Sakuya Tachibana

Kamen Rider Garren (仮面ライダーギャレン), otherwise known as Sakuya Tachibana (橘 朔也) is the first Rider to appear in the Kamen Rider Blade series. Tachibana was the second wearer chosen by the BOARD organization to use the very first Rider System they created, transforming him into Kamen Rider Garren. The first was his senior, Kiryu.

Biography
Tachibana was originally a researcher of the Humanity Foundation who graduated from the Sazahaibu University and was selected to be the user of Rider System 01 after Go Kiryu was found to be incompatible with the system. By the start of the series, Tachibana begins to suffer a form of cellular breakdown with only sealing the Undead slowing down the process. That, combined with his feelings towards Kenzaki being his backup when he can't manage it, Tachibana blames Karasuma for his condition. When he attempted in vain to seal the Locust Undead, Tachibana is forced to abduct Karasuma just prior to the Undead attacking BOARD. Though he intended to get the answers he needs, Karasuma was in a coma and put on life support with Tachibana safeguarding him until Hirose finds him. Though he leaves Karasuma in her care, it only revealed that the "Karasuma" he safeguarded was only a decoy. After his doctor and dear friend Sayoko Fukasawa relays Karasuma's message, that his subconscious fear is causing the breakdown, Tachibana encounters Isaka, the Peacock Undead, who personally attempts to retrieve him for his Leangle project. After escaping Isaka, Kotaro manages to talk Tachibana not to let his fear control him though Tachibana denies that. He arrives to save Blade from the Trilobite Undead, however Garren's fusion rate goes down during his fight with the Undead. After being saved, Tachibana begs Karasuma for a means to be free of his fear, but Karasuma say he can't.

Though Tachibana attempts to resume a normal life by dating Sayoko, the Zebra Undead forces him to reveal himself as a Rider in front to Sayoko before vainly fighting the Undead before Blade arrives to aid him. In spite of Sayoko asking him to go off with her, Tachibana turns her down. While at BOARD's original, Tachibana vainly battles the Peacock Undead, who defeats Garren and takes him with intend to have Tachibana work for him by removing him of his fears with exposure to Schuld Kestner seaweed, an extinct plant that intensifies the aggressive nature of the subject. Though he became more aggressive and worked under Isaka for more of the seaweed, Tachibana was unaware of the eventual damage it would do to his nervous system. Though Sayoko warned him in vain, Tachibana shrugged it off until he learned that Isaka murdered Sayoko for meddling in his affairs, defeating the Peacock Undead and sealed him. Later, as his way of repenting for being manipulated by an Undead, Tachibana takes Mutsuki under his wing.

During the final few episodes, Kamen Rider Garren came face to face with the Category King of Diamonds and battled it out with him. The Undead told him that if he was sealed, Joker would be declared winner and that all of humanity would suffer because of his choice. Garren discarded this and answered, "I will believe in my friends." The battle ended with Garren nowhere to be found and the King Undead sealed leaving the Joker as the winner. He is found upon the arrival of the Chief telling Kenzaki that he was saved because of him.

Missing Ace
After the final episode, however, Kazuma Kenzaki seals Hajime Aikawa, he and Chief Karasuma decided to keep away all the sealed Undeads after they discover all Category King cards combine into a Vanity Card as the second Joker existed. As they were transporting the sealed Undeads away, they got ambushed by the Albino Joker. Just as Chief Karasuma goes away along with the cards, but Albino Joker kills him as he unseals some of the Undeads. Five years later, he hires Junichi Shimura, along with Natsumi Miwa and Shin Magaki to reseal the Undeads as he can't rehire Kazuma and Mutsuki due to the fact that some of the unsealed Undeads are Category Ace of Spades and Category Ace of Clubs. Tachibana later fights the Spider Undead and reseals it as Mutsuki regains the ability to transforms into Kamen Rider Leangle. Later, Tachibana orders everyone to work together to reseals all the Undeads much to Natsumi's and Shin's chargin.

Later, Mutsuki tells Tachibana that he suspects something strange about Junichi as he communicates with the Giraffa Undead wth a strange language. But he declines it as Tachibana tells Mutsuki that Junichi learned to speak foreign languages from abroad. Later, he is shock to discover that both Natsumi and Shin were killed by the Albino Joker as he realizes that the Joker is among all of the riders. When Amane is being targeted by the AlbiRoaches, Tachibana brought her to safety as he reveals that her father opened the Relief's Stone Door moments before he died. Due to this, she was targeted by the Albino Joker as her dad's replacement for the Relief's sacrificial lamb in order to gain it's power. Kotaro reveals to everyone that Junichi himself is the Albino Joker as both of his victims hold the cards 4 and Jack (both of which are a pun of his name (i.e. "Jack" and "Shi")). After Albino Joker kidnaps Amane and traps her into the vanity card, Tachibana and the others fight Albino Joker in Jashin-14 form. Some time after Jashin-14's defeat, he and the others celebrates Amane's birthday at the Jacaranda Cafe.

OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders
Sakuya Tachibana returned as Kamen Rider Garren, making a brief cameo appearance in the film, teaming up with Hajime Aikawa and Mutsuki Kamijou, as well as the rest of the Kamen Riders.

As Garren, Tachibana was also part of a group of reinforcement riders led by Akira Date/Kamen Rider Birth to aid the primary riders in defeating the Rock Great Leader. All the Kamen Riders got on their bikes and performed the All Rider Break attack which destroyed the Great Leader.

Kamen Rider Blade (video game)
Kamen Rider Garren, with Blade, Chalice, and Leangle, is playable in the Kamen Rider Blade video game.

Kamen Rider Battride Wars
Kamen Rider Garren appears as a Second Rider in the video game Kamen Rider Battride War. In the level Double Jokers, which took place during the final episode, Tachibana somehow knows Blade's plan of turning himself into Joker in order to put the Battle Fight and stops Blade worrying of losing his friend, only to be defeated.

Forms
For Sakuya to change into Garren, he inserts the sealed ♦A: Change Stag Rouze Card and position the buckle in front of his waist. The belt expands automatically around his waist, like a deck of cards wrapping around. Sakuya makes an arm motion, clinches his fist and yells out "Henshin!" and flips a portion of his buckle. The buckle announces "Turn Up!" at this point. This causes a blue projection with a stag beetle image to come out before him, knocking Undead away. he then runs into the projection, which will complete the transformation into Garren.

Garren Buckle
Designated "Rider System 01", the Garren Buckle (ギャレンバックル) was the first Rider System developed by B.O.A.R.D. intended as a means to combat the Undead via the fusion of Undead DNA and human DNA. The Garren Buckle was designed for specific compatibility with the ♦A: Change Stag Rouze Card and harnesses the DNA of the Stag Undead. This model utilizes the Turn-Up mechanism to produce a stationary transformation screen, which initiates the fusion of Undead DNA with a human to produce the Kamen Rider transformation. Coincidentally, the transformation screen itself can act as a deflective wall against assaults.

Garren Rouzer


The Garren Rouzer (ギャレンラウザー) is Garren’s primary armament; a hi-tech gun which serves as a weapon for combat and storage unit for Rouze Cards, including Proper Blanks. It has a built-in 'rousing' technology, which enables Garren to "rouse" the sealed Undead's power to utilize personally. After activating Jack Form, the Garren Rouzer gains an enhancement in the form of a blade forming on the barrel to be let the weapon be used for close-range attacks.

Garren Absorber
The Garren Absorber (ギャレンアブソーバー) is a special accessory developed by Kei Karasuma to bolster the Rider’s capabilities. The Rouze Absorber was designed to be a supplementary Rouzer device to the Rider System and a specialized container for the top category Rouze Cards. Its system was designed to harness the ♦J: Fusion Peacock and ♦Q: Absorb Serpent Rouze Cards and is only compatible with those cards. Initiating Jack Form modifies the Garren Absorber with a signature diamond-peacock plaque. Though the Rouze Absorber is dubbed Garren Absorber henceforth, the modification, in either case, proves more cosmetic if anything.

Red Rhombus
The Red Rhombus is a motorbike developed by B.O.A.R.D. specifically designed to the aspects of Garren's Rider System. For some reason, Rambass is spelled Lampass in some merchandising.

Performance Modes
Fire Rhombus This performance mode is activated with the use of the 6: "Fire Fly" card. Once 'roused', the Red Rhombus generates a fiery aura which fends against obstacles. (Never used in the series.)
 * Cards Required: Fire Fly (6)

Rouze Combos
(Jack) Burning Smash Garren's signature card combo; The combo enables Garren to do a flaming drop kick, coupling 5's "DROP" effect imbued with the fire-attribute of the 6's "FIRE" effect. In Jack Form, the compound effect is further increased with J-Garren's flight capabilities.
 * Cards Required: Drop Whale (5) + Fire Fly (6)

Burning Divide This card combo enhances the "Burning Smash" combo with the addition of 9's "GEMINI" effect. With this added effect, Garren splits into two clones and they do a flaming drop kick on the opponent for double damage.
 * Cards Required: Drop Whale (5) + Fire Fly (6) + Gemini Zebra (9)

(Jack) Burning Shot This card combo allows Garren to shoot out flaming fireballs like a machine gun from his rouzer. In Jack Form, Garren uses his flight capabilities to his advantage by showering shots from a higher altitude while the power of Jack Form enhances the shots.
 * Cards Required: Bullet Armadillo (2) + Rapid Pecker (4) + Fire Fly (6)

Fire-Upper Combo Garren's signature card combo; The combo enables Garren's to execute a flaming uppercut, coupling 3's "UPPERCUT" effect imbued with the fire-attribute of the 6's "FIRE" effect.
 * Cards Required: Fire Fly (6) + Upper Frog (3)

Bullet-Fire Combo The combo enables Garren to use his Garren Rouzer to fire single fireballs at a target, coupling 2's "BULLET" imbued with the fire-attribute of the 6's "FIRE", it is similar to the Burning Shot albeit slower and only shoots single fireballs.
 * Cards Required: Bullet Armadillo (2) + Fire Fly (6)

Portrayal
Sakuya Tachibana is portrayed by Kousei (Hironari) Amano (天野 浩成). Amano later portrayed Kouhei Hayami/Libra Zodiarts in Kamen Rider Fourze. As Kamen Rider Garren, his suit actor was Yoshifumi Oshikawa (押川 善文).