Shuichi Kitaoka

Shuichi Kitaoka (北岡 秀一) is Kamen Rider Zolda (仮面ライダーゾルダ), a character in the production Kamen Rider Ryuki. He is the fourth of the 13 Kamen Riders the story revolves around. However, he served as the third main Rider in the series.

History
He is a self-proclaimed "Super-lawyer", tends to only help someone if he has something to gain. Because he has a terminal case of cancer and was given only several more months to live, Kitaoka accepted Kanzaki's offer to join the Rider war. His prize is to be immortal so that he could continue his extravagant lifestyle. Because of his illness, he suffers from frequent dizzy spells and fainting.

He first meets Shinji Kido after he clears the Sakura Company of its credit fraud charges and is later pursued by its bookies after taking their dirty money as added payment for his services. Though Shinji was unaware of this at first, he attempts to save Kitaoka only to be rescued by his apprentice Goro Yura. Shinji later meets Kitaoka again when he and Reiko wanted permission from the Kawazu Pharmacy to inspect their factory for environmental violations. Interested in Shinji, Kitaoka allows Shinji to hang around with him and understand his ideology until Shinji hit a nerve of Kitaoka's thought to live for one's own desire seemed hollow made Kitaoka kick him out.

Later, after attacking Kamen Rider Ryuki just as Ryuki kills a Zebraskull, Kitaoka learns that Shinji is in jail for suspected kidnapping and agrees to help him on the condition that Reiko writes a special article to boost his positive image. However, learning that Shinji's Ryuki with seeing the wound he inflicted in their fight, Kitaoka goes to Atori Cafe to get his pay from Ren. However, when a Wildboarder attacks, Kitaoka exposes himself while learning that Ren is a Rider - Kamen Rider Knight - as well. After fighting him, Kitaoka questions Ren's reasons for not killing Shinji. Kitaoka had intended to frame Shinji for kidnapping but after being fired as Shinji's lawyer when his intentions were revealed, Kitaoka is annoyed that Shinji is freed because of a girl named Yukari whom he brushed off while refusing to aid her. But after learning that her mother is hospitalized, Kitaoka secretly pays for her mother's surgery and earns the girl's respect. However, Zolda manages to sneak attack Ryuki and Knight while they were fighting the Wildboarder with Magnugiga, killing the monster while giving Ren memory loss in the overkill attack.

Kitaoka later gives Goro use of Zolda for a while to conceal himself, until get sets up a scheme of having Shinji believe he accidentally killed Goro to have him quit being a Rider. But his arrogance of barring ORE from a press conference to spite Reiko led to her helping Ren expose the lawyer as the real Zolda. After bailing out the son of one of his clients, Jun Shibaura, Kitaoka drops his long time client Takeshi Asakura out being tired of the man's attitude, leading Asakura receiving aid from Kanzaki. Eventually the two found out they were both Riders and they began a personal feud against each other. Though Shinji would attempt to warn him of this while under the effect of Kamen Rider Odin's Time Vent, Kitaoka faked helping Shinji and later states that fulfilling his wish to win the Rider War is more important than Asakura staying behind bars.

As the war goes on, Kitaoka becomes weaker and weaker. He begins to have doubts whether he can truly win the war. He also grows to care for Shinji, unwilling to fight him when he saw that, while Shinji requested to fight, his heart wasn't in it.

Kitaoka was the only Rider to voluntarily give up the fight rather than be killed, realizing that while his life was a short life, it was a good one. While he died in peace at his home, Goro went to fight against Ouja in his place as Zolda; Goro, not used to Zolda's long-range style, died with Asakura learning too late that he is denied taking Kitaoka's life himself. After Kanzaki restored time to its proper course after Yui's death, Kitaoka and Goro were both given a second chance at life, though it was never revealed if Kitaoka still has cancer or not. Although in Rider Time: Ryuki, it is implied by Goro that Kitaoka still has cancer and eventually passed away, hence why Goro becoming Zolda in place of Kitaoka.

Hyper Battle Video - Ryuki vs Agito
Zolda, Knight and Ouja fighting the rest back. They apologize for being late; when Ryuki accuses Ouja of being a villain, they all claim that as Kamen Riders they are the protectors of humanity, all completely out of character. They rush in to keep fighting the Monsters as Ryuki stands in confusion, but he eventually joins in. As they fight the monsters down, explosions knock them all back, and the mysterious figure appears, named by Knight as Kamen Rider Agito, and by Zolda as the ruler of the "Miracle World". Burning Agito attacks them with fire before a gold figure jumps in, introducing himself as the real Kamen Rider Agito, saying Burning Form is a Miracle World illusion. The five Riders strike a pose and rush forward to fight the Fake Agito and his Mirror Monsters. the real Agito appears in Ground Form and teams up with Kamen Rider Ryuki, who imitates Agito's Rider Kick to destroy the imposter. In the end, this is revealed to be Shinji's dream.

Advent Calendar
With the Rider War reaching its climax, Ryuki, Knight, Ouja, Zolda and Odin are the surviving Riders left. While Ouja is fighting Knight, he crushes him under some rubble. Ryuki shows up and challenges Ouja into a fight. Using the Survive Shippu card he stole from Knight, Ouja transforms into his Survive form, with Venosnaker evolving into Venoviper.

Kitaoka shows up saying that he knew "something weird" was going on in Mirror World, since he was in his car when its windscreen just cracked. He transforms into Zolda, summons Magnugiga and performs the End of World, killing Ouja, Genosurviver and himself.

Rider War
Kamen Rider Zolda appears with other Kamen Riders commanded by Wataru Kurenai, but all are murdered by Decade in the episode 1 of Kamen Rider Decade in the dream of Natsumi Hikari and then concluded the dream with Decade as only Rider in the Rider War.

The Destroyer of Worlds
In the special version of episode 31, Kamen Rider Zolda is seen on top of Zero-Liner, using his Final Vent against Decade's Final Attack Ride. They were presumably restored after the destruction (and subsequent revival) of Decade ended the Rider War and the worlds were restored.

OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders
Kamen Rider Zolda was 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 × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen
He, along with Kamen Rider Knight, Kamen Rider Black, Kamen Rider G3, Kamen Rider Hibiki and Kamen Rider Gatack were the Kamen Rider team to be defeated by the hands of Gokai Red. It's unknown if he reappeared or not during the final battle.

Chou Super Hero Taisen
An iteration of Shuichi Kitaoka/Kamen Rider Zolda was selected to join Team Ex-Aid, formed and led by Emu Hojo to fight for the title of Kamen Sentai Gorider in the Chou Super Hero Taisen tournament. Facing the in the first round, Zolda bested. Ultimately, Team Ex-Aid faced off against Team Genm, led by Kamen Rider Genm Zombie Gamer Level X, in the final round. Zolda engaged and defeated Kamen Rider Ryugen, with the team prevailing as Ex-Aid bested Genm. Upon completing the tournament, Zolda became Mido-Rider, as Team Ex-Aid were granted the form of Kamen Sentai Gorider, allowing them to use the Rider Hurricane together to destroy the Andor Genesis mothership. Their objective achieved, Momotaros and the other Game World teammates returned to their card forms and left while Emu's Aka-Rider transformation reverted to Robot Action Gamer Level 3 as he was left to face the Chou Shocker Taisen.

During the final battle against the Shocker army from the Game World, Kamen Rider Brave, who had acquired the cards from his Game World counterpart, summoned Ex-Aid's teammates again to back him up in his fight against the Oogumo Great Leader. Unfortunately, the quartet did not last long before being defeated, however, Ex-Aid would ultimately vanquish Shocker Leader III alongside the.

Advent Again
"You..I remenber you were a Kitaoka lackey"

- Takeshi Asakura Works to Goro as Zolda Shuichi Kitaoka is only mentioned by Takeshi Asakura when Kamen Rider Zolda appears believing it was but in reality is Goro,Asakura with his memories he says to Gora that this is Kiaoka Butler.

Another Alternative
Kitaoka is mentioned ,when Asakura account that was Kitaoka's enemy. He thought that Kitaoka may "turn in his grave" should he know Goro was his servant. Asakura admitted he had never actually hated Kitaoka, but it was Kitaoka who hated him. He then remarked that "hatred is a thing that you can trust".

Alive A Life
"I will fulfill the last will of the Kitaoka master"

- Goro works before transforming to Zolda

Kitaoka is last mentioned by Goro that in reality He keeps all his memories all this time,Goro and Asakura they died from the final attack that they launched at each other disappearing from the mirror world.

Kamen Rider Buttobasoul
Kamen Rider Zolda is a playable character in Kamen Rider Buttobasoul.

Equipment

 * Advent Deck - Transformation device and Advent Card holder
 * V-Buckle - Transformation belt
 * Advent Cards - Trinkets that enable a Rider to summon Contract Monsters, access equipment, and use special abilities
 * Magna Visor - Zolda's Visor and personal weapon that enables him to use Advent Cards
 * Typhoon- MidoRider's transformation belt

Vehicles

 * Ride Shooter - Motorcycle used by any Rider to enter the Mirror World

Portrayal
Shuichi Kitaoka is portrayed by Ryohei (涼平). As Kamen Rider Zolda, his suit actor was Yoshifumi Oshikawa (押川 善文), Yasuhiro Takeuchi (竹内 康博 Takeuchi Yasuhiro).

Mido-Rider Conception

 * Mido-Rider's design is a hybrid based on of the  and Kamen Rider New 2.
 * As the green, Mido-Rider's helmet shares the same shade of green as those of the Double Riders' iconic costumes.

In other media

 * Zolda's V-Buckle and Visor toy were used in one chapter of the World God Only Knows in the Swimming Girl Arc.