If you're into Sentai as a genre, or browsed the right parts of Twitter recently, you have probably seen or heard of Kamen Rider at some point. Kamen Rider started with its first series in 1971, and was joined by Himitsu Sentai Gorenger (the first in the series eventually known as Super Sentai) in 1975. A later entry into the series, Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, was eventually adapted into Power Rangers (Thank you @RGM79Taisho on Twitter for the correction!). Both Super Sentai and Kamen Rider were created by Shotaro Ishinomori, who at the time was mostly known for working on a good number of manga as an artist.
Since it has run since 1971, it has a lot of different series, and can be a bit intimidating to think about getting into. This guide's goal will be to provide some good entry points into the series! I will not be providing a watch order, however, because other websites do that better, like the official wikia. By the way, the resources I've used for this guide are Reddit, the wikia, Wikipedia, and various Google searches, including this article and this article. As I watch Kamen Rider myself, I might update this guide with my own personal picks. With that, let's begin!
Where to Begin
First off, there are a few things to know about Kamen Rider as a series, most importantly the eras. Kamen Rider is divided into three eras (as of 2020):
Showa -> Heisei (phases 1 and 2) -> Reiwa
If you know your stuff about Japanese history, these names probably sound familiar to you. These are the names of the three most recent eras in Japanese history, marked by the ascension and abdication (or death) of the Japanese emperor. As such, the Kamen Rider series has been packaged into these three eras to make digesting them as a whole a bit easier. So, I will try to give some good starting points in each part (and phase). Before we get started, the most popular recommendations are:
OOO, Kuuga, Double/W, Den-O, Fourze, and Gaim
Honorable mentions to Black/Black RX and Drive
From this point on, series will be listed in order of release, not popularity.
Showa Era
Kamen Rider (1971)
Being the first era, an obvious starting point would be the first series, Kamen Rider (1971), if you want to start from the very beginning.
KR Amazon (1974)
Less commonly recommended, this series is good if you want something more violent or bloody. This series is a bit darker than the average KR series, so take that into account if you start with this one! There is a "remake" called Amazons, but it is an alternate universe version of the series, and should not be treated as a true remake. (Thank you to @Mountain_Timbs and @SwappyThe on Twitter for the clarifications!)
KR Black (1987) and KR Black RX (1988)
Recommended a few times, these series are what officially ended the Showa era, although there were a few that aired after these that were still technically in that era. These two series are known for being pretty traditional in terms of KR, and would be a good way to get the gist and format of the series.
Heisei Era (Phase 1)
KR Kuuga (2000)
Responsible for bring back Kamen Rider as a franchise, this series had a major role in establishing the themes and gimmicks of pretty much everything after it.
KR Ryuki (2002)
Featuring a huge cast of Riders, and a battle royal format, this series is recommended as a good place for new fans! (Thank you @sunflower_pilot on Twitter for the recommendation!)
KR Den-O (2007)
This series takes a bit of a more lighthearted approach to storytelling, and establishes some important ideas for Phase 2 of Heisei.
KR Decade (2009)
The last entry in Heisei Phase 1, this series is a bit more divisive as a starting point, mostly since it's a tie-in with the other Heisei riders up to that point. Probably a good idea to watch this after seeing a few other series.
Heisei Era (Phase 2)
KR Double/W (2009)
An overall well-liked entry, and the beginning to Phase 2 of the Heisei era. It features solid characters, diverse enemy design, and a little bit of everything you can expect in a Kamen Rider season.
KR OOO (2010)
The most recommended starting point for this series, and an overall improvement from the already great Double/W.
KR Fourze (2011)
Following the 2011 earthquakes in Japan, Fourze was made to be a bit more cheerful than previous entries in the Kamen Rider franchise. It makes for an enjoyable watch, and is perhaps easier to get into because of its lighthearted attitude.
KR Gaim (2013) and KR Drive (2014)
Gaim is a well-recommended series that takes a different approach to storytelling, laying out a long-term conflict that carries its weight through the whole of the season. Drive was the next release after Gaim, but struggled to really pick up speed until a good number of episodes in. Once it gets going, though, it's a decent starting point.
KR Build (2017) and KR Zi-O (2018)
The last two entries in the Heisei era, although Zi-O aired during the transition to Reiwa.
Build is a solid entry for emotional storytelling, fight choreography, and villain characters.
Zi-O does something quite similar to Decade, bringing together the whole of the Heisei era to send it off in a big bang. Similarly, I wouldn't recommend watching this until you've seen some Heisei era shows.
Reiwa Era
KR Zero-One (2019)
The first series of the Reiwa Era! A perfect starting point if you want something modern!
KR Saber (2020)
The most recent show, still running at the time of this update! Nothing wrong with starting here!
Well, that is basically it for my guide to getting into Kamen Rider. I hope it's helpful! If you have any recommendations or corrections, don't hesitate to let me know!
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