Akira Hayase (Hero Retold)

Akira Hayase is a former police detective and high-ranking member of the Tokyo MPD-Nin Division, until his retirement in 2025. He was also a major supporting character in Hero Retold: Kamen Rider Shinobi. He was portrayed by the late Yukihiro Takiguchi.

Before Hero Retold
Hayase was an elite police officer with almost a decade of experience under his belt. However, ten years before the start of the series, it was revealed that he suffered from a serious injury from a large-scale incident, that almost left him paralyzed. While he did recover from his external injuries, enough to be able to go back to the force, he could no longer push himself too hard, lest he suffers from his neurological injuries. Despite the setback, he was still able to resume his duties and eventually lead his own team in the force.

Establishing the Tokyo MPD-Nin
Hayase first appears in the second episode, investigating the aftermath of the Nin-Ju attack in the Konjo Group, while also keeping his subordinate, Yabe in line. There, he welcomes Isamichi’s assistance for future attacks, only to be turned down, as the Vice-CEO continues to tend to other people’s injuries. Soon after the Nin-Ju incident is resolved, Chief Takajo assigns Hayase to lead the newly established Tokyo MPD-Nin Division together with Rekka Ayano, in order to handle the Nin-Ju threats and also apprehend the rogue Kamen Rider Shinobi. While discussing the nature and background of the Nin-Ju to the rest of the police force, he notices a ninja paparazzi recording their entire briefing, proceeding to catch him inside the police station, only to find that the recording has already been leaked online.

When the news about the Nin-Ju leaked and the police station was raided by anti-ninja protesters, he was one among the responders who tried to hold off the angry mob, only to see some of them transform into Nin-Ju due to their anger. After the Riders sealed the Nin-Ju, Hayase headed an impromptu operation to detain the rescued protesters, while sending the injured to the hospital. Afterward, both he and Rekka earn their much-needed break from active duty.

The Niji no Hebi's Return & Raiding their Base
A week later, Hayase and Rekka lead another operation, this time as bodyguards to the Konjo Group’s grand event. In reality, they were there to lure in the Niji no Hebi group after getting a tip that the group would strike their celebration. While the ruse was a success and the MPD-Nin got the information needed to raid the terrorist cell, the mission became complicated when Akane Egusa got kidnapped by the Clan. As a result, he assists Rekka and her off-the-books group in rescuing Akane before the rest of the police assault their base. Eventually, he leads a group of ninja police in storming the Niji no Hebi hideout, rescuing several of the clan’s captives, though he would witness a Yami Nin-Ju get beaten down by Kamen Rider Bakugo, and in turn, get beaten badly by Shinobi.

Retirement
Days after the initial raid, Hayase and Rekka would once again storm another Niji no Hebi base in an abandoned factory, where they would see another Yami Nin-Ju attack their team. When tries to assist Kurenai in the fight, his condition finally catches up to him, resulting in him accidentally shooting flammable pipes that explode at Kurenai, sending her to the hospital. This accident gets him, and the rest of the MPD-Nin team, taken off the Niji no Hebi case. Feeling guilty after the ordeal, he tries to investigate the premises once again on his own, only to be assisted by his former partner and best friend, who takes the case for him. Eventually, he discovers that the Nin-Ju host was not human, just as the beast returns and attacks the rest of the police. When Shinobi arrives and battles the Nin-Ju, he once again tries to help but gets hampered by his injuries once again. When the Nin-Ju uses his slowdown ability to attack Hayase, he simply goes with his instincts and shoots the beast point-blank, allowing Shinobi to defeat the Nin-Ju, though he gets knocked out after it transforms into an evolved Roimude and knocks him back.

After the entire ordeal, Hayase finally takes up on Chief Takajo’s offer, leaving the MPD-Nin Division and retiring from the police force in exchange for the team to be handed the reigns of the Niji no Hebi investigation once again. He writes a letter to Rekka, saying that he’ll now chase another goal in life, as he drives off to the sunset.

Personality
Akira Hayase is a down to earth but a competent man who is always ready to help people who are in need. A veteran officer with years of experience in his belt, he always relies on his instincts and intuitions in order to solve cases and assist others. He is shown to be very friendly and quite approachable, oftentimes interacting with Rekka’s friends and even welcoming Isamichi’s help whenever a new threat could occur. He also displays a respectful demeanor whenever he’s doing his investigation. He also treats his subordinates well and often compliments them, though he’s also not above calling them out when they make mistakes. Though he does serve more of a passive role compared to the Riders, his information and assistance often prove to be very beneficial overall.

Unlike the other characters in the series, he shows less hostility towards Kamen Rider Shinobi, as he objectively sees his intentions as more helpful, though he still concedes his methods are still incorrect; a claim that other people seldom refute him about. Even when he saw Shinobi viciously beat Bakugo down, he’s the only one to figure out that the other Rider didn’t know how to seal the Nin-Ju’s waters, and Shinobi only raged because Akane got seriously injured.

Fan Casting
Akira Hayase was portrayed by the lateYukihiro Takiguchi, who reprised his role from Kamen Rider Drive.