Kazuma Kenzaki

"I will fight fate...and win."

- Kenzaki's words on fate after turning into the second Joker

Kazuma Kenzaki (剣崎 一真) is the main protagonist of the Kamen Rider Blade television series. He was chosen by the B.O.A.R.D. organization to use the sealed Category Ace of Spades to become Kamen Rider Blade (仮面ライダーブレイド). He has a good heart and believes in fighting to protect humanity.

Personality
Kazuma Kenzaki was a friendly, cheerful man who had some social problems. Although he generally meant well, his personality initially caused him to have little to no friends. It was after he became Blade did he finally became friends with others including Hajime. Humorously, the Kenzaki from Missing Ace tried to steal from the now rich Kotarō hinting a slightly devious side.

Kenzaki was also a hot headed man who often let his feelings get the best of him. It was around the latter half of the series did he learn to think with his head more and became more adult like. After sacrificing his humanity to save Hajime and the world, Kenzaki had to leave his friends therefore causing him to have a drastic personality change as he went from cheerful and hot headed to cold, calculating and merciless. It is quite possible that unlike all the other riders who's sudden personality change in Decade was only temporary, Kenzaki still remains the same to this day. It should however be noted that he did try to warn Decade until the end which hints some goodness is still inside him. Over the years, Tachibana would hear of a strange creature saving children and other people all throughout the world, showing that Kenzaki still continued to protect people even as a Joker.

Hundreds of years later, in the Blade novel however, his cynicism has overridden him. Having lived for so long without his friends and having lived through countless wars and battles, he's become hopeless and defeated, often trying to find ways to kill himself and failing every time due to being the Joker Undead. This would also mean that he lost sight of himself and the meaning of his actions as killing himself would mean the end of humanity and other life on Earth.

TV Series
At the age of 11, Kenzaki was orphaned when his family died in a house-fire. The powerlessness he felt would forever serve as the motivation to try and protect the defenseless, subsequently leading to being scouted by the B oard O f A rchaeological R esearch D epartment (otherwise known as B.O.A.R.D.). Because of his intelligence and exceptional survival instincts, he would eventually be promoted to field operative and the designated user of Rider System-02.

However, during assessment for the Rider System, Kenzaki displayed unusually high fusion coefficiency. Though this caused no immediate concern, as his levels maintained steady intervals. After being promoted to Rider status, Kenzaki would be partnered with fellow BOARD Rider and senior operative Sakuya Tachibana on assignment to hunt down three Undead over the next two months.

Eventually sealing the Bat Undead, Kenzaki meets a web-journalist named Kotarō Shirai, who begins investigating the Riders after witnessing Kenzaki carelessly changing back from his transformation. To lessen the risk of exposure (and to find a place to board after losing his apartment due to delinquent payments), Kenzaki made a deal with Kotarō: In exchange for information concerning the Riders, Kotarō would provide him a place to stay; being that his salary with BOARD was barely enough to make a living. But later that evening, disaster struck as BOARD HQ fell under attack from the Locust Undead.

With Tachibana's desertion and Karasuma--BOARD's president--nowhere to be found, Kenzaki and Shiori Hirose, one of BOARD's surviving staffers, set-up a new base of operations in Kotarō's home, using whatever equipment left undamaged during the Undead assault on BOARD HQ. Though operating at a limit capacity, Kenzaki, Hirose, and Kotarō successfully began tracking and sealing any active Undead in the area. But eventually Kenzaki redirects his focus on tracking down the rogue Tachibana, leading to a rivalry with a being named Chalice, who possesses similar powers & abilities to his Rider System. Their frequent encounters led to the discovery that Chalice was in fact a human named Hajime, but the origins of his powers and his motives remained a mystery at the time.

Kenzaki was later abducted by agents of a man named Isaka (the man responsible for Tachibana's strange behavior) who intended to used him in human/Undead fusion research. Kenzaki was forced into combat with the Trilobite Undead, and his fusion rate remained stable until Hajime appeared among his captors. Isaka witnessed a spike in Kenzaki's fusion ratio causing Hajime to transform and intervene, along with Tachibana. Hajime is revealed to be not human at all, but, in fact, the Joker Undead. Yet despite this knowledge, Kenzaki started to believe that there's some good in Hajime and not the monster he originally thought. However, once Griffa Undead was sealed, Hajime begins to lose control and his impulse as Joker comes forth with the Stone of Sealing creating an army of Dark Roaches to eliminate all humans. In the end, Kamen Rider Blade is the only one to combat him head on, both equal in power, intent on saving the Earth and Hajime from himself.

In the series ending, despite Hajime's pleas to Kenzaki to seal him once and for all to save the world, Kenzaki opted to sacrifice his humanity through excessive use of King Form in order to both save the world and Hajime, thus becoming a Joker himself. Hajime is allowed to keep his Human Spirit card to maintain his disguise and stays with the Kurihara family for the rest of his life; but still remembers what Kenzaki has done for him; for if he and Kenzaki cross paths, fate will step in and force them to fight. The show ends with an engine running and motorcycle tire tracks in the desert, most likely to be made by Kenzaki riding his Blue Spader away from humanity. After the series ended, Kenzaki seemingly grew more dark, bitter and cold for losing his humanity, as well as parting with his friends.

Missing Ace
In an alternate ending to the final episode, however, he was forced to seal Hajime as the Joker Undead, effectively ending the Battle Royale. Four years after, he became a garbage man who witnessed the combat of the New BOARD Riders when the Albino Joker released half of the Undead, eventually joining them back as Blade after Leangle resealed his Category Ace. He asked Leangle to unseal the Joker Undead so as to save Amane from the Albi Roaches. When she was sealed by the Albino Joker to access Jashin 14, he intended to exchange his life for her, but was pushed over by Hajime to be sacrificed instead. Once more he was forced to seal Hajime to weaken Jashin 14, then killed it and the Albino Joker in it with King Form.

Kamen Rider Decade
About 5 years later (after the series ending), Kazuma appears as one of the nine Heisei Riders in Kamen Rider Decade then battles Tsukasa after Wataru told the latter to destroy the nine Heisei Riders as his true goal.

All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker
To stop the fusion and destruction of worlds, Tsukasa Kadoya, announced a tournament gathering all Riders to learn who was the strongest. Blade participated in the tournament fighting against Kamen Rider Stronger.

''In the manga adaptation, Blade fought against Skyrider rather than Stronger. He was also in his Jack Form rather than the standard Ace Form.''

Rider War
Kazuma shows up in the World of the Rider War pointing out that their real enemy isn't Dai-Shocker, appearing just before his equivalent, Kazuma Kendate and the iteration of the World of Blade was destroyed by Apollo Geist's merging of the Rider Worlds. Because he has parted with his friends, Kenzaki has seemingly grown more ruthless to the point of trying to kill Decade without mercy (something Kenzaki probably wouldn`t have done before becoming an Undead) or remorse. He also has become able to transform into King Form automatically, using only the Blay Buckle and ♠A: Change Beetle Rouze Card. His transformation screen turns from blue to gold, further emphasizing that he is able to assume King Form automatically and the screen comes to him now similar to the "Open Up!" feature rather than Kenzaki running into it.

Final Chapter
In Decade: Final Chapter in his regular Ace Form he teams up with Kamen Rider Ryuki to destroy Decade now in Violent Emotion's Form but Decade turns the tables on them by turning Kenzaki into Blade Blade to destroy Ryuki and later destroys him with his Final Attack Ride resulting in both Riders being turned into cards. He is later revived after Decade voluntarily lets himself be destroyed.

OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders
Kamen Rider Blade appears yet again in OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders, fighting against Undead that allied themselves with Shocker and other Kamen Rider villains from the 40 years of the franchise.

Although his human form isn't shown in the movie itself and he doesn't speak, Blade is confirmed to be Kazuma Kenzaki by the movie's official website.

Blade, along with All Riders (until Fourze), tagged along with core Super Sentai members to fight Dai-Zangyack and Dai-Shocker. He is last seen using Refleclear (Gosei Blue's Power Cards) to counter Kani Laser's attack and use his Rider Kick (it's unknown if it is Lightning Blast or Lightning Sonic) along with Decade's Dimensional Kick and Ryuki's Dragon Rider Kick.

Kamen Rider Wizard
Blade appears with all the Heisei Riders from Kuuga to Fourze, led by Decade, in a special two-parter after the finale, The Ring of Kamen Rider and Neverending Story.

Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai
Despite the fact that it was not shown in the movie itself, Blade was killed by a Showa Rider and was turned into a Lockseed.

Blade later appeared when Gaim and ZX released all of the Kamen Riders from their Lockseeds.

In a timeline alteration, after Shocker gained their victory, most Riders had been placed under their control with Leangle leading a small portion of their army. While certain Riders seemed to escaped from their tyranny, Blade in his Rider form was held captive.

300 years later (non-canon)
In the novel, Kenzaki is trying to find a way to end his life after living a lonely existence for too long. He also seems to have become broken and somewhat insane as he seemingly couldn't remember why he chose to become an Undead in the first place.

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

Kamen Rider Climax Heroes
Blade appears in All Kamen Rider Climax Heroes Series. Start from Climax Heroes OOO, Blade can use Jack Form.

All Kamen Rider: Rider Generation
Blade appears in All Kamen Rider: Rider Generation and All Kamen Rider: Rider Generation 2.

Kamen Rider: Battride War
Kamen Rider Blade appears as a Main Rider in the video game Kamen Rider: Battride War, which unites the riders of the Heisei era from Kuuga to Wizard.

Kamen Rider: Battride War II
Kamen Rider Blade reappeared in Kamen Rider: Battride War II, summoned by Cinema along with the remaining Heisei Riders in order to create the "ultimate movie". Blade's stage was based of from Kamen Rider Blade: Missing Ace, with Albino Joker as his main enemy.

Forms
As Blade, he harnesses the Beetle Undead DNA from the ♠A: Change Beetle Rouze Card, utilizing the Blay Buckle Rider System to fuse with the Beetle Undead's DNA. With the Blay Rouzer saber, he can "rouse" a sealed Suit-Spade Undead's power to utilize personally or use Common Blanks to seal the Undead.

In the final episode of Kamen Rider Blade, he mutated into a Black Joker to put the Battle Fight at a stalemate, thereby ending it without sealing Hajime. This form was never shown in the series but was released in later materials such as the S.I.C. Hero Saga and Kamen Rider Blade novels.

{{#tag:tabber|Blade = {{#tag:tabber| Ace= Ace Form {{Template:Quote|Turn Up!|Transformation announcement|Kamen Rider Blade}}
 * Rider height: 201cm
 * Rider weight: 101kg
 * Ability perimeters
 * Punching power: 2.8t, 280AP
 * Kicking power: 4.8t, 480AP
 * Maximum jump height: 33m
 * Maximum running speed: 100m/5.7s

{{Nihongo|Ace Form|エスフォオム|Esu Foomu}} is the default transformation of Rider System-02. The transformation harnesses the Beetle Undead's DNA cultured from the ♠A: Change Beetle Rouze Card and, via the Blay Buckle, initiates a fusion with Kazuma Kenzaki into Kamen Rider Blade. This Rider Form has no distinguishing capabilities or attributes apart from the other Riders except its melee-oriented design and its ability to modify its capabilities with Rouze Cards. {{nihongo|Refleclear|リフレクリア|Rifurekuria}} is a special Card which allows the user to create a magical mist that absorbs and reflects any beam attack. Given to Blade by Gosei Blue to counter Kani Lazer's attack. The Gosei Card just happened to be compatible with Blade's Blay Rouzer. First used in {{TK|Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen}}.

{{!}}-{{!}} Jack= Jack Form {{Template:Quote|Absorb Queen: Fusion Jack!|Transformation announcement|Kamen Rider Blade}} {{Nihongo|Jack Form|ジャツクフォオム|Jakku Foomu}} is a combat extension of the Rider System which harnesses the power of Category Jack Rouze Cards (in this case, the ♠Jack: "Fusion Eagle") via the Rouze Absorber. Initiating Blade's Jack Form transmogrifies the Rider Armor with the attributes and characteristics of the Eagle Undead DNA with the ♠J's "FUSION JACK" effect, effectively enhancing Blade's natural combat capacities. Blade's Jack Form imparts a number of enhancements; the first being the enhancement of the Blay Rouzer through a blade extension.
 * Rider height: 201cm
 * Rider weight: 111kg
 * Ability perimeters
 * Punching power: 3.5t, 350AP
 * Kicking power: 5.5t, 550AP
 * Maximum jump height: 133m
 * Maximum running speed: 100m/4.6s

Outside of this cosmetic appendage, the Blay Rouzer essentially functions the same. The second advancement is the addition of reinforced golden-armor plating which increase resilience to impact damage. But the most drastic modification is the inclusion of wings, which enables flight for the Rider.

Appearances: Episode 26

{{!}}-{{!}} King= King Form {{Template:Quote|Absorb Queen: Evolution King!|Transformation announcement|Kamen Rider Blade}}
 * Rider height: 201cm
 * Rider weight: 131kg
 * Ability perimeters
 * Punching power: 4.5t, 450AP
 * Kicking power: 7.0t, 700AP
 * Maximum jump height: 25m
 * Maximum running speed: 100m/6.6s

{{Nihongo|King Form|キングフォーム|Kingu Fōmu}} is the ultimate combat extension of the Rider System, which only Blade can obtain. Using the Rouze Absorber, this transformation is initiated using the ♠K's "EVOLUTION KING" effect in conjunction with the ♠Q's "ABSORB QUEEN" effect.

When transforming into King Form, Kenzaki's Spade Category cards will place themselves on his body to form armor. The King Form addresses many issues with Blade's combat capabilities, such as its defensive capacities, with a complete armor overhaul. This new heavy armored design is gold-plated and is increasing resilient to damage, but at the sacrifice of agility. King Form lacks a card storage like the Blay Rouzer, instead, he is able to summon cards from certain parts of his armor.

Nevertheless, with all these improvements, Blade's King Form suffers from one glaring flaw: Kazuma Kenzaki. Initial specs intended only for the Blade Rider System to extend its combat capacities with the ♠K: "Evolution Caucasus", but due to Kenzaki's unusually high fusion co-efficiency, the system exceeded its perimeters and exposed a disastrous glitch in the overall Rider System.

In the case of individuals like Kenzaki, activating the King Form extension initiates the fusion of, not just one, but the DNA of ALL 13 sealed Undead associated with a particular card-suit. With extended activity in this form, the subject's fusion co-efficiency would raise exponentially, ultimately mutating the human being into a Joker-type Undead.

To that end, use on Kenzaki's part, was strictly cautioned and advised only as a last resort. This is currently no longer a problem since Kenzaki became an Undead after several uses.

Appearances: Episode 34, Decade 31, Wizard 53 {{-}} {{!}}-{{!}} Final Form Ride= Blade Blade {{Template:Quote|Final Form Ride: B-B-Blade!|Transformation announcement|Kamen Rider Decade}} Via the Final Form Ride Card Blade Blade, Kamen Rider Blade would transform into {{nihongo|Blade Blade|ブレイドブレード|Bureido Burēdo}}, a large sword similar to the Blay Rouzer.

With the Blade Blade, Decade performs the {{nihongo|Decade Edge|ディケイドエッジ|Dikeido Ejji}}, where the Blade Blade charges with electricity before being slashed down to make a huge electric shockwave similar to Blade's Lightning Slash. When Diend uses the Blade Blade, Diend can perform the {{nihongo|Diend Edge|ディエンドエッジ|Diendo Ejji}}, which is the same as the Decade Edge.

So far, this form appeared twice, once via Diend in Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker and second in Movie War 2010 during his and Ryuki's assassination attempt on Decade but backfired and forcefully killed Ryuki in this form before eliminated via Decade's Dimension Kick.

Appearances: All Riders vs Dai-Shocker, Movie War 2010 {{-}} }} {{-}} {{!}}-{{!}} Leangle= In episode 16, when Kotaro accidentally opened the Leangle Buckle, Kenzaki came into contact with the projection produced by the belt and temporarily transformed into Leangle, though he is not wearing the Leangle Buckle on his waist. After a while, the projection sent Kenzaki flying back into a distance. {{-}} {{!}}-{{!}} Joker= Joker {{nihongo|Joker|ジョーカー|Jōkā}} (called "Navy Joker" by the fandom) is a mutation caused by excessive usage of Blade's King Form. During the final episodes, he began using King Form excessively to the extent that he would use it right from the start of a fight to ward off mere Darkroaches, even if it put a huge strain on his body. It was revealed in the final episode that he did so deliberately to lead the Battle Fight into a stalemate, by discarding his humanity and transforming himself into a Undead permanently, so as to allow Hajime to live as a human and saving the world at the same time. Because of this form, Kenzaki can currently use Blade's powers more efficiently as well as gained the standard powers of a Joker Undead.

Even though he mutated into a Joker-class Undead, this form was never shown in the series' finale. But this form had appeared in a S.I.C. Hero Saga story, only to reveal that Kenzaki's Joker form looked exactly like the Black Joker.


 * Powers and Abilities


 * Biological Immortality
 * As an Undead, Kenzaki can survive himself from near-death experiences.


 * Human Disguise
 * Since Kenzaki is an Undead resulted from mutation, he can shift himself from human to Undead form, making him similar to Royal Club Undeads.


 * Danger Intuition
 * During his half transformation into Undead around the series, Kenzaki seemed to develop a symbiosis with the real Joker, Hajime Aikawa where he can sense his defeat the hands of Kerberos.


 * Arsenal


 * Chalice Rouzer
 * Transformation devices that bestowed to Joker Undeads, Kenzaki can use it to transform into other Undeads on his own, provided that they were sealed in Rouze Cards.


 * Sword
 * Due to Kenzaki fights in swordsmanship proficiency, he is armed with a sword that looked identical to that of Beetle and Caucasus Undead.


 * Weaknesses


 * Animalistic Instinct
 * If Kenzaki becomes the only Undead left, he would be succumbed to his animalistic instinct, mindlessly killing all Earth lifeforms alongside the DarkRoaches. To stop this, either Kenzaki must be sealed or a new Undead created to stabilize it.

{{-}} }}

Device

 * Blay Buckle: Transformation belt
 * Rouze Absorber: Essential to access Jack or King Forms
 * Rouze Card: Allow Blade to attack, depending on which card is used

Weapons

 * Blay Rouzer: Personal weapon
 * King Rouzer: King Form's primary weapon

Vehicle

 * Blue Spader: Blade's Rider Machine

Portrayal
Kazuma Kenzaki is portrayed by Takayuki Tsubaki (椿 隆之), who reprised his role in Kamen Rider Decade in the last two episodes and voice his character in Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 2010. As Kamen Rider Blade, his suit actor was Seiji Takaiwa (高岩 成二), who has been the suit actor for the majority of leading Heisei Kamen Riders (except Kuuga and Hibiki).

Rider No.
As the leading Rider protagonist of Kamen Rider Blade, Kazuma Kenzaki (Kamen Rider Blade) is labeled Kamen Rider #20 (仮面ライダー20号) and Heisei Rider #5 (平成ライダー5号).

Meme
Kazuma is the center of a Japanese meme dubbed "Ondul" (ｵﾝﾄﾞｩﾙ), in which actor Takayuki Tsubaki's emotion-slurred speech, is treated as a separate language (the name comes from his line in the first episode, "Have you really betrayed us?!" (本当に裏切ったんですか!), with "honto" ("really") coming out as "ondul", turning into Ondourur ragitta ndisukā! (ｵﾝﾄﾞｩﾙﾙﾗｷﾞｯﾀﾝﾃﾞｨｽｶｰ!)). This meme was named the "Ondul Language" (オンドゥル語) and has been referenced in other works, such as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

The meme has been acknowledged within the Kamen Rider franchise, with Kazuma Kendate of Kamen Rider Decade mistaking "Chief" and "cheese". It is further referenced in Kamen Rider Climax Heroes, where "Have you really betrayed us?!" is Blade's special intro dialog with Garren, and in Kamen Rider: Battride War, where the quote is the name of one of the game's Achievements.