Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Black RX

Release Date: August 2026

RRP: 11,000 yen

It's a testament to the popularity of Kamen Rider Black that it remains the only Kamen Rider series to receive a direct sequel with the same lead character, and even though for many Kamen Rider Black RX didn't reach quite the same heights it's a surprise that Bandai Tamashii Nations didn't immediately follow up the release of Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Black with his successor. But five years later and finally S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Black RX has arrived, bringing us one step closer to a complete line-up of titular Riders in the premium "true bone carving" line. Surprisingly unlike most of the other Showa Riders, Black RX was deemed popular enough to receive a general retail release rather than Tamashii Web status, with the figure also showing off a few new surprise additions to the range in terms of design.

Kamen Rider Black RX comes in the usual two-piece style Shinkocchou Seihou box, which is also the regular size for the line rather than the larger ones some of the newer releases have come in. On the top half is a nice big head shot of the figure against a white background, with the character name printed in silver foil lettering across the sides against a solid black background. On the underside of the bottom half you'll find a selection of images showing the figure (and accessories) off in a variety of Black RX's signature poses. Inside the contents are spread across two moulded plastic trays - one for the figure itself, and then a shallower one underneath for the accessories. Guidance on how to use the accessories/swap the parts is printed on a fold-out paper flyer.

Right away from its initial reveal at the annual Tamashii Nation event in 2025, S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Black RX looked like a pretty fantastic figure that plenty of collectors were excited for. What they weren't expecting however were the sudden addition of fabric upper leg covers by the time preorders rolled around a few months later - a detail that was missing on that first prototype. Whilst an argument could be made for it trying to add an extra touch of realism to the figure by mirroring the fabric used on that part of the suit, the texture of the fabric doesn't quite convey it the way that was perhaps intended. Some collectors have already been bold enough to remove the covers to see what's underneath, and although the bulk of the leg is the right colour green the hip joint is black (as opposed to the green it was on the prototype) - meaning taking it off leaves the figure inaccurate without modification. There's also the worry of the fabric tearing over time or if stressed during posing, but if proper care is taken during posing that doesn't seem to be a problem in the short term. That unique aspect to the figure aside though, Bandai have done a wonderful job in creating their most accurate version of the Black RX suit yet. New touches like the darker shade of green and texture on the body armour look incredible, as well as the transparent shell around the Sunriser to give it a more screen-accurate look. Just be careful with it though, as it can be removed and thus could quite easily get lost without proper care. The head sculpt is super too, capturing the segmented neck armour as well as those big red compound eyes. For many Western fans who grew up in the 90s this suit would have been their first exposure to the world of Kamen Rider, and hopefully they'll all agree that (for the most part) Bandai have done it justice here.

The second S.H. Figuarts version of Black RX released just as the Shinkocchou Seihou line was getting off the ground, so naturally there's a huge difference between that and the Shinkocchou Seihou figure. The most immediate difference is the size, with the Shinkocchou Seihou not only scaled up to match the height of current Figuarts but also bulked out to have far more realistic proportions. With a bigger size also comes far more detail, though to its credit the 2014 figure was had some moulded creases in the crotch section to give it some realism as well. While the 2014 figure might run into the same QC problems in the long run as it lacks the rubber and fabric parts the Shinkocchou Seihou has, there's no denying that it's beginning to show its age. It certainly still has its charm, but this is an upgrade in every sense of the word.

The overall articulation of the figure is excellent, but much like the Shinkocchou Seihou versions of Kamen Rider Black and Shadow Moon comes with a few points of caution. Altogether Black RX features;

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

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and ankles

- Double hinge elbows and knees

- Single hinge toe sections

- Bicep and thigh swivels

The head and neck articulation is slightly limited by nature of the design, both from the segmented neck armour and the collar piece surrounding it. You can still get fairly good sideward and downward movement out of it though, and if that's not enough for you Bandai have you covered in the accessory count. The bigger worry here are the shoulder pads, which are quite unlike anything Bandai have done before on these figures. Rather than being attached to the torso or shoulder via a joint they can pop on and off of, they're instead connected to a thin strip of fabric fixed underneath the torso armour. While it makes them extremely mobile, it also makes them feel a lot more fragile - with their longevity definitely coming into question in more extreme poses. Like the previous Black figures Black RX also utilises rubbery covers around the shoulder joints, and while it doesn't impact posing whatsoever again longevity could be a concern. Which is a shame, because otherwise this figure poses beautifully. Even with the thigh swivels covered by the fabric covers the legs don't have any movement issues, allowing Black RX to pull off both signature and action poses without issue.

Black RX's accessories are relatively largely similar to those of the 2014 figure, but with a few extras thrown into further enhance the accuracy and playability of the release. Altogether there are 13 additional hands, a swappable collar piece, swappable Sunriser piece, the Revolcane with swappable silver and translucent blue blades, two shortened versions of the of the illuminated blade (one midsize, and the other for use with the alternate Sunriser), a translucent blue version of the Revolcane hilt and then finally a spare pair of antennae. As is always the case with the Showa Rider figures hopefully you'll never have to use those spare antennae, but it's good to have them there just in case. Of these accessories perhaps the most confusing one at first is the swappable collar piece, which features a slit at the back to provide better neck articulation (primarily allowing the figure to look up) in action poses. It's a fun idea, but using it involves removing the head and then splitting the torso armour in half just to swap it out. That's a lot of work for something that only really provides a touch more movement, so those more worried about the fragility of the figure are probably more likely just to leave it in the box.

The hand selection on offer here is very good, providing both a selection of standard open hands and ones for signature poses as well as gripping hands to hold the Revolcane. Twelve of the hands are six matching pairs, and then there's an additional right gripping hand with the wrist socket at a different angle. For the Shinkocchou Seihou release the Revolcane has been made a lot more modular, as the blades are swappable rather than the normal and glowing versions being two different pieces. Simply pop in the blade of your choice and start posing. One nice touch is that the turbine part is moulded onto the blade and then sits inside the top half of the hilt visible through clear plastic windows, giving it a better sense of depth. The midsize blade piece is meant to recreate Black RX's "Revolcrash" finishing attack where he stabs the enemy in the chest, and conveys the effect quite well given the simplicity of the piece. Both the blue and standard Revolcane hilt can be combined with the even shorter blade piece and alternate Sunriser (which has a peg hole on the right side) to create the effect of Black RX pulling it out of the Sunriser, with the shorter blade working as a plug to connect the hilt to the belt. The fit is a little bit tight, but once fitted looks great. Overall it's the expected array of accessories for a Black RX figure, but it's the execution that makes it stand out compared to previous efforts.

Whilst there's no denying that S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider Black RX is a significant upgrade to either of the previous Black RX releases, much like Kamen Rider Black it feels like a case of Bandait trying to reinvent the wheel when they didn't need to. Granted the fabric leg covers don't seem to be anywhere near as problematic as Black's rubber joint covers, but they're such an odd addition to the line this far in that it immediately stands out when teamed up with other Riders. The shoulder pads are certainly a worry too given how little there is holding them to the torso. Other issues like Black RX's own rubber parts or the fiddly nature of the swappable neck piece feel more minor in comparison, but are still there to take note of. But even with those points stacked against it, Shinkocchou Seihou Black RX is still an incredible figure - oozing that usual Shinkocchou Seihou level of detail and a lot of fun to pose as well. Hopefully it won't be a long wait until Roborider and Biorider get the same high quality treatment too, but preferably without any surprise soft goods this time around.