Kazuma Kenzaki

1= "Tachibana! Why are you watching? Tachibana...have you really betrayed us?!"

- Kenzaki's infamous quote

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

- Kenzaki 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. He considers himself to have no more allies, and has also viewed himself to be technically "dead". His ruthlessness led him to even go so far as to attempt to kill Decade without any mercy. However, despite his cold personality, he still fights for justice as a Kamen Rider whenever he can, showing that there is still good left in 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.

In a possible future hundreds of years later, as depicted in the Blade novel, 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. However, this does not seem to make any sense, considering how he had already viewed himself as dead much earlier on, meaning it would be pointless to even try to find a way to kill himself in the first place.

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 that destroying 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. Kamen Rider Blade was claimed to be imprisoned by Tachibana during their infiltration to Shocker's base. However, it was revealed to be a lie as Tachibana was already an evil rider alongside Kenzaki. But soon Kenzaki alongside Tachibana, Hajime, and Mitsuki had their hearts changed despite still brainwashed after they couldn't accept how Shocker treated its own allies and aiding Drive.

After Takeshi Hongo and Hayato Ichimonji broke free from the Rider Robo, their brainwashing was fully destroyed. Once the timeline has been restored, it is unknown what happened to Kenzaki.

Kamen Rider Ghost: Legendary! Riders' Souls!
Despite not appearing in the web-exclusive series, Ghost can use the power of 16 Heisei Riders, including Blade, with the Heisei Rider Damashii in the final episode.

Kamen Rider Ex-Aid "Tricks": Kamen Rider Genm
Despite not appearing in the web-exclusive series, Blade and 13 Heisei Riders were the projections of the Ganbarizing Critical Strike.

Kamen Sentai Gorider
Blade is one of five dead riders who have been brought into another dimension, along with a still alive Emu Hojo. Though Kazuma is technically still alive as an Undead, he considers losing his humanity to be his "death".

As it turns out, however, Kenzaki isn't who he appears to be as he stabs Emu in the abdomen with his Blay Rouzer. Before Emu narrowly escapes with his life, "Kenzaki" drops his disguise and reveals himself to Emu. Kuroto Dan turns out to be the one disguising himself as the Undead Kamen Rider, but the real Kenzaki eventually shows up to help the heroes and also still alive as the mirror reflection reflects himself, having found the "impossible" Game World's entrance in CR by sensing Kuroto's use of Undead powers. Due to Kenzaki being the only Joker Undead within the Game World, the rules of the Undead Battle Fight applied to the Game World and began its destruction. During the final fight against Genm and Totema, Blade and the other four deceased Kamen Riders are given the Gorider's cards to become Kamen Sentai Gorider, with Kenzaki becoming Ao-Rider. At the conclusion of the fight, Blade stops Ex-Aid from saving the four deceased Kamen Riders as they sacrifice themselves to stop Genm. Both he and Ex-Aid escape the Game World right after Genm's defeat. Though it's unknown what happened to Kenzaki afterwards, it can be assumed he left CR right after returning to the real world.

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. In this game, his gameplay has been updated:
 * Cancellable Rouze Card access from normal/special moves or another cancellable Rouze Card based-moves.
 * An aerial Royal Straight Flush special replaces Helm Breaker

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.

Device

 * Blay Buckle: Primary transformation belt
 * Chalice Rouzer: Transformation belt as the Joker Undead
 * 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

Rouze Combos
(Note: if you want to read about Blade King Form's finishers, go here: King Rouzer

(Jack) Lightning Slash This combo allows Blade to excute a deadly slash supplemented with lightning from his Blay Rouzer. In Jack Form, this combo's strength is increased by his flying ability.
 * Cards required: Thunder Deer (6) + Slash Lizard (2)

Lightning Blast Blade's signature card combo. This allows him to excute a flying side kick supplemented with lightning.
 * Cards required: Kick Locust (5) + Thunder Deer (6)

Lightning Sonic This combo enhances the Lighting Blast combo with the Mach Jaguar card's speed and agility boosting.
 * Cards required: Kick Locust (5) + Thunder Deer (' 6)' + Mach Jaguar (9)

Mach-Slash Combo This combo allows Blade to slash with his Blay Rouzer at lightning-fast speeds. Was used once in OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders: ~Let's Look! Only Your 48 Riders~ to slice and ground vegetables.
 * Cards required: Mach Jaguar (9) + Slash Lizard (2)

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 voiced his character in Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 2010. As a child, he was portrayed by Takumi Kagawa (香川 拓海). As Kamen Rider Blade, his suit actor was Seiji Takaiwa (高岩 成二), who has been the suit actor for the majority of the 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.

Memes surrounding the other main characters (Sakuya Tachibana, Hajime Aikawa and Mutsuki Kamijo) have since spawned among Japanese fans, and have been referenced in many parodies uploaded online.