Live action TV
Description
Black Horse is a recurring antagonist and a member of the DARK Destruction Unit, a group of combat androids serving the evil DARK organization. This horse-type robot is distinguished by its equine head, which features a horn positioned on its nose rather than its forehead, giving it a more rhinoceros-like silhouette than a traditional unicorn. Standing 198 centimeters tall and weighing 89 kilograms, Black Horse possesses a humanoid physique with clear animalistic design elements.
In terms of personality, Black Horse operates with a sneaky and cowardly disposition, preferring underhanded tactics and the use of hostages over direct confrontation. This is demonstrated when he attempts to lure the Komyoji siblings, Mitsuko and Masaru, with a forged letter to take them captive, using them as leverage to force Kikaider into surrender. He is also portrayed as willing to execute captives to test his weapons, showing a cruel and callous nature. His combat style reflects this lack of honor; he is described as a poor fighter whose main advantage in close quarters is his ability to grip an opponent's arm with his jaws.
Black Horse's primary motivation is to serve DARK's overarching goals of destruction and the elimination of Kikaider. He follows orders from Professor Gill, the leader of DARK, and later serves under the DARK commander Gin Game. His role in the story is that of a monster-of-the-week, appearing in episodes 1, 6, and 14, as well as the theatrical film. In his initial appearance, he is assigned to abduct and eliminate humans as test subjects for his abilities. His tactics consistently involve deception and the exploitation of innocent people, forcing Kikaider to defend them while battling the android men under his command.
Key relationships include his direct antagonism with Jiro, the protagonist who transforms into Kikaider. He also interacts with the Komyoji siblings, whom he repeatedly attempts to kidnap, and with Hanpei Hattori, a detective who often aids Kikaider and once disguised himself to free the children from Black Horse's clutches. Black Horse is also shown in cooperation with other DARK robots, notably reappearing alongside Green Mantis and Orange Ant as part of a threefold power-up to assist Silver Tortoise in a plan to destroy Kikaider.
Black Horse undergoes notable development through destruction and subsequent reconstruction. He is first destroyed by Kikaider, who uses Black Horse's own Electronic Destruction Device against him before finishing him with the Denji End attack. He is later rebuilt and upgraded three times more powerful, gaining new abilities such as generating violent gusts of wind from his nostrils, an attack called the Horse Hurricane. In this enhanced state, he can also shapeshift, once masquerading as Masaru Komyoji to lure Jiro into a trap. Despite these improvements, he is shattered again by a seriously enraged Kikaider's Denji End. He is eventually reconstructed and upgraded a second time using an All Mighty device, only to be destroyed definitively in a final confrontation with Kikaider.
Notable abilities include his primary weapon, a giant horseshoe that functions as an Electric Disintegrator. When the two ends of this horseshoe are brought together, it releases deadly electrical discharges capable of instantly erasing humans and destroying large buildings by shattering their pillars. This horseshoe can also be thrown like a boomerang. Other powers include immense speed, high jumping ability, powerful fangs, and his upgraded Horse Hurricane attack, which creates powerful blasts of nasal wind. Despite these formidable weapons, his cowardly reliance on hostages remains his defining characteristic, and he is ultimately no match for Kikaider in a fair fight.
In terms of personality, Black Horse operates with a sneaky and cowardly disposition, preferring underhanded tactics and the use of hostages over direct confrontation. This is demonstrated when he attempts to lure the Komyoji siblings, Mitsuko and Masaru, with a forged letter to take them captive, using them as leverage to force Kikaider into surrender. He is also portrayed as willing to execute captives to test his weapons, showing a cruel and callous nature. His combat style reflects this lack of honor; he is described as a poor fighter whose main advantage in close quarters is his ability to grip an opponent's arm with his jaws.
Black Horse's primary motivation is to serve DARK's overarching goals of destruction and the elimination of Kikaider. He follows orders from Professor Gill, the leader of DARK, and later serves under the DARK commander Gin Game. His role in the story is that of a monster-of-the-week, appearing in episodes 1, 6, and 14, as well as the theatrical film. In his initial appearance, he is assigned to abduct and eliminate humans as test subjects for his abilities. His tactics consistently involve deception and the exploitation of innocent people, forcing Kikaider to defend them while battling the android men under his command.
Key relationships include his direct antagonism with Jiro, the protagonist who transforms into Kikaider. He also interacts with the Komyoji siblings, whom he repeatedly attempts to kidnap, and with Hanpei Hattori, a detective who often aids Kikaider and once disguised himself to free the children from Black Horse's clutches. Black Horse is also shown in cooperation with other DARK robots, notably reappearing alongside Green Mantis and Orange Ant as part of a threefold power-up to assist Silver Tortoise in a plan to destroy Kikaider.
Black Horse undergoes notable development through destruction and subsequent reconstruction. He is first destroyed by Kikaider, who uses Black Horse's own Electronic Destruction Device against him before finishing him with the Denji End attack. He is later rebuilt and upgraded three times more powerful, gaining new abilities such as generating violent gusts of wind from his nostrils, an attack called the Horse Hurricane. In this enhanced state, he can also shapeshift, once masquerading as Masaru Komyoji to lure Jiro into a trap. Despite these improvements, he is shattered again by a seriously enraged Kikaider's Denji End. He is eventually reconstructed and upgraded a second time using an All Mighty device, only to be destroyed definitively in a final confrontation with Kikaider.
Notable abilities include his primary weapon, a giant horseshoe that functions as an Electric Disintegrator. When the two ends of this horseshoe are brought together, it releases deadly electrical discharges capable of instantly erasing humans and destroying large buildings by shattering their pillars. This horseshoe can also be thrown like a boomerang. Other powers include immense speed, high jumping ability, powerful fangs, and his upgraded Horse Hurricane attack, which creates powerful blasts of nasal wind. Despite these formidable weapons, his cowardly reliance on hostages remains his defining characteristic, and he is ultimately no match for Kikaider in a fair fight.