Takeshi Hongo (Kamen Rider: 1971 TV Series)

Takeshi Hongo is the original Kamen Rider. He first appeared in Kamen Rider, the first installment in the long-running Kamen Rider franchise of tokusatsu programs. The primary protagonist of the series, Kamen Rider 1 is a motorcycle-riding superhero modeled after a Grasshopper. One of the most recognizable and iconic characters in Japanese entertainment, Kamen Rider 1 is as irrecoverably burnt into the cultural subconscious as the series itself.

Why He Rocks

 * 1) Two words: RIDER... KICK...!
 * 2) Another two more words: Hiroshi Fujioka.
 * 3) Fujioka excellently portrays Hongo.
 * 4) Genius: he has an IQ of 600.
 * 5) He is a truly heroic man to the point he is very selfless.
 * 6) While his suit may look funny, it became popular and an instant classic just like his rider kick.
 * 7) After his actor returned to the show, he and Hayato Ichimonji (Kamen Rider Nigo) teamed up and became the Double Riders.

Bad Quality

 * 1) He acts strangely different in later Kamen Rider movies, probably because of him aging, which makes sense.

Trivia

 * From episodes 14-39, Fujioka was replaced by Takeshi Sasaki, who played Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2. This is because Fujioka shatterered his leg during a motorcycle stunt (Fujioka was known for doing his own stunts), which caused him to go on a long hiatus. Once he recovered, he returned to playing as Hongo starting from episode 40.