Takatora Kureshima

"Yggdrasill holds the fate of the world in its hands. I will secure humanity's future."

- Takatora explaining his importance

Takatora Kureshima (呉島 貴虎) is Kamen Rider Zangetsu (仮面ライダー斬月 [ザンゲツ]) later Kamen Rider Zangetsu Shin (仮面ライダー斬月 真 [ザンゲツ シン]).

He is Mitsuzane Kureshima's older brother, who is a project leader in the Research and Development branch of the Yggdrasill Corporation.

Origin
At some point prior to the beginning of the story, he was given the Melon Lockseed and a Sengoku Driver, enabling him to transform into Zangetsu.

Helheim Forest Investigation
Takatora was first seen as Zangetsu, rescuing his men from the a bunch of Elementary Inves during their investigation in the Helheim Forest. He later appears in his normal identity in a company limo watching the broadcast about Armored Rider Gaim before taking out his Melon Lockseed while issuing the order to investigate Helheim Forest.

His brother's education
As Mitsuzane secretly walked towards his room, Takatora asked him why he came home late. Mitsuzane replied that his cram school was doing extra sessions. Both of them have a conversation as Takatora reminds Mitsuzane to cast away any distraction that may disturb his education. Mitsuzane replied to his brother that his life is nothing but a distraction much to Takatora's surprise. As Mitsuzane went to his room, Takatora receives a call about the two Armored Riders in Helheim Forest.

Attack On Gaim
He appeared as Zangetsu in the forest by throwing a Lockseed, which is eaten by a Elementary Inves. The Inves then transform into Shika Inves. After Shika Inves defeated by Gaim, Takatora attacks him mercilessly, convincing Gaim of the true nature of the Armored Rider battles and mocking him by asking him that his Sengoku Driver was no good to evil.

Revealing his secret
Mitsuzane walks across the hallway and sees Takatora's Sengoku Driver and two other lockseeds. Takatora then calls Mitsuzane for a conversation about his education. Takatora then leaves to take a phone call. Once he finishes he realizes he is in a hurry and goes to work, not knowing that Mitsuzane knows more than he realizes. It's not until when Gaim uses the Suika Lockseed that Takatora realizes that he was missing it. Sid suspects Mitsuzane, but Takatora thinks it is impossible. Later, he goes to a factory to exterminate some Inves. He also sends his troops to burn the the place, due to there is some Helheim Forest's plants were growing in the factory. Unknown to him, Kota and Mitch already saw what they already done and Mitch suspects the white Armored Rider is his brother, due to the Rider's faceplate. Takatora then meets Ryoma to talks about the new model. Though Ryoma said that the new model would be dangerous, Takatora said he would use the new model as he and Yggdrasill Corporation is holding humanity's future.

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).

Attack On Armored Riders
Takatora then receives a message that Armored Riders are entering the Helheim Forest in bulk, which got him mad about Sid giving them all access to Lockvehicles. He then goes to the floor where there is the portal to the Helheim Forest. Takatora then transforms into Zangetsu and gets ready for battle.

Before entering, Ryoma tells Zangetsu not to damage the Sengoku Driver, while fighting the Armored Riders. In the forest, he have fought almost all Armored Riders, even Ryugen without knowing that Ryugen is Mitsuzane. After he manage to defeat the Armored Riders, Zangetsu ordered his troops to sent the defeated Riders back to the real world. While fighting Kurokage, he accidentally damages his Sengoku Driver in a fit of rage and tries to contact his troops. As Takatora returns to the real world, the researchers thought that he fought the Inves in the real world when it was actually Gaim in Suika Arms. Takatora shows his annoyance of the Beat Rider saving his staff and making him look bad, once again comparing the other Riders to trash that were beneath him.

Inves Outbreak Part 2, Testing the Genesis Driver
Takatora tests the Genesis Driver in a simulation and easily defeats the Kurokage troopers. After the testing, Ryoma enters the room and tells him the features of the new belt. He then asks Takatora about the Inves Game, which he replies that he will teach the Beat Riders a lesson and show them reality.

While Takatora and his subordinates are having trouble with the citizens potentially blaming Yggdrasill for a disease outbreak, they are planning to close the Beat Rider staging and frame the Beat Riders. Takatora goes to the Charmant to hire Oren, when he realizes that Oren is really useful in actuality to be Yggdrasill's rightful enforcer, such as capturing Gaim and Baron. He is soon fighting an Azure Dragon Inves whom Kouta and Kaito were looking for at the industrial site, and tells them he will deal with them later once he destroys the evolved Inves. Upon getting ready to battle Gaim and Baron, Hase appears and eats the premature Lockseed due to being blinded by a lust for more power, which changed him into an Inves, leaving the three Riders shocked after Zangetsu tries warning Hase to spit the fruit out, but it was too late.

As Ryoji becomes an Inves, Zangetsu started to attack him, but Gaim interferes as he thinks that he is still human. He then tells him that Ryoji is no longer human as the Inves escapes. Gaim chases Ryoji while Baron distracts him. However, Baron is overpowered as Zangetsu orders the Kurokage Troopers to take Kaito away. Later, Takatora went back to his home as Mitsuzane started to ask him about the situation that Zawame is having, but he tells him to focus on his studies instead. In Yggdrasill Corporation, he arranges a meeting with Sid about the Genesis Driver and how they intend to mass produce it until he got a call about Ryoji's rampage in Drupers, which ends their meeting. While Gaim is trying to stop Ryoji's madness, Takatora along with Ryoma, Sid, and Yoko transform into the New Generation Riders and Takatora knocks Gaim back with his Sonic Arrow, reverting Kota's transformation. Zangetsu then tells Sigurd to fight the Inves due to Sid's responsibility for the Inves Games in the first place and letting the Armored Riders go into Helheim forest.

When Gaim and Baron suddenly escaped, he goes to the surveillance room to see how they got out and it turned out it was Mitsuzane who helped them escape, much to Takatora's surprise. When his brother is revealed to be Ryugen, Takatora is speechless.

After learning his brother is an Armored Rider, Takatora was upset as he demanded Sid for answers. Sid then replied that Mitsuzane is also the one who stole the Suika Lockseed. Later, Takatora reveals to Mitsuzane the dark secret in the Helheim Forest as he wants him to join Yggdrasill Corporation.

He then gives Mitsuzane a task to retrieve the Sengoku Driver from Kota. Later, Ryoma decides to let Kota keep the Driver as he thinks that they can use Mitsuzane as a spy to the Beat Riders.

Preventing the Helheim's Secret from being discovered
Takatora was warned by Mitsuzane to add the guard inside the Helheim forest. Though it was supposed to succeed, at the second incoming of Kota and Kaito, the troops were defeated and even Sigurd was unable to stop Baron in his Suika Arms, forcing Takatora to come. He fought Gaim and won, though he was forced to cancel his transformation in battle by letting Kota give him the final blow. After looking at Kota's desire to stop Yggdrasill and his desire to learn about their plans, Takatora invited him to learn about Helheim Forest after he asked him if he had the courage.

While walking, Kota asked Takatora about his team leader but before he could answer, Inves appears and attack them. After finishing them off, Takatora takes Kota to the location where he took Mitsuzane before as he reveals to Kota the ruins in Helheim, which shocked the latter. As they enter the ruins, Takatora explains to him about their plan and the origins of the Inves, revealing them to formerly be humans as he believes that the plants in Helheim would take over Earth. After his explanation, he then told Kota the consequences of revealing this to the public as Kota was panicking about it. Inves enters the ruins as they transform, but Gaim hesitated as they fought the Inves.

Later, Mitsuzane was upset about him discovering their secret to Kota. Takatora then tells his brother that he didn't tell Kota about their projects. After Mitsuzane leaves, Sid warned Takatora that Kota wouldn't give up easily as he reply to him that he eventually will fall into despair after learning the truth in Helheim.

Massive Crack Appears
As a Crack appears in Zawame, Ryoma was wondering if Takatora will use the Scalar System. Later, as Gaim infiltrate Yggdrasill, he appears to stop him. While fighting, Zangetsu Shin tell Gaim that he will sacrifice the citizens for a better future as Gaim protests about it. As they reach to the control room, Zangetsu Shin cancel his transformation and reveals Yuya's fate to Kota. As Kota learns that Yuya became an Inves and was also the first Inves that he defeated when he become an Armored Rider for the first time, Kota falls into despair.

Destruction of Scalar System
After causing Kota to turn to despair, Sid warns him that Kota won't be gone for long, though Takatora just ignores it. A day later, he is surprised to see Kota appear again to launch an assult on the Scalar System. He mobilizes all Kurokage Troopers to try to stop him, but thier efforts prove futile when Kota unleashes his Kachidoki Arms form. He tries to stop Gaim himself, only for the Armored Rider to use his new Dandenlier after falling off the tower and destroys the Scalar System. After leaving and being told that Gaim declares the true way to stop Helheim's madness, Zangetsu Shin can do nothing but curse him.

ToQger Vs. Kamen Rider Gaim
Even though Takatora realizes the increase number of cracks, he doesn't take it too seriously when his brother informs him about the existence of the infamous Badan Empire. Takatora soon gets a call that informs him of a giant Lion Inves that is attacking the city and fighting the ToQger's ToQ-Oh, however Takatora replies that it's impossible for Inves to grows giant and fight a robo, unaware that the giant Inves and the ToQ-Oh are fighting behind Yggdrasil headquarters. Later upon the request of his brother he searches the location of the Badan Empire.

Kamen Rider Taisen
When Mitsuzane is killed by the Showa Riders, led by legendary Kamen Rider 1/Takeshi Hongo and turned into a Lockseed, Takatora volunteers for the war between the Heisei and Showa Riders sides.

Possible Future
In a possible future, Zangetsu, with Ryugen by his side and his army of Inves and Suika Arms Armored Riders behind him, watched the battle between Gaim and Baron's armies.

Personality
Though a ruthless realist, Takatora still loves his family and spoils his younger brother, and especially cares about Mitsuzane's education. He is the most experienced and most powerful Armored Rider to date. In order to teach Gaim a lesson, who entered the Forest without his permission, without knowing that he's only looking for his friend, he brutally attacks him despite Kota having no intention to fight him to make his point - that power given by the Lockseeds and Sengoku Driver is no game, letting Kota go after clearly being the winner.

Despite his sense of realisim, he can show signs of arrogance and his wealthy upbringing has mildly affected his view of the world. He sometimes refers to the other Armored Riders as "street trash" that are beneath him and not worthy of his attention,the exception being if they directly interfere with his plans.

He also seems to have a bit of a temper when pressured, as seen when Kurokage provokes him while he was trying to reach his staff to rescue them from the Inves swarm. This caused him to have an angry outburst and unintentionally damage Ryoji's Sengoku Driver with a furious blow of sword slashes.

As stated by him back when he first encountered Gaim, he knows the Lockseeds carry a dangerous disease, which is also seen when he tries to warn Hase not to eat the immature fruit.

Arms
Like the other Armored and New Generation Riders, Kamen Rider Zangetsu/Zangetsu Shin's forms are called Arms (アームズ). All of his Japanese-themed Arms' helmets bear the title Kabuto (カブト).

Equipment

 * Transformation devices:
 * Sengoku Driver - As Zangetsu
 * Genesis Driver - As Zangetsu Shin
 * Side weapons:
 * Musou Saber - As Zangetsu
 * Sonic Arrow - As Zangetsu Shin
 * Arms Weapons:
 * Melon Defender - Zangetsu Melon Arms' personal weapon
 * Rocket Module - Zangetsu Fourze Arms' personal weapon
 * Ichigo Kunai - Zangetsu Ichigo Arms' personal weapons
 * Mango Punisher - Zangetsu Mango Arms' personal weapon
 * Budou Ryuhou - Zangetsu Budou Arms' personal weapon
 * Lockseeds - Gives access to Zangetsu/Zangetsu Shin's form changes, depending on which arm the lock is

Quotes

 * "What is your purpose of fighting? You will find your death before you'll find the answers." - Takatora encountering Gaim Pine Arms in Helheim forest.
 * "Those layabout street rats contribute nothing meaningful to society" - Takatora on the other Beat Riders.
 * "My own brother?! It can't be!... No... it's impossible!" - Takatora shocked hearing from Sid that his brother is the one who stole his Suika Lockseed and gave it to Gaim, but disbelieves it.
 * "I can't believe that trash saved my employees" - Takatora after he had exited Helheim Forest and finding out that Gaim had saved his employees from the Inves invasion.
 * "Cease this futile struggle. You have no chance of winning." - Takatora in Zangetsu Shin suit during his battle against Baron.
 * "Yggdrasill is a powerful organization. Do you think lackeys like you could be able to topple down our organization?" - Takatora after beating Kaito before Kaito is seized and captured by Kurokage Troopers.
 * "Mitzusane .....you are..."- Takatora witnessing Mitsuzane via a monitored screen transforming into Armored Rider Ryugen.
 * "One man's hatred can destroy hundreds of people's good will." - Takatora to Kota following his discovery about mysterious ancient ruin inside the Helheim forest.
 * "I don't blame you. You have to fight or you would have been killed. You found hope from the sacrifice of your former friend. You're free to abandon it and fall into despair" - Takatora after showing Kota a recording of him as Gaim unintentionally killing Yuya Sumii.

List of Appearances

 * Kamen Rider Gaim
 * 2, 4-23
 * Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle
 * Kamen Rider Gaim: Sengoku Battle Royale
 * Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai
 * Ressha Sentai ToQger Vs. Kamen Rider Gaim Spring Vacation Combining Special

Portrayal
Takatora Kureshima is portrayed by Yuki Kubota (久保田 悠来), who previously portrayed Kakashi in Garo: Soukoku no Maryu.

As Kamen Rider Zangetsu, his suit actor is Jun Watanabe (渡辺 淳), who was previously the suit actor for Kamen Rider Beast, Phoenix and White Wizard in Kamen Rider Wizard.