Kamen Rider Spotlight: Kamen Rider W

Well I decided it was time to start blogs about Kamen Rider, and what better way to give my thoughts than to give each Rider their own spotlight and give my thoughts on each of them individually? So with that in mind, let’s take a look at Kamen Rider W.

"Saa, omae no tsumi o kazoero!"

Two men, one Rider. Detective Shotaro Hidari, and an amnesiac with the ability to enter the ‘Planetary Bookshelves’ Philip. Together, they form a Rider with speed, skill, power, and an uncanny ability to adapt to nearly any situation.

While I probably shouldn’t make claims as far as who I feel is the strongest, weakest, fastest, smartest, etc. Riders are, I will say that W is likely one of if not the most well-balanced of the Kamen Riders. With two minds in one body and the ability to change the two halves of his, or more precisely THEIR, body to better suit his opponents and/or environment, W rarely finds a situation that’s beyond their ability to adapt to. The only real weakness they have overall is that if Shotaro and Philip aren’t able to stay focused and united, their combo can break down. With that said, let’s take a look at W’s various forms.

Cyclone! Joker!

CycloneJoker is a swift hand-to-hand fighter that can move like the wind. W generally starts battles in this form to start the feeling-out process against opponents and likely due to Shotaro’s affinity for the Joker half. Finishing move is Joker Extreme, a gusty dropkick that sends the two halves splitting apart and then colliding into the opponent before recombining.

Heat! Metal!

HeatMetal is a heavy fighter with a steel rod that burns enemies with intense flames. Although likely the slowest of the different W forms, the blazing Metal Shaft more than makes up for it, as it acts as a powerful weapon from both on offensive and a defensive perspective. Finisher is Metal Branding, focusing all the searing fire into one powerful smack from the Metal Shaft.

Luna! Trigger!

Probably my favourite form, LunaTrigger is a gunslinger that can curve his energy shots to always hit his opponents and no one else. The only real weakness it has is that the blasts aren’t as powerful as HeatTrigger‘s, and should the opponent get through them, W is somewhat defenceless. W’s finishing move in this form is Trigger Full Burst, which sends a barrage of charged up homing blasts at the target.

Heat! Joker!

HeatJoker is hand-to-hand fighter with fists and feet furiously aflame. While not as fast as the other Joker Half Changes, HeatJoker packs the most power behind W’s blows. Finishing move is Joker Grenade, which sees W doing a jumping somersault before splitting in half and delivering a pair of burning punches.

Cyclone! Metal!

CycloneMetal is a fighter that is both speedy and tough. While it doesn’t offer W with as much speed or power as other forms do, it does grant a decent balance. Finishing manoeuvre is the Metal Twister, a flurry of swings from the Metal Shaft that carries a small tornado of energy along with it.

Heat! Trigger!

HeatTrigger is a super-powered-up gunslinger that can shoot bursts of flame from the Trigger Magnum. While it lacks the sheer inability to miss that LunaTrigger possesses, the blasts have far more power. The finisher is Trigger Explosion, a massive stream of flame and magma that burns away anything in its path. An upgraded form of this attack was used once in a Twin Maximum, but the resulting blast also burned away at W, injuring Shotaro and forcing them to never attempt it again.

Luna! Joker!

The last of W’s hand-to-hand fighting forms, only this one has more range…a LOT more range. LunaJoker gives W the ability to stretch out limbs near-infinitely. While his blows don’t pack as much power as in other forms, that W can attack from such a range is certainly helpful. Finisher is known as Joker Strange, wherein the two halves split apart with the Luna half duplicating itself and sending out a barrage of extended slaps and chops, followed by two super-powered chops from the Joker half.

Cyclone! Trigger!

CycloneTrigger is a speedy gunslinger that can fire concussive blasts of wind out of the Trigger Magnum. Fast and furious, this form lets W move in fast and get a quick volley of windy blasts in. The finisher is Trigger Aerobuster, which shoots a small tornado of energy at the target, blowing them away.

Luna! Metal!

LunaMetal is a powerful warrior with near-infinite reach, the Metal Shaft now being able to stretch itself to hit anything anywhere. While it loses some of the power once backing it, being able to stretch out that far is a definite plus. Finisher is called Metal Illusion, wherein the Metal Shaft creates golden razor-sharp rings that slash away at foes.

Fang! Joker!

FangJoker is a touch more unusual a form for W, as with this form Philip forms the body instead of Shotaro. As such, it cannot be used for long before Philip’s weaker body gives out. However, in the time that it works, FangJoker provides W with a more ferocious fighting style that cuts down all before him with a series of blades that can be used for close-up and ranged attacks. Finisher is a spinning, slashing roundhouse kick called the Fang Streiser.

XTREEEEEEEEEEMEEEE!!!

CycloneJokerXtreme is the evolved form of W, given new strength and abilities from the Xtreme Memory. In addition to powering up CycloneJoker form’s natural strengths, transforming the Joker Extreme in the massive-tornado-empowered Double Extreme, it also grants access to the Prism Bicker, a sword and shield that can unite the various elemental powers of W’s into a focused blast, the Bicker Finallusion, or a powerful slash, the Bicker Charge Break.

"Philip! We've become a CG effect!"

CycloneJokerGoldXtreme is the final and most powerful form of W, so powerful in fact that he cannot achieve it naturally and must be empowered further by an outside force strong enough. It grants W wings with which to fly, and W’s finisher is evolved once again into the Golden Extreme, a shining dropkick that obliterates any foe.

Anyway, that’s all for my first installment of the Kamen Rider Spotlight. Lemme know what you think and if there’s any Riders you’d like me to check out in the future.