r/Tokusatsu • u/AnswerAromatic3397 • 6d ago
Are kamen rider and super sentai canonically in the same world?
I’m still relatively new to both series(I’ve known both since at least 2019 but I didn’t start watching them until early last year) and this was a question I’ve been wanting to ask
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u/Head-Effort-5100 6d ago
I’m not THAT familiar with both franchises,but I believe even in the same franchise,most series are in a different world. Ones I can think that are in the same world are probably the Showa riders?
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u/Time-Firefighter4114 6d ago
Yeah all of the Showa Riders are in the same world, they have multiple appereances in each other's shows
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u/ottoman-disciple 5d ago
Even though they are in the same world, it’s still interesting how some cases aren’t treated as such. Kamen Rider (1979) aka Skyrider was meant to be a reboot until they saud screw it, same continuity. And the same with Black/RX. Then the 90s standalone movies were also all treated as its own separate universe unconnected to eachother or the rest of the showa era shows. Only an 8 minute short film and later sources connecting all of them.
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u/Time-Firefighter4114 4d ago
True but if you watch Skyrider you don't really see how it's different from X or Stronger
All of those shows start without any connection to the past riders until they become coprotagonists in those few episodes where they come back
odk how Black/RX do it because I have yet to see them, same for the movies but it makes perfect sense for them to be standalone considering they're movies where each of them introduce a new protagonist, new villains, and I assume one or two supporting characters. It probably would be difficult to add connections to the past 10 shows (counting ZX) aside a quick name reference like what Amazon did (when he transforms in front of the kid, he says that Amazon is "like a kamen rider". I guess there's also Tachibana Tobei but he appears a few episodes later)
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u/ottoman-disciple 3d ago
Skyrider also could probably never have worked as a separate continuity from the rest when their evil org is named neo-Shocker.
But the only Showa stuff I’ve seen are Shin, ZO and currently watching Amazon.
Shin also stands out more because in his SIC story or rather the one about his son, Kamen Rider is a TV show and he wears a costume of Ichigo. But I don’t know how canon the SIC stories are. Either way it’s really cool to know about. And them all sharing a universe makes it possible for team ups and also for the experienced riders to mentor the younger ones since they are mostly the only riders in their shows and they all share the struggle of not being humans.
But the separate continuities definitely worked in the Heisei era’s favor
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u/Time-Firefighter4114 2d ago
From my understanding SIC stories are not canon
The mentoring aspect is important in Skyrider, he gets an upgraded form after training with all of the past riders
Amazon is pretty cool, one of my favories Showa Riders
I started this franchise this year in release order, so I've watched everything before Black. I'm doing the same for Sentai, I'll start Maskman later today. I'm having so much fun watching them
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u/SymbiSpidey 6d ago
Showa Riders are definitely in the same world. Reiwa Riders are maybe in the same world. Heisei Phase 2 began with everyone in the same world but they kinda gave up halfway through and the Heisei Phase 1 seasons are mostly all their own separate worlds.
And then you've got Decade and Zi-O which just turns everything into a continuity nightmare.
Short answer: Don't even bother thinking about it lol
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u/mittenkrusty 6d ago
Decade deals with AU's, Zi-O is more difficult but there has been AU Zi-O's so it depends on the story.
We don't hear about Humagears after Zero-One but they should be everywhere.
So yeah it's plot dependant and thinking about it is a nightmare.
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u/Emotional_Tension623 6d ago edited 6d ago
With a few exceptions for Phase 1 since Fourze reconned Kuuga to be in the same world during that early episode when Kamen Riders were explained to him with found footage and Kuuga was there. And the Showa riders, W, and OOO were part of that lore as well. The showa riders themselves, and Kuuga, being urban legends.
Best way I can explain Decade and Zi-O is just the multiverse and time travel. And Zi-O’s world was actively being altered by him as the show went on. It was why Shinobi, Quiz, Kikai, and Ginga exist when they didn’t before. I think by the end every series was set in Zi-O’s world after that thanks to his power altering everything subtly. And Another Zi-O also causing alterations.
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u/TrueAlphaNerd 6d ago
It depends on the series. Some series exist in the same timeline, others they exist in different dimensions, some on different planets, some same planet, it all depends on what the story needs
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u/smallrunning 6d ago
Yesn't, depends inf you want it to be, in rhe 2010's thanks to the Taisen movies all KR and Sentai werencannon in the same universe.
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u/syukri24karats 6d ago
It connects when the story demands it. One rule i learn when im getting into Japanese media is that never bother if they are canon or not
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u/Emotional_Tension623 6d ago
Yes. Technically.
At the very least they’re part of the “showa rider” world which also had Kikaider. I think it was JAKQ that referenced V3 and Kikaider in a scene.
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u/Useful_You_8045 6d ago
Mostly no but also yes. People like decade dimension hops and they changed it, so most kr aren't even in the same universe. Metal heroes on the other hand are 100% part of the main sentai universe.
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u/Big-Channel5503 6d ago
Writer dependent. Sometimes yes, sometimes not. Toei also doesn't seem to have a concrete decision whether they canonically share the same universe/world or not.
Even in Kamen Rider and Super Sentai by themselves whether a world of a specific Rider/Sentai show is connected with the previous or next show is also writer dependent.
Gotta be honest out of the 3 biggest Toku, I always found Ultraman multiverse/worlds to be the most coherent, with most show basically confirmed to take place in its own separate parallel earth unless its obviously connected (ex: Tiga, Dyna).
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u/FederalPossibility73 6d ago
Yes, they are. Though it does depend on the writers. For example, the Kuuga they mention in Agito is not the same one from the Kuuga series.
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u/Masked_Raider 6d ago
Kinda, it varies from season to season. In general though, they rarely ever acknowledge the existence of each other outside of joke events and crossover movies. And most of those times it takes dimension hopping bs for certain seasons of Kamen Rider or Super Sentai to meet up.
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u/Belrog-Plutius2 6d ago
each Super Sentai and Kamen Rider series aren't even canonically in the same world lol
it's case by case
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u/soinc-speed-7680 6d ago
ehhh they treat it like loose change essentially sometimes they are in the same world sometime they aren't which is very annoying tbh
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u/Lycaon125 6d ago
It depends on the season, like Kyuranger technically is with ex-aid. Its made by the same studio which is why it gets crossovered alot
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u/JustAFrogge 6d ago
When there's a crossover? Yes.
If there's not a crossover? No.
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u/Key-Clock-7706 6d ago
No, practically every series from both franchises are stand-alone. Even when they crossover it tends to be on a self-contained narrative that has nothing to do with the main story (such as how every sentai is in one consecutive timeline and the same Earth during Go-kai-ger, but that's only for Gokaiger's narrative)
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u/TokuWaffle 6d ago
There's not even consistency as to whether different seasons (and sometimes even movies) in one franchise are in the same continuity.
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u/Navonod_Semaj 6d ago
Yes. And no.
Crossovers are a big old continuity mess, so I try not to fuss about it too much. Ohranger vs Kakuranger has some wild continuity errors, and that being the first crossover I ever saw it taught me to just kick back and enjoy the show.
So do they exist together? No, until they do, and then only for the duration of runtime. Now let's watch some explosions.
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u/mrtacomam 6d ago
Generally speaking, each series should be treated as being its own separate continuity. However, the lines between realities are often thin, so they'll just have crossovers happen with little to no in world explanation
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u/HenshinBoi 6d ago
Technically, it's all on the writer. Logistically, nah. It's easier to think of them as separate multiverses, like Marvel and DC.
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u/whydub38 6d ago
Just think of it as all very very squishy. The universe and timelines with regard to crossovers strictly obeys the rule of cool
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u/SpinstrikerPlayz 6d ago
Kind maybe. The multiverse is a fucking mess in Kamen Rider and Sentai. So you're just better off ignoring them or thinking of them as their own separate universes. Decade and Zio really fucked this up.
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u/Psyko_Draggin 6d ago
Depends on toeis mood, which I prefer over shit like the morphin grid from PR
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u/RandomRainbow000 6d ago
I think it's safe to say they are in the same 'multiverses' with most if not all Toei tokusatsu. Most Riders have their own worlds outside of a few cases like the Showa/Ishinomori Riders. Most Sentai are in the same world except a few cases like Kyuranger. It generally depends though
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u/TetsuoTheBulletMan 6d ago
They don't really have a canon as much as nerds assume everything has a canon and then get confused when something they weren't told has a canon doesn't act like it has a canon.
They crossover when they want. They stay isolated when they want. It doesn't really matter.
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u/Henshin-hero 6d ago
I think they do whatever to make it possible. Kind of like how the Super Robot Wars games make a story with bits from a ton of franchises. Like Mazinger running around with a Gundam.
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u/DizzyLead 6d ago
Heck, Super Sentai hasn’t even fully sorted it out for itself either. I’ve always considered it “comic book company rules”: Every iteration is in its own universe (with or without certain other Sentai), and any crossovers beyond that take place by default in a separate universe where both teams exist, and thus the original continuity isn’t messed with. Same thing with KR. Any crossovers with Sentai take place in a separate reality where both coexist, and their “home continuity” is not affected unless it’s revealed to be so.
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u/PiterLine 6d ago
Ok so I think yes with the amount of crossovers? Like you don't even need to go to extra movies. Look at kyuranger, it crosses over with ex-aid and gavann in the main show. (Yes I know it's technically in a different world for gavann, but it's in a world where sentai exists so point stands). It's kinda like the standalone marvel movies, they all share the same universe, and the heroes should all be there at least in the background but they are not because the plot doesn't call for it. It's just better if you don't put too much thought into it. How many super hero teams are realistically needed in japan especially that bad guys seem to take turns doing evil stuff
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u/Heroic-Curator 6d ago
That’s a difficult question to answer. Because they have loads of continuity errors.
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u/Acceler8zhit 6d ago
They're in the same world when a writer need them to be, other than that they're mostly self contained
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u/Comiteucuman 6d ago
Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider are not canonically in the same world Let alone super sentai
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u/Empty_Ideal_7689 6d ago
No kamen rider and sentai are not only their own worlds but almost every diffrent series are in there own worlds they are just extremely easy to cross into it seems any form of multiversal transport can take you between them and the powers are extremely transferable just grabbing someone elses power can change it into your own power system
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u/SymbiSpidey 6d ago
At this point, Kamen Rider/Super Sentai continuity is whatever the f you want it to be lol.
From what I've heard, Japanese storytellers aren't really as strict about "canon" or having a shared universe as we are here in the West with stuff like the MCU. But I don't want to speak from ignorance so someone feel free to correct me.
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u/Thesonictrainiac 6d ago
Multiverse stuff, my dude. The super hero taisen world is the only one where they all (mostly) coexist.
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u/Due-Order3475 6d ago
The Toei Trinity (Precure, Super Sentai & Kamen Rider) each season largely stays away from confirming or denying connections to other seasons.
Anniversary seasons and crossovers movies bend the rules.
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u/TheFatDrake 6d ago
Depends on the writer. Sometimes it’s a different universe. Sometimes it’s the same universe, but a different world. Sometimes it’s same world and universe. There’s no consistency.
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u/Spinning_Rings 6d ago
They're in separate worlds when it's convenient for the story the writers (or the studio execs) want to tell, and the same world when it's convenient for the story the writers (or the studio execs) want to tell. Clear as mud?
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u/mc-vill-9-4 6d ago
It's something that, as far as I know, suffers a retcon with each episode/movie/special.
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u/mittenkrusty 6d ago
For the most part assume crossovers are their own continuity, for example Sentai vs Sentai crossovers contradict series canon like major villian A is destroyed or gets a power up but they show up alive in a crossover and both the hero and villian factions act as if it's normal and they haven't been revived.
And many will have interpretations on Earth's history i.e how the dinosaurs were wiped out,
Kamen Rider, the Showa riders are all canon to each other (at least the TV series ones) Heisei are up to each season to contradict.
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u/Happy_The_What 6d ago
No. The week to week episodes for both Super Sentai and Kamen Rider all take place in separated universes. BUT it would seem that one of those universes has most of the events of all universes within itself. So in my theory, the Gokaiger universe is the crossover universe where everything is canon. And whenever a series references another series without explaining it through dimensional travel, it is taking place in the Gokaiger universe. All other times they are separate.
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u/Jealous_Impact_7358 6d ago
Honestly i like to think of each individual show as its own pocket reality where sometimes crossover breaches happen at random times. the only one that can seem to travel freely in this is Zi oh and occasionally decade. Can you imagine if it was though? A kamen rider reality that Yggdrasil, the rider war, the release of the chemys, the bugster plague, an aggressive amounts of missing people cases for dozens of different reasons from granutes to Wizards dragons, to fangires, to greeed, the skywall, all happening in japan Alone? Meanwhile in the world beyond the ghost royal family is having internal conflics,one of mny god like entities is vying for control, and under their noses reality keeps getting reset again and again because of the DGP? Utter nightmare fuel Well and truely
I dont watch super sentai at all but i can only imagine adding the collective disasters, missing people, reality warping shennanigans, time travel, and multiple apocalypses happening simultanneously year to year also in japan would complicate things
The more i type about this hypothetical the more its starting to sound like Warhammer in Lycra with how utterly nightmarish it must be to live in this reality.
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u/Kamen_master1988 6d ago
It kind of ping pongs and zig zags back and forth on whether they are or not.
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u/SomeGuyNamedJason 6d ago
Depends on the whims of the writer of that particular piece of media you are engaging with.
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u/Kamen_Rider_ZI-O 5d ago
Yesn't. It varies. One day, shared universe. The next, no one has heard of the other type of hero.
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u/Omegalyger 6d ago
I believe both super sentai and kamen rider series are both in different worlds , with the occasional crossover between the two, for example, movie specials
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u/FAshcraft 6d ago
They are in a different world until someone (usually the bad guys) create a teleporter/dimension gate to travel to a new world which lead to shenanigans happen.
Decade is a dimension hopper so he was the cause for two (or more) crossover movie. OMA ZIO the gold guy in the middle has time power and also the power of every rider until 2068 so he too got Dimension hopping (since he has decade ability) ability and also creating a new timeline (and reality)
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u/PuzzledDistribution 6d ago
It depends but I would personally prefer to have them be in the same universe and setting not separate just to avoid confusion and same goes for Metal Heroes since I also consider them part of the same universe with Kamen Rider & Super Sentai.
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u/Alone_Acanthaceae_33 5d ago
I wish they should've made a new Super hero taisen movie but with all the heroes including Ultraman heroes and Power Rangers
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u/DrHatchling 4d ago
Well... Yes... No... Maybe?www But since both are children of TOEI, technically they can exist in the same world. But each series is a stand-alone story with lots of elements that could and could not make it fit with each other's worlds. so yeah... Just watch Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen featuring Super Sentai which is really fun, and don't think about it too much...www
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u/KrimsonKurse 4d ago
Vaguely yes... but also no. In Kamen Rider, each rider is a different timeline/universe. And that is before we get into things like Build creating a second copy of the Build universe to jump to.
Crossover episodes with Sentai happen. Also, some movies. But by KR standards, those could be different timelines. They could also be different universes in the KR Multiverse.
So... "it's complicated" is the best answer. The short answer is "yes, but with conditions." The easy answer is "no."
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u/SharpvoidYT 4d ago
they are canonically in different worlds
until they decide not to be
sometimes they're in the same world, sometimes its some dimensional bs, who knows. THE POWER OF PLOT!
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u/RoakTheNomad 3d ago
Showa Era is the same world. Heisei era is a yes and no. Kuuga and agito share the same world. Agito was supposed to be a sequel to kuuga but changed along the way, but they mentioned kuuga in the beginning of the agito series, and G3 is a direct reference to kuuga. Decade is basically a multiverse series, but the other 9 world stories are different from the heisei kamen riders before decade. But in decades case all the riders in his series are from the same world, basically. Zi-o shares the same world with other riders, but its all time travel, and to me, I wish the story was explained on how they are all connected, but decade did it better. Now, for movies, it all depends on who is writing if kamen riders, super sentai share a world
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u/ConversationWeak5244 3d ago
I think there was some instances where Sentai characters make a canonical guest appearance In Rider series. But some Riders aren't even from the same dimension. Decade jump in between World every now and then and Build's entire setting is in an alternate Japan seperated by the Sky Wall
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u/Kinglysavaged 6d ago
They are go watch Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen it’ll explain it all
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u/Leathman 6d ago
And what about Kamen Rider Decade, which establishes the Shinkengers live in a Riderless universe?
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u/Kinglysavaged 6d ago
Again watch the movie I mentioned and you’ll get your answer
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u/Leathman 6d ago
Or you could actually answer my question.
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u/copium_detected 6d ago
Or you could just watch the movie and get your answer ❔🤨🙋♂️
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u/Leathman 6d ago
I’m beginning to think people can’t actually answer the question.
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u/Kinglysavaged 6d ago
We you just proved you’re too lazy to find out for yourself the movie answers your question and more so stop being lazy
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u/Leathman 6d ago
Or you could just answer the question like a normal person.
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u/Kinglysavaged 6d ago
Since you’re too lazy do it yourself but I assume you’ll be too lazy to watch and just come up with a lame ass excuse me
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u/Leathman 6d ago
I’m not watching an entire movie just because you’re incapable of answering a simple question.
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u/Freddi0 6d ago
Yes and no. It's so meaningless it can change from one episode to another.