Live action TV
Description
Jiro, also known as Kikaider, is the central character of the film Kikaider Reboot. He is a prototype android formally designated as the ARK Project Android KJX-1, created by Dr. Nobuhiko Komyoji. His creation is tied to the government-led ARK Project, which aimed to develop androids to assist the public. Jiro’s most crucial component is an experimental Conscience Circuit, which his creator installed specifically to prevent future developers from being able to fully control him.
In terms of personality, this version of Jiro is distinctly different from his predecessors from the 1970s tokusatsu series or the 2000s anime. He is portrayed as being more stoic and machine-like, often stating that his feelings are simply part of his programming. He does not seem to strongly desire to become human and generally views himself as a machine. Despite this detached demeanor, he retains a core principle of caring for others and has a deep-seated hatred for taking lives, whether human or android. This version acts freely as an android and does not hide his nature, showing a curiosity about humanity that can be contrasted with his otherwise logical behavior.
Jiro’s primary motivation is to fulfill his creator’s final wish: to protect Dr. Komyoji’s two children, Mitsuko and Masaru. After his creator’s mysterious death, Jiro wanders off but eventually finds the children, vowing to guard them as they hold the key to Dr. Komyoji’s research. Within the story, Jiro serves as the protagonist who is caught between his programmed orders and the emergence of his own free will. Initially reluctant to fight, he eventually chooses to battle his enemies on his own terms. His role is to act as a shield against the forces of the newly formed DARK Project (Developing Advanced Research by Kohmyoji) and to confront his rival, Hakaider.
Key relationships define his journey. His bond with Mitsuko and Masaru is complex; while Masaru quickly becomes fond of him, Mitsuko is initially wary of the android. His primary antagonist is Professor Gilbert Kanzaki, who surgically places his own brain into an android body to become Hakaider. This conflict forces Jiro to confront his own nature and limitations. Notably, in a crossover appearance in Kamen Rider Gaim, Jiro befriends Kouta Kazuraba, living with him and his sister. In this context, Jiro shows more overt emotion, enjoying their company and fearing his own potential to become a destructive monster like Hakaider, contrasting with his more reserved portrayal in the film.
Jiro undergoes significant development regarding his own willpower and limitations. He initially operates with his Conscience Circuit active, but finds it acts as a limiter that prevents him from fighting at full capacity. Facing overwhelming odds, he makes the conscious decision to short out his own Conscience Circuit to fight more evenly against Hakaider. This act represents his realization of free will; he rejects the idea of just following orders and chooses to fight to protect others, even at great personal risk. His final battle results in his destruction, though Mitsuko vows to rebuild him one day.
Notable abilities define Jiro’s combat effectiveness. In his default state, he wears a human guise projected by a bio-nano fiber cowl and nano-crystal display. When he says Switch On, his skin dissolves to reveal his true battle form, Kikaider. This form stands 183 centimeters tall and weighs 90 kilograms. In this state, he can punch with 17.5 tons of force, kick with 33.1 tons, jump 14 meters high, and run 100 meters in 4.9 seconds. His body sports a half-blue, half-red color scheme; blue signifies good and red represents his incomplete or corrupted conscience circuit. His signature attack is the Denji End, an electromagnetic karate chop that converts electricity into a devastating pulse. This technique, however, appears to be a fatal attack that risks his own destruction as well as his opponent’s. Outside of battle, Jiro is known for carrying a red electric bass guitar, a variation on previous incarnations of the character who carried an acoustic guitar.
In terms of personality, this version of Jiro is distinctly different from his predecessors from the 1970s tokusatsu series or the 2000s anime. He is portrayed as being more stoic and machine-like, often stating that his feelings are simply part of his programming. He does not seem to strongly desire to become human and generally views himself as a machine. Despite this detached demeanor, he retains a core principle of caring for others and has a deep-seated hatred for taking lives, whether human or android. This version acts freely as an android and does not hide his nature, showing a curiosity about humanity that can be contrasted with his otherwise logical behavior.
Jiro’s primary motivation is to fulfill his creator’s final wish: to protect Dr. Komyoji’s two children, Mitsuko and Masaru. After his creator’s mysterious death, Jiro wanders off but eventually finds the children, vowing to guard them as they hold the key to Dr. Komyoji’s research. Within the story, Jiro serves as the protagonist who is caught between his programmed orders and the emergence of his own free will. Initially reluctant to fight, he eventually chooses to battle his enemies on his own terms. His role is to act as a shield against the forces of the newly formed DARK Project (Developing Advanced Research by Kohmyoji) and to confront his rival, Hakaider.
Key relationships define his journey. His bond with Mitsuko and Masaru is complex; while Masaru quickly becomes fond of him, Mitsuko is initially wary of the android. His primary antagonist is Professor Gilbert Kanzaki, who surgically places his own brain into an android body to become Hakaider. This conflict forces Jiro to confront his own nature and limitations. Notably, in a crossover appearance in Kamen Rider Gaim, Jiro befriends Kouta Kazuraba, living with him and his sister. In this context, Jiro shows more overt emotion, enjoying their company and fearing his own potential to become a destructive monster like Hakaider, contrasting with his more reserved portrayal in the film.
Jiro undergoes significant development regarding his own willpower and limitations. He initially operates with his Conscience Circuit active, but finds it acts as a limiter that prevents him from fighting at full capacity. Facing overwhelming odds, he makes the conscious decision to short out his own Conscience Circuit to fight more evenly against Hakaider. This act represents his realization of free will; he rejects the idea of just following orders and chooses to fight to protect others, even at great personal risk. His final battle results in his destruction, though Mitsuko vows to rebuild him one day.
Notable abilities define Jiro’s combat effectiveness. In his default state, he wears a human guise projected by a bio-nano fiber cowl and nano-crystal display. When he says Switch On, his skin dissolves to reveal his true battle form, Kikaider. This form stands 183 centimeters tall and weighs 90 kilograms. In this state, he can punch with 17.5 tons of force, kick with 33.1 tons, jump 14 meters high, and run 100 meters in 4.9 seconds. His body sports a half-blue, half-red color scheme; blue signifies good and red represents his incomplete or corrupted conscience circuit. His signature attack is the Denji End, an electromagnetic karate chop that converts electricity into a devastating pulse. This technique, however, appears to be a fatal attack that risks his own destruction as well as his opponent’s. Outside of battle, Jiro is known for carrying a red electric bass guitar, a variation on previous incarnations of the character who carried an acoustic guitar.