B-Fighter Kabuto (ビーファイターカブト) is a Japanese television series in the Metal Hero Series franchise. It is the sequel to Juukou B-Fighter, taking place five years after the preceding B-Fighter series. Kabuto aired from 1996 to 1997. The action footage, suits, and props were used for the Beetleborgs Metallix series.

Plot

Five years after the destruction of Jamahl, Earth has returned to peace again. The Earth Academia has become the Cosmo Academia (コスモアカデミア), a scientific research and military organization, where Takuya Kai works with Sage Guru on a new generation of Insect Armor in the event of another threat to the Earth. This threat is realized when a Cosmo Academia exploration submarine comes across a fissure in the ocean floor, out of which rises a huge flying fortress of the ancient tribe Melzard. This clan has been resting for millennia and seeks to destroy mankind. Matriarch Mother Melzard sends her oldest sons Raija and Dezzle to lead the attack with Raija's Elebamamoth. By then, Guru has infused the Neo Insect Armor with Insect Power, creating the three Command Voicers to link three humans with the armor. Kengo Tachibana and Ran Ayukawa, who have been selected to wear the new armor, ready themselves and become B-Fighter Kuwagar and B-Fighter Tentou. But the person to become B-Fighter Kabuto had not been chosen when the remaining Command Voicer flies out the window. Ran and Kengo follow it to meet Kouhei Toba, a star athlete at his school who is losing badly to Elebammoth who froze the boy's sister as the last Command Voicer flies into his hand. Kengo and Ran are shocked that this high school student is to be B-Fighter Kabuto, but they go to him and teach him how to transform. He changes into Kabuto and the three of them attack Elebammoth and several henchmen, with Kabuto killing Elebammoth. Refusing to accept defeat, Mother Melzard continues her attacks, with Raija and Dezzle working against each other in their attacks on the B-Fighters.

Characters

New Generation of B-Fighters

New B-Fighters

The New B-Fighters (新ビーファイター) were four individuals from the New York head office, South American, Peking, and Paris branches of Cosmo Academia who used the Insect Commanders (インセクトコマンダー), a variant of the Command Voicer that stored their Neo Insect Armor which activated when they inserted their respective data card and shouted "Chou Juukou!". They consumed most of their power to destroy a crystal Mother Melzard had that ignited detonators inside various humans. Afterwards, their Insect Commanders merged with the Geist Axe in the finale.

Arsenal

New B-Fighter Weapons

Road Beetles

Each B-Fighter has a Road Beetle (ロードビートル) providing his primary transportation. Their names are Road Kabuto (ロードカブト), Road Kuwagar (ロードクワガー) and Road Tentou (ロードテントウ).

Neo Beet Machines

The Neo Beet Machines (ネオビートマシン) are the B-Fighters' super machines that they use to fight Melzard airborne and ground vehicles. They emerge from the Cosmo Academia Beetle Base (コスモアカデミア ビートルベース), the B-Fighter's base of operations following the command "Neo Beet Machines, launch!". The Beetle Base was blown up along with the Neo Beet Machines thanks to the efforts of Killmantis, Beezack, Dezzle and Dord near the finale.

Shell Gods

The two Shell Gods (甲神) are giant insect robot gods from space. Kabuterious and Kuwaga Titan were allies that fought a great battle and were swept into a vortex that defeated an evil foe. They were eventually encased inside two weapons, the Astral Saber and the Geist Axe, until they would be found in the present.

Allies

First Generation of B-Fighters

The B-Fighters of the first generation sometimes appear and help out the new generation. After destroying the Jamahl, they were transferred to the Cosmo Academia branch. They occasionally aid the New Generation B-Fighters before Guru dies, destroying their ability to become B-Fighters.

Arsenal

Melzard Tribe

The Melzard Tribe (メルザード一族) are an ancient race that have existed since prehistoric times. They dwell in the fortress Melzardos (メルザードス), which Mother Melzard is an extension of.

Melzard Monsters

The Melzard Monsters are monsters of the land and sea given birth by Mother Melzard after consuming fossils associated with prehistoric life.

Raija's Monsters

Raija's monsters are land-based creatures:

Dezzle's Monsters

Dezzle's monsters are water-based creatures.

Combo Monsters

Some of these creatures were both Raija and Dezzle's monsters with some of them being born from two or more fossils:

Episodes

Cast

Voice actors

Guest Stars

Songs

International Broadcasting and Home Video