I have a friend that calls them V1 and V2, despite being informed otherwise by every single person on the entire internet*

*I'll wait while you confirm that fact.

I once was about to call V3 "San-Gou" as a joke, then I had a vision of every Kamen Rider fan in existence simultaneously face-palming, so I decided "screw it" and tried to forget I even thought of it. As you can see, I'm having trouble with that last part.

Let's compromise and call him Bui-San

Well, if you ask me, "Ichi-Gou" simply sounds more like a superhero title, as opposed to "Number One" which sounds pretty clinical and mundane. To me, it's like calling Gurren Lagann "Crimson Face." It's technically correct, and still sounds kind of cool, but it removes the aura of fantasy about the name to my English-speaking mind.

That's what I've always thought, I think that's why Kamen Riders get fancy English names and weapons and forms (and everything else.) so much, it just sounds fancy when something is in a foreign language.

Well, his name is technically "Kamen Rider." He and Rider 2 are referred to as 1 and 2 because they were the first two that Shocker created. So as super heroes, they're Kamen Riders. In Skyrider (in an episode we're getting to soon) they break down the names, and that's when Skyrider "officially" gets his name. Up until episode 20, he's just been "Kamen Rider" too!

I think I know the same friend, and I want to smack him every time he pulls that stunt. :lol

He is a very smackable guy, sometimes.

Warrior Leader and Warrior Commander.

Thank you, Saban!

Dammit, I should have made that an option.