ray set in being planned by Shout! Factory for a February 7, 2023 release.https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/kamen-rider-ryuki-the-complete-series?product_id=8004
==Notes==
*Despite the vastly different execution from previous series in the franchise, Ryuki would influence succeeding Rider shows.
**The first series that uses cards in battle, which would later be seen in Blade, Decade, and Gotchard. In general, it is the first series with Collectible Devices.
**The first series that used a device to activate & announce a Rider's arsenal/final attacks. This would become a trademark concept of every Kamen Rider Series after Ryuki, with the exception of Hibiki.
**The first series to have multiple Riders battle each other through competition and betrayal, which would later be seen in, Kabuto, Gaim, Ex-Aid, Build, Zero-One, and Geats.
**The first series to explicitly feature a variety of animal motifs, which would later also happen in OOO, Build, Zero-One, Revice, and Geats.
**The first series to feature Kamen Riders as villains.
*The first Kamen Rider series to having most of the battles take place in an alternate world (Mirror World).
*The third Kamen Rider series after W and 555 to be re-mastered in Blu-Ray format. The first of the Ryuki Blu-Ray box sets was released on July 11, 2014, followed by second batch on September 12, 2014 and third batch on November 7, 2014.
*The first Kamen Rider series to end with exactly 50 episodes, followed by 555, Ghost, and Revice.
*The first Heisei Kamen Rider series where Riders are actually referred to as a Kamen Rider in the series.
==External links==
* at 
*Kamen Rider Ryuki at Japanese Wikipedia
*Official website from TV Asahi 
*Official website for Ryuki Blu-Ray release
*Official website at Kamen-Rider-Official
==Navigation==
Category:Kamen Rider Series
Category:Heisei era