News / Aug 20, 2026

Kamen Rider Heisei Phase 2: Complete Guide & Best Series to Start With

Q: How long is the whole Phase 2 run?

10 series across roughly 10 years (2009-2019) Each series generally runs 45-50 episodes, airing weekly for about a year Phase 2 directly preceded the current Reiwa era, which began with Kamen Rider Zero-One in 2019

Heisei Phase 2 ran ten series from Kamen Rider W (2009) to Kamen Rider Zi-O (2018-2019), the block that pushed the franchise toward bigger toy gimmicks and anniversary-driven storytelling. Here's the full lineup and where to start.

Kamen Rider Heisei Phase 2: Complete Guide & Best Series to Start With

Kamen Rider Heisei Phase 2 is the ten-series run from Kamen Rider W (2009-2010) to Kamen Rider Zi-O (2018-2019). It picked up immediately after Decade closed out Phase 1, and it's generally the block associated with bigger, more toy-forward transformation gimmicks (medals, coins, Sengoku-era motifs, fruit) and a shift toward more openly comedic, high-concept premises than the grittier early 2000s shows. Here's the full lineup and where fans point newcomers.

What are the ten Heisei Phase 2 series?

Kamen Rider W (2009-2010) — a buddy-cop duo who transform into a single Rider together using Gaia Memories, built around a hardboiled detective-noir tone.
Kamen Rider OOO (2010-2011) — a drifter who gains power from animal-themed Core Medals, with a heavy "desire has a cost" theme running through the whole series.
Kamen Rider Fourze (2011-2012) — a high-school-set, upbeat friendship story using astronaut/space motifs and Astroswitches.
Kamen Rider Wizard (2012-2013) — a stage-magician-themed Rider who trades despair for hope using Wizard Rings.
Kamen Rider Gaim (2013-2014) — a dance-crew-turned-Rider story with a fruit/Sengoku-armor motif, written primarily by Gen Urobuchi.
Kamen Rider Drive (2014-2015) — a lazy detective turned Rider fighting virus-based monsters called Roidmude, with a heavy car-racing motif.
Kamen Rider Ghost (2015-2016) — a Rider who dies in episode one and has 99 days to collect 15 Eyecons based on historical figures to fully resurrect.
Kamen Rider Ex-Aid (2016-2017) — a video-game-themed Rider series where the heroes are also doctors fighting a disease that turns people into game bosses.
Kamen Rider Build (2017-2018) — a genius physicist Rider using "Best Match" combinations of paired Fullbottles, set against a divided, war-torn Japan.
Kamen Rider Zi-O (2018-2019) — the 20th-anniversary series, where the protagonist is destined to become a tyrannical future "Demon King" and travels through past Rider eras trying to change his fate.

Kamen Rider Amazons (2016-2017), a separate, more violent web-original spin-off, aired alongside this block but isn't usually counted as a mainline Phase 2 entry.

Should I start with W or OOO?

Both are common recommendations, and which one you pick mostly comes down to tone. Kamen Rider W is the tighter pick if you want a detective-noir mystery-of-the-week structure with a strong central duo. Kamen Rider OOO is the tighter pick if you want a more thematically ambitious, character-driven arc about greed and consequence, and it's frequently cited as one of the best-written entries in the entire franchise. Neither requires any Phase 1 knowledge — Phase 2 was built to be jumped into fresh.

What is Kamen Rider Zi-O, and does it require watching the earlier shows first?

Zi-O is the 20th-anniversary series and functions similarly to Decade did for Phase 1: its protagonist gains the power to transform into past Riders and travels through altered versions of previous eras. You can watch it without having seen the earlier shows, but — exactly like Decade — most of its cameos and callbacks land much harder if you already know the series being referenced. For how Zi-O's ending is generally received by fans, see our companion Phase 2 debates article.

How long is the whole Phase 2 run?

10 series across roughly 10 years (2009-2019)
Each series generally runs 45-50 episodes, airing weekly for about a year
Phase 2 directly preceded the current Reiwa era, which began with Kamen Rider Zero-One in 2019

Why does this era matter for collectors?

Phase 2 is where a lot of the most toy-driven Rider gimmicks originate — W's Gaia Memories, OOO's Core Medals, Build's Fullbottles — and those product lines are still a major part of current Bandai gashapon and figure reissues. If you're building out a Heisei-era shelf, Phase 2 pieces tend to be easier to find in reissue than early 2000s Phase 1 gear.