Kota Kazuraba

"This is my stage now!"

- Gaim's pre-battle quotes

Kota Kazuraba (葛葉 紘汰) is one of the main characters and the main protagonist as well as the titular character of the Kamen Rider Series installment, Kamen Rider Gaim. When he accidentally found the Sengoku Driver and a pair of Lockseeds (Orange and Ichigo), he gained the ability to transform into Kamen Rider Gaim (仮面ライダー鎧武 [ガイム]). But by doing so, he was labeled Test Subject 01 by Ryoma Sengoku.

Mysterious Forest and First Transformation
Kota was once the 2nd-in-command dancer for "Team Gaim" along with Mitsuzane Kureshima whom he sees as a little brother figure. But he eventually quit the team for two jobs in order to help provide for his lonely older sister, Akira Kazuraba as their parents have died. After some time of no contact with his old team, he saves his old friend Mai from a rampaging Inves released by the cheating ways of Team Baron's Peko. Later, Kota and Mai receive a message from Yuya Sumii about the Sengoku Driver, saying that the device will save Team Gaim's reputation.

When they arrived at the location Yuya mentioned, Yuya was nowhere to be found, but there was a portal to the mysterious Helheim forest. There, he found the Driver on the ground. He plucked a pair of unknown fruits from the trees in the forest. Witnessing the Inves eating it, Kota tried to do the same when suddenly, an Inves evolved (with the latter revealed to be Yuya, unknown to Kota and Mai) due to overeating and chased them. Kota and Mai returned to the human world but the Inves pursued them. The fruits Kota picked had transformed into Lockseeds as a Mysterious Girl (whom he mistook as Mai) tells him about his fate using its power as he defeats the Inves (which unknowingly kills his mentor).

Testing New Abilities and Pine Arms
Kota returns home upon defeating the Inves and begins trying to figure out how he can use his powers for his own benefit, posing in the mirror and transforming again and again in the mirror. He tries to use his new powers to aid in his part time jobs, but it causes a mess at his painting job, and it makes him crash his delivery cart. After that troubling day, Mai calls him about Yuya, telling Kota that he didn't return from the Helheim Forest.

They visit the area where they first entered the Helheim Forest, only to find the portal to the forest was gone, and the foliage that accompanied the portal was now replaced with dirt. Mai demanded Kota to return the Sengoku Driver to her, as he had no place on the team any more. To the shock of Kota and Mai both, when she tries to wear it, nothing happens. At Kota's suggestion, they then go to Druper to ask Sid about the Driver. Sid tells them that the Driver locks on the person who first wears it, and from then on will work for no one else, meaning that Kota is the only person who can use it. Sid offers up a Class-A Lockseed to the pair, something to help them to battle Team Baron, but they couldn't afford it.

After parting with Mai, Kota sees a child in a tree, and decides to use his powers to save him. However, before Kota can find his Lockseed, Kaito Kumon, leader of Team Baron, intervenes and coaxes the child out of the tree instead. Not long after, Kota receives a call from Mitsuzane that Team Baron is in Gaim's garage attempting to strike a deal with them. Kota arrives and offers the deal; if Gaim wins, Kota gets the Class-A Pine Lockseed. If Kaito wins, then Gaim loses their stage. Kota accepts, effectively stepping in for Yuya as leader of Team Gaim.

The battle begins, Kaito using three lower-class Lockseeds as Kota uses his Class A Ichigo Lockseed, earning Team Gaim an easy win. However, one of the members from Team Baron, Peko, shoots something at Kota's hand, causing him to drop the Lockseed, freeing the Shika Inves. The Inves attacks people, and in the panic, Kota loses track of the Lockseed that unleashed the creature. He realizes that his jobs went awry because he used his powers in selfishness, and that his powers were meant to protect people from the Inves. He transforms into Gaim and attacks the Inves. The Shika Inves, cornered, sees the Lockseed that freed it and eats the Ichigo Lockseed, changing the Inves into its monstrous Berserker form. Kota tries to fight it off, but it is too powerful for the balanced Orange Arms. Kaito charges in, only for Gaim to save him from certain death. Gaim tells Kaito to give him the Lockseed that he was promised, which Baron's leader reluctantly does. Gaim uses the new Lockseed to change into the powerful Pine Arms, destroying the Shika Inves with ease. Team Gaim celebrates, and the story of the Inves' defeat spreads like wildfire, earning Kota the name of Armored Rider Gaim.

Baron Enters the Fray
As he starts to become popular as Armored Rider Gaim, Kota rejoins his team after he quit his part-time jobs. Despite his teammates openly accepting him back, Mai doesn't really accept Kota is back, thinking they are relying too much on Kota. Also, Kota's sister rejects the money he got from Inves Games. She states that the money Kota got is just from playing and not from the real jobs she wanted.

When Kota is thinking about his sister's words, Kaito decides to duel him when he gets his own Sengoku Driver from Sid. Before they could battle, Sid changed the rules as he gives them both Lockseeds, which form their vehicles. As they ride their bikes, they started racing until a portal appears which sent them to the Helheim Forest. In the forest, they encounter some Inves. Gaim tries to run, but Baron decided to stay behind and fight them.

Encounter with Zangetsu
While Kota is trying to search for Yuya, he encounters some scientists in the forest. He tries to ask them about Yuya, but Zangetsu appears and attacks him. Kota transforms to fight Zangetsu, but he overpowers Gaim, only for the Rider to knock him off a ledge into a river where Kota canceling his transformation and then exiting from Helhiem Forest as he convince him that his Sengoku Driver was no good. He then goes to his home as he thinks about his defeat and experiences. Kota felt worried about using the Sengoku Driver, so he decides to quit Team Gaim once more by relinquishing the Sengoku Driver and the Lockseeds to Mai. Some time later, he sees that his team have another Armored Rider: Ryugen.

Transforming into Gaim once again and Ichigo Arms
He then visits the garage as he knows about the new Armored Rider, which Mitsuzane reveals to him that he is the new Armored Rider. Kota tells him that the Sengoku Driver is like a curse and the true purpose of using the belt, but Mitsuzane thinks that he can fight his own battles with the Sengoku Driver. He then went to Mai and ask why did she didn't stop Mitsuzane from getting the Sengoku Driver. She replies to Kota that they can handle things by themselves and she will support him. Mai got a call from Chucky that Team Baron and his alliance are challenging Mitsuzane. As they arrive, Ryugen was getting hurt as Kota tells him to retreat. However, he refused to give up when Kota and Mai is watching him fight. Kota was curious until Mai tells him that he made Mitsuzane strong which inspired him. Kota decides to fight with his own power as he transforms into Gaim and helps Ryugen. While fighting, he tells Baron that people don't use strength to show off power, instead it can inspire others to get back up. Ryugen then throw the Ichigo Lockseed to Gaim, which change him into Ichigo Arms. With the new form, Gaim and Ryugen finishes off the two Inves. until Ryoji and Hideyasu appears and transform into Armored Riders Kurokage and Gridon respectively, which shock Gaim, Ryugen and the members of Team Gaim. After they transform into Gridon and Kurokage, they betrayed Baron and finishes him off. Gaim and Ryugen attack the new Armored Riders and finishes them which they gain their Lockseeds.

Meeting Kamen Rider Wizard
"Did somebody call for help?!!"

- Kota hearing the children's plea

Some time after the conflict with Team Baron, Kota hears two children crying for help and enters the portal, which takes him to the location of Wizard and Beast. When he arrives, he is immediately transformed and fights off the monsters. Afterwards, he introduces himself as Gaim to the other Riders.

Inheriting the "Kamen Rider" Name
After introducing himself to the Riders, Gaim goes back to his world just before the portal closes. He later re-appeared to help the Riders in the final battle with Amadum. During the battle, he learns of the Kamen Riders, and learns from Kamen Rider Wizard that he himself has inherited the title of Kamen Rider, promptly dubbing himself "Kamen Rider Gaim". After Amadum is defeated, Gaim, along with the other riders (except for Decade who is on a journey, while Wizard had an important business with his counterpart before leaving.) vanishes back to the main world.

Looking for a new job and the appearance of Bravo
While looking for a job, Kota finds a pastry shop called Charmant where he finds that they are hiring. He asked the chef about a job as a pastry chef. The chef calls the head chef Oren Pierre Alfonzo to assign Kota for employment. Kota is then teased by Oren for being a pretty boy with no style and due to his birthday being January 30th, making him an Aquarius, which Oren dislikes, thus he rejects Kota's candidacy for the position, which angers Kota. He comes home frustrated that Oren is being such a jerk. When Mai brought a box of cakes from Charmont where Kota originally planned to work, his hatred of the head chef causes him to drop his cake from his plate.

Exhausted from looking for a job, he heard there's an Inves Game between Kurokage and Gridon. However, they are actually training until Oren appears to confront Kurokage and Gridon. When Oren reveals his Sengoku Driver, it was originally from Team Red Hot, but was confiscated by Oren when they were being loud in his shop. After Bravo transformed ready to fight Kurokage and Gridon, Kota tells him that he is not even a Beat Rider and asked why he joined Inves Game. Bravo states that he does not care if he's not a Beat Rider and all that matters to him is to make the battle entertaining. When Bravo easily defeats Kurokage and Gridon, he sets his sights on Kota and his team, once he beat all Armored Rider packed Beat Rider team.

Battle against Bravo and Suika Arms
With Bravo gets an interviewed with the hotline, Kota even more annoyed by that person's attitude, he also learned that Mai gets manipulated by Oren's charm after it's cake. Kaito appears to tell Kota to beat Oren and get it over with. During Team Gaim's stage while patrolling, he hears a battle of the strongest between Baron and Bravo as Baron is defeated by Bravo. Oren appears stop his Team's dance stage for an argue and ask where are the Riders from Team Gaim and transformed to Bravo. Kota, joins the fray with Mitsazane and transformed before Bravo announced to begin the battle then fights him. With Gaim and Ryugen knocked back, Bravo unleashed a multiple Inveses on rampage, by unlocking then dropping them, with Gaim calling him insane and Mai saying that it's not even a regular Inves Game. With the monsters running amok, he soon got a Suika Lockseed from Ryugen, however it is too big for him from the start, but had no choice to use it as a real man. Thought to be squashed by a giant armor, Gaim is fine and finally transformed into 2 different versions of Suika Arms, thus destroying a rampaging Inveses and knocks Bravo out. However, one Inves still remained as it ate all of Oren's Lockseeds into a massive form. When the Inves lost its horns and ran away, Gaim gives Ryugen his Sakura Hurricane while he's in Suika Arms states to chase the Inves and destroys it. Bravo then re-appears as the Riders needs to settle their fight, however, Bravo's time is up and must leave to work, and not before telling Gaim and Ryugen to remember their unfinished fight with him to settle. With Team Gaim moving up to 1st rank, Mai brought the tart from Charmant again to celebrate their victory, but Kota, who is excited for a short, but became upset due to him still despising Bravo.

Inves Outbreak Part 1
While finding a job, Kota's is being refused at a position due to not seeing the sign stating that the position has been filled, while unknowingly getting a call from Mai. When he gets his phone after being kicked out from the restaurant, he finds out that Mai found a rip in space to Helheim Forest similar to the one from before that Kota and Mai entered. He is soon gets to Mai's location, at the same time when Mitch also got the same call from Mai. He must rescue Mai, but not before transforming into Gaim to enter the dimension on the Sakura Hurricane. Once there, he accidentally goes off a cliff and falls unconscious for a few minutes. Gaim soon woke up and began searching for Mai, but he must get through the Inves first until Ryugen appears with a Rose Attacker, which he got from Sid. Before going to Mai, Gaim asks Ryugen to try out picking the pre-matured Lockseed into matured form, which transformed into a Kiwi Lockseed for Ryugen's use. Both Gaim and Ryugen finally found Mai with Baron whom tries to protect her from an Azure Dragon Inves. When a portal back to the Human World begins closing, the Riders and Mai quickly escape from the forest, but the Inves follows them. While Gaim and Baron fought back the Inves, Gaim asks Ryugen to get Mai away from danger. With Azure Dragon's iron armor too strong for their base forms, Gaim used Pine Arms and witnesses Baron transformation into Mango Arms, the Inves is eventually destroyed with a combination of Pine and Mango Arms's attacks. When Mai speaks about being stuck in Helheim, Mitch informs them that some of Inves could break out into their world, and soon the Inves Outbreak will begin as the Riders must be involved to hunt them down for good.

With Mitch confirming his worse fears with news of monster sightings, Kota resolves that the Beat Riders need to work together to stop the invading Inves. However, when they appeal to Team Baron, Kaito explains that none of the Beat Riders will help them. Later, Kota and Mai come to Bando's aid when he is attacked by a Bat Inves when it thought the fruit in Bando's truck he was picking up was Lockseeds. As Mai takes Bando to safety, using the Ichigo Lockseed to get an advantage, Armored Rider Gaim fights the Bat Inves before it escapes. During their search, Kota is scolded by Mai for scaring an old lady while in Rider form. Kota later meets up with Mitch in Drupers where they learn that the Inves can only fruit from Helheim Forest. Having an idea, Mitch goes to Helheim Forest with Kota to secure a premature fruit by entrusting Kota with his Sengoku Driver so as not to mature it. After Gaim suffers some humiliating moments during their stake out, the Bat Inves arrives and the Armored Riders attack with Ryugen placing his phone on the monster before it escapes. This leads Kota and Mitsuzane to a factory where they find Helheim plants before being attacked by the Bat Inves. Though the Armored Riders succeed in destroying the Bat Inves, they find more Inves have entered their world and witnesses them being destroyed by the white Armored Rider that almost killed Kota. Seeing the white Armored Rider's troops proceeding to burn the plants away, Mitsuzane explains to Kota that they are concealing the dimensional rips and the wild Inves from the public by destroying all evidence of them. Kota snaps Mitsuzane out of his daze of shock to flee when the fire starts consuming the factory.

The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle
A battle royale is being held exclusively for the Armored Riders in Zawame City. Kamen Riders Gaim, Baron, Ryugen, Kurokage, and Gridon decide to enter the competition. While fighting, a crack opens in the sky and mysterious monsters pour out from it. One of the monsters captures Mai and returns to the crack, with the Riders giving chase. Soon, they find themselves in a Warring States Period-esque world where the Kamen Riders are called Bujin (武神) and are fighting each other. The confused Kamen Rider Gaim then gets attacked by the strongest Bujin Gaim (武神鎧武).

All Armored Riders Gathering, Battle Inside Helheim Forest
Upon the day of Christmas, Kota still thinking of the Helheim Forest and the white Armored Rider, but until he realized he has to work to entertain for a Christmas event. During work, he witnesses two Elementary Inves attacking a woman in the parking lot. Kota transformed into Gaim after saving the woman then finishes off the Inves. Upon what would be wasting time for leaving a job, Kota goes to Mitch to get the Riders together to get the Inves out of the city, with Mitch has an idea to convince them by telling a lie to them about an Inves Game Christmas event. The Riders then goes to Sid for Lockvehicles for Ryoji and Hideyasu. Arriving in an abandoned factory during a meeting, Kota hide somewhere, when Oren joins the fray. When Oren point Mitch with a metal stick then throw it, in reality, he witnesses the multiple Inves behind the crew of Armored Rider Beat Riders before they noticed. With the Riders leaving Mitch behind to battle the multiple Inves when they entered Helheim, Kota transform to Gaim tells him to follow them the Riders to Helheim with Gaim will catch up with them soon, but not before Mitch gave Suika Lockseed back to Kota, so he can take down the multiple Inves.

With all Inves around the abandoned factory destroyed, Kota goes to Helheim Forest as he witnesses the white Armored Rider easily defeat Gridon. As the Rider told his troops to sent Hideyasu back to the real world, Kota follows them. Kota then learns that the portal to the forest was opened by the researchers. After that, he disguises himself as one of the scientists as he found the Lockseeds in a container. However, he almost got caught although Kota tells them that he's the new guy. The researchers found the footage of a battle between Baron and Bravo, which caught Kota's attention. While watching, the researchers tell Kota that the Inves Game is part of Yggdrasill's plan and the wearers who have the Sengoku Driver act like their test subjects. After hearing that, this upsets Kota as he start to think that they don't care about them. Upon realizing this, Inves started to attack as Kota transforms to fight them. While fighting the Inves, Gaim manages to find another Suika Lockseed and he changes into Suika Arms and fights the Inveses, chasing them to the real world. While in Gyro Mode, Gaim flies up to the sky and realizes that the portal sent him to the Yggdrasill tower. Having a hard time fighting the Inveses, Ryoma Sengoku assists him by activating the tower's defenses and the Inves are destroyed. Later that night, Kota and Mitsuzane arrive at Drupers and gave Sid a box full of Lockseeds as Kota tells him that they are not their test subjects.

Inves Outbreak Part 2, Multiple Kurokage, Genesis Driver
Kota and Mitsuzane gather information about the Helhiem Forest and Yggdrasill company. After that, Mitsuzane tells Kota that they must never transform when the Inves start to attack. However, Kota and Mitsuzane were interrupted by their fans so their try to ditch them, but Inves appear and attack the girls as Kota transforms, but Mitsuzane tries to stop him. After Gaim defeats the Inves, Mitsuzane warned him not to transform again as the Kurokage troopers started to burn remains of the Helhiem Forest crack that appeared. Later, they went to Drupers as Kota was wondering if they will tell the others about Yggdrasill's plan, but Mitsuzane says that it is a secret between them only and tells Kota not to reveal this to their team. Sometime later, Mitsuzane thinks that they should destroy or throw away their Sengoku Drivers, so Yggdrasill wouldn't control them and having Mai and his team not worry about them. A group of Inves started to attack people as Kota tries to transform, but Mitsuzane tries to stop him again by force. Kota breaks free and engages the Inves. While fighting, 3 high class Inves appear, but Gaim manages to defeat them.

While Kota is doing a paperwork, his sister calls him that there's an outbreak incident that the people are infected by an Inves and had plants from Helheim growing on their bodies. According to the news, it was the Beat Riders' fault for summoning Inves to their world. With Kota knowing it was Yggdrasill's fault, he calls Mai and Mitch to the hospital to see what kind of disease the victims have. Upon entering the hospital for their testing, they find out that the people of Zawame now blame them and the other Beat Rider teams for bringing the Inves into reality, ostracizing them all. However, a doctor who was interviewed knows about Team Gaim and knows they never summoned the Inves and that they try to help innocent people. The doctor reveals to them that people who have been struck by Inves are now suffering from painful plant-like growths. Kota, now in his casual appearance appeared to save infected workers and was ready to transform. Upon realizing that the Yggdrasill Corporation will have his data, he puts off transforming until he is attacked by Armored Rider Bravo, allowing the Inves to escape. After Kota transforms into Gaim, Kaito appears to avenge Peco, aligning himself with Team Gaim as they are now both on the outs as Kaito transformed into Baron. When the two Armored Riders find it difficult to combat Bravo, and to that end he hands Gaim the Banana Lockseed while using his own Mango Lockseed, transforming into Gaim Banana Arms and Baron Mango Arms to defeat Bravo. With Bravo sent packing, the two end the transformation to look for the escaped Inves. When Kota and Kaito discover the Helheim plants are infiltrating their reality. The Azure Dragon Inves appears again, and eats one of the fruits, transforming itself into a giant monster. Zangetsu Shin arrives and warns the two Armored Riders that he will deal with them later, and uses the Sonic Arrow to destroy the Azure Dragon Inves. Just as Gaim and Baron transform once more to defend themselves from Zangetsu Shin, Kota realizes that Hase has appeared on the scene. In his delirium from having been defeated in the forest, Hase consumes a Lockseed fruit, feeling it will give him the power he desires and he transforms into the Hekija Inves.

After Ryoji becomes an Inves, Gaim stops Zangetsu-Shin from attacking him as the Inves Ryoji escapes. He then tries to return Ryoji back to his normal self, but even so Ryoji attacks him and escapes from Kota. The next day, he sees an ambulance is heading to Drupers. Kota went there and sees one of his team members has been injured by Ryoji. As he manages to find Ryoji, Kota now accepts him as a monster and begins to fight him. While fighting, Gaim still thinks that Ryoji is human, which hinders his fighting ability as he tries to return Ryoji back to normal. However, the four Genesis Riders appear and one of them, Sigurd, attacks Ryoji and finishes the Inves off. After Ryoji's death, Kota was depressed and upset as Sid revealed himself as Sigurd. The Kurokage Troopers then capture Kota and take him away.

Kamen Rider Taisen
Kota is seen encountering the legendary Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider Ichigo, with the latter announcing that the Heisei Riders have become a nuisance and have more Riders than the Showa Riders have. This eventually leads to Kota in command of the primary Heisei Riders and the other surviving Heisei Riders in a war to defend themselves against the Showa Riders. He is soon attacked by Badan Empire & Shocker members until Fourze arrived to Gaim's aid

Possible Future
In a possible future, Gaim led an army of Inves against Baron's army, charging towards the enemy on a War Horse.

Kamen Rider Batton-Line
to be added

Kamen Rider Travelers Record
to be added

Personality
Similar to Eiji Hino, Kota is a cheerful person who concerns himself with helping and protecting everyone and due to this, "protecting people" is his very reason in fighting when it comes to his duty as a Armored Rider. This is shown when he rescues the Yggdrasill Corporation scientists from a horde of Elementary Inves despite holding a grudge against them for using the Beat Riders dance crews and their Inves Games as tests and lab rats (this also includes the Armored Riders).

But unlike Eiji, his world view is very limited and as such, he is very naive and can be oblivious to consequences and the price that comes with having great power. Like Shinji Kido as well, he does not have any interest in battling other Riders, or anyone if he can avoid it for the matter.

Initially due to his inexperience and naïveté, he foolishly and recklessly used the power of Gaim for his own personal gain such as using it for his part-time jobs (and failed spectacularly to boot) and battling at the Inves Games. As such back then, he regarded himself as nothing more than being lucky to have found the Sengoku Driver and saw the whole thing as little more than a game. But after a near-fatal encounter with Zangetsu, Kota fell into a fearful depression but recovered and realized the price that comes with such power.

Arms
Like his fellow Lockseed-using Armored Riders, Kamen Rider Gaim's forms are called Arms (アームズ).

Kamen Rider Gaim's ending theme is entitled "E-X-A (Exciting×Attitude)".

Devices

 * Sengoku Driver - Transformation device
 * Side weapons:
 * Musou Saber - Primary side weapon
 * Sonic Arrow - Secondary side weapon in Jinba Lemon Arms
 * Arms weapons:
 * Daidaimaru - Gaim Orange Arms' personal weapon
 * Pine Iron - Gaim Pine Arms' personal weapon
 * Ichigo Kunai - Gaim Ichigo Arms' personal weapons
 * Suika Sojinto - Gaim Suika Arms' personal weapon in Yoroi Mode
 * Banaspear - Gaim Banana Arms' personal weapon
 * DJ Gun - Gaim Kachidoki Arms' personal weapon
 * WizarSwordGun - Gaim Wizard Arms' personal weapon
 * Lockseeds - Gives access to Gaim's form changes, depending on which arm the lock is

Vehicles

 * Sakura Hurricane - Gaim's Rider Machine
 * Dandeliner - Gaim's second Rider Machine

Quotes

 * "This is my stage now!" - Gaim's pre-battle catchphrase
 * "We're not your test subjects!"- Kota after giving Sid his batch of Lockseeds
 * "I finally understand, you are not the ally of justice!"- Kota angrily to Oren, who saw him as an hypocrite by attacking him instead of the escaping Inves before Kota tagged with Kaito.

List of Appearances

 * Kamen Rider Gaim
 * 1-13
 * Kamen Rider Wizard
 * Episode 52: The Kamen Rider Rings (debut)
 * Episode 53: Neverending Story
 * Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle
 * Kamen Rider Gaim: Sengoku Battle Royale
 * Sengoku Movie Battle

Portrayal
Kota Kazuraba is portrayed by Gaku Sano (佐野 岳), 2011 Junon Super Boy Contest Grand Prix winner. Sano said that he grew up wishing he could be the character from Kamen Rider Kuuga, and now that he will portray Kamen Rider Gaim he hopes that he will inspire a new generation of boys.

As Kamen Rider Gaim, his suit actor is Seiji Takaiwa (高岩 成二), who has been the suit actor for the majority of leading Heisei Kamen Riders (except Kuuga and Hibiki).