Honestly, if you look at the 2000s era of Tokusatsu, nothing feels quite as "industrial" as Kamen Rider Faiz. It’s a vibe.
Most people remember the glowing red lines (Photon Streams) and the flip phones. But if you dig into the actual roster of the Kamen Rider Faiz riders, you realize this wasn't just another superhero show. It was a high-stakes tech thriller where the "powers" were basically high-end corporate weapons that could turn you into a pile of blue ash if you weren't "compatible."
There’s a reason fans still lose their minds over this series twenty years later. It isn't just about Takumi Inui being a moody loner. It's about how Smart Brain—the Apple-meets-Evil-Empire corporation of the show—designed these suits.
The Core Three: Phi, Chi, and Delta
The show basically revolves around three main Rider Gears. Each one is themed after a Greek letter, and each one has a totally different "personality" in how it functions.
Kamen Rider Faiz (The Balanced Prototype)
Takumi's suit is the face of the franchise, but spec-wise? It’s actually the weakest "base" unit. It’s the SB-555B. The code 5-5-5 is a pun on "fives," which sounds like "Faiz." It was designed to be versatile. You’ve got the Faiz Shot (a digital camera that turns into a brass knuckle) and the Faiz Pointer (a flashlight that maps out the "Crimson Smash" kick).
But here is the thing: Faiz only becomes a powerhouse because of the expansion packs. Without the Axel Watch or the Faiz Blaster, Takumi is basically fighting an uphill battle against stronger Orphnochs.
Kamen Rider Kaixa (The Lethal Specialist)
Then you have Masato Kusaka. Everyone loves to hate him, but you can’t deny the Kaixa Gear (SB-913B) is cool. It’s colored yellow, uses the letter Chi ($\chi$), and it’s significantly more powerful than Faiz.
The catch? It’s a death trap.
If you don't have enough Orphnoch DNA, the belt just kills you after you power down. It turns the user into sand. It’s brutal. The Kaixa Blaygun (the sword-gun hybrid) is probably one of the most efficient weapons in the entire Heisei era.
Kamen Rider Delta (The Raw Powerhouse)
Delta is weird. It was the first gear ever made (SB-333B), and it’s the most powerful in terms of raw stats. It doesn't have a phone you dial; it has a voice-activated "Delta Mover."
Because it’s a prototype, it’s stripped down. No fancy cameras or laser pointers. Just raw, terrifying energy. The "Lucifer's Hammer" finisher is basically a jet of purple fire.
The Emperor Belts: Psyga and Orga
When Paradise Lost (the 2003 movie) dropped, it introduced the "Emperor’s Belts." These were supposed to be the pinnacle of Smart Brain tech.
- Kamen Rider Psyga (The Belt of the Sky): Worn by Leo (played by Peter Ho). Code: 3-1-5. It’s based on the letter Psi ($\Psi$). Its main gimmick is the Flying Attacker, a massive jetpack that turns into tonfas. He literally fights in the air while everyone else is stuck on the ground.
- Kamen Rider Orga (The Belt of the Earth): Worn by Yuji Kiba. Code: 0-0-0. Based on Omega ($\Omega$). It is arguably the physically strongest suit in the entire Faiz lore, meant to be the "final" gear. It’s slow, but when that Orga Stlanzer sword hits, it’s over.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Gear
There’s a common misconception that anyone can just pick up the Faiz belt and transform. You’ve probably seen the scene where Mari tries to put it on and it just says "ERROR" and tosses her aside.
The truth is: these aren't hero suits. They were built by Orphnochs, for Orphnochs, specifically to protect the "Orphnoch King." When a human like Kusaka or Mihara uses them, they are essentially "hacking" the gear with implanted DNA. This is why the show feels so desperate. Every time they transform, they are literally burning through their life force.
The 20th Anniversary Shake-up
In the recent Kamen Rider 555 20th: Paradise Regained, we saw a massive jump in the tech. We got Kamen Rider Next Faiz and Kamen Rider Next Kaixa.
The new gear uses smartphones (of course) instead of flip phones. Takumi’s new form, Next Faiz, has a circular "dome" chest piece that looks like a modernized version of the old 555 design. But what’s interesting is that the movie shows the "old" gear—the original analog stuff—actually has a soul that the new digital-government versions lack.
We also got Kamen Rider Muse, used by Rena Kurumi. It uses the 6-6-6 code. It’s fast, sleek, and represents the "new" Smart Brain.
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Why the Design Still Holds Up
Tamotsu Shinohara, the designer, did something brilliant here. He didn't just give them bug eyes. He gave them circular "C-Eyes" that are actually the cross-sections of the Greek letters.
- Faiz’s eyes + the middle bar = $\Phi$ (Phi).
- Kaixa’s eyes + the yellow X = $\chi$ (Chi).
- Delta’s eyes + the head shape = $\Delta$ (Delta).
It’s subtle. It makes them look like pieces of hardware rather than mystical warriors.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Kamen Rider Faiz riders, here is how you actually "experience" the lore properly:
- Watch the TV series first: Don't skip to the movies. The weight of the gear depends on understanding the tragedy of the characters.
- Track down the S.I.C. Hero Saga: There are "what-if" stories in these magazines that feature riders like Kamen Rider Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. They aren't canon to the show, but they flesh out the Smart Brain development history.
- Look for the Complete Selection Modification (CSM) belts: If you want to see the "real" tech, these collector's items are built to the exact scale of the show props and include all the sound effects (including the "Error" and "Deformation" clips).
- Pay attention to the "Riotroopers": These are the mass-produced soldiers. They use the Smart Buckle. They prove that in the Faiz universe, a Rider is just a soldier in a high-tech uniform.
The legacy of Faiz isn't just nostalgia. It’s the fact that the show treated its "superheroes" as people struggling with tools they weren't meant to have. It’s messy, it’s mechanical, and it’s still the peak of Tokusatsu design.