Line #124 Series/KamenRider555


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a091e334_656a_4485_a49c_077e99bfd024.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{Tagline}} "Dashing Instinct."]]'']]
3
4	->''"The end justi[[TitleDrop ϕ's]] the means."''
5
6	''Kamen Rider 555'' (officially translated ''Masked Rider Φ's'', with "555" being read as "Phi's" or "Faiz") is the 2003-2004 series of ''Franchise/KamenRider'' and the fourth Heisei Era series.
7
8	TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, the Smart Brain [[MegaCorp megacorporation]] has achieved almost global dominance of the electronics and vehicle industry. However, their true goal is to TakeOverTheWorld by [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans forcing mankind]] to [[EvolutionaryLevels the next stage in their evolution]]: the Orphnoch.
9
10	A young man named Yuji Kiba is involved in a terrible car accident, falling into a coma for two years and eventually dying. However, moments later he comes BackFromTheDead, reviving as the Horse Orphnoch. Awakening to a world where his parents are dead, his career has been given to another man, his possessions have been stolen and sold by greedy relatives, and his fiancée has married his brother, he goes mad with grief and embarks on a [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge killing spree]]. His rampage is stopped by the mysterious Smart Lady, the mascot character of Smart Brain, who gives him a new home and purpose; one that he soon comes to rebel against.
11
12	Mari Sonoda is an orphan who receives a Smart Brain briefcase and motorbike from her stepfather living in Tokyo. On her travels, she encounters the [[TheStoic Stoic]] [[TheDrifter drifter]] Takumi Inui, and a mixup with their bags causes him to pursue her. Soon afterwards, Mari is attacked by an Orphnoch who is after the contents of the briefcase: the [[TransformationTrinket Faiz Gear]]. Putting on the Faiz Driver, Mari attempts to transform but is rejected by the belt. In desperation she puts it on Takumi, and he successfully transforms into Kamen Rider Faiz.
13
14	What unfolds is a saga between two men on different sides of the same war: [[LivingWithTheVillain friends as Takumi and Yuji, but fierce rivals as Faiz and the Horse Orphnoch]]. Things become more complex with the arrival of Masato Kusaka, another alumni of the same orphanage as Mari. He becomes the [[TheRival wielder of the Kaixa Gear]], yet holds a [[LoveMakesYouCrazy deep infatuation]] with Mari and is not shy about [[MurderTheHypotenuse disposing of any romantic rivals]]. The [[RuleOfThree trio of belts]] is completed with the arrival of the Delta Gear, which can be used by anyone. Opposing them is Smart Brain's [[QuirkyMinibossSquad strongest four Orphnoch]]: Lucky Clover, whose objective is to seize all three Gears and awaken the mysterious Orphnoch King.
15
16	Partnered with the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' show ''Series/BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'' after initially airing alongside the final episodes of ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'' in the ''Series/SuperHeroTime'' block, marking the first such Rider/Sentai partnership to be accompanied by the name.
17
18	In addition to the main series, ''Kamen Rider 555'' has a few spinoffs.
19	* ''Film/KamenRider555ParadiseLost'' (2003) is a NonSerialMovie set in a world where the Orphnochs have successfully taken over.
20	* ''Kamen Rider 555: Hyper Battle Video'' (2003) is a DVD episode that was distributed by ''Magazine/TeleviKun'' magazine, where a Smart Brain weapon kicks off a MusicalEpisode.
21	* ''Kamen Rider 913'' (2020-2022) is a manga that adapts part of the series [[PerspectiveFlip from the perspective]] of Kamen Rider Kaixa. It was written by ''555''[='s=] writer Creator/ToshikiInoue (and announced on [[MeaningfulReleaseDate 9/13]]/2019[[invoked]]).
22	* ''Series/KamenRiderOutsiders'' (2023) is a web miniseries that includes Smart Brain, the Arch Orphnoch, and a new Kamen Rider Delta.
23	* ''Kamen Rider 555 20th: Paradise Regained'' (2024) is a movie celebrating the show's [[MilestoneCelebration 20th anniversary]] (and, similar to the manga, announced on [[MeaningfulReleaseDate 5/5]]/2023[[invoked]]).
24	** ''Kamen Rider 555: Murder Case'' (2024) is a special released on the Toei Toku Fan Club streaming service as a spinoff of ''555 20th''. It's a murder mystery with Kaixa as the detective (and was another [[MeaningfulReleaseDate 9/13]] announcement[[invoked]]).
25
26	Followed by ''Series/KamenRiderBlade''.
27
28	----
29	!!Recurring ''Kamen Rider'' tropes include:
30	* MidSeasonUpgrade:
31	** The Faiz Gear is the only set of Rider Gear in the main series to gain access to upgraded forms, going from a JackOfAllStats in the standard form, to a LightningBruiser in Axel Form, to SuperMode Blaster Form.
32	** In ''Paradise Regained'', both the Faiz and Kaixa Gears are upgraded to new "Next" versions, and now both of them have access to regular and Axel Forms (with the Axel Form for Next Kaixa appearing in ''Murder Case'' spinoff instead of ''Paradise Regained'' itself).
33	* MonsterOfTheWeek: The Orphnochs, although [[NotAlwaysEvil not all of them are malicious]].
34	* OnTheNextEpisodeOfCatchphrase: [[GratuitousEnglish "Open your eyes for the next Faiz."]]
35
36	!![[CharacterCatchphrase I don't have tropes. But you know, I can protect them.]]
37	* AbortedArc: The Delta belt gave its users permanent superpowers even when untransformed. This was never mentioned again in the series.
38	* AlternateContinuity: TheMovie, a WhatIf about the Orphnochs ruling the world.
39	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Subverted, Orphnochs aren't evil by default. [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Smart Brain is the true evil of the series]] and the Orphnochs have little choice in the matter, as Orphnochs who refuse to do as Smart Brain orders are marked for death or tricked into serving them.
40	* AndYourLittleDogToo: Murakami convinces Mr. J, now down to his last "life", to go out and fight again by threatening his pet dog.
41	* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler:Doesn't mean they necessarily stay that way, though]].
42	* AsideComment: Kaido says "I've had it with this life" to the camera when rescuing Keitaro and a young boy from a burning building at the end of #32.
43	* AssholeVictim: Yuka's sister and her classmates. Their mistreatment towards Yuka causes her to commit killing sprees towards bullies like them.
44	* AttractiveZombie: As the Orphnochs are in fact zombies (specifically the RevenantZombie kind) by their very nature, every single one counts, though that's due to being able to alternate between their human and monster appearances. Especially true of the main Orphnoch cast, including [[spoiler:the titular Rider and hero himself]].
45	* BackFromTheDead:
46	** Every Orphnoch was a former human.
47	** A non-Orphnoch example is [[spoiler:Mari Sonada]], who is killed in the latter half of the series but brought back to life after [[spoiler:Takumi]] makes a DealWithTheDevil.
48	** [[spoiler:Pretty much every recurring character not named Keitaro or those two cops have already died once.]]
49	* BadGuyBar: Bar Clover, the meeting place of Lucky Clover, with one of them moonlighting as the bartender.
50	* BitchInSheepsClothing: Masato Kusaka, a selfish and manipulative asshole who wants to get anything for his own self-interests, including Mari.
51	* BastardUnderstudy: Kaido would get one in Yoshio Kobayashi, the Rabbit Orphnoch, who later tries to outdo him when they are both auditioning for a spot in Lucky Clover.
52	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * BewareTheNiceOnes:
53	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) ** Yuka Osada.
54	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) ** [[spoiler:Kiba after his FaceHeelTurn]].
55	* BelligerentSexualTension: Takumi and Mari. The movie pretty much made them the OfficialCouple.
56	* {{BFG}}: The Faiz Blaster, when it's not a {{BFS}}.
57	* {{BFS}}: The Orga Stlanzer, when its Exceed Charge activates. The Faiz Blaster also qualifies whenever it's not a {{BFG}}.
58	* BigBadEnsemble: Unlike previous seasons, multiple characters act against the main Rider and each other.
59	** Kyoji Murakami is the chief of Smart Brain and the one ordering [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Lucky Clover]] to convert more people to their cause.
60	** Masato Kusaka, the primary user of the Kaixa Gear and Takumi's main rival, is a violent man obsessed with exterminating the Orphnoch and getting into the heart of his childhood friend Mari, to the point of repeatedly trying to ruin Takumi's friendship with her and other people.
61	** Aki Sawada, Kusaka's own rival and like him, a man who is in love with Mari, but seeks to kill her in an attempt destroy his own humanity.
62	** Masahiko Minami, a ruthless NPA officer and leader of a radical anti-Orphnoch resistance group.
63	** [[spoiler:Yuji Kiba, Takumi's former best friend]], who becomes the new chief of Smart Brain and holds a grudge against humanity after suffering a tragic event indirectly perpetrated by Minami.
64	** The youngest member of the Lucky Clover, Kitazaki, is a narcissistic Orphnoch who took part in the massacre of several Ryusei students. Kitazaki betrays the Lucky Glover to try and kill the Arch-Orphnoch just so he can prove himself to be the "ultimate being".
65	** The aforementioned Arch-Orphnoch is a creature believed to be the one who will devastate humanity and devour other Orphnochs.
66	* BittersweetEnding:
67	** [[spoiler:They defeated the Arch Orphnoch[[note]]Not killed, just defeated[[/note]] but at the cost of Kiba's life and the end implies that Takumi is dying, but he still has Mari and Keitaro by his side so he isn't alone]].
68	** [[Film/HeiseiRiderVsShowaRiderKamenRiderWarsFeaturingSuperSentai Kamen Rider Taisen]] has [[spoiler:Takumi alive and well years later... only to reveal in [[Recap/KamenRiderDriveKR4Ep3DuelTheTrueIdentityOfShockersGreatLeader a spinoff of the next Kamen Rider Taisen]] that he was DeadAllAlong and he was only revived because of a time paradox. Though he may have been revived again alongside Kusaka as a result of another time paradox in Series/KamenRiderZiO]].
69	* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Mr. J is the first of the Lucky Clover to go. He's also the first to die [[DeathIsCheap three times]] before the third one makes it permanent.
70	* BrandX: Many of the electronics seen have Smart Brain's logo plastered on them.
71	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * BrokenBird: [[spoiler:Yuka Osada, [[IncrediblyLamePun literally]].]]
72	* BroughtDownToNormal: Happens multiple times when a character has his Rider Gear stolen (and used) by a bad guy.
73	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * ButtMonkey[=/=]DoubleStandard: Keitaro [[spoiler:in #41 at least. The fact it's presented as a comedy moment makes it even worse.]]
74	* CanonImmigrant: Faiz Blaster Form makes its first appearance in the NonSerialMovie ''Film/KamenRider555ParadiseLost''.
75	* CassandraTruth: Takumi, whenever [[YouHaveToBelieveMe he tries to explain]] to ''anyone'' that Kusaka is a [[ManipulativeBastard scheming sociopath]]. Naturally, they all assume that Takumi is [[YoureJustJealous just jealous]].
76	* CastFromLifespan: All Rider gear in this series is powered by Orphnoch DNA. Each time a user transforms, a bit more of their Orphnoch DNA is used up, shortening their lifespan. The rate of consumption depends on both the gear and user in question, but all systems cause irreparable harm to the user, even if they don't immediately notice it. Eventually, the gear will use up enough DNA to kill any user. The Rider gear is so deadly that it had to be programmed with a failsafe that automatically rejects any normal human as even one transformation would kill them immediately.
77	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * ChekhovsGun: "The King's sleep is long".
78	* ChekhovsGunman: Teruo Suzuki, initially seeming to just be a normal child, who later turns out to be [[spoiler:the Arch Orphnoch]].
79	* ChewToy:
80	** Itsuro Takuma becomes Kitazaki's bitch once the latter showed up. [[spoiler:[[WhosLaughingNow He later got revenge]]]].
81	** One can also claim that the Auto Vajin is Takumi's. He seemed to have jumped numerous times directly into enemy fire to protect his master. Notable examples being shot by [[MacrossMissileMassacre hundreds of missiles]] from the Side Basshar and the Jetsliger.
82	* ClothesMakeTheSuperman: Rider Gears can be equipped by anyone capable of using them. Each of the three main ones (Faiz, Kaixa and Delta) are worn by other characters besides their primary wielders at different points of the series. This is the first Rider series to work that way: the Riders of ''Ryuki'' had to make a contract, and every Rider before them except for G3 had their powers somehow integrated into them (most of the Showa series had cyborgification, ''Kuuga'' had the driver bond itself to him, and in ''Agito'', Rider forms are the mature state of a natural mutation.) Even in later series where Rider gear can theoretically be passed around, the main forms of a given Rider are almost never used by anyone besides their primary user. [[spoiler:Of course, being able to use the Rider Gears is actually quite a telling detail later on in the show, as only Orphnochs can use them, leading, of course, to [[TomatoInTheMirror Takumi getting quite the surprise.]]]]
83	** Becomes subverted as the series goes on, as Takumi and Masato prove themselves to be the best users of their gears due to how used they are to them.
84	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Naoya Kaido, the Snake Orphnoch and eccentric to the point of insanity.
85	* CollateralAngst: [[spoiler:Yuka Osada]], whose death sparks [[spoiler:Yuji's [[BreakTheCutie breaking]] and FaceHeelTurn, [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor again]]]].
86	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * CorruptCorporateExecutive: Kyoji Murakami.
87	* CreatorCameo: Creator/ToshikiInoue, the main writer for the series, who wrote all the episodes and the movie, appears in the final episode as the construction foreman who tells [[Main/HeelFaceTurn Itsuro Takuma]] to put the muscles into himself.
88	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * CreepyChild: Teruo, the [[spoiler:Arch Orphnoch/Orphnoch King.]]
89	* CyberPunk: Long before [[Series/KamenRiderDouble Double]] was brought in the picture, the show presented highly advanced technology presented by an evil MegaCorp, a secret conspiracy that gets almost everyone killed, transhumanist themes present in the Orphnochs, and nearly all of the main cast being {{anti hero}}es at best.
90	* DarkerAndEdgier: This is one of the darkest entries in the series, with the focus on the monsters being as human as the people they try to kill, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters the humans themselves not always being quite so innocent]], and the themes of death, betrayal and [[{{Irony}} fittingly for a show with a phone]] TransformationTrinket, [[PoorCommunicationKills communication problems up the wazoo.]] Taken to new heights in the novel, RapeAsDrama (Kusaka's [[LoveMakesYouCrazy raping of Mari]], [[DeathByChildbirth Yuka getting pregnant by Keitaro]] and Yuji beating the shit out of Kusaka for that.)
91	* DarkMessiah: The Arch Orphnoch/Orphnoch King is revered by the Orphnochs, since [[spoiler:it is the only one who can correct their genetic flaw]].
92	* DeadlyUpgrade:
93	** Transforming into a Rider consumes Orphnoch DNA, which for Orphnochs would cause their DNA to break down with prolonged usage. For humans implanted with Orphnoch DNA, the Faiz Gear is kind enough to reject the transformation if there is insufficient DNA to burn (with an ERROR message), however the more ruthless Kaixa Gear would allow for transformation to burn off whatever remaining Orphnoch DNA most human users have left in them, resulting in their death when they run out. The only reason Kusaka was able to survive multiple usages was due to the fact that he had a lot more Orphnoch DNA implanted in him. Similarly, while the Delta Gear seemingly comsumes significantly lesser Orphnoch DNA (to the point where users who couldn't use the Faiz Gear are able to use it), it will drive users insane and would usually end up getting themselves killed before we can see any potential long-term effects.
94	** The Kaixa Gear [[ItOnlyWorksOnce kills most of its wearers after one use]].
95	** The Delta Gear's power [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity is addictive]].
96	** Becoming an Orphnoch: already because if it doesn't result in you going nuts and having to be put down by a Rider, it ''will'' result in Smart Brain deciding that this makes you a traitor to Orphnochs and placing you on ''their'' hit list: proves to [[spoiler:be this on its own. ''No one'' can take the conversion; all Orphnochs will suffer from a drastically reduced lifespan.]]
97	* DecoyProtagonist: The first episode centers almost entirely on Yuji Kiba, giving viewers the impression that he's the one who will receive the Faiz Gear from Mari, while some other viewers (thanks in part to the trailer) believed that it'd be ''Mari'' who'd be the Rider, going to the point where ''she'' was about to henshin. Then the belt gives her an error and Takumi comes in... Ironically, he was the inverse, believed to be the guy who killed one of Mari's traveling people [[FirstEpisodeTwist until the monster for that episode comes out and reveals that he did it]].
98	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * DevilInPlainSight: Masato Kusaka. ''A thousand times'' Masato Kusaka.
99	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * DisappearedDad: Hanagata, Mari's stepfather.
100	* EleventhHourSuperpower: Well before appearing in the series proper, Faiz's [[SuperMode Blaster Form]] was shown in [[TheMovie Paradise Lost]], first presented as a previously unseen piece of equipment. It was shown again during the final battles, with Takumi eventually using it to turn around a losing battle against Kamen Rider Orga and build up hype for it when it appeared in the series proper.
101	* EnemyToAllLivingThings: Kitazaki, who turns anything he touches, living beings included, to ash.
102	* FacelessGoons: The Riotroopers, Smart Brain's faceless army of Rider-like troops.
103	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * FallenHero: [[spoiler:Yuji Kiba]].
104	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * {{Foreshadowing}}
105	* GenkiGirl: Smart Lady. {{Lampshaded}} when one of her co-workers comments on just how annoying her super-happy act is and how she ''never turns off''.
106	* GratuitousGreek: The ThemeNaming for the series' Kamen Riders: Faiz = Phi (Φ), Kaixa = Chi (Χ), and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Delta = Delta]] (Δ). TheMovie adds Orga = Omega (Ω) and Psyga = Psi (Ψ). WordOfGod says the {{Mook}} Riotroopers are Omicron (Ο). Stage shows added Kamen Riders Alpha (Α), Beta (Β), and Gamma (Γ). And in TheMovie, a scan of an "in-universe" Smart Brain catalog from ''Paradise Lost'' depicts the Kamen Riders Neo-Alpa (Alpha [α]), police and rescue-use Seeda (Theta [Θ]) and the civilian sporting-use Pyron (Pi [Π]).
107	** The opening theme song even gets in on the action by being titled "Justiϕ's" ("Justiphi's"/"Justifies"/"Justi-faiz").
108	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * TheGunslinger: The Delta Blaster.
109	* HeroicNeutral: At first, Takumi has no real concerns with fighting Orphnochs and is just trying to live his life. Still, in a crisis he'll actually deal with it rather than run away. Even after his CharacterDevelopment, he stays this way: Never a man to really stick with the rules, but never a man to constantly question and break them.
110	* HollywoodEvolution: The Orphnochs are the "next evolution of humanity and animals," and the reason Orphnoch victims turn to dust is that Orphnochs actually attack by their [[TheVirus method of trying to sire Orphnochs]] but the human body can rarely withstand such "rapid evolution." In the end we find out that [[spoiler:''all'' Orphnochs are dying; ''no one'' can withstand the "rapid evolution." It takes seconds with most, as seen with the weekly nameless victims who wander in confusion and then fall apart, but no Orphnoch will live anything like a normal human lifespan.]]
111	* {{Homage}}: The Orphnoch forms of the Lucky Clover members were based on the monster forms of the Hakaider Corps. of the live-action ''Series/{{Kikaider}} 01'', mostly by sharing their animal motifs[[note]]That's a centipede, an alligator/crocodile (both "wani" in Japanese), a dragon, and a lobster/shrimp (both "ebi" in Japanese), just for reference.[[/note]] The clear dome on the Rose Orphnoch's head was also inspired by Hakaider, whose helmet had a BrainInAJar.
112	* HumansAreBastards: Save for Mari and Keitaro, EVERY Human that Yuji and Yuka meet plays this straight [[spoiler:and it eventually is the basis for Yuji's FaceHeelTurn]]
113	* ICouldaBeenAContender: Naoya Kaido, who had a promising future as a guitarist before his hand was crushed in an "accident".
114	* IJustWantToBeNormal: Shuji Mihara, who eventually accepts the call and becomes the Delta Gear's primary user. Also [[spoiler:Itsuro Takuma decides to live out the rest of his "life" as a human in the finale.]]
115	* InconsistentSpelling: The show is called "555", while "translated" into English as "Φ's" or "Phi's", and the main character and all related merchandise is "Faiz". All of these are pronounced as ''Faizu'' in Japanese.
116	** The Orphnoch as a whole were previously called "Orphenoch" by English fans until the official spelling without the E was discovered.
117	* InstrumentOfMurder: The Hyper Battle DVD had the Faiz Sounder, a boombox that transformed into a powerful sonic cannon. This was the winning contest entry Toei had for a new weapon for Faiz, which like all other weapons in the show, was based off a real world object.
118	* InterspeciesRomance: Played straight with [[spoiler:Keitaro and Yuka]]. [[spoiler:[[WolfMan Takumi]] and Mari]] could count as well.
119	* {{Irony}}: The primary henshin device for the series is a cellphone, in a series where PoorCommunicationKills is the norm and characters have no idea what to say to one another.
120	* ItOnlyWorksOnce: The Kaixa Gear kills off almost all of its users after one use except for Masato.
121	** Then there's the much more literal "Henshin One Shot". ''"The world isn't generous. [[AppliedPhlebotinum Henshin One-Shot]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin only works for one shot.]]"'' When it [[PhlebotinumBreakdown fails]], it doesn't fail the way we've come to expect. [[spoiler:The Kaixa Gear itself disintegrates, rather than Keitaro]].
122	* {{Jerkass}}: Many characters in this show are set as jerks, but especially Masato, Yuji, Yuka and Kaidou.
123	** In Yuji's case, we have his uncle, who sold his father's company and house when Yuji was in a coma, and Chie, who tried to come back with Yuji just to throw him under the bus and run away from the police.
124	** Yuka's backstory was heartbreaking on ''so'' many levels. Her family treated her badly, preferring her sister, who hates her and robs her money and she was often bullied in school. Her family is shown to be the worst when she saved her sister, who twisted her ankle, who threw her under the bus and actually got her ''kicked out''.
125	** Kaidou's professor schemed an accident that ended his dreams of being a musician just because of sheer jealousy.
126	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Naoya Kaido, on so many levels.
127	* JumpedAtTheCall: Keitaro wanted to, but unfortunately the call didn't want him. Mari also tried to henshin into Faiz more than once, but never succeeded.
128	* JustEatGilligan: After Lucky Clover spend weeks trying and failing to steal the Rider Gears through force, Kaido and his protege Yoshio succeed in their ''first'' attempt by impersonating police officers and tricking the protagonists into giving up the Gears.
129	* KarmaHoudini:
130	** [[spoiler:Saeko Yageyama, who killed Yuka, and in doing so was responsible for the death of Kiba, as that set off his HeelFaceTurn. Yet she's alive and well at the end of the series, if you call being insane, trapped in Rubber Suit form and possibly immortal "alive and well"]].
131	** [[spoiler:Kaido, who wears the Faiz gear on Smart Brain's behalf early on, is the only Riotrooper to survive, and gives the Faiz and Kaixa Gears to Lucky Clover. He's the only one of the three Renegades to survive, even though being the only one who did not become an Orphnoch naturally (as opposed to being "sired"), and therefore supposedly weaker.]] Fast forward to the Kamen Rider 4 mini-series, however, and it's revealed that [[spoiler:[[SoleSurvivor he's apparently the only Faiz character who's supposed to be still alive by this point]]. Others like Takumi are only still around due to the constant paradoxes.]]
132	* LateArrivalSpoiler: Decade, the Decade net movies, and plenty of signature banners/avatars do not shy away from how Takumi [[spoiler:is the Wolf Orphnoch]].
133	* LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn:
134	** In the original televised airings, several scenes involving Aki Sawada would have [[Music/BustaRhymes "Pass The Courvoisier Part II"]] slowly overcome the scene's original music, reaching it's crescendo when he started killing people. However, due to the song's rampant use of [[NWordPrivileges the N word,]] this was removed in reruns and in the home video release.
135	** President Murakami's scenes in his office at Smart Brain HQ always include OminousLatinChanting, but it's not until an underling walks in and the audience needs to hear the following conversation that we realize he's listening to the BGM on a CD player while working or drinking wine.
136	* LoveDodecahedron:
137	** Played with and lampshaded in the first episode of the pizza house story arc (which leads to the debut of Faiz Accel and the unofficial "Flu Orphnoch").
138	** The entire main cast and few side ones have some form of affections for the other casts: [[spoiler:Kusaka and Sawada were in love with Mari since childhood. While Kusaka is [[{{Yandere}} obsessed with her]], Sawada tries to kill her, so he can kill off his humanity. Kaido is also in love with Mari, but Mari at first was interested in Kiba. Kiba, himself was still reeling from killing his girlfriend Chie, and didn't really notice. Yuka was email friends with Keitaro and had feelings for him, but also had a massive crush on Kaido. While Keitaro was interested in Yuka, he later got his wish and they hooked up. For a time.... While the main character Takumi generally kept out of the mess, but he and Mari had BelligerentSexualTension.]]
139	* LoveMakesYouCrazy: Masato Kusaka, to the point where he views anyone particularly close to Mari as a threat that needs to be eliminated. Permanently.
140	* LyricalDissonance: The opening theme. It starts out sounding like it's going to be a fairly upbeat, techno-laden song, then suddenly nosedives into a song about [[WellIntentionedExtremist having to fight whether or not you want to, because you can't run away from your problems forever]].
141	* MacrossMissileMassacre: Pretty much what The Jetsliger and Side Basshar was made for [[spoiler:Just so you know the Jetsliger is a [[RuleOfCool jet powered bike]] with a [[EnergyWeapon laser cannon]] on it's front and the Side Basshar is a motorcycle that [[TransformingMecha transforms into]] a walking weapons platform.]]
142	* MadeOfIncendium: Defeated Orphonochs erupt into blue fire and then crumple into dust.
143	* TheManBehindTheMan: In the NonSerialMovie, Smart Brain is shown as truly being run by three guys seen as blurry faces on hologram screens. All of them are played by longtime {{Toku}} BigBad voice actors who've been menacing Riders and [[Franchise/SuperSentai Rangers]] since TheSeventies. (One of them is Creator/GoroNaya, which is really interesting, given the recent WordOfGod about ''every'' Naya-voiced "[Organization Name]'s Great Leader," no matter how different-looking from the last or or clearly dead by the end, being the same guy.)
144	* MerchandiseDriven:
145	** Sure, you have commercials promoting [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n27j5ESRvbw replica Faiz belts]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4KgtuvDKIo&feature=related Kaixa weapons.]] But did you know they also had [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-scez5eXZw Faiz HOT DOGS, AND CURRY?!?]] Yep, that's further proof that [[CashCowFranchise Toei makes bank with the Kamen Rider franchise.]]
146	** Within the ranks of Kamen Rider merchandise, complete sets of Rider Gear are some of the most expensive items. And those are just the original toys--there are also more professional types for adult fans which regularly net over a thousand dollars if you can actually find them.
147	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * MidSeasonUpgrade: Axel Form.
148	* MoodWhiplash: Sawada/Spider Orphnoch's debut shows him [[spoiler:setting a bus on fire and murdering all the passengers onboard.]] It's a plenty creepy and downright terrifying first appearance...or at least it would be if {{Music/Busta Rhymes}} singing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbqSzH9VIec "don't this shit make a n*gga wanna jump"]] wasn't the only audio during the scene. [[note]]The DVD release [[ClumsyCopyrightCensorship replaces it]] with a generic techno song instead but the problem persists.[[/note]]
149	* MoralityPet: Kaido had one in Teruo, before it turned out [[spoiler:the latter [[ChekhovsGunman was the Orphnoch King]].]]
150	* MusicalEpisode: The Hyper Battle Video, where a Smart Brain stereo compels the main cast to dance.
151	* MythologyGag
152	** The Orphnoch King was clearly designed with the Old Gen Kamen Riders in mind, ScarfOfAsskicking and all.
153	** The Faiz Edge being a sword with a motorbike handle as a handle evokes Series/KamenRiderKuuga; Kuuga's Titan form typically used his bike handlebar to transform into his sword.
154	** There's a lot of old-school KR in this series. The Riotroopers are basically the new Shocker Riders (there are even six of them! Gold armor to go with the Shocker Riders' gold gloves and boots, no less.), and a lot of the technology is classic Rider attacks we [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief willingly suspended disbelief]] for given a reason to work that way, ''Film/BatmanBegins'' style. And while it's a bit of a stretch, the Orphnochs are reminiscent of some of the unwillingly-enhanced former human monsters from the old days: All of them were normal people to begin with, a fact the plot gives due attention to, except when it doesn't. Most didn't want the change, and once it happened, some became monsters, some remained themselves and were forced to do things they don't want to by the organization, and a precious few defied the organization and lived to tell. The main Rider is [[spoiler:the prime example of the latter]]. And not everyone survives the conversion process (though Shocker didn't seem to have to kill hundreds to get one monster out of it.)
155	** When Kusaka sees Hanagata again for the first time and demands to know what's going on, he tells him to fight, and keep fighting and winning (and we hear that repeated a few times) and it sounds very much like [[Series/KamenRiderRyuki Shiro Kanzaki]]. To really hammer it in, when Hanagata steps out in Goat Orphnoch form, ''we hear the mirror world noise.''
156	%% (Administrivia/WeblinksAreNotExamples) * NeverTrustATrailer: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3L_oXGBJU8 This preview for the first episode]] portrays Takumi as a villain and Mari as Faiz. The show, not so much...
157	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * OopsIDidItAgain: And again. And again. And again.
158	%% (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) * OnlyMostlyDead: Mr. J, who had three "lives".
159	* OrphanageOfFear: Though the Ryuusei Orphanage wasn't that bad on its own, [[spoiler:all of the orphans were eventually killed and used as guinea pigs in Smart Brain experiments]].
160	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: The Orphnochs are essentially zombies in a sense. BackFromTheDead, power to infect others... They have also been compared to vampires, until [[Series/KamenRiderKiva the true vampires of Kamen Rider]] came along.
161	* PeaceAndLoveIncorporated: Smart Brain. "Life is frail. Life is limited. So, why don't you think about true life? Be smart! True life is your start!"
162	* PoorCommunicationKills: Quite the {{irony}}, considering this is a series with phones as the TransformationTrinket.
163	** At one point, Takumi and Yuji are on the verge of either clearing up a major misunderstanding or becoming even worse enemies. It all hinges on their two easily-distracted friends delivering messages (of the "Tell him I said..." kind) to the other person accurately. Guess what happens.
164	** The fact that Takumi and Yuji only meet both transformed or both untransformed for quite a while, and them having an increasingly awkward relationship thanks to horrible coincidences both help this along, but this problem - among others - would be so much simpler if not for the protagonists having abysmal communication skills.
165	** This trope is a recurring theme in the work of Creator/ToshikiInoue, who wrote every single episode of Faiz. Inoue used to be subtle about it (e.g. in ''Series/KamenRiderAgito''); it reached PlotTumor status in Faiz, and it became an even bigger PlotTumor in ''Series/KamenRiderKiva''.
166	** This trope is an inadvertent result of Japanese culture more than anything. They are pretty big on not just telling people about your personal problems, because it makes you seem like you're being imposing (or worse, trying to push your problems onto other people). Due to this, big misunderstandings are common.
167	** There's a world of difference between that and just walking off rather than saying "I'm not a traitor to humanity, I helped that Orphnoch because she saved my life" the fifth or so time your friends ask you ''why you attacked another Rider.'' Not that this franchise is a stranger to LetsYouAndHimFight between Riders... but there's also a difference between ''that'' and letting your friends wonder for five episodes if you've gone dark side when it's easy to say "the bird one's not evil." Numerous such examples exist, to the point where the series would be half as long without them.
168	* PowerTrio: Faiz, Kaixa and Delta, with the roles switching depending on who is wearing each Gear.
169	** FreudianTrio: In terms of the main users of the Rider Gears.
170	*** Ego: Takumi
171	*** Superego: Kusaka
172	*** Id: Shuji
173	* PeopleJars: In TheMovie, Murakami is a head in a jar. How it happened, we never learn.
174	* PerkyFemaleMinion: Smart Lady, Smart Brain's resident GenkiGirl mascot.
175	* PhlebotinumBreakdown: Because [[spoiler:the human body cannot withstand such rapid evolution, continued transformation into an Orphnoch will eventually lead to the Orphnoch's [[DeaderThanDead destruction]]. Destruction furthers if you use a Rider Gear, with Kaixa users having the higher risk]]. Also, Masato undergoes this when the [[spoiler:Orphnoch DNA]] powering his Kaixa Gear starts to run low.
176	** Kamen Rider Delta goes through something like this after leaving Kitazaki's hands. It's more a case of less powerful ''users'', really.
177	* PlotArmor: The villains have this big time, barely dodging, blocking or surviving finisher after finisher while any unfortunate MonsterOfTheWeek who also gets caught in it is quickly destroyed. Of all the recurring villains on the show, only ''two'' are actually destroyed in battle by the Riders; the others either [[DevourTheDragon get eaten by the Arch Orphnoch]] or [[KarmaHoudini live.]] Special mention to Murakami who somehow survives ''a point blank triple rider kick.''
178	* PrematureEmpowerment: Mari forces the TransformationTrinket on Takumi before he has any idea what's going on. Also applies to anyone who revives as an Orphnoch after being killed by another Orphnoch.
179	* PsychoticSmirk: Masato Kusaka, which gradually morphs into a SlasherSmile.
180	* PunnyName: The show's title ''555'' is meant to be read as either "fives" or "Phi's", represented by the main character's name "Faiz". 555 is also what has to be typed into the phone used to become Faiz. The pun comes from the fact that 555 is the Japanese equivalent of 911, and thus the titular rider both has to dial for emergency aid to transform, and IS essentially emergency aid for dealing with Orphnochs.
181	** Pretty much all the Riders qualify, as the numbers associated with each are tied to their name (e.g., Kaixa and 913[[note]]Pronounced "ku-i-sa" in Japanese ''goroawase'', which is close enough to "Ka-i-za"[[/note]], Delta and 333[[note]]The Greek letter delta is shaped like a triangle, which has three sides[[/note]], Psyga and 315[[note]]Similarly to Kaixa, it would be pronounces "sa-i-go" in ''goroawase", which is close enough to "Ps-i-ga[[/note]], and Orga and 000[[note]]With Japanese pronunciation, "Orga" sounds like "Oga", which could also be interpreted as "0ga"[[/note]]).
182	* TheQuietOne: Yuka Osada, the Crane Orphnoch.
183	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Yuji Kiba]].
184	* RhinoRampage: Variant: The movie-only Elasmotherium Orphnoch rampages, with [[spoiler:Kiba/Orga]] as one of its victims.
185	* RefusalOfTheCall: Takumi had no interest in being Faiz. Unfortunately for him, [[YouCantFightFate a series of coincidences and mistakes]] throws the Faiz Gear back into his hands again and again until he gives up.
186	* TheRival: There's almost too many rivalries to count.
187	** First off we have Masato Kusaka to Takumi, who despite nominally being on the same side as him views him as an obstacle for having Mari all to himself, and actively sabotages his friendship with Kiba.
188	** Then there's Kiba and Takumi who, thanks to Kusaka's aforementioned sabotaging of their friendships, switch between being good friends one minute and distrustful of each other the next.
189	** Later on, Kusaka gains his own rival in the form of Aki Sawada, who also has a [[LoveMakesYouCrazy massive]] crush on Mari.
190	** Takumi also gets a brief but intense one with Kitazaki, the Dragon Orphnoch, after he hands him his first loss in battle.
191	* SatchelSwitcheroo: Takumi only met Mari in the first episode because he got his bags mixed up.
192	* ScaramangaSpecial: The various Rider Gears could easily be mistaken for regular electronics.
193	* SchoolForScheming: The Ryuusei Orphanage, which doubled as a school.
194	* ShoePhone: The items making up the Gears are disguised as mundane items: cellphones, cameras and binoculars to name a few.
195	* ShoutOut: Kaido's classic Series/KamenRider henshin pose, ''complete with sound effect,'' just before saving Teruo from some bullies. It's especially brilliant because while Takeshi Hongo is a ''little'' [[TheSeventies before]] young viewers' time, it was ''also'' Shinji's pose in ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki.''
196	** Not to mention Delta's Rider Kick, named Literature/LucifersHammer.
197	* SlasherSmile: Masato Kusaka plays this trope straight, but most notably in #30 after he uses the Faiz gear to [[spoiler:sabotage Kiba's and Takumi's friendship.]] [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kusakacreepysmile_4521.jpg And when Kusaka smiles,]] it's down right scary.
198	%% * SmugSnake: Masato Kusaka.
199	* SoundtrackDissonance: The soft, beautiful guitar playing of [[spoiler:Kaido]] as Inui fights the [[spoiler:Scarab Orphnoch]] and Yuji fights [[spoiler:Owl Orphnoch/Kaido's Professor]].
200	** Also, Sawada has his headphones blasting, treating the audience to a mashup of gangsta rap[[note]][[Music/BustaRhymes "Pass The Courvoisier Part 2" by Busta Rhymes]] and [[Music/KrissKross "Jump" by Kriss Kross]][[/note]] while [[spoiler:killing a whole busful of people]]. It also manages to be totally awesome.
201	* SpotTheImposter: In a subversion, Yuji often ''fails'' to notice when the Faiz Gear has switched hands and assumes that it's always the same person under the mask.
202	* StarCrossedLovers: The moment [[spoiler:[[InterspeciesRomance Keitaro and Yuka]]]] hooked up, you knew their sweet relationship was going to be sabotaged by Orphnochs who found out. And then [[spoiler:Keitaro finds out that Yuka's been killed by Orphnochs...]] [[TearJerker Oh boy... sniff.]]
203	* StartOfDarkness: Kiba and Yuka both experience this when they died and their Orphnoch powers activate. By the time they realize just who they are, Kaido joined their group and was about to go through that same deal before they stopped him.
204	* SuperPrototype: The Delta Gear, being the first Gear created, is the most powerful but also has the least number of gadgets.
205	** The Riotroopers are the production models of the Rider Gears and much weaker. Also, Psyga and Orga in TheMovie are the newest model, and while both are much stronger than Faiz's basic form, Faiz Blaster is stronger than them both despite being a much older model.
206	* SuperSpeed: Faiz Axel Form.
207	* SwissArmyWeapon: The Kaixa Blaygun and Faiz Blaster Form's Faiz Blaster.
208	* SympatheticPOV- A unique thing about this series is how much time is spent on the monster's motivation, almost all of them get a day in the limelight and expand on their motivations. Your Millage May Vary on how sympathetic they actually are.
209	%% * TallDarkAndSnarky: Masato Kusaka.
210	* TenLittleMurderVictims: the plot of both games- The Ryuusei Orphanage reunion.
211	* TooDumbToLive: Mr. J, it's not really advisable to try to block a Rider Punch with your pecs.
212	* ThemeNaming: The Kamen Riders this year are all named after [[GratuitousGreek Greek]] letters.
213	* TransformingMecha: Auto Vajin, which could transform from a bike into a support mecha. And the Side Basshar which transforms into a 20 foot tall robot with a right arm that launches [[MacrossMissileMassacre missiles that split into MORE]] missiles... Really.
214	* TronLines: On all of the Rider armors. AllThereInTheManual states they're the channels through which "photon blood" passes through, hence the look of the transformation: once the lines are filled in and the circuit is complete, the suit appears.
215	* {{Tsundere}}: Mari Sonada towards Takumi.
216	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: In the movie, no one bats an eye when a group of Orphnochs attack a group of humans. Justified since a majority of the Earth population are Orphnochs.
217	* UpgradeVsPrototypeFight: Whenever the user of the Faiz Gear has to battle the user of the Kaixa Gear as without its own upgrades, it's the weakest of the bunch. Taken up to eleven in ''Paradise Lost'' where Takumi has to fight Kamen Rider Psyga (who is basically in Blaster Mode all the time and flies so fast that Axel Mode can barely keep up with him) and Kamen Rider Orga (who is a physical juggernaut armed with a massive {{BFS}} made of golden energy) who both possess Emperor Belts, perfected and enhanced versions of the Delta Gear. Notably, Takumi succeeds in defeating Psyga with his regular form and a very well-placed finisher via the Faiz Edge while he has to go all out with his Blaster Mode just to briefly knock Orga down so he can concentrate on saving Mari.
218	* VillainSong: The Smart Lady gets several in the Hyper Battle DVD.
219	** Don't forget ''My Name Is Smart Lady''
220	* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Orphnochs, once awakened, can shapeshift at will.
221	* TheVirus: Orphnochs are created in one of two ways: either a human dies and naturally becomes one, or they are murdered by an existing Orphnoch, in which case there is a ''chance'' that they revive as an Orphnoch.
222	** A ''very small'' chance. Hundreds of victims turn to dust for every one that turns into an Orphnoch. Most MonsterOfTheWeek Orphnochs do their murdering by the siring method, with no fear of their victims turning into a stronger monster and kicking their butts. Kaido was the only time we've seen it work with our own eyes, and none of the others in the main cast were sired.
223	** The reason most victims die, is that Orphnochs try converting victims by aiming for the heart, which usually results in disintegrating it. Everyone else got turned through means that didn't involve this.
224	* WhamEpisode: #34. People never saw the twist involving [[spoiler:[[WolfMan Takumi Inui's]]]] true identity as an Orphnoch coming.
225	** [[spoiler:It's actually pretty obvious when you consider episode four: after Mari and Keitaro both get "ERROR" when trying to use the Faiz Gear and the Orphnoch uses it saying "Not just anyone can transform". That alone is sufficient reason to be suspicious, especially once the Faiz Gear is stolen and used by Orphnochs a ''few'' more times. Especially given Faiz's dark tone and the ContinuityNod, it's not unreasonable to assume "Our hero is the monster" like in Showa series of old.]]
226	* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue
227	* WideEyedIdealist: Keitaro Kikuchi, whose goal in life is to make people happy.
228	* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: The Delta Gear, which can be used by anyone but whose power is highly addictive... until the end of its introduction arc, after which its critical flaw is [[{{Handwave}} handwaved]] away.
229	** Even in its introductory arc, it was stated that ''some'' could use it safely. Mihara's just one of the lucky ones, and ''he'' doesn't see himself as so lucky and ''really'' wishes he could [[RefusalOfTheCall refuse the call]].
230	** Even before that, its first onscreen user [[spoiler:Saya Kimura]] was shown to have been immune to the addictive effects, though likely due to [[spoiler:her supply of Orphnoch DNA]]. In fact, [[spoiler:she plays with this trope to test Takumi when she reveals herself to be the Delta we'd been seeing up to this point to him, to see if he's worthy enough to pass on the Delta Gear to, asking him if he feels good about using the power of Faiz]].
231	* WolfMan: [[spoiler:Takumi Inui, the Wolf Orphnoch]].
232	* {{Yandere}}: Masato Kusaka desires Mari all to himself, and is hostile to anyone he sees as getting in the way, particularly Takumi.
233	* ZombieApocalypse: TheMovie shows the scenario of what if the Orphnochs took over 99.9% of the world. (The answer is, it sucks to be a human in that world, but the Orphnoch majority lives pretty much like we do.)
234	----
235	-->''Open your eyes for the next Faiz.''

Context Series / KamenRider555