Kotaro Minami (Kamen Rider Black Sun)

is the main protagonist of Kamen Rider Black Sun. When he was still child, he was mutated into the by his father. Along with Nobuhiko Akizuki, he was chosen as the Creation King's successor. 
He and Nobuhiko joined Gorgom in 1972, but when the group disbanded, Kotaro secluded from society. In 2022, he evolved into to protect Aoi Izumi from the threats of Gorgom Party. 
He was portrayed by as an adult, as a young adult, and Ryusei Iwata as a child.
==Biography==
===Childhood and Becoming Kaijin===
Born in an undisclosed year, Kotaro Minami was the son of scientist Kozo Minami. He had been friends as a child with Nobuhiko Akizuki, whose parents were two of the scientists who were in charge of studying the Creation King. The two boys' fathers implanted the Kingstones into their bodies, transforming them into Kaijin in order for them to be selected as the next prospects to succeed the Creation King.
===Joining Gorgom===
Sometime in the 1970s, Kotaro and Nobuhiko joined Gorgom with a young woman named Yukari Shinjo. Yukari had big aspirations to equalize rights for Kaijins and humans. During that time, Kotaro and Nobuhiko removed their Kingstones from their body since the stone removal did not reverse the Kaijin mutation. However, with any efforts to fight for the equality of Kaijins, Darom failed to negotiate with Prime Minister Michinosuke Dounami, thus Gorgom was splitted into splinter and pro-government factions, Darom alongside Bishum and Baraom joined with the government to form Gorgom Party. On other hand, Kotaro, Nobuhiko, Nick, Yukari, and Oliver formed their own splinter faction that oppose government and they hide the Creation King in a hidden forest. 
As a member of splinter ground, Yukari had a plan to kill the Creation King, Kotaro and Nobuhiko realized that she had truly meant to assassinate the Creation King to stop any further creation of Kaijin, so they entrusted their Kingstones to her after they carried out her plan to capture Shinichi Dounami, the grandson of the then prime minister. Kotaro tried to slay the Creation King by himself after Yukari was murdered by Bilgenia, but he was injured in the process. As a consequence of the rebel acts of the splinter faction, Nobuhiko and Bilgenia were imprisoned and Kotaro severely injured by the Creation King's psychic power and had his left leg crippled. Following Nobuhiko and Bilgenia imprisonment and the official founding of the Gorgom Party by the government, Kotaro spent the next 50 years living in seclusion.
===Battle Against Gorgom Party, Meet Aoi Izumi, and Battling the Creation King===
In 2022, Kotaro had become isolated from society and living in an abandoned bus. He is working as a debt collector to buy enought Ketamine to treat his damaged leg. One day, he is offered a large sum of money to assassinate Aoi Izumi, a young pro-Kaijin activist. However, when he noticed red Kingstone on her necklace, he saved her from the Spider Kaijin. After returning with the girl to the abandoned bus, Kotaro ran across his old friend Nobuhiko, who reminded him of his obligation to assassinate the Creation King.
Kotaro's intense interrogation about the necklace scared Aoi, so she fled back to her caregiver home. When Kotaro pursued the girl, he discovered that the Anemone Kaijin had killed her caregiver, Misaki Izumi. The two developed a strong bond and relationship after Kotaro chose to take Aoi under his wing regarding Kotaro's concern of Aoi's feelings about the death of her caregiver. Eventually, the Kingstone on her necklace would attract adversaries to him; Gorgom Party despatched Kujira as the first person to take it by force. Kotaro is able to repel Kujira with when he transformed into Black Locust Kaijin, and in the process he expressed his wish to Kujira for the end of the Kaijin species to prevent cycle of discrimination from humans.
Kotaro suspected something was off with the man when Aoi's father arrived at the bus to pick her up, but Nobuhiko intervened since he also wanted the Kingstone for himself. After defeating Nobuhiko, Kotaro is able to locate Aoi with Kujira. He is shocked to learn that Kujira had previously rescued the girl from her father who Gorgom had already forced to become the Crab Kaijin. After the death of Aoi's father, Kotaro promised to protect Aoi and he vowed to give any affections to her.
When Kotaro realized that Bilgenia had forced Aoi to become the Mantis Kaijin against her will, he transformed into Kamen Rider Black Sun for the first time. With the new transformation, he fights Bilgenia with great ease, even cuting off one of his arms. Despite Black Sun's near victory, Bishum comes the battle and saves Bilgenia before he could deliver the last blow and Bishum also captures Aoi and brings Bilgenia and Aoi to Gorgom Party. 
When Kotaro ran out of alternatives, he chose to team up with Nobuhiko, who was also getting ready to launch an assault on Gorgom Party. He eventually located Aoi after going out on his own through the main building, liberated her from Darom, and entered the Creation King's chamber without stopping. Kotaro transformed into Black Sun and attempted to kill the Kaijin, determined to complete his task. Although Kotaro managed to rips out the Creation King's heart, the monster's telekinesis costs him his left leg. When Koumori noticed that Kotaro is seriously injured from his battle with the Creation King, he escorted him out of the building to Kujira and Nomi's hiding place to heal him.
===Clash with Nobuhiko Akizuki/Kamen Rider Shadowmoon and Death===
Unbeknownst to Kotaro, Nobuhiko had evolved into Kamen Rider Shadowmoon out of revenge with the newfound ambition to eradicate humankind in order to ensure the survival of the Kaijin race after becoming weary of the idea of living in peace with humans. He stormed to Nomi's laboratory and made Kotaro give up the Kingstone. After being defeated by Shadowmoon, Black Sun's injuries from his earlier battle with the Creation King left him critically injured. Koumori and Kujira collaborated to take Kotaro out of the area before Shadowmoon could inflict any more harms to Kotaro, preventing Nobuhiko from receiving the Kingstone. The efforts of Kotaro's allies eventually brought Kotaro to a fully healed condition thanks to Kujira's medical help. When Kotaro is being cured by Kujira, Kotaro consumes Heat Heaven to cure his injuries he sustained after he battled the Creation King and Nobuhiko/Shadowmoon and he also get a support from Aoi when she draws a logo of Gorgom on his chest using her blood. The reason Kotaro consumes Heat Heaven once more because he is knowing that Nobuhiko planned to take over Gorgom Party as the new Creation King and he attempted to subjugate humanity if left unchecked. This is done in order to give his body the strength it needed to defeat Nobuhiko. 
Returning to Gorgom Party, Kotaro transformed into Kamen Rider Black Sun in preparation for the showdown. Even though Shadowmoon had stabbed him through the abdomen, Black Sun used a Rider Punch to defeat Nobuhiko. After Kotaro subdued Nobuhiko, Kotaro warns Nobuhiko that there are no differences between Kaijins and humans and he believed that the world Yukari dreamed of really does exist. Nobuhiko passed away in Kotaro's arms and gives him his Kingstone. The Creation King's heart that had been torn out suddenly crawled to Kotaro whose hands are holding the two Kingstones. After stabbing the Creation King's heart, Kotaro is accidentally merged with the Creation King and become the new Creation King. Even as the Creation King, Kotaro still has the capacity to beg Aoi to take his life to end the reign of the Creation King once and for all. He and the Creation King are killed permanently when the girl reluctantly stabbed him with the Satansaber's blade.
===Legacy===
After Kotaro was killed by Aoi after he forcefully merged with the heart of the Creation King, Isao Nimura as the new Prime Minister of Japan enacted new discrimination policies towards Kaijins and immigrants and he vowed to use Kaijins as biological weapons. Because of his policies, Kaijins and immigrants are now in the condition of danger and marginalization. However, Aoi is now forming a group of her rebel movement to fight societal injustice and corrupt government. In forming her rebel movement, she takes up the symbol of Black Sun as a honor of Kotaro's heroic deeds.
==Personality==
Kotaro Minami is a blunt and stern person due to his resentment from his experiences of marginalization as a Kaijin as he will not hesitate to use extreme violence towards his opponents when necessary. Nevertheless, he fosters a sense of justice and oneness among his friends. Kotaro fought alongside Gorgom members to put an end to societal inequality and marginalization. When dealing with xenophobic humans, Kotaro did not intend to forge a deep hatred towards them. 
Because of his failed attempt to murder the Creation King has damaged him and caused him to become disillusioned with society, Kotaro has declared that the world would be a better place without Kaijins and that he no longer believes that mankind and Kaijins can coexist. As a result of his failure, Kotaro is becoming a tough, stoic, and uncaring individual who doesn't give the affairs that affect humans and Kaijins. Kotaro has such a callous attitude that he even consents to engage in illicit activities in order to obtain a consistent supply of ketamine for his injured left leg.
Kotaro seems to be aware of the awful fate his race has and he wants to end the cycle of prejudice by killing the Creation King to stop any more Kaijin from being born and give the existing ones the chance to live out their remaining days in peace. In addition, he has pledged to leave Heat Heaven, proving his resolve to cut all ties to his previous life. 
Beneath his outward stoicism and harsh behaviours, Kotaro still harbors remnants of his kindness and compassion, as evidenced by his relationships with Aoi, who has come to regard him as a kind of father figure following the death of her biological parents. As a result of Kotaro's sympathy, he teaches the young girl learns how to defend herself from any form of threats and receives consolation from him during difficult moments. Additionally, he would react quickly to ensure Aoi's protection if she felt threatened. As evidenced by his joyful side on her during one of her training sessions, Aoi even succeeds in bringing out of his former cheerful nature.
Following the battle and victory over Nobuhiko Akizuki, Kotaro told Nobuhiko that Kaijins are humans and that, in his belief, humans and Kaijins actually could coexist as long as they could put aside their animosity and come to a mutual understanding. This shows that, despite his desire to end the fate of Kaijins, he still deeply cares for the coexistence of humans and Kaijins.
==Powers and Abilities==
===Powers===
*Kaijin Physiology: Kotaro is one of the strongest characters in Kamen Rider Black Sun, with abilities that surpass even those of the High Priests; the only one who can truly challenge him is the Creation King. Similar to the Creation King and Nobuhiko, Kotaro possessed great psychic skills as well as physical strength, albeit he rarely used the latter because he relied so heavily on it for both his Kaijin and Rider roles.
**Superhuman Strength: As evidenced by his ability to shatter the Black Locust Kaijin's webbing and break the Creation King's arm when the latter tried to crush him, Kotaro possesses superhuman strength that much exceeds that of other Kaijin.
**Grasshopper Legs: Black Sun has the ability to strike adversaries and launch himself from the ground using the grasshopper legs on his back. He can transform either leg into the Century King Black Blade by ripping off his grasshopper legs. But under normal circumstances, the legs do not appear to regrow, therefore they are one-time weapons.
**Durability: Black Sun's body outlasts that of most humans and kaijins. Spider Kaijin stabbed him in the back, but he was able to battle through it and not require medical attention. Being able to withstand the razor-sharp petals of the Anemone Kaijin while in his non-transformed state suggests that this toughness also extends to his human form to some level.
**Claws: Kotaro can cut and tear through the hardened flesh of other Kaijins with his claws, both in his Rider and Kaijin forms. This was demonstrated when he was able to easily rip into the Spider Kaijin's abdomen to rip out his intestines and rip apart the hardened exoskeleton of the severely weakened Creation King.
**Enhanced Jaws: With the great biting force, Black Sun's jaws could easily slice through the flesh of sstrong kaijin like the Creation King.
===Abilities===
*Expert Combatant: Having received combat training from Bilgenia, Kotaro is a skilled fighter who has vanquished both Nobuhiko and Bilgenia separately. This is noteworthy because he has fought with a limp for most of the current day due to a bad leg, which is made worse by his dislike of Heat Heaven.
===Weaknesses===
*Anemone Kaijin: In order to stop Black Sun from changing, the Anemone Kaijin might bloom and spread pollen.
*Crippled Leg: During the Creation King's initial attempt at murder, Kotaro's left leg sustained damage. The leg never recovered since Kotaro refused to drink Heat Heaven; as a result, he could not walk normally in his human form and had to take ketamine shots to ease his discomfort. His attempted assassination of the Creation King later results in the amputation of the leg; however, Kujira's actions and a dose of Heat Heaven heal and restore it.
==Forms==
===Black Locust Kaijin===
 is Kotaro's original Kaijin form, obtained when he was biologically transformed by the red Kingstone piece. 
The Kingstones turned both Kotaro and Nobuhiko into Locust Kaijin; Kotaro's black Kaijin form gives him the nickname Black Sun. The Black Locust Kaijin's primary fighting technique in combat is a rough and vicious Brawler-based fighting style that includes kicks, punches, throws, and tackles. Kotaro musters the willpower to transform into this form by using the Century King Sun Driver. He would eventually evolve into this form, which would show up as a transitional stage.
===Kamen Rider Black Sun===
The strong feelings Kotaro experienced upon discovering Aoi Izumi had been transformed into a Kaijin allowed him to further develop into a more elegant Kaijin form. Kotaro adopts a transformation position to transform into his developed form, unlike his initial Kaijin form. After transforming into this new form, Kotaro's strength and speed had risen significantly, enabling him to overcome the Creation King, while the Progenitor Kaijin's psionics nearly effortlessly threw aside his Black Locust Kaijin form and shattered his knee.
In addition, he can use the Sun Driver's energies to amplify his physical prowess in preparation for a last strike. Even though Black Sun's eyes in this form are typically dark, there are times when they can shine a blazing red. During his comatose, Aoi uses her blood to write a symbol on Kotaro's left chest during his recuperation phase following a dose of Heat Heaven; this symbol is eventually burned into his Kaijin form as a white emblem.
=== New Creation King ===
After forcingfully assimilating both the bodily remnants of Shadowmoon and the Creation King after he plunging both Kingstones into the core of the original Creation King, Kotaro becomes the .
The Large Grasshopper Kaijin has four additional grasshopper legs that have sprouted on his back, giving him the appearance of a locust Kaijin with some silver markings on a deep black background. In addition to continuing to supply the unique extract secreted by the first Creation King, he is thought to be at least as strong physically and psychically as his predecessor. In this form, Kotaro's will has been restrained to a great extent, but his memories of caring for Aoi helped him to restore his sanity long enough for Aoi to use the Satansaber to kill him.
==Quotes==
==See Also==
*Kotaro Minami 
== External Links ==
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