Shin Kazamatsuri

Shin Kazamatsuri (風祭 真 Kazamatsuri Shin) is Kamen Rider Shin (仮面ライダーシン Kamen Raidā Shin, Masked Rider Shin), the titular protagonist of the Japanese tokusatsu movie Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue.

History
Shin Kazamatsuri is a professional motorcyclist who gave up his chances for fame to help his father Daimon Kazamatsuri make a positive change in the world by volunteering as a test subject for his experiment to cure diseases, oblivious to the mad ambitions of his father's partner, and the true goal of the sinister organization funding them.

Haunted by horrifying nightmares that seem all too real and struggling to maintain some semblance of normality in his life, he struggles to uncover the conspiracy weaving around him as his life crumbles apart. With fear and apprehension dampening his resolve, he turns to the few friends and family he has left for solace, not completely understanding the danger they face by becoming involved.

Although he overcame treacherous enemies and learned how to control his mutant form, he eventually comes to walk the bitter path all true Riders follow, a path that embraces isolation and forfeits one's own happiness. In distancing himself from his former humanity, he loses his friends, family, and the few remaining allies that helped him escape from the grasp of the Syndicate. In the end, it is his resolve and strong sense of justice that keeps him going.

With the death of his girlfriend, Ai Asuka, Shin finally clears himself of his doubts and takes upon the resolve to destroy the Syndicate with his power. After a confrontation with the scientist who shot Ai, Shin comes to her side in her last moments and with her dying breath, she begs Shin to take care of their child, who may still be alive due to inheriting Shin's mutant abilities.

In his final showdown with Goushima, Shin triumphs and finishes him off with a savage decapitation finisher. When the cyborg attempts to perform one last surprise attack through a hidden bomb in his head, Shin throws the head aside and narrowly avoids the fatal blast.

Upon attempting to escape, Shin enters a short confrontation with the CIA and the Syndicate, where he narrowly avoids capture through the interference of the Agent that was pursuing him.

In the final scene of the movie, Shin carries his deceased girlfriend through a dark tunnel. As he looks up, his child telepathically communicates with him, alerting Shin to the possibility that his child indeed inherited his mutation, and thus, is still alive within Ai. With this knowledge in mind, Shin smiles and continues to carry Ai's body with new found hope in his heart, as a psychic apparition of his son guides him with a light

Shin, along with every other Showa Rider, appears in Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker. In the Internet spin-off films accompanying the movie, Shin is identified as the 13th official Kamen Rider of the Showa era. During the battle, he is seen fighting Bakeneko, Formica Pedes, Rat Fangire, Shiomaneking, Mole Imagin and Geophilid Worm.

Several years after disappearing, Shin re-emerged to fight the kaiju known as Ganmodoki, while also meeting the Armored Rider, Zangtsu Shin. During the battle, the two Riders fought off Ganmodoki, which was ended by Shin lifting up the kaiju, and throwing him to the shore, before hitting him with a full force Rider Kick, sending him back into the ocean, turning to face the other monsters that had appeared there. Shin would subsequently wander away, disappearing from the public eye for a while.

Personality
Intriguingly, despite his berserk fighting style and constant internal fear of the monster he might become, Shin is in full control of his mutant form, and actively attempted to avoid conflict throughout the events of the film, only fighting when directly provoked. Even after telepathically viewing Onizuka's mindless killing spree via his dreams, they do little more than temporarily disorient him, and have no real lasting effects on his moral compass. Shin is unnervingly docile when idle or unprovoked, and is even able to identify others such as his father and Ai while mutated, even to the point of sharing a moment of comfort with Ai.

Kamen Rider Shin
Categorized as "Cyborg Soldier Level 3" (改造兵士レベル3 Kaizou Heishi Reberu Surī) by the Syndicate, and colloquially dubbed the "Masked Rider" by both the Syndicate and the CIA, Shin transforms into a heavily mutated, insect-like humanoid with enhanced strength and regenerative abilities. Through the intense gene therapy process he endured, the Grasshopper genes bonded to his cells gives him a number of abilities which are only further enhanced through his body's mutation, such as an incredible jumping range, heightened senses, bolstered stamina, and phenomenal lower body strength allowing him to run at great strides and deliver kicks of intense force. In addition, he has limited telepathic communication with other identical mutants, including Onizuka and Shin's own unborn son.
 * Rider Height: 199.9 cm
 * Rider Weight: 90.0 kg
 * Ability Perimeters:
 * Punching Power: 28 tonsKamen_Rider_Shin.jpg
 * Kicking Power: 42 tons
 * Maximum Jump Height: 114 m
 * Maximum Running Speed: 100m/3.34s

As his primary forms of offense, Kamen Rider Shin brandishes the High Vibration Nails (ハイバイブネイル Hai Baibu Neiru) on his fingers, and the Spine Cutters (スパインカッター Supain kattā) on his forearms and uses both to gruesomely disfigure and violently decapitate enemies, with even deadlier results when applied via finishing moves. Both are highly acute and razor sharp, and even when they dull or break, Shin can immediately grow a new pair through his advanced regeneration. At one point this plays to his advantage, decisively using his broken Spine Cutters as makeshift caltrops.

Trivia
This irony further extends to the fanbase's attitude and polarizing opinions towards Shin himself, debating his status as a Kamen Rider. However, in recent years, Shin has gained newfound popularity and mainstream exposure following his reappearance in All Riders vs. Dai Shocker, and maintains regular appearances in most subsequent Movie Wars.
 * Shin is officially the thirteenth main Kamen Rider; ironic considering how unorthodox Shin is compared to other Kamen Riders and the many superstitious beliefs of the unlucky nature of 13 in Western countries.