Wishlist: Top 5 Most Wanted Kamen Rider S.H. Figuarts

Some time ago I wrote a small feature on the top five tokusatsu figures I’d like to see made in the S.H. Figuarts line. Since then a whopping ZERO of those characters has been produced, which just goes to show that Bandai Tamashii Nations’ priorities obviously aren’t quite the same as mine. But due to my love of lists like this I thought I’d have another stab at one, this time focusing specifically on the Kamen Rider franchise. After all, while the line may have expanded exponentially in the last few years Figuarts always comes back to Kamen Rider to provide the heavy hitters. This time I’ve also set myself out a few rules to make things more interesting, which are; 

• No “renewal” figures
• Nothing that’s already been on display at an event
• Nothing from the most current series (since we don’t know what’s already planned) 

Now I’m not going to argue that my choices are particularly “deserving” of figures over others, but these are the ones I would absolutely 100% drop money on in an instant. So if you’re interested to see what my choices are, please read on!

5) Kamen Rider Kiva

What would any S.H. Figuarts wish list be without the inclusion of Kamen Rider Kiva? To clarify – the only reason Kiva is at the bottom of this list is because everyone KNOWS he’s going to be released eventually, it’s just a case of when Tamashii Nations finally want to put an ending to all the moaning from collectors who want to finish up their main Rider line up. So yeah – Kamen Rider Kiva needs no explanation as to why he’s been included here. As the only titular Rider missing from the line he’s the biggest hole in many collections, making him easily the most desirable release from Kamen Rider right now.

4) Scorpio Worm (Kamen Rider Kabuto)

Despite having some pretty strong opinions about Kamen Rider Kabuto as a series, from an aesthetic standpoint there’s very little at fault with it. The Rider suits are currently getting the treatment they deserve from the S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou brand, so why can’t the same be done for some of the great monster designs that came out of the show? The reveal of the Scorpio Worm and the repercussions that followed were some of Kabuto’s finest moments, and if any monster from the franchise deserves a figure it’s this one. Villains that aren’t Riders are certainly a rarity among the line, but hopefully one day the Scorpio Worm can join the likes of the Kyoryu Greed, Wolf Orphnoch and Lord Baron as kaijin whose character ties make them an obvious choice for S.H. Figuarts treatment.

Another fine choice would be the Cassis Worm, who I had tons of fun repeatedly beating up on the first Battride War game.

3) Kamen Rider Ibuki (Kamen Rider Hibiki)

S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Hibiki may not have sold as well as Tamashii Nations had hoped, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still undoubted one of the best Figuarts on the market right now. The sculpting, the colour, the impressive accessory count – there’s little about Hibiki that doesn’t scream “perfection”. As such it’s a complete waste that the mould isn’t being repurposed into all the other Hibiki Riders, which I’m sure would also come out equally as strong. Honestly any of them would be welcome additions to my collection, but I settled on Ibuki as I would probably rank him as my favourite of all the Hibiki Riders. Plus who doesn’t want another trumpet player to hang out with Basco?

2) Kamen Rider Aqua (Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Megamax)

Movie War Megamax is still one of, if not the, best Kamen Rider crossover movies there’s been so it’s such a shame to see either Kamen Rider Aqua or Kamen Rider Poseidon immortalised in Figuarts form. Both Riders are exceptionally cool, and the water theme is severely underused in Kamen Rider in general. As was the case with Ibuki I’d happily take either character, but I find myself leaning slightly more towards Aqua due to the more unique design that doesn’t share the OOO gimmick. The metallic blue and silver colourscheme would look absolutely gorgeous, and in the absence of any Shinkocchou Seihou figures would be a welcome addition to the Kamen Rider OOO cast.

1) Chinomanako Diend Form (Kamen Rider Decade)

Kamen Rider Decade might be a series riddled with plot holes and sometimes the general absence of plot altogether, but on a sheer enjoyment level (and the fact it was my very first full Rider series) I’d still happily rank it as one of my favourites. Diend himself is without a doubt my favourite secondary Rider, so why wouldn’t I want a figure of his “Kaijin Rider” counterpart? This rather unique character appeared in the Shinkenger crossover portion of Decade, where the Ayakashi Chinomanako stole the Diend Driver (much to Tsukasa’s amusement). Not only is he able to summon Riders ala Diend, but in this form Chinomanako can also use Kaijin Rider cards to summon monsters from previous Rider shows as well.

Is it a particularly likely figure to happen? Probably not, but Kamen Rider Decade is a series close to my heart and the Shinkenger crossover especially so. As a tokusatsu fan who transitioned from Power Rangers to Super Sentai to Kamen Rider, this crossover felt like a pretty big deal back when they weren’t getting painfully churned out on an annual basis. Besides, if something like Kamen Rider Abyss can happen then so can this!

---

What Kamen Rider figures would you like to see happen in the S.H. Figuarts line? Let me know in the comments section below!