Mitsuzane Kureshima

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 is a former member of Team Gaim who transforms into , and later the second temporarily.
==Biography==
===Background===
As a young child, Mitsuzane was raised by his older brother, Takatora Kureshima. His parents were typically overseas, causing him to never have any bond with his parents. Growing up, Takatora tried his best to have Mitsuzane go down a path of education and success in hopes that Mitsuzane will not learn of the Helheim conspiracy.
He and his brother met Touka Akatsuki, who his father brought from the orphanage as their maid and befriended her.
===Team Gaim===
Mitsuzane in his teenage years was a member of Team Gaim becoming Armored Rider Ryugen to protect his team alongside Armored Rider Gaim in the Inves Games. Quickly, they rise to the top of the rankings and Mitsuzane learns firsthand of a conspiracy going with the White Armored Rider, the "forest", and the Inves. He learns that the White Armored Rider is in fact Takatora.
When Inves starts to attack humans in broad daylight, Mitsuzane quickly realizes that Yggdrasill has made the Beat Rider Teams scapegoats in the Helheim conspiracy and chooses to discard his Sengoku Driver. However, he is forced to pick it up once more to save Kouta and Kaito when they are captured by Yggdrasill and accidentally shows on the camera feed to his brother that he is an Armored Rider as well.
Takatora confronts Mitsuzane and reveals to him the truth of Helheim, causing Mitsuzane to prioritize his friends happiness by leaving them in the shadow. This ultimately causes him to betray his friends numerous times and results into his crush, Mai to lash out at him for attempting to blame Kouta for an Inves attack (planned by Mitsuzane on his own friends to prevent confidential information from being leaked).
Before his full downfall, and after he cleared the Beat Riders' names, Mitsuzane and Takatora meet a grown up Touka again, and soon learned that their father Amagi has passed away, much to Kureshima brothers' mourn to their father's death. On the next two days when finally goes home, he spots the Helheim plants are everywhere around their home, and being ambushed by an Armored Rider assassin who can produce Helheim's power, such as opening the Crack. Until he is saved by Takatora, in a same time the Armored Rider stole Takatora's Melon Energy Lockseed before he could transform, leading Takatora to follow the Rider alone, and being told to stay in the home safe, and clean the plants out of their house.
===A Dark Path===
Mitsuzane takes the mantle of Genesis Armored Rider Zangetsu Shin when his brother is forcefully stripped of his rank and thrown into Helheim by his peers when the latter decides to ally himself with Kouta. Mitsuzane blames Kouta for all of the "miserable" things that have been happening to him and decides to use Zangetsu Shin as a way to destroy the bond between Takatora and Kouta. Though this fails, Mitsuzane allies himself with the Over Lords once Project Ark fails and becomes more sadistic as everyone continues to protect Kouta.
When his brother turns out to be alive, Takatora and Mitsuzane clash with the former being defeated and thrown into the water with his Sengoku Driver being permanently destroyed. After this battle, Mitsuzane suffers from hallucinations of his brother taunting him as Mitsuzane believes that he's nothing more than his brother's shadow. He later learns after the death of the last Over Lord, Rosyuo, that Mai is now the bearer of the Forbidden Fruit and rushes to her side with Ryoma Sengoku.
===Kamen Rider Gaim: Great Soccer Battle! Golden Fruits Cup!===
Set sometime after Ryoma Sengoku presents to Kouta a way to enter the Yggdrasill Tower through a back entrance, Mitsuzane's tragic memory of defeating Takatora is kept after the world is transitioned into the Soccer World, prompting him to realize that the current world he's in is fake, even though its peaceful with having no Inves invasion. He did remember that his brother has never been married. He acts alone for most of the film, such as after witnessing Takatora becomes insane and Sid's demise, investigating the disappearance of Ryoma Sengoku, and most luckily, noticed and kills the small hopper that causes all Riders to go insane like his brother and Sid had. Once he watches the last record, he goes to Lapis and confronts him. At the same time, all the Riders are eliminated which leaves Mitsuzane as the last surviving Rider. He suspects Lapis as a threat until Sagara reveals the true mastermind behind the recent event, and what will happen to Kouta. When Kouta was brainwashed by Kohgane, Mitsuzane steps up to snap him out of it, with the help of Lapis. Later, surviving Riders Marika and Baron help get Mai away from their brainwashed friend and Kohgane. The Riders gather to stop Kohgane once and for all. However, Kohgane survives his encounter and returns to the real world seven months later.
=== Redemption ===
He is tricked by Ryoma on a suicide mission to kill Kouta and returns victorious, but realizes that Ryoma dissected Mai alive to steal the Forbidden Fruit and breaks down with the revelation that Kouta and Mai are both "dead". In the aftermath, Takatora returns alive, helping his brother cope.
Mitsuzane, after the Helheim Invasion, strives to be a hero in Kouta's stead as the last Sengoku Driver user in Zawame City. Kouta temporarily returns helping Mitsuzane defeat Kohgane, but shortly leaves afterwards. In the few months afterwards, Mitsuzane reconciles with his brother and redeems himself from his past sins. However, when Megahex's invasion and Ryoma's return threatens the peace, Mitsuzane becomes Ryugen once again, fighting alongside his brother to protect Zawame. In the final portion of Movie War, Mitsuzane later teams up with Gaim, the returning Baron, Zangetsu Shin and Drive to fight Megahex ZZZ and the mecha Roimudes and Inves.
===Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Knuckle===
Mitsuzane is revealed by Peko to have graduated from his school and helps Takatora with his work somewhere abroad. He appears to fight two of Neo Baron's Kurokage Troopers as Ryugen to save Zack before giving him a new Sengoku Driver along with the Kurumi and Marron Energy Lockseeds as he still remembers that the original Team Baron still possess Kaito's Genesis Driver. He tells Zack that Neo Baron has stolen precious data about Lockseeds and Sengoku Drivers which are now being produced again by Yggdrasill and Mitsuzane is on the chase for getting them back. When giving Marron Energy Lockseed, he tells Zack that it can be activated with the core from the Genesis Driver which Zack remembers that it is busted.
==Other Events==
===Chou Super Hero Taisen===
An iteration of Kamen Rider Ryugen fought in the Game World's Chou Super Hero Taisen tournament as part of Kamen Rider Genm's Team Genm, competing for the title of Kamen Sentai Gorider with Ryugen serving as candidate for Midorider. Though Team Genm made it to the final round, they were bested by Emu Hojo's Team Ex-Aid, with Ryugen being defeated by Kamen Rider Zolda. 
===Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever ===
Kamen Rider Ryugen appears as a toy, when Sento Kiryu and Sougo Tokiwa they find Ataru Hisanaga. He brings them to his room which is filled with Kamen Rider memorabilia, with Sougo and Sento stunned to see toys of themselves. Ataru reveals that Kamen Riders are fictional. 
===Kamen Rider: Beyond Generations===
==Personality==
Initially a member of Team Gaim, Kouta views Mitsuzane as a younger brother. Mitsuzane is the son of the director of the Yggdrasill Corporation and attended an elite high school, a side of himself that he keeps hidden. Living under his brother's shadow, he wants to live freely and break free from the path established for him, as such he sees Team Gaim as family due to him being able to be himself while there once. Because of this, he falls in love with Mai Takatsukasa, the co-leader of Team Gaim.
During the Beat Riders Saga, Mitsuzane eagerly follows Kouta into dangers and shapes his own beliefs around Kouta's. However, he already displayed some dark traits that time, such as threatening Sid with his status as a Kureshima to get himself a Sengoku Driver, as well as stealing Takatora's Lockseed. This trait grows more prevalent from time to time, such as resorting into letting innocent civilians get attacked by Inves to prevent Yggdrasill getting more data, and after Takatora reveals the ruins of the Helheim Forest, he focuses less time with his friends to a more calculated person to ensure that his best friend Kouta doesn't interfere with his plans, including joining the Yggdrasill. In addition to this, Mitsuzane regularly keeps secrets from his friends, such as the truth about Zangetsu's identity or Yuya's death, as he believes that doing so is necessary to keep his friends happy. In general, he has a superiority complex as the brains of the Team Gaim, and is convinced that he knows more than anyone else, getting mad at anyone who doesn't go along with his plans, especially Kouta, while even take advantage of his relationship with the members of Team Gaim by summoning Inves secretly to attack them while putting an act to "protect" them by defeating the Inves.
During the Yggdrasill Saga to the Forbidden Fruit Saga, Mitsuzane focuses on eliminating Kouta for involving Mai into getting in harm's way as well as "infecting" his friends with his blind hope. As he adopts this more crude and sinister outlook on life when faced with the end of humanity, Mitsuzane appears in a suit for the remainder of the Helheim Invasion, and allies himself with Redyue to ensure his and his friends' safety by sacrificing the majority of humanity. He also swears to eliminate those who also interfere with his desires, such as Kaito Kumon, or even his friends who dared to speak up against him, such as Rat and Rica. As a logical thinker, Mitsuzane uses his status as a Kureshima to his advantage to coerce and manipulate others to achieve his own ends. However, his pride in his manipulation also leads for him to be used by others for their own ends, such as Ryoma apparently killing Mai Takatsukasa to extract the Golden Fruit after Rosyou fused the Golden Fruit on her. This, along with him seemingly murdering Kouta, ultimately plays the downfall of many, as all he accomplished was meaningless for siding with the villains. Additionally, what Mitsuzane hadn't realized was that he was turning into a ruthless, uncaring person willing to sacrifice everything for his own gain, just like his late-father Amagi was, which is something that Takatora couldn't prevent.
Nearly a year after the end of the Helheim invasion, Mitsuzane attempts to atone for his sins as the last Armored Rider in Zawame City and vows to protect it from enemies in Kouta's stead. In a final confrontation against Kohgane, Mitsuzane stands alone against Kohgane's attack on the city.
In Movie War Full Throttle, Mitsuzane is still struggling with his past behavior as he worries about being unable to save Mai during his infiltration into Megahex's cocoon. Mitsuzane is shaken when Takatora asks him shoot Megahex alongside Takatora, but decides to trust in his brother's plan.
== Abilities==
*Gifted Intellect: Mitsuzane attends Tenju High School, one of the most prestigious academic institutes in Zawame City and is said by Takatora to be at the top of his class. Moreover, Mitzuane is a cunning calculating young man, able to formulate plans quickly as well as manipulate people to fit his needs. He was able to deduct Ryoma's intentions just by observing the actions of Yoko.
==Arms==
Like with the other Armored Riders and Genesis Armored Riders, Kamen Rider Ryugen/Ryugen Yomi/Zangetsu Shin's forms are called . His personal Lockseeds are styled either dividing into three parts or ending with a fighting grunt ("Ha-Ha-Ha" or "Sei-ya Ha"). As Ryugen, all of Mitsuzane's Chinese Soldier-themed Arms' helmets share the suffix as their title, while his visors are called .
As Armored Rider Ryugen/Ryugen Yomi, Mitsuzane's Sengoku Driver plays Chinese erhu & gong music and announces before every transformation. By pressing the Sengoku Driver's Cutting Blade down on the Lockseed after transforming from one to three times, he can activate one of three finishing moves based on his current Arms form: , , or .
As Genesis Armored Rider Zangetsu Shin, Mitsuzane's Genesis Driver announces before every transformation. By pushing the Genesis Driver's Seaboll Compressor into the Energy Lockseed after transforming from one to two times, he can activate one of two finishing moves based on his current Arms form: or . In addition to the Genesis Driver's finishing moves, Zangetsu Shin can perform a finishing attack by inserting an Energy Lockseed into the Energy Drive Bay of his Sonic Arrow.
All of Mitsuzane's main forms and their armaments utilize Kanji instead of Hiragana or Katakana.
==Equipment==
===Devices===
*Sengoku Driver - Ryugen/Ryugen Yomi's transformation device
*Genesis Driver - Zangetsu Shin's transformation device (disabled by Professor Ryoma's self-destruct fail-safe)
*Lockseeds - Transformation trinkets
===Weapons===
*Arms Weapons
**Ryugen:
***Budou Ryuhou - Ryugen Budou Arms' personal weapon
***Kiwi Gekirin - Ryugen Kiwi Arms' personal weapons
***Melon Defender - Ryugen Melon Arms' personal weapon
***Bana Spear - Ryugen Banana Arms' personal weapon
***Pine Iron - Ryugen Pine Arms' personal weapon
***Triggermagnum - Ryugen W Arms' personal weapon
***Faiz Edge - Ryugen Faiz Arms' personal weapon
***Rocket Module - Ryugen Fourze Arms' personal weapon
***Daidaimaru - Temporary weapon loaned to him by Gaim Kiwami Arms against Jam
***Kagematsu - Temporary weapon stolen from a Mecha Kurokage
***Musou Saber - Temporary weapon loaned to him by Gaim Kiwami Arms against Plain Roidmudes (Lost Number) and Mecha Elementary Inves
**Ryugen Yomi:
***Budou Ryuhou - One of Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms' personal weapons
***Kiwi Gekirin - One of Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms' personal weapons
***Sheimu (Demushu's sword) - One of Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms' personal weapons (Arms Change only)
***Dau (Redyue's halberd) - One of Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms' personal weapons
***Joeshuimu (Rosyuo's greatsword) - One of Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms' personal weapons (Arms Change only)
***Dimubu (Shinmugurun's axe) - One of Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms' personal weapons
**Zangetsu Shin:
***Sonic Arrow - Zangetsu Shin Melon Energy Arms' personal weapon
***Storm Halberd - One of Zangetsu Shin Agito Arms' personal weapons
***Flame Saber - One of Zangetsu Shin Agito Arms' personal weapons
===Vehicles===
*Lock Vehicles - Vehicles that unfold from special Lockseeds:
**Sakura Hurricane - Borrowed Rider Machine from Gaim
**Rose Attacker - Ryugen's Rider Machine
==Legend Rider Devices ==
==Family==
File:Takatora Kureshima.png|Takatora Kureshima (Brother)
File:Amagi Kureshima.png|Amagi Kureshima (Father)
* Takatora/Kamen RIder Zangetsu (Shin): to be added
*Amagi: to be added
==Relationships==
===Friends===
*Kouta Kazuraba/Kamen Rider Gaim: to be added
*Mai Takatsukasa: to be added
===Allies===
*Kaito Kumon/Kamen Rider Baron: to be added
*Hideyasu Jonouchi/Kamen Rider Gridon: to be added
*Ryoji Hase/Kamen RIder Kurokage: to be added
*Oren Pierre Alfonzo/Kamen Rider Bravo: to be added
*Zack/Kamen RIder Knuckle: to be added
*Yoko Minato/Kamen Rider Marika: to be added
===Enemies===
*Ryoma Sengoku/Kamen Rider Duke: to be added
*Lock Dealer Sid/Kamen Rider Sigurd: to be added
==Behind the Scenes==
===Portrayal===
Mitsuzane Kureshima is portrayed by . He was also a guest star in Episode 10 of .
As Kamen Rider Ryugen, his suit actor is , who was previously the suit actor for in and in Hobby Japan, November 2013, and .
===Etymology===
*In , "Yomotsu" refers to the , a hag sent by Izanami to kill Izanagi for breaking his promise of not seeing her within Yomi no Kuni. One of the items Izanagi used to stall the hag from killing him as he ran back to the surface was his black headdress, which took the form of grapes.
==Notes==
*Mitsuzane's Sengoku Driver for Ryugen has both a unique standby sound and a body type that isn't used by anyone else, although several elements of Ryugen's Ride Wear would also appear on Marika's suit later on.
**The Complete Selection Modification Sengoku Driver would later debut another unique standby sound for Kamen Rider Saver, though his is a variation of Baron's played in a different style, thus Ryugen is still the only Rider who has a completely unique standby sound for his Driver.
*An unused model of Ryugen using the Genesis Driver to transform into Melon Energy Arms can be found by browsing through the ROM files of Kamen Rider: Battride War II.
*Early promos of Kamen Rider Zi-O: Over Quartzer include multiple Riders including Ryugen, but they don't actually appear in the film.
*The reason for Kiwi Arms' infrequent appearance was due to suit actor Daisuke Satō's difficultly in wielding the Kiwi Gekirin.
*Ryugen Yomi was not part of the original series plan, but created at the request of Gen Urobuchi, who felt that a power gap between Mitzuane and Kouta needed to be closed. An initial scrapped design was simply a , which was a recolored Budou Arms. 
===Legend Rider Lockseeds===
*The following Legend Rider Lockseeds are styled for Ryugen:
**V3 - "Chikara, Waza, Double Typhoon!"
**Skyrider - "Sky, Henshin, Sail-ing Jump!"
**Super-1 - "Seki, Shin, Sho-rin Ken!"
**Kuuga - "Chō Henshin, Ha-Ha-Ha!"
**Double - "Cyclone, Joker, Ha-Ha-Ha!"
***Double CycloneJokerXtreme - "Cyclone, Joker, Xtreme!"
***Joker - "Joker, Kirifuda, Sei-ya Ha!"
**Meteor - "Hwacha, Ha-Ha-Ha!"
**Ryugen - "Bu-dou, Ha-Ha-Ha!"
==Appearances==
==References==
==External Links==
*Mitsuzane Kureshima on Kamen Rider Official
*Kamen Rider Ryugen Budou Arms on Kamen Rider Official
*Kamen Rider Ryugen Kiwi Arms on Kamen Rider Official
*Kamen Rider Ryugen Pine Arms on Kamen Rider Official
*Kamen Rider Ryugen Yomi Yomotsuheguri Arms on Kamen Rider Official
*Kamen Rider Ryugen Double Arms on Kamen Rider Official
*Kamen Rider Zangetsu Shin Melon Energy Arms on Kamen Rider Official
==Navigation==
ru:Мицузанэ Курешима
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