King (Kiva)

The Checkmate Four's is the main antagonist of Kamen Rider Kiva. He is the father of Taiga Nobori and the , with his true name being , who also transforms into .
==History==
===Kamen Rider Kiva===
Introduced as the ruler of all Fangires in 1987, the King is the consort of Maya, with whom he sired Taiga Nobori as his sole offspring. Denying any attachments toward his wife and son, the King treated them as his possessions, causing Maya to subconsciously drift toward Otoya Kurenai. 
Learning of this from Bishop, the King confronts Maya at Castle Doran, questioning her true intentions. In a mocking manner, Maya asks whether the King felt jealous, causing him to discard the Zanvat Sword as proof of his apathy towards her.
Later, from a simple whim, the King decides to hunt down Jiro to finish what the Rook started: the extermination of the Wolfen Race, along with putting an end to the last of Merman and Franken races as well. However, he eventually offers the Arm Monsters a chance to avoid extermination, provided they kill Otoya for him.
The three are unable to do it, choosing to flee town instead. Riki and Ramon were unable to escape the King, who seals them into the Dogga Hammer and the Basshaa Magnum so they can serve as decorations within Castle Doran. While searching for Jiro, the King ambushes Otoya to execute him. During his attempt, Maya reveals herself to reciprocate Otoya's love for her, causing the King to become enraged.
In an effort to save Otoya, Jiro suddenly appears before them, attacking the King. Easily blocking Jiro's attack, the King seals him into the Garulu Saber, much to Otoya's horror. Disgusted at what the King had done, Otoya transforms into Ixa, attempting to retaliate. Using his psychic powers, the King defeats Otoya without any visible effort, canceling his ransformation. With Maya too afraid to retaliate, the King abducts Otoya in front of her and Yuri, intent on torturing him to death.
At Castle Doran, the King entraps Otoya with a special set of chains, which he explains is connected to the monsterous beast. Stating that Castle Doran will absorb Otoya's entire life energy within a certain set of time, the King gleefully watches Otoya suffer in agony, intent on punishing with a painful death. As a final request, the King temporarily stops the execution at mid-point, granting Otoya the opportunity to play his violin one last time. Unbeknownst to the King, Otoya's music gave away their location to Maya and Yuri, allowing them to reach Castle Doran. Finding Otoya's performance to be dull, the King blasts away Otoya, resuming the execution. 
To the King's surprise, Maya and Yuri appear to stop him, narrowly saving Otoya's life. Transforming into Dark Kiva, the King faces Maya, while Yuri escapes with Otoya. Overpowering his wife, the King questions whether Maya truly loved Otoya, to which she affirmed. Immediately, the King strips Maya's title and powers as the Queen of Fangires, stating it to be a worse fate than death. 
Wishing to make Maya suffer even more, the King later forces her to never see Otoya again by holding Taiga's life hostage, stating that he has no qualms murdering Taiga as retribution. Afterwards, upon learning of Wataru's presence in their time period, the King becomes interested in meeting his future successor, confronting him and Otoya.
Stating that Otoya's death will fulfill Wataru's desire to change the timeline, the King transforms into Dark Kiva and attacks Otoya. Unwilling to let this happen, Wataru strikes the King with a Rider Kick, stopping his attack. Incredibly angered by this, the King cancels his transformation and assumes Fangire form, blasting Otoya and Wataru with a powerful energy bomb. Finding that they had escaped, the humiliated King continues his hunt for them, fully intent on exacting revenge.
Once finding Wataru, the King transforms into Dark Kiva and defeats him, attempting to murder him before Otoya's eyes. Otoya then asks for Kivat-Bat the 2nd to help them, to which the latter obliges. Shocked, the King questions Kivat-Bat the 2nd's betrayal, to which Kivat-Bat the 2nd replied that the King's cruelty toward Maya disgusted him, hence his actions. 
Witnessing a human use the powers of Dark Kiva, the King voices his contempt and retaliates, with Otoya and Wataru barely able to escape alive. Still remaining unfazed by the situation, the King nonchalently continues his hunt toward them, confronting Otoya at Castle Doran. Midway, the King summons a a red Six Pillars Sabbath to control Castle Doran into attacking Wataru and Maya, while he faced Otoya. Though successful in saving the Arm Monsters and Taiga, Otoya finds himself outmatched by the King, his Rider Punch failing to do any real damage. Brutally attacking Otoya, the King is re-confronted by Wataru, the latter desperately facing him in battle. Scoffing Wataru's attacks, the King mocks him for his weakness and retaliates with a powerful energy burst, causing Wataru's transformation to be canceled. 
Unable to watch his son suffer, Otoya stands up from his pain, surprising the King with his immense life-force. Using Ixa, Otoya confronts the King, to no avail. Having regained enough stamina, Wataru transformed into Kiva, only to be overwhelmed instantly by the King's attacks. Using his remaining energy, Otoya transforms into Dark Kiva for a third time, fighting alongside Wataru. Once Wataru fully recognized the meaning of recieving his father's life, both he and Otoya finally overpowered the King, their Double Rider Kick fatally injuring him. 
Bitter about his situation, the King proclaims Maya as his possession and attempts to kill her, only for Taiga to awaken his powers and deflect the King's attack. Glad to see that his son had inherited his powers, the King tells Otoya and Wataru that Taiga will one day avenge him before dying in an explosion. 22 years later, the Bat Fangire is resurrected in a zombified state by Bishop to kill both Taiga and Wataru, being used as his pawn. Working together, the two brothers combine their finisher attacks to stop the revived Bat Fangire, permanantly ending Bishop's nefarious plans.
==Post Series and other events==
===Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker===
A resurrected Bat Fangire, in the same berserker state seen when he was resurrected previously, is seen among Dai-Shocker's common troops. He is among the monsters faced by Diend and Decade when they decide to take on Dai-Shocker by themselves, and attempts to attack Diend, only to be thrown away by the Rider. When the All Riders force arrives, the berserker Bat Fangire attempts to face Decade, only to be slashed and retreat. He's seen for the last time among a force of Shocker Combatmen, Fangires and Orphnochs facing Kamen Rider Faiz and Kamen Rider Kiva. He's presumably defeated by them, as both Kiva and Faiz are later seen joining up with other Riders, like Decade to defeat Ika Devil.
===Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen===
The Bat Fangire, resurrected again and back to his original Fangire form while armed with a sword, is one of the Great Commanders of the revived Dai-Shocker. Following the orders of Doctor G, Dai-Shocker's second in command, he engages in combat, and they're evenly matched. When Dai-Shocker and Dai-Zangyack reveal their alliance and fight against the combined Super Sentai and Kamen Rider force, the Bat Fangire, alongside Crime Minister of the , is seen leading a group of Fangires, Gaiark and also the Medusa Legendorga and the Samurai World Yoma to fight against the and Kamen Rider Kiva. However, they're all destroyed again at once by a combined finisher attack from the Go-Ongers and Kiva. Before his defeat, he was seen in the background of both aerial fight scenes, first fighting Clover King, then DekaRed.
=== Kamen Rider X Super Sentai x Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z ===
The Bat Fangire was one of the revived monsters in the Space Shocker army which fought a combined force of Kamen Riders, Super Sentai teams and Space Sheriffs as they approached the Genmu Castle. The Space Shocker force was soon destroyed. [Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z]
==Appearances in other media==
===OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders: ~Let's Look! Only Your 48 Riders~===
====Type20. - Quietly Listen! Rare Rider Road====
Kamen Rider Dark Kiva appears with TheBee, Kuuga Dragon Form, and OOO Gatatoraba combo. According to Sieg, Dark Kiva is considered a least compatible match.
====Type21. - Get it! Can You Ready the Muffler Too!?====
Kamen Rider Dark Kiva appears with Drake, Raia, and Double. According to Kivat-Bat the 3rd,
Dark Kiva is considered a best friend.
====Type28. - Quietly Listen! Unlabeled Kamen Rider!====
Kamen Rider Dark Kiva appears with Zolda, Armed Hibiki, and OOO TakaUta combo. According to Sieg,
Dark Kiva is considered a most repugnant match.
====Type34. - Peppers! Will You Call Heaven or Earth?!====
Kamen Rider Dark Kiva appears with Ryuki, Den-O Climax Form, and Birth. According to Momotaros, Dark Kiva is considered the least compatible match.
==Video game appearances==
===Kamen Rider Ganbaride===
King as Bat Fangire and Kamen Rider Dark is a playable character in Kamen Rider Ganbaride.
61AUhzMnw5L._SY450_.jpg|Kamen Rider Dark Kiva card
G8849556.jpg|Bat Fangire card
===Kamen Rider: Battride War series===
====Kamen Rider: Battride War====
thumb|Bat Fangire Reborn as seen in Kamen Rider Battride War.
Bat Fangire Reborn appears as a boss character in the video game Kamen Rider Battride Wars. He acts as the boss for Kiva's mission "Wake Up: Kiva's Memories", which loosely recreates the final episode of Kamen Rider Kiva.
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====Kamen Rider Battride War Genesis====
Bat Fangire Reborn reappears as a boss character in the video game Kamen Rider: Battride War Genesis
===Kamen Rider Riderbout===
King as Kamen Rider Dark Kiva, Bat Fangire, and Bat Fangire Reborn appears as a playable character with the other Heisei and Showa Kamen Riders in Kamen Rider Riderbout.
Chibidarkkivaking.jpg|Dark Kiva as seen in Kamen Rider Riderbout
ChibiBatfangire.jpg|Bat Fangire as seen in Kamen Rider Riderbout
Chibibatfangirereborn.jpg|Bat Fangire Reborn as seen in Kamen Rider Riderbout
===Kamen Rider Break Joker===
Kamen Rider Dark Kiva appears as a playable character with other Riders and monsters in Kamen Rider Break Joker.
===Kamen Rider Batton-Line===
Kamen Rider Dark Kiva appears as a playable character in Kamen Rider Batton-Line among other Riders in the game.
===Kamen Rider Battle Rush===
Kamen Rider Dark Kiva appears as a playable and support character in the video game Kamen Rider Battle Rush using Rider Punch.
darkemperorkivarush.JPG|Dark Kiva in Kamen Rider Battle Rush
Darkivachibifinisher.PNG|Kamen Rider Dark Kiva using Darkness Hell Crash 
===Kamen Rider Transcend Heroes===
Kamen Rider Dark Kiva appears as a playable character with others Kamen Riders in the video game, performing his King's Burst End against his enemies in Kamen Rider Transcend Heroes.
===Kamen Rider Buttobasoul===
King appears as a Bat-Fangire and Kamen Rider Dark Kiva is a playable character and boss in Kamen Rider Buttobasoul .
===Battle Spirits ===
It is the sixth collaboration pack and the second collaboration with the Kamen Rider franchise. CB06 was released in Japan on September 29th, 2018,King as Kamen Rider Dark Kiva appears with other Kamen Riders and Monsters in Battle Spirits.
Dark Kiva Battle Spirits Cards Included
*Kamen Rider Dark Kiva (Common)
==Family==
*Taiga Nobori - son
*Maya - ex-wife
==Personality==
From his powers and status, the King possessed a very arrogant and cruel attitude toward others, with his disgust for emotions such as empathy and love being apparent. Viewing humans as an inferior species, the King could not fathom why Maya was attracted to Otoya, believing it to be a stain on their honor.
Evidently, the King revealed himself to be highly petty in nature, threatening the depowered Maya with their own son's life simply out of spite. Furthermore, the King's arrogance and strong tendency for anger caused him to act in a self-destructive manner when upset, recklessly throwing away several of his invaluable possessions in the process. 
Though a power-mad tyrant at heart, the King was capable of some mercy, having offered the Arm Monsters a chance to escape his wrath, as well as granting Otoya's final request when preparing to kill him.
==Abilities==
* Fangire Physiology: The King was an extremely powerful Fangire, with Maya herself stating that he cannot be defeated in battle. Notably, the only thing that proved to be of any threat to him was the powers of Kiva and Dark Kiva, provided that the users could resist his devastating attacks.
* Aura Manipulation: With little issue, the King could create dense energy balls and beams to attack his foes, this being his preferred method of attack. Evidently, simply by walking in human form, the King is capable of causing the ground to burn in flames, doing so as a means of intimidation. 
* Teleportation: Requring no visible concentration, the King could teleport himself and others through long distances.
==Forms==
==Equipment==
===Devices=== 
*Kivat-Bat the 2nd - King's Kivat partner and servant.
*Dark Kivat Belt - Transformation device that forms when Kivat bites King.
*Fuestles - Whistle-like devices that activate a function, depending on the Fuestle.
===Weapons===
*Zanvat Sword - Dark Kiva's personal weapon.
*umnamed sword - Bat Fangire's personal weapon.
===Vehicles === 
*Castle Doran - Kiva's Doran partner that is also a base.
**Demon Statue Buroon
==Legend Rider Devices==
==Behind the Scenes==
===Portrayal ===
King is portrayed by .
Having several users, Kamen Rider Dark Kiva had two suit actors. The main suit actor for Dark Kiva (King) was , who was also suit actor for Kamen Rider Kiva and Garulu. When used by Otoya Kurenai and Taiga Nobori, Dark Kiva's suit actor is , who was also suit actor for Kamen Rider Saga and Dogga.
===Concept Art===
Bat Fangire was designed by .
Darkivart.PNG|Kamen Rider Dark Kiva concept art
Darkivafaceart.PNG
Bat Fangire concept art.jpg|Bat Fangire concept art
Bat Fangire's Buckler concept art.jpg|Bat Fangire's Buckler concept art
== Notes==
*While the Bat Fangire's hidden bird motif is bird skeleton, a a bird skull can be seen on the center of the chest as well as each shoulder.
*In Kamen Rider Kiva: Final Stage, there is a Bat Fangire that becomes the Neo King and transformed into Dark Kiva. This is revealed to be a different Fangire from the future that happens to share his predecessor's powers.
*Given how time-travel works in Kamen Rider Kiva80's: Angry Rising Blue, it is unclear what happened to the King in the original timeline prior to Punk: Back to Father, with only passing references ever made about him. From the given evidence though (Taiga's ascension as the new king, Otoya's confirmed death) it can be assumed that he was defeated by Otoya in battle at some point, likely through Dark Kiva's powers.
*Ironically, despite his role as one of the main villains in Kamen Rider Kiva, the King is never shown murdering another individual at any point throughout the series, with all attempts to do so ending in utter failure.
==Appearances==
==See also==
*Otoya Kurenai - Second user of the Kamen Rider Dark Kiva powers in Kamen Rider Kiva
*Taiga Nobori - Third user of the Kamen Rider Dark Kiva powers in Kamen Rider Kiva
*Otoya Kurenai (A.R. World) - Nega Rider, user of the Kamen Rider Dark Kiva powers in Kamen Rider Decade
==References==
==External Link== 
*King (Kiva) in Kamen Rider Official Website.
*Kamen Rider Dark Kiva in Kamen Rider Official Website.
*Bat Fangire in Kamen Rider Official Website.
*Bat Fangire Reborn in Kamen Rider Official Website.
==Navigation==
Category:Deceased
Category:Kamen Rider Kiva
Category:Villains
Category:Fangire
Category:Heisei Era Riders
Category:Bat Monsters
Category:Leader
Category:Final Villain
Category:Non-human Riders
Category:Kiva Riders
Category:Revived Riders
Category:Kiva Characters
Category:Dai-Shocker Generals
Category:Monsters who appeared in Decade
Category:Dark Riders
Category:Quaternary Riders