A New Challenger Appears!

is the fifteenth episode of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. It features the debut of Kamen Rider Para-DX.
==Synopsis==
Taiga tries to find out more about Emu's infection, and starts to discover the secret that might be why Kiriya was killed. Meanwhile, using data collected from fights with Mighty Brothers XX, Parado makes his move and reveals his new form: Kamen Rider Para-DX Level 50.
==Plot==
Taiga finds Nico trying to move into his clinic until he defeats M; he leaves to get away from her, but she sees he left his Gamer Driver and Gashats. Emu stumbles weakly from a test surgery; Hiiro says to give up his surgical residency, but passingly comments he's good at fighting Bugsters. In CR, Poppy gushes over Hiiro finally complimenting Emu on something, but they are notified of a new patient; Taiga realizes his Driver and a Gashat are missing, racing off. Emu and Asuna arrive to find Nico waiting impatiently. Emu checks and sees that she doesn't have the game illness, but she suddenly knocks him back, challenging him to a game. Taiga arrives as Nico triggers the Bang Bang Shooting Gashat…but nothing happens. Suddenly, a Bugster infection flares in her; Hiiro arrives and says the virus had been hiding until trying to use the Gashat had brought it out. Taiga takes back his equipment, but Nico scolds him for not defeating M as a newly upgraded Level 5 Revol Bugster emerges from her, now with a Gatling gun on the side of his face. While Revol summons a group of Bugster Viruses dressed as camo soldiers, the Riders transform to Ex-Aid Double Action Gamer Level X, Brave Quest Gamer Level 2, and Snipe Shooting Gamer Level 2. Ex-Aid quickly discovers that despite his Level, all of his punches and kicks are getting a Miss on the Viruses and Revol. Kuroto arrives to again try and delete Mighty Brothers XX's data and transforms into Genm Zombie Gamer Level X, Ex-Aid Leveling Up to Double Action Gamer Level XX. As they fight, and Brave and Snipe use DoReMiFa and Jet Critical Finishes to destroy the Virus soldiers, Revol stands around frustrated that there's no one free for him to fight with. Genm cuts the battle short and escapes with Revol. After untransforming, Emu gets another pain in his head, but only collapses to his knee.
Taiga confronts a leaving Kuroto with the information he assumes Kiriya had discovered and was silenced for: Emu has the game illness. Kuroto casually expounds: Emu was the first person ever to have the Bugster virus, being given it 6 years ago in an experiment by Dr. Michihiko Zaizen of the Next Genome Institute, intended to create a Bugster being. However, the virus had spread and killed everyone involved save Emu, and he was returned to his normal life without remembering the incident. Kuroto then clarifies that he'd only killed Kiriya because his intention had been to use this information to destroy the Bugsters. After Kuroto leaves, Hiiro intercepts Taiga.
Nico wakes up in CR and tries leaving, but is stopped; she's angry that Emu doesn't remember her or what he apparently did. Pulling him upstairs, Asuna concludes that Emu's attacks not working on Revol have to link to him as Nico's source of stress, but he can't remember her at all. Hiiro walks in and bluntly asks Emu why he became a doctor, having focused on only video games even after Kyotaro Hinata had saved his life. Emu says he hadn't been sure he was up to it, but a national game tournament 6 years ago during his university entrance exams changed his mind: he'd practiced through entire days and nights to win, but in the end, his body collapsed from exhaustion, after which he'd seen a dream of an operation he attributed to reliving Dr. Hinata saving him 10 years before, and realized that he needed to change course in his life, turning his attention to studying. Hiiro wonders if it had really been a dream before Taiga calls in to CR, telling Emu to come and pick up Nico's belongings.
At their hideout, Kuroto uses battle data to determine that each side of Ex-Aid's Level XX (20) form has the power of Level X (10), Parado practicing musical instruments in the background before Kuroto gives him his new finished Gashat. Arriving at Taiga's rendezvous, an abandoned garage, Asuna is certain it's a trap; Taiga quickly proves her right, demanding Emu's Gashats for Nico's luggage and transforming into Snipe Shooting Gamer Level 1. Emu transforms to Ex-Aid Action Gamer Level 1 as Snipe takes Level 2 and they start fighting. Hiiro soon arrives and transforms to Brave Level 2, but attacks Ex-Aid instead of Snipe; Ex-Aid takes Action Gamer Level 2, but refuses to actively fight back. Revol tries to interfere, but is stopped and chained up by Parado. Snipe shoots the Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat off of Ex-Aid's belt, challenging Brave to who can defeat Ex-Aid first, them taking Hunter Shooting and Quest Gamers Level 5 Dragon Gun and Dragon Blade respectively. The fight continues until Asuna steps in the way, but Parado walks up, using the Gashat Gear Dual to trigger Perfect Puzzle, generating a Game Area full of Energy Items and transforming into Kamen Rider Para-DX Puzzle Gamer Level 50. He attacks and easily overpowers the merely Level 5 Brave and Snipe, using Perfect Puzzle to gather and combine the Stretch and High-Jump Energy Items to assist in a Perfect Critical Combo, stretching his legs and kicking Brave and Snipe out of their transformations. Ex-Aid takes Sports Action Gamer Level 3 to fight back, but Para-DX switches the Gashat Gear Dual to Knock Out Fighter, becoming Para-DX Fighter Gamer Level 50. Para-DX walks through Ex-Aid, knocking away his flywheel before pummeling him with a Knock Out Critical Smash, knocking him out of his transformation. Parado untransforms, saying he'll fight Emu whenever, then turns and disappears. Emu struggles with another headache as Hiiro remembers Taiga relaying him everything after their earlier fight with Revol and concluding Emu's personality switch is a result of the game illness, with Taiga taunting that knowing this could skyrocket Emu's stress, so Hiiro hadn't said anything. Asuna helps Emu head back to CR.
==Cast==
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*Narration: 
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===Guest Cast===
*: 
*Nico Saiba (Child): 
*Emcee: 
*Gamer: HIWA
===Suit Actors===
*Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 1, Level X, Kamen Rider Snipe Level 1: 
*Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 2, Level 3, Level XX R: 
*Kamen Rider Brave Level 1: 
*Kamen Rider Brave Level 2, Level 5, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level XX L: 
*Kamen Rider Snipe Level 2, Level 5: 
*Kamen Rider Genm Level X: 
*Kamen Rider Para-DX, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level XX L: 
*Revol Bugster: 
==Rider Gashat==
*Gashat Used:
**Ex-Aid
***Mighty Brothers XX, Mighty Action X, Shakariki Sports
**Brave
***Taddle Quest, DoReMiFa Beat (in Gashacon Sword), Drago Knight Hunter Z
**Snipe
***Bang Bang Shooting, Jet Combat (in Gashacon Magnum), Drago Knight Hunter Z
**Genm
***Buggle Driver
****Dangerous Zombie
**Para-DX
***Gashat Gear Dual
****Perfect Puzzle, Knock Out Fighter
*Level Used:
**Ex-Aid
***Double Action Gamer Level X, Double Action Gamer Level XX, Action Gamer Level 1, Action Gamer Level 2, Sports Action Gamer Level 3
**Brave
***Quest Gamer Level 1, Quest Gamer Level 2, Hunter Quest Gamer Level 5 (Dragon Blade)
**Snipe
***Shooting Gamer Level 1, Shooting Gamer Level 2, Hunter Shooting Gamer Level 5 (Dragon Gun)
**Genm
***Zombie Gamer Level X
**Para-DX
***Puzzle Gamer Level 50, Fighter Gamer Level 50
==Energy Items==
*Energy Items Used:
**Para-DX
***High-Jump, Stretch
**Unused
***Speeding-Up, Iron-Body, Instigate, Muscular, Shrink, Invisible, Confusion, Recover, Giant, Emission, Liquefaction, Separation, Dark
==Errors==
*When Brave, Snipe and Ex-Aid are knocked out of their transformation, their Gamer Drivers disappear as well.
*Though the flashback of Nico Saiba and Emu during the Tekken tournament took place in 2010, the actual release date of Bandai Namco's Tekken 7 was March 18, 2015, and its Fated Retribution arcade title update was released in July 5, 2016, as Bandai Namco was still developing Tekken Tag Tournament 2 in 2010 before moving on to develop Tekken 7 4 years later. The tipoff to this is the character of Gigas being seen during the game footage, who debuted in Tekken 7 post-arcade release's time-release and was not in Tekken 6. The reason is maybe, just to promote the game's console release on June 2, 2017.
NO Gamer Driver at all.png|Taiga and Hiiro's Gamer Driver disappear from their body.
Emu also losing Driver.png|When Emu defeated by Para-DX, same thing happens as well.
==Notes==
*As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside episode 46, .
*Viewership: 4.0%
*Closing Screen:
**Text Color: Pink
*Count at episode end
**Gashats in Ex-Aid's possession: Mighty Action X, Gekitotsu Robots, Shakariki Sports, Bakusou Bike, Mighty Brothers XX
**Gashats in Brave's possession: Taddle Quest, DoReMiFa Beat
**Gashats in Snipe's possession: Bang Bang Shooting, Jet Combat, Drago Knight Hunter Z
**Gashats in Genm's possession: Proto Mighty Action X, Proto Taddle Quest, Proto Bang Bang Shooting, Proto Bakusou Bike, Proto Gekitotsu Robots, Proto DoReMiFa Beat, Proto Giri Giri Chambara, Proto Jet Combat, Proto Shakariki Sports, Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z, Dangerous Zombie, Giri Giri Chambara
**Gashats in Para-DX's possession: Gashat Gear Dual
*Video Game References in this episode:
**The episode's title is a reference to fighting games in general, as this specific phrase and variants of it have been used to announce via text animation on screen when a new unforeseen opponent appears that the player must face. In some cases like , it refers to a new unlockable character. This phrase is so popular it is an internet meme unto itself.http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/a-challenger-appears
**The fact that Para-DX can manipulate Energy Items and is 30 levels higher that any of the protagonists is a reference to cheap game bosses or cheating opposing gamers who are way too powerful, have skills that make a game seem unfair to the player or use a broken character to take advantage of weaker or lesser skilled players.
**Para-DX's flaming uppercut punch attack in Fighter Gamer Level 50 is loosely based on the Shoryuken from Street Fighter.
**The mascot of Puzzle Fighter may be loosely based on the mascot from the Puyo Pop puzzle game.
**Para-DX being able to fuse two power ups into new powers is a reference to Kirby 64 and other games in the Kirby Series that have this feature.
**The episode makes a reference to Tekken 6 in Nico's flashback to 2010 at the game tournament where she first meets Emu.
***However, there was an error where Tekken 7: Fated Retribution is used for a 2010 flashback scene instead of Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion or the still in-development Tekken Tag Tournament 2 arcade.http://imgur.com/gallery/Dp6D9
*From this episode onward until episode 25, the intro theme sequence is replaced with only a title card and the song is used as an ending (or occasionally insert) theme, but this time the title card is at the start of the episode and there is no narrated summary of general and recent events.
*This episode marks the first time someone has tried to transform with a Rider Gashat and simply failed by it not activating.
*This is the first episode to include one or more Riders using a split Level 5 form without all four such forms being used at once (Brave and Snipe take Dragon Blade and Dragon Gun only), also making it the first episode to feature a Level 5 Rider form but not feature every part of the Hunter Gamer being used as armor.
*This is the first time Ex-Aid changes from Action Gamer Level 2 to Sports Action Gamer Level 3.
*As of this episode, all applicable Riders have transformed from Level 1 to Level 2 without a stock CGI cutscene, leaving them standing facing the opposite direction than from before the transformation. Lazer's Level 2 and Ex-Aid's Level XX forms are not consistent with this process for different reasons, and Genm Level X and Para-DX don't have deformed forms to Level Up from.
*This is the first episode in the series to use physical props for Energy Items, having been used on-screen in Kamen Rider Ex-Aid "Tricks": Kamen Rider Genm Part. I: Legend Rider Stage.
*The episode briefly makes reference to Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Riders when Kuroto Dan brings up Emu Hojo's past along with Michihiko Zaizen.
*When Kuroto reads Ex-Aid's Level X data, the text on his monitor is actually a part of the code of a jsx file from Github.
::"Select one or more layers and enter text to find in the Find Text box. \n"Click Find All to change (narrow) the layer selection to include only those text layers with a Source Text property that contain the text specified in the Find Text box.\n"Click Replace All to replace all instances of the Find Text string with the Replacement Text string. Replacements are made only within selected text layers, and the selection remains unchanged.\n"Searches and replacements occur for Source Text properties and all of their keyframes.", scriptName);
==DVD/Blu-ray releases==
*Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 4 features episodes 13-16: Defined Destiny, We're Kamen Riders!, A New Challenger Appears! and The Paradox of Defeating M.
*Blu-ray Collection 2 comes with 12 episodes.
Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Vol 4.jpg|Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 4, DVD
918QGbPrsUL. SL1476 .jpg|Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Collection 2, Blu-ray
==External links==
*TV Asahi's official episode guide for 新たなChallenger現る！
*Toei TV's official episode guide for 新たなChallenger現る！
==References==
Category:Kamen Rider Ex-Aid episodes
Category:New Kamen Rider Episode