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Ever wonder what the best seasons of Kamen Rider are? Well, that's what I'm here to talk about today.

Number 15: Den-O (2007)

"Traveling through time, here I come!!"

It is my understanding that Den-O was very popular in Japan and it mostly has to do with it’s comedic timing. This is good if you just want something to laugh at and have a good time. Our hero, if you can call him that, is a total wimp! That is, until he’s possessed by creatures from the future, which imbue their personalities onto him. Thus, they travel through time in order to fight them.

Number 14: Ex-Aid (2016)

"Change your fate with no continues!!"

The main rider here is a doctor, but he’s also a gamer! Listen, simply mash two random things together and don’t ask questions. It just works, okay? This season has quite a few riders and over time they level up, much like in a video game. Ex-Aid is just overflowing with charm, and there’s a cool anime-esq look to the suits which I think are really cool.

Number 13: Gaim (2013)

"How will you use this power?"

Full discourse, this was my first Kamen Rider series, and yeah, it was because of the weird gifs I was seeing on social media, so I had to go watch it.

This one is about dancing fruit samurai but with a surprisingly dark tone at times, yet it still remains charming and accessible. This season is just visually interesting all around, and it features a lot of rider versus rider battles. Overall, Gaim just did a really good job of capturing my interest.

Number 12: Amazon (1974)

"The hunt begins."

Alright, hear me out, this one has grown a cult following over the years due to the amount of violence in it. Our hero is an orphan raised by wild animals, before getting adopted by a tribe. Nearly his entire village gets slaughtered, however, but not before an elder performs a ritual to imbue him with power, in which he gets turned into a Kamen Rider. The elder then sends him to Japan, before he ultimately dies.

Okay, you’ve probably caught on by now that I initially got into the series just so I can see some weird shit, but this one might still be intriguing if you’re looking for something different.

Number 11: 555 (2003)

"Dashing instinct."

This is a really cool story and it seems like a lot of thought went into it.

It’s about an organization trying to take over the world with the next stage of human evolution. They create three suits, but are ultimately stolen, with our hero coming into possession of one them. This season is pretty good if you’re looking for something that looks sleek and futuristic, but without coming across as too complex.

Number 10: Kuuga (2000)

"A New Hero, A New Legend."

When this season came out, it was the first to air in 11 years. So, yeah, I guess we just skipped the 90s. Our hero finds an ancient artifact to battle unidentified lifeforms, and it has achieved significance for ultimately revitalizing the series. It’s another one that’s not too complex, as it was the last to feature a single rider, though he does have multiple forms to keep it fresh.

Number 9: V3 (1973)

"I'm fighting for a single goal... Shadowmoon."

This one goes way back, as it was the direct sequel to the original Kamen Rider, and it features a few returning characters from that season. Our hero wants to be a cyborg to avenge his family, that he saw being slaughtered. He risks his life to save 1 and 2, hence the show’s title. It’s honestly pretty good and a worthy sequel to the original Kamen Rider.

Number 8: Kiva (2008)

"Wake up! Break the chains of destiny."

I hope you like Halloween because horror is the theme for this season. You’ve got bats, vampires, werewolves, that whole thing. This season also takes place within two time frames, 1986 and 2008. There’s a cause and effect, where something will happen in the 80s, seeing the results of it happen in the present day. This season’s got some of the coolest looking monsters, and also the suit is really cool too.

Number 7: Kabuto (2006)

"Walking the path of heaven, to rule everything!"

The riders in this season have two layers, the outer layer is basically a tank mode, whereas the inner layer looks more like a traditional Kamen Rider.

Our hero is an arrogant prick, but over time we see different sides to him. Ogres are like onions, onions have layers, you get it? Speaking of, our hero is a chef who is constantly making food, so I hope you’re prepared to feel hungry as you’re watching. The suits also look really good without being too complicated, and the action is nice, so it’s hard to complain.

Number 6: Build (2017)

"Now, shall we begin the experiment?"

Remember what I said about mashing two things together? This is a science themed season, and I remember was met with some skepticism by the fans for looking "busy", but over time seems to have really grown on them. It’s just a very cool looking season, and bonus points if you’re a math or science nerd. The story is also genuinely well written and interesting, so there you go.

Number 5: Kamen Rider (1971)

"It is the soul that is inherited."

Okay, so the explanation here is that the main actor got injured while filming and had to be replaced, but eventually he returned and they teamed up together, so it all works out!

Anyways, our hero was kidnapped, but they were unable to completely brainwash him, but he was turned into a cyborg. It was the 70s, such were common fears. There’s not really much else I can say, you all know this one, if you’re interested you can watch this and it’s sequel season and you'll be good.

Number 4: Black (1987)

"What is evil? And who is?"

Even before I’ve ever seen anything Kamen Rider, I knew Black got a lot of hype, but thankfully most of it is justified. There’s just a dark tone that’s hard to pin down, but it’s sort of like the 1989 Batman movie, I guess, if you catch my drift.

Our hero just invokes so much rage, pain, anguish, and intensity, and it’s honestly kind of camp, but not in a bad way, he's really good. There’s just some really climatic battles, and overall, it’s not too difficult to see why it’s so iconic.

Number 3: Geats (2022)

"This game ― The winner in the end is me."

Oh look, it’s a season from this decade, and it managed to break the Top 3! Preposterous! This season just hits different, it’s a battle royale with supporters and organizers from the far future. The entire season revolves around a tournament format, which keeps the audience anticipating the next chapter.

This season has some pretty well thought out story arcs. One of my favourites being a social media influencer who does TikTok dances, yes, it’s basically that, but there’s a lot more going on with her both internally and with her family. She goes through an existential crisis and encounters truths about herself, but she works to overcome them, and overall she’s very easy to root for.

Overall, this season was just a thrill from beginning to end, securing an automatic spot in my Top 3.

Number 2: OOO (2010)

"I'll transform!!!"

Okay, so it was very difficult to pick between the Top 2 and honestly, they could switch depending on the mood that I’m in, they’re that close. Our hero has a tragic past, unable to protect a young girl that he befriended, resulting in her tragic death and it drives him to be a hero. But he also dresses like a hobo and is obsessed with underwear, often giving underwear as a gift.

OOO just ticks every box, great characters, great story, cool forms, and you get to see a lot of weird bullshit. It has basically everything that you could ever ask for from a Kamen Rider season.

Number 1: W (2009)

"We are the two-in-one Kamen Rider."

Remember what I said about mashing two things together? Well, I think this might be the best version of that.

This season is a detective show featuring two people sharing the same body, hence the "double" and also "you". They use memory sticks to swap left and right, which leads to a lot of variation. The villains also have a ton of depth, so you might even feel a little bad for a few of them. And also my favourite colours are green and purple, so there you go, that's why this one's the best.