Graphite

"Cultivate."

- Graphite's pre-battle catchphrase before transforming into his true Bugster form

Graphite (グラファイト) is one of the main villains of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. As a Bugsters executive alongside Parad, his main goal is to annihilate the human race. Armed with the Gashacon Bugvisor, it is Graphite who is responsible for spreading the Bugster virus to infect victims, the first before him was Kuroto Dan.

Origin
Graphite was one of the Bugsters who spawned as a result of Zero Day, born from the Drago Knight Hunter Z game and Saki Momose. During the Zero Day, Graphite faced Taiga Hanaya as Kamen Rider Snipe and successfully defeated him. By defeating the Doctor Rider, Graphite finally gained his perfect (Permanent) form, draining Saki's life force in the process.

Spreading the Bugsters
Graphite reported a new Bugster infection to Parad, proclaiming that they would soon be joined by an influx of comrades.

Continuing the spread, Graphite asked Parad if he was sure that they should not be acting directly, to which Parad conceded that he may as well introduce himself as he set off.

Catching up with his old nemesis, Taiga Hanaya, Graphite was stopped short of settling what began five years ago by Parad, who dared Taiga to clear the most games and become the strongest Kamen Rider before the two departed.

To create the next Bugster, Graphite infected coroner Yoshitaka Nishiwaki, kidnapping Niskiwaki's sister Riko to aggravate his stress.

Graphite was a central part of the Bugster's next scheme. In his human form, he "stole" the four Level 3 Gashats from Genm Corp. and infected Yoko Horiuchi with both the Gekitotsu Robots and DoReMiFa Beat Bugster strains.

Shamed by Brave
Graphite intruded on Dan's VR simulation, seeking to test himself as well. Questioned by Dan as to why he almost spoiled his identity as Genm, Graphite replied that no one cared about that. This vexed Dan who transformed into Genm Action Gamer from Level 1 Level 2, proceeding to prepare his Critical Strike finisher. Graphite asked him if he was serious about this to which Dan replied that he definitely was. Enduring Genm's Critical Strike, Graphite was defeated and so the simulation ended.

Back at Genm Corp., Graphite was still resentful following his defeat at the hands of Brave. Dan told him that he could have intervened but chose not to as a punishment for Graphite having ignored their plan and acted on his own accord. As well as that, Dan confiscated the Gashacon Bugvisor from Graphite for his own use. Graphite confronted Dan on Lazer being aware that he is Kamen Rider Genm only for Dan to retort that he had no proof while Parad told Graphite to calm down as the next game was beginning.

Drago Evolution
Eavesdropping on Parad and Dan in the CEO's office, Graphite overheard Parad's warning that the Proto Gashats, while granting unlimited power, would eventually destroy their user. Willing to take this risk for greater power, Graphite later went to Dan's empty office and took the Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat for himself, unknowingly seen by Parad from a distance. Stepping out, Graphite, proclaiming to himself that he held the power to take the world now, triggered the Proto Gashat. Stabbing the Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z into his chest, Graphite cackled manically as orange and black streams of energy were released.

Last Plague
Following his evolution, Graphite personally confronted CR founder Kyotaro Hinata, whom he infected with a specially potent black Bugster Virus from the Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z. Vowing that the leader of his obstacles would become a sacrifice to his allies, Graphite took his leave as Hinata was rushed to care. Confronted by Ex-Aid and Brave as they embarked to save Hinata in the Game Area, Graphite revealed his new Dark form. Engaging the pair alongside the dragon Bugster Union formed within Hinata, Graphite easily overwhelmed the two Level 1 Riders because escaping with the dragon. Proceeding to create an army of new Bugster allies, Graphite dispersed his new potent virus across the general populace resulting in a mass epidemic. Confronted again by Ex-Aid now alone, Graphite engaged him again in the Game Area only to be met by Brave as Ex-Aid faced the now matured dragon. Having been given the refined Drago Knight Hunter Z by Dan, Ex-Aid unlocked the Gashat's power by taking down the dragon. Faced with Ex-Aid at his strongest yet as he assumed Hunter Action Gamer Level 5 Full Dragon himself, Dark Graphite unleashed his Dragon Fang of Rage only to have his technique overcome and beaten back by the out of control Level 5 Rider who was soon forced out of his transformation.

With Ex-Aid was suspended from the Game Area, Graphite easily overpowered Snipe Combat Shooting Gamer Level 3 and Brave Quest Gamer - restricted to Level 2 with DoReMiFa Beat in Snipe's possession - as well as the late arrival of Lazer Chambara Bike Gamer Level 3, defeating the three divided Riders with the Dragon Fang of Rage. That night, Graphite observed with glee as cases of his virus continued to emerge and paralyze the populace with fear, looking forward to the prospect of soon subjugating humanity.

First Death
"I will never be defeated!"

- Graphite's last words before his final attack and defeat

Ultimately, however, Graphite was drawn to the Game Area for the last time as he was met by all four of his Kamen Rider opponents, Ex-Aid having overcome his rivals to lead them in a temporary team-up as they used the quartered Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat to each arm themselves with a piece of the Hunter Gamer. Though the four rival Riders found it difficult to fight in unison, they were nevertheless able to overcome their common enemy as they endured his Dragon Fang of Rage together. but the Riders easily block it. At least, each Rider struck to finish Graphite, triggering four Drago Knight Critical Strikes and firing a cavalcade of energy blasts; Graphite used his Graphite Fang blade to deflect as many of the attacks as he could, but eventually they got through and thus Drago Knight Hunter Z was cleared as Graphite was finally destroyed.

Post-mortem
With Graphite eliminated, the Bugster Virus that he had inflicted upon Kyotaro Hinata and numerous civilians was negated. The Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z was salvaged by Parad back in the real world; little did Graphite know, he had served as a pawn in the grand scheme of Kuroto Dan, which Parad was in on. Dan had infact allowed Graphite to take the Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z so as to finish the data collection he was performing with the Gashats through Graphite's ensuing fight with the Kamen Riders whom he provided with the refined Drago Knight Hunter Z. With the test performed, Phase One was completed and Dan moved to the next stage.

The Bugster Horde
Dark Graphite was part of an perpetually reviving army of Bugsters which emerged in the real world as a result of Kuroto Dan's plot to revive in the Game World. This endless horde was held off by Kamen Riders Brave and Snipe, sharing the Gashat Gear Dual β and Hunter Gamer between each other, while Emu was sent from CR to the Game World to stop Dan. Ultimately, the Bugster horde was suddenly dissipated in an instant as the destruction of the Game World brought about by Kazuma Kenzaki thwarted Dan's ambition to revive.

Kamen Rider Chronicle
As Parad takes over the completion of Kamen Rider Chronicle after Kuroto's death, he revives Graphite using data from the Bugvisor. Graphite, along with a brainwashed Poppy Pipopapo, are the final two Bugsters used to complete the data for Kamen Rider Chronicle.

Personality
"Fine with me. I'll smash you all up."

- Graphite's message to the four Riders, in the final battle before his first death

Unlike Parad, Graphite likes battle more than anything else and prefers to approach things more directly than Parad. However, he has no problem to follow his lead, showing great discipline and self-control. But strangely enough, he is later shown to be extremely impatient with Parad and his battle hungry traits become more prominent although that could be attributed to the Riders constant interference wearing out his patience. Unlike Parad, he's loyal to his race, and was upset when a Bugster was destroyed by the Kamen Riders. Eventually, his impatience resulting him in stealing Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat and using it to become Dark Graphite, before being destroyed by the Kamen Riders.

Equipment

 * Gashacon Bugvisor - Transformation & virus infection device. Originally Genm's standard side-weapon until Genm confiscated from Graphite, who later used it along with Bugster Buckle as his secondary transformation into Zombie Gamer Level X.
 * Bugster Buckle - First Bugster form only. Never been used in any means
 * Graphite Fang (グラファイトファング) - Graphite's personal double-bladed pole-arm weapon.
 * Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat - Secondary transformation & virus infection device.

Portrayal
Graphite is voiced, and later portrayed, by Shouma Machii (町井 祥真). As Graphite Bugster, his suit actor is Kazuya Okada (岡田 和也).

Etymology
to be added