:Kamen Rider 555

{{main|List of Kamen Rider 555 characters}}

The Smart Brain corporation, the world's most powerful corporation, is trying to take over the world using Orphnoch, the "next stage in humanity's evolution", to covertly kill off the human population. In pursuit of this, they develop three suits of power armor, called Rider Gears (each for Faiz, Kaixa, and Delta), to find and protect the Orphnoch King, who can fix a defect within Orphnoch DNA which causes their genetic structure to break down, leading to death.

The Rider Gears are stolen by Hanagata, the Goat Orphnoch and former chief of Smart Brain. He sends them to his foster children (dubbed the "Ryuseiji", after the school they attended) so they can stop the Orphnoch from achieving their goal. However, Rider Gears were designed to be worn by an Orphnoch, and humans are unable to activate the systems without undergoing genetic modification.

A young loner, Takumi Inui, is unwittingly drawn into the conflict between the Orphnoch and humans and becomes Kamen Rider Faiz to save the life of Mari Sonoda, one of the Ryuseiji. Smart Brain begins targeting him in an attempt to retrieve the Faiz Gear.

However, there is division amongst the Orphnoch, as those who wish to co-exist with humans rather than kill them, begin resisting the Smart Brain, who in turn targets them as well. Most of these "renegade" Orphnochs are either killed, remain neutral, or begin siding with the Ryuseiji against the Smart Brain.

When the Tokyo police discover the Orphnoch are behind a series of bizarre murders, they begin operations to defeat the creatures, largely unaware of the various factions involved. They even begin performing experiments on captured Orphnoch in an attempt to find ways of destroying them, though this does not go well.

The Orphnoch King eventually awakens within a young boy named Teruo Suzuki, whom Naoya Kaido and Keitaro Kikuchi saved and befriended. Now, it is up to the holders of the Rider Gears to band together and fight for humanity's survival.

The Kamen Rider 555 trademark was registered by Toei on October 29, 2002.{{cite web |url=http://kwixilvr.hatenablog.com/entry/sentai-rider-precure-trademark-application |title = スーパー戦隊、仮面ライダー、プリキュアの各シリーズにおける新作タイトルの商標登録出願についてまとめてみた - kwixilvr のブログ| date=8 May 2013 }}

The equipment used in the series to transform is referred to as Rider Gear. It was created to be worn by the Orphnoch to protect their Orphnoch King. Each Rider Gear contains a belt known as a Driver used to form armor that protects the wearer and amplifies their strengths and abilities. The armor's theme is based on a letter from the Greek alphabet, and contains the letter somehow within the aesthetic design. The Gears also have a method to input command codes, a cell phone number keypad for most, which can activate armor and various weapons. The sound effects of a dialing in any of the Rider Gear phones were later referenced in episode 17 of Kamen Rider Kabuto.

The TV series focused on three sets of Rider Gear: Faiz Gear, Kaixa Gear, and Delta Gear. During the TV series, Hanagata, the foster father of the Ryuseiji and former chief executive of Smart Brain, attempted to create several new Rider Gears, using two lost people to test out the first two. The two belts failed to create Rider armor, resulting in the wearer's deaths. When Itsuro Takuma of Lucky Clover wore the third one it disabled him for a few seconds before it dissolved. The fourth dissolved without ever being worn. The Kamen Rider 555 movie, Paradise Lost, introduced two additional sets of Rider Gear: Psyga Gear and Orga Gear.

{{see also|List of Kamen Rider 555 characters#Riotroopers}}

The show featured a series of mass-produced transformation belts called Smart Buckle, which enabled the wearer to transform into a generic Riotrooper. The Riotroopers were introduced in the movie and later added at the end of the TV series.

A live stage show of Kamen Rider Faiz featured three unique riders named Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.

Each set of Rider Gear is code-locked, in addition to being only usable by Orphnoch. These codes, input through the phone of each Gear, are a set of numbers that relate to the theme of each Gear. For the Faiz Gear, the code is 5-5-5, or "fives", phonetically similar to the word Faiz. For the Kaixa Gear, the code is 9-1-3, which is read in goroawase as "Ka-I-Sa". Delta Gear's phone was voice-activated, yet nonetheless also was coded with 3-3-3, a reference to the Greek letter Delta, a triangle.

The goroawase system was also used for the Psyga Gear, where the code 3-1-5 is read as "Sa-I-Go". The Orga Gear, patterned after the Greek Omega, the final letter, is code-locked to 0-0-0.

{{main|List of Kamen Rider 555 episodes}}

All of the episodes were written by Toshiki Inoue.

{{:List of Kamen Rider 555 episodes}}

{{main|Kamen Rider 555: Paradise Lost}}

{{nihongo|Kamen Rider 555 the Movie: Paradise Lost|劇場版 仮面ライダー555 パラダイス・ロスト|Gekijōban Kamen Raidā Faizu Paradaisu Rosuto}}, was released during the run of the series, as a double feature alongside Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger Deluxe: Abare Summer Is Freezing Cold! on August 16, 2003. The film was 81 minutes long. A few new characters and Rider Gears were introduced in the film.

{{main|Heisei Rider vs. Shōwa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai}}

A trailer for {{nihongo|Heisei Rider vs. Shōwa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai|平成ライダー対昭和ライダー 仮面ライダー大戦 feat.スーパー戦隊|Heisei Raidā Tai Shōwa Raidā Kamen Raidā Taisen Fīcharingu Sūpā Sentai}} was shown in theaters with The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle. The film's website reveals that it would be released in Japanese theaters on March 29, 2014. Kohei Murakami and Kento Handa were confirmed to reprise their respective roles from Kamen Rider 555.

{{main|Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3}}

{{nihongo|Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3|スーパーヒーロー大戦GP 仮面ライダー3号|Supā Hīrō Taisen Guranpuri Kamen Raidā Sangō}} is the 2015 entry of the "Super Hero Taisen" film series, featuring the cast of Kamen Rider Drive and the appearance of Kamen Rider 3, which was originally created by Shotaro Ishinomori for the one-shot 1972 manga {{nihongo|Rider #3 VS. General Black|3ごうライダーたい ブラックしょうぐんのまき|Sangō Raidā Tai Burakku Shōgun no Maki}}. Kento Handa reprises his role in the film, which was scheduled to open in theaters on March 21, 2015,{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-12-14/shotaro-ishinomori-kamen-rider-no.3-gets-new-film-in-2015/.82153|title=Shotaro Ishinomori's Kamen Rider #3 Gets New Film in 2015|author=Anime News Network|date=December 15, 2014|access-date=December 15, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://ameblo.jp/kibatsu/entry-11978767767.html?timestamp=1421579133|title=映画『スーパーヒーロー大戦GP 仮面ライダー3号|author=Ameblo.jp|date=January 20, 2015|access-date=January 20, 2015}} and its sequel {{nihongo|Kamen Rider 4|仮面ライダー4号|Kamen Raidā Yongō}}, which has Mitsuru Karahashi reprising his role. In Kamen Rider 4, it reveals the truth after the end of Kamen Rider 555 TV series, especially on Takumi himself.

• {{nihongo|Kamen Rider Genms: Smart Brain and the 1000% Crisis|仮面ライダーゲンムズ スマートブレインと1000%のクライシス|Kamen Raidā Genmuzu Sumāto Burein to Sen-pāsento no Kuraishisu}}: The second entry of the web-exclusive Kamen Rider Genms series released on Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club on April 17, 2022, and serves a crossover between Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Kamen Rider Zero-One, and 555.{{cite web |title=『仮面ライダーゲンムズ －ザ・プレジデンツ－』から１年──。"仮面ライダーゲンム"が再び復活!! ２０２２年４月１７日（日）ＴＴＦＣにて配信開始！ 今度の"プレジデント"は──天ヶ崎恋!? |url=https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/news_articles/1649 |publisher=Kamen Rider Web |access-date=17 April 2022 |language=ja |date=2 April 2022 |archive-date=2 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402085207/https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/news_articles/1649 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=『仮面ライダーゲンムズ スマートブレインと１０００％のクライシス』いよいよ来週、２０２２年４月１７日（日）よりＴＴＦＣにて配信開始！ 予告編、ポスタービジュアルが解禁！ ゲンムとサウザーの新フォームも！ |url=https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/news_articles/1662 |publisher=Kamen Rider Web |access-date=17 April 2022 |language=ja |date=10 April 2022 |archive-date=17 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417003919/https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/news_articles/1662 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=『仮面ライダーゲンムズ スマートブレインと１０００％のクライシス』本日（４／１７）からＴＴＦＣにて配信中！ スマートクイーン役で芳賀優里亜の出演を解禁!! |url=https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/news_articles/1669 |publisher=Kamen Rider Web |access-date=17 April 2022 |language=ja |date=17 April 2022 |archive-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419133220/https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/news_articles/1669 |url-status=dead }}
• {{nihongo|Kamen Rider Outsiders|仮面ライダーアウトサイダーズ|Kamen Raidā Autosaidāzu}}: A web-exclusive crossover series of Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club between various characters from the Kamen Rider metaseries released on October 16, 2022, which is a direct sequel to Kamen Rider Genms.{{cite web |title=ＴＴＦＣにてオリジナルシリーズ始動！ 第一弾はゲンムVSデルタ!! 『仮面ライダーアウトサイダーズep.0』１０月１６日（日）配信開始！ |url=https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/news_articles/1919 |publisher=Kamen Rider Web |access-date=2 October 2022 |language=ja |date=2 October 2022}}
• {{nihongo|Kamen Rider 555 Murder Case|仮面ライダー555殺人事件|Kamen Raidā Faizu Satsujin Jiken}}: A two-episode web-exclusive special released on Toei Tokusatsu YouTube Official (only the first episode) and Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club on January 28, 2024.{{cite web |title=本日「９１３＜カイザ＞」の日!! ＴＴＦＣプレゼンツ『仮面ライダー５５５』 もうひとつの２０周年記念作品 『仮面ライダー５５５ 殺人事件』 制作決定!! |url=https://www.toei.co.jp/release/bb/1232760_971.html |publisher=Toei Company |access-date=13 September 2023 |language=ja |date=13 September 2023}}{{cite web |title=『仮面ライダー５５５殺人事件』 追加キャスト＆ビジュアル解禁！ 【問題編】2024年1月28日（日） 配信決定！ |url=https://www.toei.co.jp/release/bb/1233011_971.html |publisher=Toei Company |access-date=15 October 2023 |language=ja |date=15 October 2023}} The events of the web-exclusive special are not connected to Kamen Rider 555 20th: Paradise Regained.{{cite web |title=本日（１／26）は『仮面ライダー５５５』第１話放送記念日！ 『仮面ライダー５５５殺人事件』予告映像ついに解禁!! 乾巧と草加雅人のＷ変身も！ ＴＴＦＣ限定！オーディオコメンタリー配信決定!! |url=https://www.toei.co.jp/release/bb/1233665_971.html |publisher=Toei Company |access-date=28 January 2024 |language=ja |date=26 January 2024}}

{{nihongo|Kamen Rider 555 20th: Paradise Regained|仮面ライダー555 20th パラダイス・リゲインド|Kamen Raidā Faizu Nijusshū'nen Paradaisu Rigeindo}} is a V-Cinema release which received a limited theatrical release on February 2, 2024, followed by its DVD and Blu-ray release on May 29, 2024. The events of the V-Cinema take place twenty years after the TV series. The V-Cinema is written by Toshiki Inoue and directed by Ryuta Tasaki. The theme song is "Identiφ's" performed by ISSA.{{cite web |title=北崎がスマートブレイン社長に、「仮面ライダー555 20th」本予告やストーリー解禁 |url=https://natalie.mu/eiga/news/545568 |publisher=Natalie |access-date=19 October 2023 |language=ja |date=19 October 2023}}

• {{nihongo|Kamen Rider Faiz Seiden: Deformed Flowers|仮面ライダーファイズ 正伝 —異形の花々—|Kamen Raidā Faizu Seiden Igyō no Hanabana|"Kamen Rider Faiz True Story: Deformed Flowers"}}, written by Toshiki Inoue, is a novel adaptation. The novel was released on August 17, 2004.
• {{nihongo|Kamen Rider Faiz|仮面ライダーファイズ|Kamen Raidā Faizu}}, written by Toshiki Inoue, is part of a series of spin-off novel adaptions of the Heisei Era Kamen Riders. It is a reprint of Deformed Flowers, which added a five-year epilogue to the story. The novel was released on January 31, 2013.

The S.I.C. Hero Saga side story for 555 published in Monthly Hobby Japan magazine was titled {{nihongo|Masked Rider 555: Lost World|MASKED RIDER 555 -ロスト・ワールド-|Kamen Raidā Faizu -Rosuto Wārudo-}}. It serves as a prologue to the alternate story that was 555: Paradise Lost, and features the new character {{nihongo|Riotrooper Ver. 2|ライオトルーパーver.2|Raiotorūpā Bājon Tsū}}. The story ran from October 2005 to January 2006.

;Chapter titles

1. {{nihongo|Faiz|ファイズ|Faizu}}
2. {{nihongo|Kaixa|カイザ|Kaiza}}
3. {{nihongo|Delta|デルタ|Deruta}}
4. {{nihongo|Psyga|サイガ|Saiga}}

A video game based on the series was produced by Bandai for the PlayStation 2. It was a fighting game that featured many of the characters from the TV series. There were several modes of gameplay for either a single play or two players. It was released only in Japan near the end of the TV series on December 18, 2003.{{cite web| url = http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/data/919210.html| publisher = GameFAQs| title = Kamen Rider 555 Info| access-date = June 1, 2007}}

In 2014, 555 received a three-part Blu-ray release. To promote the release, the cast reunited after 10 years, but they remarked that not much has changed, other than Yoshika Kato changing her stage name to Leilani Gaja and her new life in Hong Kong and series lead Kento Handa's recent popularity on the variety show Tamori Club where he has surprised guests with his knowledge of high-rise buildings and kayōkyoku.{{cite web|url=http://www.cinematoday.jp/page/N0056501 |title=「仮面ライダー555」主要キャストが10年ぶり集結！ブルーレイ化が決定！ - シネマトゥデイ |date=30 September 2013 |publisher=Cinematoday.jp |access-date=2013-10-28}}

• {{nihongo|Takumi Inui|乾 巧|Inui Takumi}}: {{nihongo|Kento Handa|半田 健人|Handa Kento}}
• {{nihongo|Mari Sonoda|園田 真理|Sonoda Mari}}: {{nihongo|Yuria Haga|芳賀 優里亜|Haga Yuria}}
• {{nihongo|Keitaro Kikuchi|菊池 啓太郎|Kikuchi Keitarō}}: {{nihongo|Ken Mizorogi|溝呂木 賢|Mizorogi Ken}}
• {{nihongo|Yuji Kiba|木場 勇治|Kiba Yūji}}: {{nihongo|Masayuki Izumi|泉 政行|Izumi Masayuki}}
• {{nihongo|Yuka Osada|長田 結花|Osada Yuka}}: {{nihongo|Yoshika Kato|加藤 美佳|Katō Yoshika}}
• {{nihongo|Naoya Kaido|海堂 直也|Kaidō Naoya}}: {{nihongo|Mitsuru Karahashi|唐橋 充|Karahashi Mitsuru}}
• {{nihongo|Masato Kusaka|草加 雅人|Kusaka Masato}}: {{nihongo|Kōhei Murakami|村上 幸平|Murakami Kōhei}}
• {{nihongo|Shuji Mihara|三原 修二|Mihara Shūji}}: {{nihongo|Atsushi Harada|原田 篤|Harada Atsushi}}
• {{nihongo|Rina Abe|阿部 里奈|Abe Rina}}: {{nihongo|Rie Kasai|河西 りえ|Kasai Rie}}
• {{nihongo|Kazufumi Mizuno|水野 和史|Mizuno Kazufumi}}: {{nihongo|Kengo Ohkuchi|大口 兼悟|Ohkuchi Kengo}}
• {{nihongo|Aki Sawada|澤田 亜希|Sawada Aki}}: {{nihongo|Go Ayano|綾野 剛|Ayano Gō}}
• {{nihongo|Teruo Suzuki|鈴木 照夫|Suzuki Teruo}}: {{nihongo|Kayato Watanabe|渡辺 彼野人|Watanabe Kayato}}
• {{nihongo|Joji Soeno|添野 錠二|Soeno Jōji}}: {{nihongo|Taro Ishida|石田 太郎|Ishida Tarō}}
• {{nihongo|Sawamura|沢村}}: {{nihongo|Koji Iwakawa|岩川 幸司|Iwakawa Kōji}}
• {{nihongo|Hikaru Soeno|添野 ひかる|Soeno Hikaru}}: {{nihongo|Manami Miwake|三訳 真奈美|Miwake Manami}}
• {{nihongo|Masahiko Minami|南 雅彦|Minami Masahiko}}: {{nihongo|Atsushi Ogawa|小川 敦史|Ogawa Atsushi}}
• {{nihongo|J|ジェイ|Jei}}: {{nihongo|Kenneth Duria|ケネス・ヅリア|Kenesu Zuria}}
• {{nihongo|Itsuro Takuma|琢磨 逸郎|Takuma Itsurō}}: {{nihongo|Jun Yamasaki|山崎 潤|Yamasaki Jun}}
• {{nihongo|Saeko Kageyama|影山 冴子|Kageyama Saeko}}: {{nihongo|Waka|和香}}
• {{nihongo|Kitazaki|北崎}}: {{nihongo|Ray Fujita|藤田 玲|Fujita Rei}}
• {{nihongo|Smart Lady|スマートレディ|Sumāto Redi}}: {{nihongo|Hitomi Kurihara|栗原 瞳|Kurihara Hitomi}}
• {{nihongo|Kyoji Murakami|村上 峡児|Murakami Kyōji}}: {{nihongo|Katsuyuki Murai|村井 克行|Murai Katsuyuki}}
• {{nihongo|Hanagata|花形}}: {{nihongo|Koji Naka|中 康治|Naka Kōji}}
• {{nihongo|Arch Orphnoch|アークオルフェノク|Āku Orufenoku|Voice}}: {{nihongo|Hiroshi Yanaka|家中 宏|Yanaka Hiroshi}}
• Narration, Driver Voice: {{nihongo|Takehiko Kano|假野 剛彦|Kano Takehiko}}

• {{nihongo|Chie Morishita|森下 千恵|Morishita Chie|1, 2}}: {{nihongo|Mika Katsumura|勝村 美香|Katsumura Mika}}
• Yuji Kiba's father (1): {{nihongo|Shinichi Kase|加瀬 慎一|Kase Shin'ichi}}
• Yuji Kiba's mother (1): {{nihongo|Midori Takei|竹井 みどり|Takei Midori}}
• {{nihongo|Akai|赤井||3, 4}}: {{nihongo|Katsuyuki Yamazaki|山﨑 勝之|Yamazaki Katsuyuki}}
• {{nihongo|Eiichi Toda|戸田 英一|Toda Eiichi|5, 6}}: {{nihongo|Shigeki Kagemaru|影丸 茂樹|Kagemaru Shigeki}}
• Professor (7, 8): {{nihongo|Ichiro Ogura|小倉 一郎|Ogura Ichirō}}
• {{nihongo|Shigehisa Aoki|青木 茂久|Aoki Shigehisa|20, 21}}: {{nihongo|Sarutoki Minagawa|皆川 猿時|Minagawa Sarutoki}}
• Gorgeous man (31, 32): {{nihongo|Masaki Tachi|舘 正貴|Tachi Masaki}}
• {{nihongo|Crab Orphnoch|クラブオルフェノク|Kurabu Orufenoku|Voice; 41, 42}}: {{nihongo|Satoshi Matsuda|松田 悟志|Matsuda Satoshi}}

• In the Philippines, it was aired on GMA Network from 2005 to 2006 and re-aired on Hero TV from 2005 to 2006 with Tagalog dub as Masked Rider 555 or Masked Rider Faiz.
• From 2005 to 2006, the series was dubbed in English and aired in Singapore on MediaCorp Kids Central as Masked Rider 555.
• From October 29, 2005- November 4, 2006, 555 aired in Hong Kong on TVB as Masked Rider 555 (幪面超人555, Méng Miàn Chāorén 555) dubbed in Cantonese.
• From September 18, 2005- August 27, 2006, 555 aired in Taiwan on YoYo TV as Masked Rider 555 (假面騎士555, Jiǎ Miàn Qíshì 555) with a Taiwanese Mandarin dub.
• On April 24, 2021, 555, alongside Agito and Ryuki, aired on FreeTV, with a Spanish dub in Latin America.

{{Reflist}}

• {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024175439/http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/555/|date=October 24, 2016|title=Official website at TV Asahi {{in lang|ja}}}}
• [https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/outsiders/ Official website] for Kamen Rider Outsiders and Kamen Rider Genms {{in lang|ja}}

{{Kamen Rider 555 |state=collapsed}}

{{Kamen Rider}}

Faiz

Category:2003 Japanese television series debuts

Category:2004 Japanese television series endings

Category:Cyberpunk television series

Category:Fiction with multiple endings

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