[TokuKnight89]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PortalTron

That is true to an extent, but Akumaizer is a weird exception (and was cchosen to be portrayed as villains in the Wizard/Fourze movie war, along with Groundain and Skydain later). Demons are inherently evil no matter where you look in history, and while Kamen Rider has always used the powers of evil against evil, there has never been a point where something that is naturally associated with evil is depicted as heroic (for example, Shocker Leader has KKK elements in his design, Ichigo isn’t a hero KKk member, nor has there been a heroic Nazi Kamen Rider, etc).

Akumaizer isn't as weird as you think. Even Sentai has done this before in some capacity! Zyuranger, Kakuranger, GoGoV, and Gaoranger all come to mind in that they use a creature which could be perceived as a demon or evil spirit or evil creature while portraying it in a sympathetic light. Japan has had different perspectives regarding wandering spirits, youkai, and oni. Portrayals range from personifications of evil to sympathetic entities or are inherently suffering either by nature or what was done to them. This also isn't the first Japanese franchise to portray demons as both evil and not, with ones like Inuyasha coming to mind. You are right in that a KKK Rider as a hero isn't a good idea, but that wasn't the point of the Showa Era either. The theme is that a Showa Rider and a Showa Kaijin aren't all that different even if the suits are. Referencing a real-life organization as a heroic design isn't ideal when portraying a hero as good, but a demon is an aspect routed in many different mythological and religious interpretations and subject to fictionalized re-interpretations which aren't necessarily intended to echo any one mythology or religion and could in fact be seen as a metaphor or allegory of something routed in real-life which isn't demonic in a literal sense.