Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 1 (Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition)

Release Date: November 2025

RRP: 11,000 yen

If there's one thing you can guarantee about Bandai Tamashii Nations (or any toy company that has any sort of business sense really) is that if a particular release is popular, they're going to milk it. The original S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider 1 figure released all the way back in 2017, but returned once more (albeit it with a slightly altered colour scheme) in 2021 as a "50th anniversary editon". Now it's back once more in the form of the S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 1 (Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition), once again slightly updating the deco whilst bringing it more in line with some of the more recent Showa era Kamen Rider releases. 

S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou boxes are so uniform that every time one breaks the usual pattern its worthy of note, and in Rider 1’s case there’s no way its new display base accessory is getting into a standard sized box. As such Kamen Rider 1 (Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition) comes in a much wider box, though retaining the same two-piece format as the rest of the line. The lid of the box features slightly different styled artwork – one side depicting a bust shot of the figure whilst the other shows off how the figure looks on the new display base. The sides of the lid feature the character name in silver foil lettering as always, but now with “Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition” added above it in gold foil as previously seen on the new Sakurajima Ver. figure. The bottom half of the box shows the figure off further in a variety of poses, and then inside both the figure and all its accessories are neatly stored on a moulded plastic tray. Underneath the tray is the display base, stored in its own clear plastic bag.

Though not the first version of Kamen Rider 1 to appear in the original 1971 series, the "Shin" Kamen Rider 1 suit (a name which has lost all meaning since the arrival of both Kamen Rider Shin and Shin Kamen Rider) is largely considered to be most iconic version of the character these days - both due to duration in appeared in the show (first debuting in episode 53 and carrying through right to the end) and it continuing to be his default look to this day. While personally it's grown to be my least favourite of Rider 1's three costumes from the original series, there's no denying that it carries the same timeless look at the others whilst also becoming slightly slicker and swapping the Typhoon Belt to red in order to match up with Rider 2. Even back in 2018 Bandai were really making the Shinkocchou Seihou figures stand out from the crowd, with superb sculpts that closely matched both the detail of the original suits and the body proportions of the actors themselves. The main draw here is the additional of a wired cloth scarf - an element that has appeared on every Showa Rider since V3 (with the exception of Amazon who released before V3) as well as the "Old Version" of Kamen Rider 1. As with the Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition re-release of Sakurajima Rider 1, this move brings the figure closer in line with the rest as well as offering far better posing options for the scarf itself.

The switch to a soft goods scarf may be the biggest difference here, but there are also a few deco changes too when compared with the original Shinkocchou Seihou release. The torso armour is a lighter shade of green, now sporting a sandy weathered effect to give it more realism. The “wings” on the back on the jacket are also a very slightly different shade of green, as is the helmet. Finally the gloves and boots now have a black-washed matte finish, as opposed to the glossy silver of the original. Though all minor differences at best, they are quite noticeable when you compare the two in hand. While ultimately only the scarf and bonus display base are likely to ever be a decider in collectors “upgrading” to this version, it is nice that Bandai took other steps to further differentiate the two.

There’s little to say about the articulation that I haven’t said previously, as not only is it identical to the original version of the figure but also the Sakurajima Version as well. But nevertheless this version of Rider 1 has the following to offer; 

- Ball jointed head, neck, torso, pectoral muscles, waist and wrists 

- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and ankles

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Double hinge elbows and knees 

- Single hinge toe sections 

- Bicep and thigh swivels 

Then as a slight bonus, the antennae can also individually rotate – not because they do on the suit itself, but to hopefully make them harder to break. As I previously mentioned in my Sakurajima Ver. review Shinkocchou Seihou figures have evolved somewhat since Rider 1 was originally released back in 2017, but the mould is still a good all-rounder figure that highlights what the line has to offer and how it sets itself apart from regular S.H. Figuarts (although even some of those are catching up these days). The ball jointed pecs take a little bit of getting used to, but are helpful in getting key poses like the ever-iconic transformation one as close to perfect as possible. While maybe no longer the best Bandai Tamashii Nations has to offer in terms of articulation, it’s still a very solid figure that more than lives up to their standards.

Although there may be minimal differences with the figure itself, the accessories of this new edition expand slightly beyond that the original release. Included here are 11 additional hands (as opposed to the original’s eight), replacement antennae (purely here in case of breakage), a replacement neck part and finally the two plastic scarves included with the original. As with the Sakurajima re-release, while it’s unlikely many collectors will choose the plastic scarves over the soft goods it is nice that Bandai provided the option. The alternate hands include the four matching pairs that came with the original release (two pairs of open, knife-strike/henshin pose and accessory-holding), but also throw in an additional pair of open hands, a pointing pair and an additional right hand for Rider 1 to shake hands with S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Akaranger (which was released on the same day). It’s a good boost to an already strong selection, which had previously covered all of Rider 1’s key poses nicely. The wash on the alternate hands also looks great, further emphasising the moulding/detail they have. Compared to later weapon-wielding Riders it might seem like a pretty basic selection, but feels appropriate for the character. It’s just a shame no Rider Kick effect part was included similar to that of the original S.H. Figuarts’, because this release would have been the perfect opportunity to bring it back.

The final accessory is the only one new to the Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition – a large black display base displaying the Tachibana Racing Club (and in turn the original Kamen Rider) logo. It’s a good size base matching the ones previously released alongside the initial Kamen Rider Gaim figures and Kamen Rider Ex-Aid three-pack release, with room for multiple figures to be displayed on it. The base also features three Tamashii Stage sockets just above the logo, allowing you to pose the figure on his motorcycle or about to launch a Rider Kick. While alone it perhaps isn’t a good enough reason to trade in the original Shinkocchou Seihou release, it is a good accessory to bolster this release and nicely compliments the similar Super Sentai 50th Anniversary display base included with Akaranger .

Although S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 1 (Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition) may be an example of taking an already great figure and making it even better, it’s also an example of how Bandai can make changes to ranges midway through so that they can go back and release older figures with minimal changes sometime later. True as it may be that no one is forcing you to rebuy the same figures over and over, there’s no doubt that the soft goods scarf not only looks better but also matches with the other Showa Riders from V3 onwards. Rider 2 is getting a similar new version later this month, and Amazon’s will surely follow eventually as it has been displayed at events. The actual paint differences between this and the original are so miniscule that it purely comes down to preference, and as nice as the additional hands and display base are whether they justify this release being nearly double the cost of the original is another matter entirely. The Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition may feel like the definitive version of “Shin” Kamen Rider 1 (for now at least), but seven years later it doesn’t quite have the same wow factor as unboxing the original did. Then again, if you have missed out on getting Rider 1 until now then what are you waiting for?