Bugster Virus

This article is about a group of foot soldiers in Kamen Rider Ex-Aid.

Template:Characterinfo The Bugster Virus (バグスターウイルス, Bagusutā Uirusu) are the foot soldiers of the Bugsters in Kamen Rider Ex-Aid.

The Bugster Virus initially start off as a micro-sized virus infecting humans. Bugster-infected may either show symptoms akin to normal human illnesses, or even show no symptoms at all. The Bugster Virus begins to develop inside an infected human as they begin to get stressed out, until the human is physically taken over and covered by the virus, transforming them into a gigantic virus-like Bugster Union.

Once a Kamen Rider in a Level 1 form extracts the virus from its human host by defeating the Union, the human host is released, while the extracted virus becomes a person-sized Bugster monster accompanied by a few Bugster Virus foot soldiers. The human host's body will gradually become transparent until he or she is "treated" by destroying the Bugster monster and the Bugster Viruses. If the Riders fail to defeat the Bugster monster and the Bugster Viruses fast enough, the human host will disappear completely like what happen to Saki Momose when Taiga fails to defeat Graphite.^{[A Hollow Beating in the Heart!]} This process can be sped up by causing the host additional stress.

It appears that some games, like Bakusou Bike, also employ neutral Bugster Viruses.

Large-sized versions of Bugster Virus cells are seen in the Mighty Action X game as enemies that Mighty faces.

Character History

Salty Bugster Virus

The Bugster Virus in its microscopic state.

A group of Bugster Viruses form with the Salty Bugster from small viruses that jumped off of Sota's giant virus form, many of them taking on chef/cook costumes. They fight against Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Action Gamer Level 2, but are quickly destroyed by the Gashacon Breaker. ^{[I'm a Kamen Rider!]}

Aranbura Bugster Virus

A group of Bugster Viruses form with the Aranbura Bugster after Rensuke's giant virus form is defeated, some of them taking on the same cook costumes as Salty's followers, but many becoming hooded monks; they escape the scene after Kamen Rider Genm's interference. The regular and monk Viruses later fight and are defeated by Ex-Aid and Brave and their Gashacon Breaker and Sword (the cook Viruses presumably changed costume prior to this). ^{[Another Prodigy with No Thank You?]}

Revol Bugster Virus

The Revol Bugster summons a group of Viruses when confronted by the Kamen Riders. Because of Yuki Kitami's high stress level, it can continue to summon more and more Viruses as the Riders defeat those present, even being able to turn them into copies of itself. However, when Yuki recovers from his stress, it loses the ability to summon more, and it is revealed that the Revol Bugster summoning the Viruses was itself a Virus copy of the real original a split second before it is destroyed. ^{[BANG, That Jerk is Coming!]}

Motors Bugster Virus

One Bugster Virus becomes the Motors Bugster's motorcycle, the Motors Viper. Another is seemingly summoned by the Bakusou Bike Gashat, acting as the race's checkered flag waver, and does not need to be fought and defeated to achieve a Game Clear. ^{[An Operation Called Dash!]}

Ex-Aid Team Up with Ghost

A pack of Bugster Viruses manifested to advance on Ayumu, the mysterious boy who carried the Shakiri Sports Gashat. Moving to defend the boy, Takeru Tenkuji engaged the Bugsters as Kamen Rider Ghost before being joined by Kamen Rider Ex-Aid as the Viruses were soon enough destroyed by the two Kamen Riders. After the Gashat was swiped by Kamen Rider Genm, a second pack of Bugster Viruses appeared but were quickly destroyed by the two Riders, with Ghost performing his Omega Drive Rider Kick while Ex-Aid utilized his Gashacon Breaker. ^{[Final Story (Special Edition): Future! Connected Thoughts!]}

DoReMiFa Collabos Bugster Virus

The DoReMiFa Collabos Bugster summons a group of Bugster Viruses dressed as street dancers in hoodies and jeans to fight Ex-Aid and Brave. They are eventually defeated by the Beat Gamer's Sound Trap Attack. ^{[A Hollow Beating in the Heart!]}

Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z

Black microscopic Bugster Viruses

A cloud of black-colored microscopic Bugster Viruses are released from the Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat by Graphite to infect Deputy Director-General Hinata and others. The Bugster Union released from Hinata's infection behaves differently from any other before, separating from his body instead of taking him over. ^{[Beat Up the Dragon!]}

Salty Bugster and Dangerous Zombie Viruses

^{[Christmas Special: Targeting the Silver X mas!]}

Return of Revol Bugster Virus

^{[A New Challenger Appears!]}

^{[The Paradox Who Defeated M]}

Taddle Fantasy Virus

^{[A Sudden Fantasy!?]}

Other Events

"Tricks": Virtual Operations

A single Bugster Virus faced Emu Hojo in a simulation conducted by Kuroto Dan to record his specs in the Action Gamer. Guided by Poppi Pipopapo into transforming first to Level 1 then to Level 2, Ex-Aid was finally instructed to activate his Critical Strike finisher using the Kimewaza Slot Holder, ending the simulation as he terminate the Bugster Virus. ^{[Ex-Aid Chapter]}

Likewise, a Bugster Virus was faced by Taiga Hanaya in a simulation of the Shooting Gamer he blackmailed Dan to conduct. After transforming himself, Snipe too performed his Critical Strike to finish the Bugster Virus. ^{[Snipe Chapter]}

Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Rider

^{[Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Rider]}

Arsenal

• Tridents: By default, Bugster Viruses without costumes are armed with trident weapons.
• Costume-themed Weapons: When they take on a costume, they become armed with weapons/tools/objects relevant to their costume.
  • As Japanese monks, the Bugster Viruses wield wooden rods.
  • As chefs/cooks, the Salty Bugster's Bugster Viruses wield whisks, large metal bowls, and/or staff-sized wooden spoons.
  • As hooded monks, the Aranbura Bugster's Bugster Viruses wield mace staffs.
  • As soldiers, the Revol Bugster's Bugster Viruses wield military guns.
  • The Motors Bugster's Virus takes the form of a motorcycle with a Virus head mounted in front of the handlebars.
  • The flagman Bugster Virus from the Bakusou Bike game holds a checkered flag.

Costumes

Bugster Viruses may equip themselves with various weapons and costumes during battle relevant to the Bugster they serve beside.

Bugster Viruses that appeared in Kamen Rider Ghost (Japanese Monk)

Salty Bugster's position (Cook)

Aranbura Bugster's position (Monk)

Revol Bugster's position (Soldier)

KREA-Revolve Bugster.png

Fake Revol Bugster

Bugster Virus Bike Mode.jpeg

Motors Bugster's position (Motors Viper)

Motors riding Bugster Virus.jpeg

Motors Bugster riding on Motors Viper

Bakusou Bike's flagman (Mechanic)

Collabos Bugster (DoReMiFa Beat)'s position (Street Dancer)

Dangerous Zombie's Viruses (Zombie)

Behind the Scenes

Portrayal

• The Bugster Viruses are portrayed by various suit actors.

Notes

• The Bugster have a similarity to the Imagin in that if their host dies, they will die too. A Bugster will die alongside their host if he or she dies before the Bugster is able to grow sufficiently, as shown in what happened to Jungo when he died (because of an accident) along with the Bugster inside of him. Similarly, as an Imagin's physical body is locked to the memory of their Contract Holder, if their host dies, at least before they can travel to the past, they will cease to exist as well.

Appearances

• Kamen Rider Ghost
  • Episode 50: Final Story (Special Edition): Future! Connected Thoughts!
• File:Icon-exaid.png Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
  • Episode 1: I'm a Kamen Rider!
    • Kamen Rider Ex-Aid "Tricks": Virtual Operations
  • Episode 1: Ex-Aid Chapter
  • Episode 2: Another Prodigy with No Thank You?
  • Episode 3: BANG, That Jerk is Coming!
  • Kamen Rider Ex-Aid "Tricks": Virtual Operations
    • Episode 2: Snipe Chapter
  • Episode 4: An Operation Called Dash!
  • Episode 6: A Hollow Beating in the Heart!
  • Episode 9: Beat Up the Dragon!
  • Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Rider
  • Episode 12: Christmas Special: Targeting the Silver X mas!
  • Epiosde 15: A New Challenger Appears!
  • Epiosde 16: The Paradox Who Defeated M
  • Episode 19: A Sudden Fantasy!?