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 , 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 is a 17-year-old (later 18 year-old) high-school student at Hijiri Sei High School in the second grade (3rd grade later) who is dragged into the fight. A star athlete, Kouhei is a very courageous fighter, although he is sometimes impetuous. He lives with his younger sister Yui, whom he cares for and overprotects. As Kabuto (and like Blue Beet before him), Kouhei dons armor modeled after a Japanese rhinoceros beetle. Kabuto is the only B-Fighter who can wield the Astral Saber to become one with and gain control of the giant robot, Kabuterios. He is in love with Sophie. After the final battle, He leaves for the United States with Sophie for college studies and training in 2 New York City head offices of Cosmo Academia. is a serious, 22-year-old environment investigator. He originally had no respect for Kouhei, because Kouhei was chosen to become Kabuto instead of himself and Kouhei was younger, although they eventually became friends. As Kuwagar (and like G-Stag before him), Kengo donned armor modeled after a stag beetle. At the end of the series, Kuwagar was able to wield the Geist Axe and take control of the giant robot, Kuwaga Titan, which was formerly being used by Descorpion and Mother Melzard for evil but was not actually evil. In episode 11 it is revealed that his father is a diplomat. is an 18-year-old cyber engineer, who sometimes thought too much about mechanics and ignored the natural side. She had feelings for Julio when he taught her to appreciate nature. Ran loved to eat and was skilled at playing the shamisen, a stringed Japanese instrument. She left her parents' home at 15. As Tentou (unlike Reddle before her), Ran's armor was modeled after a ladybug. After the death of her father, her mother moves to the United States to study hotel management.
New B-Fighters The were four individuals from the New York City, Machupicchu, Beijing, and Paris branches of Cosmo Academia who used the , a variant of the Command Voicer that stored their Neo Insect Armor which activated when they inserted their respective data card and shouted . 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.
: Mack is an American martial artist/agent from the New York City head office of Cosmo Academia, a master of boxing and aikido chosen by the Dragonfly Insect Medal to become Yanma. He posed as an exchange student in Kouhei's school, becoming the boy's rival as a result. He eventually revealed himself as a B-Fighter when the three were attacked by B-Crushers, making an enemy out of Mukadelinger and losing to him until Kabuto comes to his aid. After giving him his Tonbou Gun, Mack left for America after telling them of the three other Insect Medals. Mack was outgoing, flirting with Japanese girls at every chance and pigging out on sushi. As Yanma, Mack's armor was modeled after a dragonfly. His attacks were the spin attack, and the , a tornado spin attack. is a Peruvian archeologist/agent from the South America branch of Cosmo Academia in Machupicchu. He played a reed flute with strange powers that he gave to Ran as a memento of their time together. He was chosen by the Firefly Insect Medal to become Genji, whose armor was modeled after a firefly. is a 35-year-old Chinese teacher/agent from the Beijing branch of Cosmo Academia. Li was an elementary schoolteacher who loved children and often put on magic shows in parks for children, and was also a good cook. He was a peaceful man who hated the fight between the B-Fighters and Melzard, and at first refused to cooperate when he obtained the Cicada Insect Medal. However, Kengo made him realize that the B-Fighters fight in order to stop the fighting, and so he agreed to help as Min, whose armor was modeled after a cicada. His attacks are the and the , fires from his antennae. is a 17-year-old French musician/agent of Indochinese descent. From the Paris branch of Cosmo Academia, Sophie was a master violinist at 14 years-old a study in a Paris Art University aged 10. At first, she had no idea how to use her Insect Commander. She is in love with Kouhei, and her song was able to awaken the Astral Saber from its sleep. She was chosen by the Butterfly Insect Medal to become Ageha, whose armor was modeled after a butterfly. She used her Kniving Radar to scan for a fast-moving enemy.
Arsenal are the transformation devices used by all seven B-Fighters. They store the Neo Insect Armor which is activated when the users of the Command Voicer insert their respective data card and shout . The Command Voicers disappeared with the Astral Saber and Geist Axe after Jadow Mothera is defeated. : Sidearms for the main three B-Fighters. Activated with the Input Cards. Numbers as follows: IC-01. : Standard energy blast IC-02. : Blast of fire IC-03. : Blast of disrupting sound waves that stun enemies IC-04. : Blast of small needle-like darts IC-05. : Blast of cement that hardens when it hits its target IC-06. : Freezing blast of cold IC-07. : Blast of powerful air at high speeds : For the main three B-Fighters. These can fire , crossing two or three. : Kabuto's Finish Weapon. Its finishing attacks are the and on the Road Kabuto. : Kuwagar's Finish Weapon. Its finishing attack is the . : Tentou's Finish Weapon. Its finishing attack is the .
New B-Fighter Weapons : Genji's weapon. Its attack is . : Min's weapons : Ageha's weapon, transforms from her Insect Commander and "Flower Weapon" Input Card. Its attacks are the and the . : Secondary weapons given to the main B-Fighters by the New B-Fighters : At first B-Fighter Yanma's weapon. Later given to B-Fighter Kabuto, who can attach in front of the Input Cardgun. : At first B-Fighter Genji's weapon. Later given to B-Fighter Tentou, who can attach it to the top of the Input Cardgun and fire the and the , used to ruin or restore. Also usable as a tranquilizer. Attaching it to the Input Cardgun, it can fire the and the . : At first B-Fighter Min's weapon. Later given to B-Fighter Kuwagar to attach to the back of the Input Cardgun and give elemental powers of the six including Water Power, Thunder Power, Flame Power, Light Power, Storm Power, and Earth Power. Attaching it to the Input Cardgun with the Bright Pointer, it can fire the (combined with Brighter Pointer), used to heal Kabuto, Tentou and Min. : Combination of Input Cardgun and the three Beet Arms. The Input Rifle is much more powerful than any other in the B-Fighters' arsenal. Normally held by Kabuto, who fires the , a ball of destructive energy. Once, however, Kuwagar with Yanma and Min used the Input Rifle and fired a similar ball called the . : The Astral Saber is a red and gold short sword with a red crystal ball in its hilt. Within this ball is a small mechanical kabutomushi beetle that is actually the giant Kabuterios. The Astral Saber was sleeping in a cave until Sophie Villeneuve's song woke it. Upon having the Dragonfly, Firefly, Cicada, Butterfly, Scorpion, Centipede, Mantis and Hornet Insect Medals put into the handle of the Astral Saber, B-Fighter Kabuto was able to call Kabuterios forth from the saber and join with the giant robot, gaining the B-Fighters a powerful ally. After Kabuterios and Kuwaga Titan first defeat each other, the hilt of the Astral Saber turns into stone, returning to normal in episode 41. It disappears after the final battle. : The Geist Axe is a green axe with a green crystal ball similar to the Astral Saber's in its hilt. Within it is a mechanical stag beetle that becomes the giant Kuwaga Titan. Initially, Descorpion was the wielder of the Geist Axe and the commander of Kuwaga Titan. After Kabuterios and Kuwaga Titan defeat each other, its hilt turned to stone, returning to normal in episode 41 with Mother Melzard as the new wielder. She lost the Axe in the next episode. Later in the finale, with the New B-Fighters' Insect Commanders merging into it, B-Fighter Kuwager got possession of the weapon and used the power of Kuwaga Titan for good. It disappears after the final battle.
Road Beetles Each B-Fighter has a providing his primary transportation. Their names are , and .
is Professor Osanai's prototype of the Road Beetle that can change into . Its name stands for "Operating system of Self-Awake Navigation with Accelerate-Interface-set-in 0 (zero)-Unit".
Neo Beet Machines The are the B-Fighters' super machines that they use to fight Melzard airborne and ground vehicles. They emerge from the , 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.
is Kabuto's Neo Beet Machine, a gold and black 6-wheeled vehicle with a rhinoceros beetle horn on the front. From this horn it can fire a powerful energy blast, the . It can open its wings to reveal jets that let it fly for . It can also tilt downward for so that its horn can dig a trench in the ground to dig up underground enemies, and can throw an enemy in the attack. is Kuwagar's Neo Beet Machine, a black tank with two pincer-like horns on the front. The Kuwaga Tank can grab enemies in these horns and toss them about. On top, it has a double-barreled gun, the . It can convert to Battle Formation, the front rising up and folding back, and can fire off its horns to hit enemies at long-range in the attack. is Tentou's Neo Beet Machine, a small plane with two large turbines on its tail and two large wings with hover turbines on them. The Stealth Gyro can fire a blast of energy from its . In , it can transport the two Neo Beet Machines, attaching Kabutron and Kuwaga Tank to the underside of its wings.
Shell Gods