History Characters / KamenRiderGaimKoutaKazuraba

The main character of ''Kamen Rider Gaim''. Kouta is an earnest young man who quits Team Gaim so that he can get a job and support his sister. However, after finding the Sengoku Driver and Orange Lockseed he is drawn back into the competition between the different "Beat Rider" gangs, believing that his new-found power is the key to his maturation as an adult.\\
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Voted #2 Kamen Rider in the ''Kamen Rider Gaim'' franchise, #37 Kamen Rider in the Heisei era, and #48 Kamen Rider overall in NHK's All Kamen Rider Popularity Vote.

%%*** DropTheHammer: The Donkachi [[note]]Gridon Bammer[[/note]] in Donguri Arms.

** To [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Shirou Emiya]] as well. Both of them are hardworking men living in a fictional city who got involved in a larger conflict that tests their idealism, have a friend who betrayed them out of envy (Micchy to Kouta, Shinji to Shirou), and have a DualWielding fighting style.

** It also somewhat makes sense in that while Gaim is powerful beyond any human and most Rider's his godlike abilities aren't quite to the point of just being able to snap his fingers and wipe his enemies from existance. And much of his powers involve the manipulation of the Forest of Helheim and it's Inves, something he's not likely to want to bring to the Earth again even if he's controlling it this time just to be on the safe side.

** In a way, he acts like this whenever he shows up in future crossovers, usually intervening in a major way to help the current Rider in a way only he could, such as effortlessly retrieving Belt-San so Drive can joint the fight, destroying the Enigma Machina's invisibility barrier, or giving Sougo advice that is a ''major'' reason the BadFuture is prevented in the end. Each of these is instrumental to the day being saved whether directly or indirectly.

* AccidentalMurder: He had no idea that he killed Yuya until Takatora told him. This then extends to every single Inves he ever killed, who were all once sentient beings before Helheim made them a part of its ecosystem.

** #11: Even after he finds out the truth about Yggdrasill and its involvement in the Inves Game, Kouta still tries to save the people at the base camp, despite clearly not liking - if not outright disgusted by them.

** #14: Despite the fact Ryoji became an AxCrazy Hekija Inves, he ''still'' thought he could reach Ryoji... it didn't work and Sigurd jumped in to kill Ryoji.

** He stumbles around in #16 when trying to use the Genesis Core and Lemon Energy Lockseed to access Jimber form. It took the enemy accidentally knocks over his Rider Indicator that he know how to use it.

* KleptomaniacHero: In #21, he hits Sid with a Rider Kick, and as Sid de-transforms, he looks up in surprise to find Kouta is holding up the Cherry Energy Lockseed he's just swiped from Sid's Sonic Arrow. Later, in #22, he, Marika and a group of Kurokage Troopers battle a group of Elementary Inves. After the Inves are destroyed or retreat and the Crack shuts, he and Marika revert... and then Kouta snatches the Peach Energy Lockseed right off Marika's Genesis Driver and runs off with it. And in #43, he performs a DeliberateInjuryGambit to get close enough to Micchy, then yanks the Yomotsuheguri Lockseed off his Sengoku Driver and crushes it.

* NoPlaceForMeThere: In #40, Redyue tries to convince Kouta that he's no longer human and can never fit in with them again; while Sagara tells Mai the same thing about him. Both Kouta and Mai admit the truth in that, but - to Redyue's shock and Mai's horror - that changes nothing and Kouta continues to fight for a world he can never belong to anyways.

** This culminates in #46 when he becomes the Man of the Beginning. He has two options 1. Let Helheim take over the earth, 2. He stops Helheim and he'll die. He chose 3. He let Helheim run free on a dying planet.

* TenMinuteRetirement: Him quitting being Gaim only lasted a single episode.

* VictorGainsLosersPowers: Snags Sid's Cherry Energy Lockseed in #21.

** He's also this to [[Characters/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaSayakaMiki Sayaka Miki]], since both of them are [[HeroesPreferSwords sword-wielding]] [[WideEyedIdealist idealists]] in blue who are at odds with an impoverished AntiHero in red (Kyoko for Sayaka, Kaito for Kouta). Both of them are also WrongGenreSavvy and ended up becoming the very thing they're fighting against, though Kouta is more emotionally stable and takes it better than Sayaka did.

** He's also this to [[Characters/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaSayakaMiki Sayaka Miki]], since both of them are [[HeroesPreferSwords sword-wielding]] [[WideEyedIdealist idealists]] in blue who are at odds with an AntiHero in red (Kyoko for Sayaka, Kaito for Kouta). Both of them are also WrongGenreSavvy and ended up becoming the very thing they're fighting against, though Kouta is more emotionally stable and takes it better than Sayaka did.

* HyperspaceArsenal: Gaim can use any of the basic Arms Weapons[[note]]Daidaimaru, Pine Iron, Ichigo Kunai, Suika Sojinto, Banaspear, Donkachi, Duri Noko, [[CarryABigStick Mango Punisher]], [[{{Handguns}} Budou Ryuhou]], [[DualWielding Kiwi]] [[RingsOfDeath Gekirin]], [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe Melon Defender]], [[BladeOnAStick Kagematsu]], and [[DualWielding Kurumi]] [[PowerFist Bombers]].[[/note]], the Musou Saber, Sonic Arrow, and DJ Ju in Kiwami Arms. Additionally, the CSM version of the Kiwami Lockseed also shows that he can theorically wield the additional Arms Weapons in post-series material.

[[center: [- [[Characters/KamenRiderGaim Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/KamenRiderGaimBeatRiders Beat Riders]] ('''Kouta Kazuraba/Kamen Rider Gaim''' | [[Characters/KamenRiderGaimKaitoKumon Kaito Kumon/Kamen Rider Baron]] | [[Characters/KamenRiderGaimMitsuzaneKureshima Mitsuzane Kureshima/Kamen Rider Ryugen]]) | [[Characters/KamenRiderGaimYggdrasillCorporation Yggdrasill Corporation]] ([[Characters/KamenRiderGaimTakatoraKureshima Takatora Kureshima/Kamen Rider Zangetsu]]) | [[Characters/KamenRiderGaimHelheimForest Helheim Forest]] | [[Characters/KamenRiderGaimOthers Others]] | [[Characters/KamenRiderGaimCrossoversAndMovies Movie Characters]]]] -]

* MoralityPet: He becomes one to Kaito, who goes out of his way to bail Kouta out of trouble during the Helheim Saga.
%%** To Mitsuzane. Unfortunately, Kouta doesn't realize this, and Micchy starts to degenerate into a Poisonous Friend before renouncing his friendship with Kouta completely.

* ThemeMusicPowerup: Gets it sporadically, such as in #17 and #21, but it really comes to the fore in #41 and #45 with [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic "Ranbu Escalation".]]
%%** Interestingly it does not always play, but one can argue it comes up when his tenacity and determination seems to be rising up to uphold his ideals.

* TookALevelInBadass: In #21, he ''effortlessly'' beats the stuffing out of a larger adult criminal untransformed, showing that he's become quite the fighter.

* WeaponOfChoice:
** Personal Arms:
*** MixAndMatchWeapon: The default Musou [[CoolSword Saber]] [[note]]Unrivaled Saber[[/note]] sidearm, which can also [[BifurcatedWeapon combine]] with some of his other weapons and their Lockseeds for extra power, and the [[Series/KamenRiderWizard WizarSwordGun in Wizard Arms]].
*** KatanasAreJustBetter: The Daidaimaru [[note]]Greatest Orange Piece[[/note]] in Orange Arms.[[note]]Becomes a [[DoubleWeapon naginata]] when combined with the Musou Saber. Gaim tends to [[DualWielding dual wield]] his Musou Saber alongside the Daidaimaru. There's also a "Fresh" version of the Orange Lockseed seen in the Hyper Battle DVD that provides dual Daidaimarus.[[/note]]
*** EpicFlail: The Pine Iron in Pine Arms.[[note]]Becomes a kusarigama (chain sickle) when combined with the Musou Saber.[[/note]]
*** FlechetteStorm: The Ichigo[[note]]Strawberry[[/note]] Kunai in Ichigo Arms.
*** DoubleWeapon: The Suika Sojinto [[note]]Watermelon Twinblade[[/note]] in Suika Arms.
*** EnergyBow: The Sonic Arrow in his various Jimber Arms.
*** HandCannon: The Scratching Loading Matchlock Hinawadaidai-DJ-Ju[[note]]Orange DJ Gun[[/note]] in Kachidoki Arms.[[note]]Becomes a [[{{BFS}} big sword]] when combined with the Musou Saber.[[/note]]
*** ImprobableWeaponUser: Can fight using ''flags'' called the Kachidoki Bata [[note]]Triumphant Flags[[/note]] when using Kachidoki Arms.
*** HyperspaceArsenal: Gaim can use any of the basic Arms Weapons[[note]]Daidaimaru, Pine Iron, Ichigo Kunai, Suika Sojinto, Banaspear, Donkachi, Duri Noko, [[CarryABigStick Mango Punisher]], [[{{Handguns}} Budou Ryuhou]], [[DualWielding Kiwi]] [[RingsOfDeath Gekirin]], [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe Melon Defender]], [[BladeOnAStick Kagematsu]], and [[DualWielding Kurumi]] [[PowerFist Bombers]].[[/note]], the Musou Saber, Sonic Arrow, and DJ Ju in Kiwami Arms. Additionally, the CSM version of the Kiwami Lockseed also shows that he can theorically wield the additional Arms Weapons in post-series material.
** Borrowed Arms:
*** JoustingLance: The Banaspear in Banana Arms.
*** DropTheHammer: The Donkachi [[note]]Gridon Bammer[[/note]] in Donguri Arms.
*** [[DualWielding Dual]] [[SerratedBladeOfPain Serrated Blades]]: The Duri Noko [[note]]Durisaws[[/note]] in Durian Arms.[[note]]They can also be [[BifurcatedWeapon joined together]] by the ends of the grips.[[/note]]
*** SwissArmyWeapon: The Wizar[[CoolSword Sword]]Gun in Wizard Arms.
*** BareFistedMonk: [=1go=] Arms.

* MoralityPet:
** To Mitsuzane. Unfortunately, Kouta doesn't realize this, and Micchy starts to degenerate into a PoisonousFriend before renouncing his friendship with Kouta completely.
** He becomes one to Kaito, who goes out of his way to bail Kouta out of trouble during the Helheim Saga.