Is the main Rider just a Neutral Mask?

[takenoko]

Neutral Mask meaning a bland, empty character for which the audience to place themselves upon in order to experience the show or movie through their eyes, as termed in this Cracked video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrbKuOaVF3k

Think about it, all the interesting Riders, 2nd Riders. Or in Drive's case, the third Rider. Although, Chase shows up before Go and is more interesting than him, so maybe Chase is the second Rider retroactively.

[KRTempest]

Some maybe but other like Tendo I don't think so

[Bomyne]

I can't talk about pre-W Riders as I haven't watched them... but the main riders in every KR since and including W have been packed full of personality. Eiji and Kouta's actually border on the annoying (but still likable) for me. Chase is interesting... but he doesn't compare to how interesting Tomari (Sorry, I tried and can't spell his given name) is. Go is the worst of the Drive riders... He seems to me like a copy of Kaito (Baron), but with none of the flare that made Kaito interesting. He has a drive (haha. Lame pun) to destroy the bad guys, but is more or less just bland and empty after that.

[takenoko]

It's Shinnosuke. It might be easier to remember if it's broken down into parts:
Shin = To go forward (haha, cause cars)
no = The Japanese particle for "of" or that connects two nouns
suke = A common boy's name suffix (Like Daisuke, Keisuke, etc.)

I think Eiji, Haruto, and Tomari are pretty good examples of Neutral Mask characters. Sure, they have their quirks, and occasional bursts of personality and emotion, but otherwise could be described as "generic good guys". Even Kouta sort of falls under that category, when compared to the ambitious Kaito or the scheming Mitsuzane.

The same can be said about most Heisei Riders. Shinji, the Faiz guy, Kenzaki, Ryoutarou, Kiva, they're just sort of the generic good guy. They're not Knight who's fighting for his girlfriend, Hajime who struggles with his humanity, or Yuuto who's dealing with weird time shit majorly messing with his life. For the most part, more story goes on with the secondary Riders. The main Rider is just "here to help".

[phanguy]

I buy it. It makes sense. I think it's just part of the theme of Kamen Rider is the idea that (for kids) anyone can be kind and help others. The secondary riders are varied examples of what happens when you give people power or also alternate reasons why people should want to help others.

Side note: I realized the other day the huge lacking in the Rider Kick being the main finisher since Decade. It's kind of disappointing.

[Revorse]

I think Eiji, Haruto, and Tomari are pretty good examples of Neutral Mask characters.

As much as I like Haruto he probably fits that Neutral Mask term. Until Koyomi's arc starts to really kick up, Haruto is just the guy trying to stop people going through despair. Not a bad thing and sure he has his own personality but mostly he really is just a guy to fight Phantoms.

As for Eiji his situation just feels different. He desire to protect IS a part of his personality that's who he is. If that makes any sense.
Tomari's just a cop. I haven't really had any feelings about him.

[takenoko]

>Side note: I realized the other day the huge lacking in the Rider Kick being the main finisher since Decade. It's kind of disappointing.

W, OOO, Fourze, Wizard all have Rider kicks as their main finisher.

[Galada]

I don't think that's totally true. Certainly most of the times the Riders who got a stronger personality and, by consequence, the most fans amongst the fans, are the secondary ones, but that doesn't exactly mean that the main Rider is a blank mask. They're made more lined up with generic virtues and goals like the wish to protect everyone, to have peace, to make your dreams come true, etc., so more people can feel close to them, but they still have their own personalities there. They're usually blander than the secondary Riders, but that doesn't mean they're totally bland. They're all different somehow, like their stories are different. They become generic justice warrior at the movies and all, but they're shit anyway, so it doesn't matter.

[phanguy]

>Side note: I realized the other day the huge lacking in the Rider Kick being the main finisher since Decade. It's kind of disappointing.

W, OOO, Fourze, Wizard all have Rider kicks as their main finisher.

Yeah I think you're right, but it seems like the frequency of usage keeps getting to be less and less. I can only remember Gaim and Drive doing it once? Sees like the more forms/coins/lockseeds/etc they add the more they need to have different finishers(understandably). It's just a change of times.

[Knight of L-sama]

I think Eiji, Haruto, and Tomari are pretty good examples of Neutral Mask characters. Sure, they have their quirks, and occasional bursts of personality and emotion, but otherwise could be described as "generic good guys". Even Kouta sort of falls under that category, when compared to the ambitious Kaito or the scheming Mitsuzane.

See, I think that might be an issue of definitions. To me that seems to be stretching the definition of Neutral Mask too far. I see a difference between a true neutral mask character (effectively a blank slate that the audience can project themselves into/onto) and a character with their own distinct personality who's motivations are kept rather generic to appeal to a general audience which is where I think a lot of the Main Riders fall into. It might constrain their character, but it doesn't remove it.

This isn't to say that some of the main riders aren't Neutral Masks' either. Ryouta is very much a case of this, at least early on in Den-O, almost a blank slate, but for his Imagin partners rather than the audience (and part of the reason I never really got around to finishing Den-O). The fact that Eiji's personality is a rather carefully constructed facade to help him deal with the fact that personal tragedy turned him into one deep down is a rather more interesting use of the trope.

Outside those two deliberate invocations, I'd argue that (of the series I've seen), Haruto from Wizard is probably the biggest example. Which is a real shame because his origin and inner phantom could have been used much more effectively to explore his character. Gentarou from Fourze on the other hand I'd argue is an attempt to avert this that didn't quite come off. While he was given a personality, motivations and reasons for how that came about they ultimately came across as rather static and unchanging and all the narrative impulses were dumped on Kengo, leaving Gentarou too close too this.

This is not to say the observation about the secondary riders having more... colourful personalities is inaccurate. It's not always the case, but frequently enough it is. But I'd say this is simply the case that while secondary riders are (usually) heroes, they're not The Hero and thus are freer to be a little different. Also they're allowed to be a little more morally ambiguous to more effectively highlight the main Rider's better nature.

W, OOO, Fourze, Wizard all have Rider kicks as their main finisher.

Yeah, but those were more for their base/default forms and started disappearing once weapons and upgrades/alternative forms showing up. I think Haruto got the most mileage out of his because he had four base forms, all with their own kick.

[kikaida]

Some maybe but other like Tendo I don't think so

Being a Kabuto fan, I'd like to say that's true - but you might want to take a serious look at Kagami.

[Catastrophe]

Kagami is more interesting because he has real development and isn't a Mary Sue.

I feel most main Riders are interesting. Except maybe Haruto.

[takenoko]

I kind of like the definition of Neutral Mask being kind of broad. I hate ultra specific definitions, because then you have people moving the goal post back and forth or "no true Scottsmaning" it.

I mean, Eiji might have a constructed personality of blandness to hide the pain of his past... but at the same time, it's still a bland personality. I can't remember a thing about him besides underpants and "I gotta save people because I just gotta". And platonic relationship with Hina, which could be a sub genre of Neutral Mask in it of itself. Main Riders do not like girls. They aren't interested or like them in that way.

I think it's possible for a main Rider to be both interesting and be a Neutral Mask. Even Luke cracks out a few funny lines and has the NOOOO! scene. Another great term from the video in the original post is the Reverse Escort Mission. Where the main plot of the story is ostensibly about the second Rider (or Ankh) and the hero is just the boring tag along.

[miryoku]

I also don't think they all are neutral masks except Haruto from wizard which it was the closest to be a neutral mask.
They all have their personalities even bland but they have it.
I guess I'm the opposite as you, Takenoko, since i like more strict definitions since when a definitions is too broad everyone can claim what is what and there's no clear point so with that everyone could become a neutral mask because different people could project themselves to different characters even if they're not "empty."

The only real neutral masks are the silent protagonists on games because they truly don't have any personality.

[Kogashi]

Those who play a lot of visual novels or watch a lot of Harem genre animes know of neutral mask characters. Unless playing with one's expectations that's all one gets as the stories are often told from the point of view of the protagonist, who has been stripped of most world views or opinions to become a window for the viewers. While I do not agree all 'just a nice guy' type characters are neutral masks I do see how just generally well adjusted can be transparent enough to still serve as a window... Then of course there's characters who have amnesia and have no real world view due to that. What we're looking at is not so much nice guy characters who say, for example, 'this is wrong' but instead 'You are wrong' and 'I won't let you do that!', as flags for being a neutral mask. An interesting example might be our hero in Gaim who, through Urobuchi's writing style, becomes less and less of a window, less see through, as the conflict expands. As more trials and hardships are put on his shoulders, he becomes opaque, being challenged to choose what is right or wrong, and why. We don't see that forming of an opinion in other neutral masks... And I'm not saying this in a literal sense it's more the forming of a word view as their own and not as a moral to the story.