Mitsuzane Kureshima

"Pain... and sadness... will never disappear. That's why... I'd rather get hurt than let it happen to those dear to me. Isn't that right? Kouta?"

- Mitsuzane before transforming for the first time.

"It's true he was a hero. But...Kouta isn't here now. That's why we have to be the heroes!"

- Post-Helheim invasion redeemed Mitsuzane before transforming to fight Jam

Mitsuzane "Mitchy" Kureshima (呉島 "ミッチ" 光実) is a member of the Kureshima Family and is the younger brother of Takatora Kureshima. Mitsuzane, initially a member of Team Gaim and a close friend of Kouta Kazuraba becomes Kamen Rider Ryugen (仮面ライダー龍玄 [リュウゲン]) to protect his team and his friends during the Inves Games.

Hidden from his friends is his Kureshima background where he was forced to live in an environment with a heavy burden from his brother, who wants him to exceed in life, likewise the same from his father, Amagi Kureshima. Mitsuzane eventually joins his brother's goal of trying to save humanity from the Helheim Invasion through Project Ark, but when his brother allies himself with Kouta, he becomes a victim of a coup d'état causing Mitsuzane to blame Kouta for his brother's "death" and causing his crush, Mai Takatsukasa to lash out at him. Through Kouta and Mai's "death", Mitsuzane is unable to see his other friends eye to eye and views himself as someone who is incapable of their friendship.

For a short time, Mitsuzane takes up the mantle of Kamen Rider Zangetsu Shin (仮面ライダー斬月 真 [ザンゲツ シン]) until it is destroyed by Ryoma Sengoku and also became the lethal Kamen Rider Ryugen Yomi (仮面ライダー龍玄・黄泉 [リュウゲン・ヨミ]). At the end of the TV series, Mitsuzane is the last person with the Sengoku Driver and strives to become a hero in Kouta's stead now that he and Mai are gone.

Character History
As a young child, Mitsuzane was raised by his older brother, Takatora Kureshima. His parents were typically overseas, causing him to never have any bond with his parents. Growing up, Takatora tried his best to have Mitsuzane go down a path of education and success in hopes that Mitsuzane will not learn of the Helheim conspiracy.

Mitsuzane in his teenage years was a member of Team Gaim becoming Armored Rider Ryugen to protect his team alongside Armored Rider Gaim in the Inves Games. Quickly, they rise to the top of the rankings and Mitsuzane learns firsthand of a conspiracy going with the White Armored Rider, the "forest", and the Inves. He learns that the White Armored Rider is in fact Takatora.

When Inves starts to attack humans in broad daylight, Mitsuzane quickly realizes that Yggdrasill has made the Beat Rider Teams scapegoats in the Helheim conspiracy and chooses to discard his Sengoku Driver. However, he is forced to pick it up once more to save Kouta and Kaito when they are captured by Yggdrasill and accidentally shows on the camera feed to his brother that he is an Armored Rider as well.

Takatora confronts Mitsuzane and reveals to him the truth of Helheim, causing Mitsuzane to prioritize his friends happiness by leaving them in the shadow. This ultimately causes him to betray his friends numerous times and results into his crush, Mai to lash out at him for attempting to blame Kouta for an Inves attack (planned by Mitsuzane on his own friends to prevent confidential information from being leaked). Mitsuzane takes the mantle of New Generation Rider Zangetsu Shin when his brother is forcefully stripped of his rank and thrown into Helheim by his peers when the latter decides to ally himself with Kouta. Mitsuzane blames Kouta for all of the "miserable" things that have been happening to him and decides to use Zangetsu Shin as a way to destroy the bond between Takatora and Kouta. Though this fails, Mitsuzane allies himself with the Over Lords once Project Ark fails and becomes more sadistic as everyone continues to protect Kouta.

When his brother turns out to be alive, Takatora and Mitsuzane clash with the former being defeated and thrown into the water with his Sengoku Driver being permanently destroyed. After this battle, Mitsuzane suffers from hallucinations of his brother taunting him as Mitsuzane believes that he's nothing more than his brother's shadow. He later learns after the death of the last Over Lord, Rosyuo, that Mai is now the bearer of the Forbidden Fruit and rushes to her side with Ryoma Sengoku.

He is tricked by Ryoma on a suicide mission to kill Kouta and returns victorious, but realizes that Ryoma dissected Mai alive to steal the Forbidden Fruit and breaks down with the revelation that Kouta and Mai are both "dead". In the aftermath, Takatora returns alive, helping his brother cope.

Mitsuzane, after the Helheim Invasion, strives to be a hero in Kouta's stead as the last Sengoku Driver user in Zawame City. Kouta temporarily returns helping Mitsuzane defeat Kougane, but shortly leaves afterwards.

The Golden Fruit Cup Event
Set sometime after Ryoma Sengoku presents to Kouta a way to enter the Yggdrasill Tower through a back entrance, Mitsuzane's tragic memory of defeating Takatora is kept after the world is transitioned into the Soccer World, prompting him to realize that the current world he's in is fake, even though its really peaceful having no Inves invasion. He did remember that his brother has never been married. He acts alone for most of the film, such as after witnessing Takatora becomes insane and Sid's demise, investigating the disappearance of Ryoma Sengoku, and most luckily, noticed and kills the small hopper that causes all Riders to go insane like his brother and Sid had. Once he watches the last record, he goes to Lapis and confronts him. At the same time, all the Riders are eliminated which leaves Mitsuzane as the last surviving Rider. He suspects Lapis as a threat until Sagara reveals the true mastermind behind the recent event, and what will happen to Kouta. When Kouta is brainwashed by Kougane, Mitsuzane steps up to snap him out of it, with the help of Lapis. Later, surviving Riders Marika and Baron helpget Mai away from their brainwashed friend and Kougane. The Riders gather to stop Kougane once and for all. However, Kougane survives his encounter and returns to the real world seven months later.

Movie War: Full Throttle


Set sometime after the events of the finale episode, Mitsuzane has finally reconciled with his brother Takatora and redeemed from his past sins. However, when Megahex's invasion and Ryoma's return threatens the peace, Mitsuzane becomes Ryugen once again, fighting alongside his brother to protect Zawame.

In the final portion of Movie War, Mitsuzane later teams up with Gaim, the returning Baron, Zangetsu Shin and Drive to fight Megahex ZZZ and the remaining Roimudes and Inves.

Personality


Initially a member of Team Gaim, Kouta views Mitsuzane as a younger brother. Mitsuzane is the son of the director of the Yggdrasill Corporation and attended an elite high school, a side of himself that he keeps hidden. Living under his brother's shadow, he wants to live freely and break free from the path established for him, as such he sees Team Gaim as family due to him being able to be himself while there once. Because of this, he falls in love with Mai Takatsukasa, the co-leader of Team Gaim.

During the Beat Riders Saga, Mitsuzane eagerly follows Kouta into dangers and shapes his own beliefs around Kouta's to always wanting to help others if possible. By doing so, after discovering Yggdrasill's goals and the only logical option to save humanity, he focuses less time with his friends to a more calculated person to ensure that his best friend Kouta doesn't interfere with humanity's overall safety. In addition to this, Mitsuzane hid from Kouta the truth about Yuya because he couldn't bear to see his friend crushed and expose his identity as the younger brother of the White Armored Rider.

During the Yggdrasill Saga to the Forbidden Fruit Saga, Mitsuzane transitions from the safety of humanity to focus on eliminating Kouta for involving Mai into danger's way. As a logical thinker, Mitsuzane uses his status as a Kureshima to his advantage to coerce and manipulate others to achieve his own ends. This ultimately plays the downfall of many, including his loved one: Mai Takatsukasa and temporarily Kouta as Mitsuzane stabs him. As he adopts this more crude and sinister outlook on life as humanity is close to falling, Mitsuzane appears in a suit for the remainder of the Helheim Invasion, and will eliminate those who also interfere his desires, such as Kaito Kumon mostly. In the end on what he did after supposed killing Kouta, and having Mai falls into a true wrong hands twice from Rosyou after fusing the Golden Fruit on her then Ryoma after apparently kills her by taking her heart that is fused with the Golden Fruit, all he accomplish is more of nothingness for siding with a villain sides.

After realizing that he's accomplished nothing in life, Mitsuzane attempts to atone for his sins as the last Armored Rider in Zawame City and protect it from enemies. In a final confrontation against Kougane, Mitsuzane temporarily adopts Kouta's Amekaji clothing style to honor his friend's memory as he stands alone against Kougane's attack on the city. Afterwards, he returns to his original look during Megahex's invasion.

Arms
Like with the other Armored Riders and New Generation Riders, Kamen Rider Ryugen/Ryugen Yomi/Zangetsu Shin's forms are called Arms (アームズ). His personal Lockseeds are styled either dividing into three parts or ending with a fighting grunt ("Ha-Ha-Ha" or "Sei-ya Ha"). As Ryugen, all of Mitsuzane's Chinese Soldier-themed Arms' helmets share the suffix Men (面) as their title, while his visors are called Ryugan (龍眼).

As Armored Rider Ryugen/Ryugen Yomi, Mitsuzane's Sengoku Driver plays Chinese erhu & gong music and announces "Hai" (ハイー) before every transformation. By pressing the Sengoku Driver's Cutting Blade down on the Lockseed after transforming from one to three times, he can activate one of three finishing moves based on his current Arms form: Squash (スカッシュ), Au Lait (オーレ), or Sparking (スパーキング).

As New Generation Rider Zangetsu Shin, Mitsuzane's Genesis Driver announces "Soda" (ソーダ) before every transformation. By pushing the Genesis Driver's Seaboll Compressor into the Energy Lockseed after transforming from one to two times, he can activate one of two finishing moves based on his current Arms form: Squash (スカッシュ) or Sparking (スパーキング). In addition to the Genesis Driver's finishing moves, Zangetsu Shin can perform a Sonic Volley (ソニックボレー) finishing attack by inserting an Energy Lockseed into the Energy Drive Bay of his Sonic Arrow.

Devices

 * Transformation devices:
 * Sengoku Driver - As Ryugen/Ryugen Yomi
 * Genesis Driver - As Zangetsu Shin (disabled by Professor Ryoma's self-destruct fail-safe)
 * Lockseeds - Gives access to Ryugen/Ryugen Yomi/Zangetsu Shin's Arms changes, depending on which lock is used

Weapons

 * Arms Weapons - Weapons that come with the Arms:
 * Ryugen:
 * Budou Ryuhou - Ryugen Budou Arms' personal weapon
 * Kiwi Gekirin - Ryugen Kiwi Arms' personal weapons
 * Melon Defender - Ryugen Melon Arms' personal weapon
 * Banaspear - Ryugen Banana Arms' personal weapon
 * Pine Iron - Ryugen Pine Arms' personal weapon
 * Trigger Magnum - Ryugen Double Arms' personal weapon
 * Faiz Edge - Ryugen Faiz Arms' personal weapon
 * Rocket Module - Ryugen Fourze Arms' personal weapon
 * Ryugen Yomi:
 * Budou Ryuhou - One of Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms' personal weapons
 * Kiwi Gekirin - One of Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms' personal weapons
 * Redyue's halberd - One of Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms' personal weapons
 * Shinmugurun's axe - One of Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms' personal weapons
 * Zangetsu Shin:
 * Sonic Arrow - Zangetsu Shin Melon Energy Arms' personal weapon
 * Storm Halberd - One of Zangetsu Shin Agito Arms' personal weapons
 * Flame Saber - One of Zangetsu Shin Agito Arms' personal weapons

Vehicles

 * Lock Vehicles - Vehicles that unfold from special Lockseeds:
 * Sakura Hurricane - Borrowed Rider Machine from Gaim
 * Rose Attacker - Ryugen's Rider Machine

List of Appearances

 * Kamen Rider Gaim
 * 1-36, 38-47
 * Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle
 * Kamen Rider Gaim: Sengoku Battle Royale
 * Sengoku Movie Battle
 * Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai
 * Ressha Sentai ToQger Vs. Kamen Rider Gaim Spring Vacation Combining Special
 * Kamen Rider Gaim: Great Soccer Battle! Golden Fruits Cup!
 * Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Drive & Gaim: Movie War Full Throttle
 * Kamen Rider Gaim Gaiden

Portrayal
Mitsuzane Kureshima is portrayed by Mahiro Takasugi (高杉 真宙). He was also a guest star in Episode 10 of .

His suit actor is Daisuke Satō (佐藤 太輔), who was previously the suit actor for Gokai Silver in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger and Beet J Stag/Stag Buster in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters.

Legend Rider Lockseeds

 * The following Legend Rider Lockseeds are styled for Ryugen:
 * V3 - "Chikara, Waza, Double Typhoon!"
 * Skyrider - "Sky, Henshin, Sail-ing Jump!"
 * Super-1 - "Seki, Shin, Sho-rin Ken!"
 * Kuuga - "Chō Henshin, Ha-Ha-Ha!"
 * Double - "Cyclone, Joker, Ha-Ha-Ha!"
 * Double CycloneJokerXtreme - "Cyclone, Joker, Xtreme!"
 * Joker - "Joker, Kirifuda, Sei-ya Ha!"
 * Meteor - "Hwacha, Ha-Ha-Ha!"
 * Ryugen - "Bu-dou, Ha-Ha-Ha!"