Destron
Destron was an international organization bent on conquering the world, through terror and destruction. Destron was formed under the guidance of the mysterious Great Leader (Dai Shuryou) by surviving members of Gel-Shocker. Although Destron had branches in every country and seeked to dominate the entire planet its main headquarters was in Japan and so Japan was Destron's primary target. Destron was divided into 4 sub groups, the Mechanical Army, the Fang Tribe, the Wing Unit and the Armored Division. Initially the kaijin of the Mechanical Army followed the orders of the unseen High Destron (Great Leader) without any direct supervision, but after repeated failures of the kaijin High Destron summoned Doktor G from Destron: Germany to take charge of the day to day operations of Destron: Japan.
The bulk of Destron consisted of the Destron Legionaries, soldier who all wore the same black uniform. Destron would abduct young, healthy human males to convert into Destron Legionaries. Destron scientists, dressed in white, were apparently volunteers loyal to Destron's goals. Occasionally other scientists with specialized knowledge would be abducted and forced to serve Destron against their wills.
Mechanical Army (Kikaigôseikaijin)
Scissors Jaguar: episodes 1 and 2 (height 194cm, weight 86kg)
killed Kazami Shiro's father, mother and sister.
Turtle Bazooka: episodes 1 and 2 (height 175cm, weight 63kg)
destroyed by self-detonated nuclear device within its body
Squid Fire: episodes 3 and 4 (height 210cm, weight 75kg)
TV Fly: episodes 3 and 4 (height 174cm, weight 50kg)
Machine Gun Snake: episode 5 (height 165cm, weight 53kg)
Hammer Jellyfish: episodes 5 and 6 (height 178cm, weight 94kg)
Knife Armadillo: episodes 7 and 8 (height 160cm, weight 66kg)
Electric Saw Lizard: episodes 7 and 8 (height 159cm, weight 51kg)
Lens Ant: episodes 9 and 10 and movie (height 180cm, weight 70kg)
Destron Hell Corps: episode 9
Razor Starfish: episodes 9 and 10 (height 170cm, weight 59kg)
Lens Ant abducts motorcycle racers and turns them into Destron's Hell Corps. They're assigned to kill
Kazami, Shiro/Kamen Rider V3.
Ice Pick Shark: episodes 11 and 12 and movie (height 175cm, weight 70kg)
Drill Mole: episodes 11 and 12 and movie (height 200cm, weight 79kg)
Doktor G (Dokutoro Gee) - episodes 13 through 30
Destron's first Eminent Chief, from Germany.
Played by Senba, Jotaro who adlibed Doktor G's
drawing out of his enemy's name, "Kamen Raiiiiiidâ V3!"
Doktor G was an evil knight, he wore armor carried a shield and was armed with a battle axe, a short sword and a knife. In the comics his scorpion shapped helmet could transform into a deadly scorpion, but this did not happen on TV. Doktor G used a mixture of technology and black magic to create his monsters. Although he does not appear until episode 13 it seems likely that monsters from the first 12 episodes were also his. The Destron Legionaries under his command carried knives.
Magnet Wild Boar: episode 13 and movie (height 185cm, weight 50kg)
Toad Boiler: episode 14 and movie (height 135cm, weight 79kg)
Burner Bat: episode 15 and movie (height 167cm, weight 48kg)
Missle Lizard: episode 16 and movie (height 180cm, weight 80kg)
Spray Mouse: episodes 17 and 18 and movie (height 180cm, weight 59kg)
Chain-Sickle Lady Bug: episodes 17 and 18 and movie (height 211cm, weight 77kg)
Needle Blowfish: episode 19 (height 168cm, weight 58kg)
Guillotine Zaurus: episodes 20 and 21 and movie (height 175cm, weight 65kg)
Poison Needle Spider: episodes 20 and 21 and movie (height 165cm, weight 53kg)
Spear Gun Sea Lion: episode 22 (height 192cm, weight 50kg)
Poison Needle Spider's human form in the movie was played by Nakamura, Bun'ya who later appears in
the series as Marshal Armor.
Cannon Buffalo: movie (height 195cm, weight 95kg)
Propeller Beetle: episode 23 (height 172cm, weight 61kg)
Cockroach Spike: episode 24 (height 168cm, weight 49kg)
Destron Ranger Corps: episodes 25 & 26
Boomerang Mantis: episode 25 (height 170cm, weight 62kg)
Heater Cicada: episode 26 (height 163cm, weight 55kg)
The Destron Rangers don't look any different than the Legionaries, they've just received special training
from Boomerang Mantis. After Boomerang Mantis is killed the Rangers support Heater Cicada.
Ring Throwing Stag Beetle: episodes 27 and 28 (height 170cm, weight 80kg)
assisted by restored Shocker mutants: Poison Dahlia, King Fiddler Crab, Newt Gesu, Poison Sea Urchin
Restored Shocker Eminent Chiefs Colonel Zol, Doctor Death, Ambassodor Hell and Gel-Shocker Eminent Chief General Black: episodes 27 & 28
Camera Mosquito: episode 29 (height 168cm, weight 51kg)
Crab Laser: episode 30 (height 176cm, weight 51kg)
Doktor G summoned the spirits of dead, evil warriors to transform him into Crab Laser for his for his final
battle with Kamen Rider V3.
Fang Tribe (Kibazokukaijin)
Baron Fang (Kiba Danshaku): episodes 31 through 35
Destron's second Eminent Chief, from Africa.
Played by Go, Eiji.
Baron Fang was the leader of the Fang Tribe, the members of which were cultists practing an evil magic called Doovoo [not to be confused with Voodoo]. Baron Fang wore a leapord's skin and was armed with a spear which could fire explosion charges. Empowering his monsters required Baron Fang to make a blood sacrfice of some innocent victim. Baron Fang's monsters were not at all like Doctor G's. Baron Fang's monsters were all based on animals which have fangs or tusks. They carried out their evil schemes to the sound of African drums. The Destron Legionaries who served under Baron Fang carried fang-shapped weapons.
Skull Boar: episode 31 (height 179cm, weight 67kg)
Will-o'-the Wisp Walrus: episodes 32 and 52(height 177cm, weight 66kg)
Snow Wolf: episode 33 (height 175cm, weight 69kg)
Primordial Tiger Smilodon: episode 34 (height 185cm, weight 65kg)
in both human and monster forms Primordial Tiger Smilodon rode a fang-shapped motorcycle.
Primordial Tiger Smilodon was probably the stronget female monster, took on all 3 Kamen Riders.
Vampiric (or Bloodthirsty) Mammoth: episode 35 (height 199cm, weight 89kg)
After his Fang Tribe was wiped out by Kamen Rider V3, Baron Fang called on the spirits of Doovoo to give
him the power to transform into the Vampiric Mammoth, so that he could take revenge on V3.
Wing Unit
Archbishop Wing (Tsubasa Daisojo): episodes 36 through 40
Destron's third Eminent Chief, from Tibet.
Played by Fujino, Sachio.
Archbishop Wing was the leader of the Manji, an ancient cult of vampires. He carried a bird-headed, spiked staff. Except for one plant based monster, Archbishop Wing's monsters were all flying creatures. The Destron Legionaries who served under Archbishop Wing wore black robes similar to his. They removed them for combat.
Flame Condor: episode 36 (height 185cm, weight 80kg)
Tree in the Clouds Flying Squirrel: episode 37 (height 156cm, weight 48kg)
Murderous Poison Moth: episode 38 (height 1695cm, weight 66kg)
Man-Eating Banana Plant: episodes 39 and 52 (height 169cm, weight 59kg)
Man-Eating Banana Plant breaks the pattern of winged monsters because episode 39 of Kamen Rider
V3 was actually a remake of Kamen Rider episode 4, which featured the plant monster Sarasenian.
Several episodes of Kamen Rider V3 were remakes of popular Kamen Rider episodes. In the 1970s Toei
did not air reruns, instead they took stories that were favorites of the Japanese audience and repeated
them in later series with new characters. Popular Kamen Rider V3 stories will be repeated in Kamen
Rider X.
Zombie Bat: episodess 40 and 52 (height 213cm, weight 63kg)
Archbishop Wing takes on his true form, Zombie Bat, in his final battle with Kamen Rider V3.
Armored Division
Marshal Armor (Yoroi Gensui): episodes 41 through 52
Destron's fourth and final Eminent Chief, from Mongolia,
pronounced "Destron" as "Deeeaaaastron".
Played by Bunya, Nakamura
Of course Marshal Armor wore (plate) armor. He carried an oversized spiked mace in one hand. Marshal Armor practiced black magic. His monsters were all heavily armored. They were physically the most powerful monsters Destron unleased.
Garumazillion: episode 41 (height 215cm, weight 87kg)
Snail Burâ: episode 42 (height 165cm, weight 87kg)
Sickle Neck Turtle: episodes 43 and 44 (height 170cm, weight 65kg)
Rhino Tank: episodes 45 and 46 (height 158cm, weight 90kg)
Coelacanth Kid: episode 47 (height 180cm, weight 80kg)
Coelacanth Kid transforms into Destron Riderman in attempt to ruin the reptuation of the real Riderman and
to lead Kazami, Shiro into a trap.
Starfish Ogre: episode 48 (height 180cm, weight 89kg)
Chameleon: episode 49 (height 180cm, weight 89kg)
Vampire Chameleon: episode 50 (height 180cm, weight 89kg)
Crayfish Demon (Zariganna): episodes 51 and 52 (height 179cm, weight 87kg)
Marshal Armor became Crayfish Demon in his final battle against Kamen Rider V3. Strange that altough
Destron used the scorpion as its symbol it had no scorpion monsters.
High Destron: episode 52
When Kamen Rider V3 finally entered Destron's headquarters to confront High Destron aka The Great Leader (Dai Shuryou) he first had to fight his way past Great Leader's bodyguards. Once he got passed these superior Destron warriors all V3 found was the skelton of some kind of fanged creature. There was a beating heart in the skeleton's chest and a tape recorder in its skull. With the destruction of this strange creature Destron was no more, but the Great Leader would rise again as the power behind another evil group, the Government of Darkness, faught by Kamen Rider X.
"Destron Praise Song" Lyrics
Mutant names translated by James Holman.
Photos of Archbishop Wing, Marshal Armor (normal forms),
High Destron and b/w logo provided by Igadevil.
