Chase (Drive)

Chase (チェイス) is one of the main characters in the series, Kamen Rider Drive. As a Roidmude that is not under the promised numbered 108 labeled as Proto-Zero (プロトゼロ), Chase was the original Kamen Rider prior and during the events of Global Freeze. After being subdued, Chase was forcefully reprogrammed and experimented on by Heart, Brain, and Freeze. After Global Freeze, he becomes a puppet of the numbered Roidmudes tasked to fight against the second Kamen Rider under the Kamen Rider-like form, Mashin Chaser (魔進チェイサー). However, Chase slowly regains pieces of his memories and resists the alterations made to him by the other Roidmudes to the point where he ultimately decides to start over, joining his successor and former mentor Krim Steinbelt in their cause to defeat the Roidmude as Kamen Rider Chaser (仮面ライダーチェイサー).

Global Freeze
Chase was originally an assistant to Krim Steinbelt and the original user of the Drive Driver, under the name Kamen Rider Protodrive (仮面ライダープロトドライブ). Prior to Global Freeze, he and Krim tested out Drive's power, but shortly realized that Drive was still underpowered to fight against a Low-Class Bat Roidmude and is unable to destroy their cores. When Global Freeze is initiated, Chase mobilizes all available Shift Cars to aid him against the armada of Roidmudes, saving Kiriko Shijima, but was later defeated by Heart.

With his Shift Speed Prototype Car confiscated by Heart, he eventually is re-programmed by Brain, taking the name Chase and receives powers based off Protodrive, assuming the identity of Mashin Chaser. He is then employed as an overseer/bounty hunter to Roidmudes and will destroy their bodies (but not their cores) in the events that they become a liability.

It was later revealed that Heart and Freeze had also played a part in reprogramming Chase, when Chase used the prototype Speed Shift Car in the Break Gunner to regain his past memories.

As Mashin Chaser
Chase appears before Heart and Brain after the destruction of the Iron Roidmude at the hands of Shinnosuke Tomari, the new Kamen Rider Drive. He is sent to find the one who destroyed the Roidmude and eliminate him.

After he and his comrades incapacitate and gained the rogue Roidmude 051's Core, Chase face Drive for the first time, demonstrating his abilities which Mr. Belt noting it to that of Protodrive. Soon, he would face the Kamen Rider again during the incidents of Paint Roidmude, Crush Roidmude and Scooper Roidmude. However, out of all the conflicts, Chase began to question himself ever since he saw Kiriko for the first time when she shielded an untransformed Shinnosuke from being killed, causing him to be fixated on her. Nonetheless, whenever he faced Drive, he was always defeated after Drive's arsenal grew over time.

During the Dark Eve event, Chase failed to fulfill Brain's orders to defeat Drive and hence was poisoned by Brain. This revealed his Roidmude form, bearing the number 000, which Chase notes that he has never seen it before. He questions Heart about this, only for Heart to answer that Chase was a great warrior, and that zero is a privileged number. Despite Chase's mental breakdown, the Roidmude's main goal was accomplished: to revive Medic. Mr. Belt, saw Chase's Roidmude form through the Shift Cars.

Discovered past and re-brainwashed
"I am...a Kamen Rider?"

- Chase learns his true identity.

Chase began to receive memories of rescuing Kiriko and the voice of Krim Steinbelt. As the Ride Macher and Ride Chaser combined into the Ride Crosser for the first time, Chase wondered why, until Brain came forward and explained that he was the warrior who fought the Roidmudes during the Global Freeze, Protodrive. With Chase's mind in ruins, Brain was going to dispose of him, however, Medic came up with a sinister plan: brainwashing Chase, making him robotic and emotionless. In this state, Chase became a ruthless killer, even to humans (a moral line that he would not cross).

Soon Medic reveals that instead of resetting Chase/Proto-Zero's memory, she altered his main programming code to defend Roidmudes rather than humans, given that Proto-Zero's base programming cannot be erased. The only downside was that Chase could no longer perform his original duty of a Grim Reaper, which is also the reason why Chase really cares about the Roidmudes. Due to this, Chase now only works on defending the Advanced Roidmudes while his Grim Reaper role being handed to Medic's latest division, Reaper Legion. In similar cases, Chase would even form a rivalry with Go Shijima/Kamen Rider Mach, a youth whom greatly bears a strong hatred for Roidmudes and their races, including Chase, regardless of his previous background as Protodrive.

In order to settle his rivalry with Drive, Chase had demonstrated another trick of his sleeve, such as triggering the Ride Crosser combination. Furthered by his remodeling by Medic, all of them (minus Brain) strikes a plan to eliminate Drive. They first staged the "deaths" of human templates that past Roidmudes used as their human disguises, in order to lure Drive into mobilizing the Shift Cars for investigation. Once mobilized, they were quickly captured and enthralled by Medic to be Chase's assistants. After delaying Mach with Heart, Chase confronted Shinnosuke/Drive, overpowering him with the enslaved Shift Cars. Mashin Chaser later demonstrated his superiority by trapping the rider in Super Heavy Acceleration, bludgeoning Drive into submission, even leaving Type Dead Heat useless. Chaser later executed Triple Tune, attacking Drive with the enslaved Shift Cars rammed into him, until Drive revealed himself to have survived from the blaze and rose as Type Formula. Drive's new form easily counters the Super Heavy Acceleration, encapsulated all of the rogue Shift Cars and later cleared a path for escape through activating a Full Throttle finisher. Chase, irritated that he has been bested by Kamen Rider once again, agrees with Medic's plan to fight against Drive once more by kidnapping Kiriko to use as a hostage, revealing in the process that all the previously eliminated human templates were actually clone thralls of Medic. However, due to Mach's interference and with Brain's tampering of Medic's reprogramming, Chase temporarily regains his former self only to be reprogrammed again after rejecting the act of taking human hostages with disgust. This new round of brainwashing maximizes his destructive nature, allowing Chase to kill anyone without regret.

Chase draws out Shinnosuke by attacking the city, prompting Shinnosuke to fight Chase once more. However, thanks to the completed Trailer-Hou and Type Formula, Mashin Chaser is finally and truly defeated, as made apparent by his core's destruction. Yet later, Kiriko found Chase alive underneath a bridge on the way home.

At an abandoned building, Kiriko uses Shift Car Mad Doctor inside the Break Gunner to heal his wounds. The next day at night, Chase awakens and asks if she was the one who rescued him. Kiriko responds by saying he did, and that she owed him one. Later on, Chase leaves his bed and takes a stroll outside with the flower from Kiriko in hand. While wandering around, Kiriko sought his help for a sample of an Advanced Roidmude. Chase forced himself to fulfill her wish, leaving her a piece of Mashin Chaser's Violet Guard.

Redemption and Reborn as Kamen Rider
Despite regaining his memories, Chase was still lost: He's torn between the Roidmudes and the Kamen Rider sides of his nature. Shinnosuke attacked Heart with Drive Type Dead Heat for interfering with their talk. Just when Shinnosuke was about to win, Chaser transformed and attacked Shinnosuke, injuring him critically on his right hand. However, Chase started to shake for his regret of harming a human, the only thing he wanted to avoid due to his programming. He became frustrated because he couldn't decide what is the best for him since not only he doesn't want to injure humans, he also can't take seeing Heart being killed. Heart noticed the confusion that Chase was showing and despite knowing that Chase would fight against him, Heart advised Chase to not think too much and do what he must and returning his Proto Speed Shift Car, leaving him. Soon, while Chase was still wandering around near the river, Ride Chaser came to him and brought him a small briefcase which contained a Mach Driver and the Signal Chaser. With that, Chase finally decided to redeem himself once more as Kamen Rider Chaser, rescuing Kiriko and destroyed Sword Roidmude without killing its host. Afterwards, unknown to him not all people are glad to learn of his return, though only Go still hates him. He is later wandering around the city still wondering if this is for the best.

The Beginning Duel of the Bike Riders and Regaining Lost Memories
Chase, being called in by Kiriko to save her brother, rushes to his aid with the Ride Booster. However, despite saving the latter, Go attacks Chase. Despite this, Chase, refusing to fight against a fellow Rider, undoes his transformation causing Shinnosuke to intervene to stop Go.

Later, Chase aids Shinnosuke in an operation that will remove his suspension on becoming Kamen Rider Drive, accepting the role gladly for saving him from Go in their previous encounter. Chase infiltrates the Special Investigation Office and attacks Nira in an attempt to allow Shinnosuke to transform to save the latter's life. Though Nira allows for Shinnosuke to transform, Nira faints. Chase would later face against Go once more and continues to refuse to fight against him, questioning if his mission is more important than his family. After Shinnosuke defeats Roidmude 050, Chase ponders to himself the importance of a family.

During the case where the killer of Shinnosuke's father, Negishi, is brought up, Chase intervenes in a fight where Shinnosuke's desire for revenge clouds his judgment to protect people. Though the Roidmude gets away thanks to the interference of Go who attacks both the Riders, Shinnosuke thanks Chase for helping him realize once more on what it's like to be a Kamen Rider. Helping out at the Special Investigation Unit office, he realizes that Roidmude 001's ability to alter memories is not permanent and quickly concludes that Go must also be under the influence of him. Encountering Go once more, Chase swiftly defeats him and confirms his suspicion that Go is being influenced (being his memories was altered by 001). After aiding to defeat Negishi and the Open Roidmude, Chase alerts Kiriko on the situation of Go and receives back his Proto Speed Shift Car. Upon inserting it to the Break Gunner, Chase overloads and displays a projection of his last moments before being forcefully tortured and retooled, revealing the identity of 001 to Shinnosuke and Kiriko.

The Mysterious Super Evolution
Chase later tried to learn the plot of 001 by re-reading his past memory and learned that they were planning to create another new evolution. He soon arrived to halt the Reaper Legion from interfering Shinnosuke's battle with 001, who would later evolved into Freeze. After defeating them, he was attacked from behind by a still-manipulated Go as Mach.

After the death of Shinnouske, he proceeds to go to try and save Go, but also double as more or less a suicide mission to take down the Roidmude commanders to avenge his fallen ally. The container with the substance to fix those with altered memories is destroyed (and notable during this, the hand Freeze blasted, Chase is seen bleeding from it). Despite his best efforts, Freeze is easily able to overwhelm him along with assistance from Mach.

Luckily for him, Go reveals he faked having his memories re-written and gives himself and Chase cover to escape.

Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Drive & Gaim: Movie War Full Throttle
NOTE: The following events take place between episodes 9 and 10

When both Zoruku Tojo and Megahex arises, Chase, as well as other Roidmudes are surprised that their powers fell into the hands of more powerful figures. Believing that their technology only fits for the Roidmude race, Chase (and eventually other Roidmudes as well) was forced to form an alliance with Drive to stop the threat.

Chase also becomes one of the victims of the alterations to time made by Shocker, permanently making him Mashin Chaser. He intruded and attacked Drive and other Riders during the Rider Grand Prix, only to be defeated by Kamen Rider Black RX and the Ridoron.

Personality
Protodrive="Those who are about to die do not need to know my name."

- Protodrive's pre-fight catchphrase

Chaser="What are you doing? Isn't it a Kamen Rider's job to protect humans?!"

- Chaser reminding Drive of his duty.

As Kamen Rider Protodrive and Kamen Rider Chaser
During his early days as Protodrive, Chase portrayed himself as a servant and ally to the Drive Driver. Stoic and almost emotionless, he disliked answering his enemies' questions and had a habit of saying so before defeating them.

Since departing ways with his Roidmude brethren, Chase's personality is almost identical to that depicted in his initial appearance as Protodrive, silent and almost emotionless, striving to protect humans, even those who also seek to destroy him. Although the reason is unknown, Chase is shown to have no remorse or guilt in destroying his former Roidmude allies.

Despite telling others that he does not understand concepts like fear or family, Chase worries about his comrades, particularly Kiriko, lying to her to not make her worried. Over time, Chase slowly befriends the Special Investigation Unit, aiding them from time to time, helping with cases. Taking his Kamen Rider duty to heart, Chase prioritizes the safety of the people and reminded Shinnosuke of this when the latter prioritized revenge. Though Chase for a short while, thought to himself that Go Shijima was not a true Kamen Rider due to his recklessness and ego, he changed his mind after learning that Go aligned himself with the Roidmudes temporarily to obtain information on them and to steal the tablet that contains vast information on Roidmudes.

As Mashin Chaser
After being rebooted as Mashin Chaser, he adopted an enforcer-like persona, protecting Roidmudes and eliminated those who disobeyed orders. Due to his job, he is feared by all Roidmudes, thus granted the title Grim Reaper which he believes is unfit since he can't destroy their Cores.

Since Brain's reprogramming on him was crudely done via removal of his memories as Protodrive, Chase eventually struggled with several portions of his old memories (especially of Kiriko) after several fights with Drive that nearly drives him insane, which only worsened when Brain revealed the whole truth. After Medic rebooted him, Chase had become more sinister than before. Despite retaining his original memories, he believed that he had finally "freed" himself from becoming humanity's tool, but only to be revealed that he has no such thing in mind as it was the result of Medic tampering with his base programming. Because of this, Chase also lost the ability to become the Grim Reaper to the Roidmudes.

Despite her efforts, Medic's effort to brainwash him would not keep him under the Roidmude's leash for long. Shortly after receiving "extra aid" (Brain's toxin), which undermined his previous programming, under the belief that it would help in his final confrontation against Drive, Chase's memories began acting up once more and it promptly causes him to be fixated on Kiriko again, and eventually remembered his true base programming.

"Kamen Rider is humanity's protector. There's no value in defeating him in his human form."

- Chase rejects Brain's plans of exposing Drive's identity.

His most notable and consistent trait throughout his entire tenure with the Roidmudes is his sense of honor. He flat out refused to advance the Roidmude cause using underhanded tactics and would only fight his earnest with the Kamen Riders. He goes so far as to avoid having to drag humans into his fights, challenging the riders face to face and only fighting them when they are transformed.

The only time his sense of honor was tarnished was when Medic changed his programmings to suit her needs. Chase would come to realize this in his encounter against Go Shijima when Medic's programming was temporarily undone and again after surviving his "death" against Shinnosuke Tomari, while bearing a huge sense of guilt when witnessing Kiriko nursing him even after the misdeeds he had done before.

Equipment

 * Core Driviars: Kamen Rider Protodrive/(Mashin) Chaser's power source
 * Core Driviar-0: Protodrive/Mashin Chaser's power source, a prototype of the Core Driviars
 * Core Driviar-ONE: Kamen Rider Chaser's power source, which enable him to create Super Heavy Acceleration based on his Roidmude form's upgrade

Devices

 * Kamen Rider Protodrive
 * Drive Driver: Belt-based transformation device
 * Shift Brace: Bracelet-based transformation device
 * Mashin Chaser
 * Break Gunner: Transformation device and personal weapon
 * Viral Cores: Gives access to Mashin Chaser's forms and powers, depending on which car is used. As Protodrive, it allowed him to read the memories of the Roidmude the Core came from, provided it wasn't severely damaged.
 * Shift Cars: As he was formerly the previous Drive, he can use them in his Break Gunner and upgrade his projectiles with their powers. He temporarily gained possession of the Tire Exchange Shift Cars after Medic brainwashed them, but can also simply grab them from the air if Drive summons them first.
 * Kamen Rider Chaser
 * Mach Driver Honoh: Transformation device, created by Rinna via reverse-engineering from the original one
 * Signal Bikes: Gives access to Kamen Rider Chaser's forms and powers, depending on which bike is used

Weapons

 * Mashin Chaser
 * E-Circular: Mashin Chaser's tire in his Tune Chaser forms, unfolding into an animal-based weapon.
 * Fang Spidey: Tune Chaser Spider's fang-based weapon via the Chaser Spider Viral Core
 * Tail Whipper: Tune Chaser Cobra's tail-based weapon via the Chaser Cobra Viral Core
 * Wing Sniper: Tune Chaser Bat's wing-based weapon via the Chaser Bat Viral Core
 * Kamen Rider Chaser
 * Shingou-Ax: Chaser's primary weapon
 * Break Gunner: Chaser's secondary weapon, taken from his previous form.

Vehicles

 * Ride Chaser: Protodrive/(Mashin) Chaser's primary Rider Machine
 * Ride Crosser: Ride Chaser combined with the Ride Macher
 * Ride Booster Blue: Chaser's Rider Machine

Portrayal
Chase is portrayed by Taiko Katono (上遠野 太洸). As Mashin Chaser, Kamen Rider Protodrive, and Kamen Rider Chaser, his suit actor is Yasuhiko Imai (今井 靖彦), who was previously the suit actor for Kamen Riders Bravo and Kurokage (Ryoji Hase) in Kamen Rider Gaim.

Appearances

 * Kamen Rider Drive
 * Episode 0: Countdown to Global Freeze
 * Episode 1: Why Did My Time Stop?
 * Episode 2: What is a Kamen Rider?
 * Episode 3: Who Stole the Woman's Smile?
 * Episode 4: What is That Prideful Chaser Thinking?
 * Episode 5: What Are the Steel Robbers After?
 * Episode 6: Who Does the Warrior Fight For?
 * Episode 7: How Was That Decisive Moment Captured?
 * Episode 8: What is the Secret That Dwells in the Heart?
 * Episode 9: How Can I Get Used to the Cool Body?
 * Episode 10: What Is in the Belt's Past?
 * Episode 11: Who Can Prevent the Dark Christmas Eve?
 * Episode 12: Where Did That White Kamen Rider Come From?
 * Episode 13: Why Won't My Brother Put On the Brakes?
 * Episode 14: Who Is the Black Shadow Chasing Her?
 * Episode 15: When Will These Feelings Reach You?
 * Episode 16: Why is Rinna Sawagami Nervous?
 * Episode 17: Who Will Control Deadheat?
 * Episode 18: Why is Lt. Otta Following That Guy?
 * Episode 19: What Can Judge the Police?
 * Episode 20: When Did Kyu Saijo Become a Roidmude?
 * Episode 21: What Can Be Spoken By the Irregular Dead?
 * Episode 22: How Can I Use the F1 Body to Fight?
 * Episode 23: Who Can Stop the Hoax Smile?
 * Episode 24: What Can Keep Mach Running?
 * Episode 25: Why Has a New Battle Started?
 * Episode 26: Where is Chaser Going?
 * Episode 27: What's Go Shijima's Reason to Fight?
 * Episode 28: Why Were the Families Targeted?
 * Episode 29: What Really Happened to the Robbery Event?
 * Episode 30: Who Reveals the Real Criminal?
 * Episode 31: Why Did the Important Memories Disappear?
 * Episode 32: What is Waiting At the End of Evolution?
 * Episode 33: Who Claimed the life of Shinnosuke Tomari?
 * Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Drive & Gaim: Movie War Full Throttle
 * Kamen Rider Drive: Surprise Future
 * Kamen Rider Drive: Surprise Future