Line #220 NightmareFuel/KamenRiderZeroOne


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6
7	'''Moment Subpages are Administrivia/SpoilersOff. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.'''
8
9	[[foldercontrol]]
10
11	!!Series
12	[[folder: Episode 1: '''I am the President and a Kamen Rider''']]
13	* Korenosuke Hiden's vision of the future described in his will would fit right in with a scene from ''Terminator''. [=HumaGears=] crawling on all fours over walls and buildings amidst a ruined city, charging at the viewer is horrific to think of.
14	* Whenever a berserk [=HumaGear=] opens their mouth, they're shown to have MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily.
15	* The transformation from benevolent [=HumaGear=] into hijacked Magia is nothing short of cybernetic BodyHorror. The mooks are rid of their human guises and have their skin and faces ripped right off. That, however, is ''nothing'' compared to the poor unfortunate bucket of scrap that is unlucky enough to be [[MonsterOfTheWeek a Magia]]. While their skin and face are ripped off, it goes one-step further by [[TransformationHorror having cables spew out from its mouth and wrap around its body]], then becoming the monster the Rider has to defeat. [[HarsherInHindsight Thank god that whatever does this to a machine can't be done on humans.]]
16	* Jin establishes his PsychopathicManchild cred right away by bouncing up and down while laughing with glee at the destruction caused by his first Magia, then ''continuing'' to laugh while he puts a hacked [=HumaGear=] into a headlock and flat out ''executes the poor thing''. And by execute we mean pull out a gun, a real gun, and shoot it in the head! It may have been a robot but still...
17	* The episode in general takes advantage of the enemies being robots to ramp up the gore levels considerably. Rather than the monster just exploding when hit as usual, Zero-One's first Rising Impact is shown ''ripping through'' the victim's body, with a slow-mo shot of the spray of broken parts around him.
18	[[/folder]]
19
20	[[folder: Episode 2: '''Are AI Enemies Or Allies?''']]
21	* Isamu was caught right in the middle of the explosion in Daybreak Town like Aruto was. However, whereas Aruto was saved by the Humagear impersonating his father, Isamu woke up in the middle of a wrecked school confronted with ''hundreds'' of berserk Humagears like from Korenosuke's prediction outside, who then proceed to try and kill him. Isamu was traumatized by this so much that he's absolutely convinced that all Humagears are secretly murder machines.
22	* When Mamoru, the security guard-type [=HumaGear=], turns into a Magia, Aruto tries to initiate a IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight. Izu tells him that his attempt is futile because ''the second a [=HumaGear=] is reprogrammed'', they can't be saved. Doesn't matter if they're going haywire from being around a Magia or a [=HumaGear=] turning into a Magia. The second their program is overwritten, they undergo DeathOfPersonality.
23	* Jin showing how creepy he can be when delivering to a [=HumaGear=] that they are supposed to destroy humans. It's the one-eyed stare from behind the hood that does it!
24	[[/folder]]
25
26	[[folder: Episode 3: '''That Man, Sushi Chef''']]
27	* The sheer danger of a ''single'' Magia is demonstrated when the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Neohi Magia]] manages to hack an entire ''city block'' of Humagears into [[MechaMook Trilobite Magia]] from a single roof top.
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder: Episode 4: '''The Bus Guide Saw It! Anna's Truth''']]
31	* The Magia rampage in Daybreak Town was terrifying, especially if you put yourself in the shoes of the poor students that were trapped in the crossfire.
32	* Anna getting hacked in front of Gou and trying to ''kill'' him by strangling, only to resist being fully corrupted in the end.
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder: Episode 5: '''His Passionate Path of Manga''']]
36	* One of the [=HumaGears=] belonging to manga artist Choichiro Ishizumi suddenly shuts down in the middle of its task, citing that its batteries had been running out. While it is somewhat played for comedic value, it gets darker when you realize that this type of thing is also seen in real life in Japan and other parts of Asia, where people would actually ''die'' [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karoshi due to overworking]].
37	* Ishizumi pays presumably millions of yen to replace his overworked manga artists when the only thing wrong with them is that their batteries need to be recharged. He would have saved a lot just by having them switch out on occasion to plug in while another comes to continue the work. The fact that the simple solution is not merely ignored but rejected because he sees [=HumaGears=] as tools, even though it would be both cheaper and more efficient, implies that his dismissiveness has turned into subconscious malevolence. It makes him come off as a sociopath, or at least a sadist. Throw that on top of how he talks down to the ''president of the company he buys them from'', who personally hand delivered his new model. Fame and apathy have more or less destroyed his concept of decency, though thankfully he starts to get some of it back along with his passion for art by the end.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40
41	[[folder: Episode 6: '''I Want To Hear Your Voice''']]
42	* Seine's [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGN2XHAU8AA8vTH.jpg transformation into Magia]] at the audition. And if the screams of those [=HumaGears=] transform into Magia in the previous episodes don't haunt you, this scream will, and she does it in a high-pitched, anguished voice. It also doubles as heart-breaking; even Jin with a brief change of heart was unable to reverse it.
43	* Jin being revealed a [=HumaGear=] raises a few questions, and quite a few are horrifying given what group he belongs to. The way Horobi just nonchalantly reprograms Jin after his hesitance in going through with turning Seine into a Magia makes one wonder: ''How many times as Jin been reprogrammed and had his personality wiped''?! Not to mention the implication that Jin's personality and initial LackOfEmpathy was the result of Horobi's ''parenting''.
44	* The transformation sequence via the Force Riser, where the user undergoes a violent electric shock before the animal construct wraps around the user and then proceeds to explode to become the armor with spikes impaling the user along the insides of the strap.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47
48	[[folder: Episode 8: '''The Destruction Begins Now''']]
49	* A giant robot made by ZAIA has been hijacked by Metsuboujinrai.net and hacks the supposedly secure [=HumaGear=] hospital staff. Though Aruto, Fuwa and Yua thought the [=HumaGears=] were safe, Horobi and Jin proved them wrong as Mashiro-chan suddenly laughs like crazy as she and her fellow staff transforms into Trilobite Magias... ''all with their human patients watching in horror.'' Mashiro-chan's particular evil laugh and transformation scene had been terrifying enough that posters on Japanese ImageBoards begged their colleagues ''not'' to post that particular scene.
50	* Horobi revealing a huge, gaping hole in the side of his head (showing exposed, jagged metal and cracks in the "skin") where his [=HumaGear=] earpiece would be.
51	* Horobi talking about the Ark being sentient condemning humanity to extinction is definitely his most ominous so far.
52	* Yua screams Isamu's name as he gets hit with Horobi's finisher. The horror in her voice is ''very'' out of place considering how she has never really been anything else than stoic so far.
53	* Horobi's finisher itself. The spike construct used in it impaled Vulcan ''through his throat.'' Even more twisted is that the end result has ''[[RussianReversal Vulcan]]'' exploding like a MonsterOfTheWeek.
54	* Even though most of the Trilobites were destroyed and Aruto dealt with the Dodo Magia 2.0, Isamu is critically wounded fighting Horobi and the hospital [=HumaGear=] are still vulnerable to being hacked.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder: Episode 9: '''I'll Take Care of Your Life''']]
58	* And just you thought it was over, Episode 9 shows ''more'' hacked Trilobites attacking their own patients courtesy of Horobi and Jin. One example is a [=HumaGear=] nurse that was tending an elderly couple (both whom also appeared in Episode 1 in the amusement park as an audience member). Imagine the trauma the couple received in experiencing another Magia attack.
59	* It has been revealed that the doctor operating Fuwa has been hacked and could turn into a Trilobite Magia in the middle of the surgery. And while Zero-One clashes with the villains, you can probably see the doctor's consciousness is silently fighting out the influence of [=MetsubouJinrai=], but he ultimately sides with Zero-One.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder: Episode 16: '''This is the Dawn of ZAIA''']]
63	* Jin's injuries from his battle with Aruto are horrific, with half of his face melted off including one of his eyes. With the suit covering up the wounds until then, there's no telling if it was all caused by the final kick clash, or if Jin went into it already on the verge of death.
64	* [=MetsubouJinrai.NET=] has been defeated and yet somehow Magia are still showing up, except without Zetsumerise Keys.
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder: Episode 17: '''I'm the Only President and Kamen Rider''']]
68	* The Ark has become nothing short of a [[DemonicPossession demon]] now that it's reactivated, capable of latching onto even the slightest negative emotions in a [=HumaGear's=] heart and using that to turn them into a Magia on the spot. Every [=HumaGear=] is now a ticking time bomb, capable of going berserk as soon as they're mistreated. Later episodes explain that it takes more than slight emotions, but the fact that the Ark's reactivation means that [=HumaGears=] can now go through a "reverse" Singularity is ''horrifying.'' What once was a sign of a [=HumaGear=] growing and becoming sentient has been twisted and perverted into a force of evil by the Ark.
69	* The reactivated Horobi alternates between a VoiceOfTheLegion and his normal voice throughout his interrogation by Fuwa. Just the effect on its own would be unsettling enough, but hearing it fade in and out heightens the result further still.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder: Episode 18: '''This is My Floristry''']]
73	* [=HumaGears=] aren't the only things capable of being transformed into rampaging monsters anymore. The humans that transform into Raiders get the same painful transformation as Magia, with only the BodyHorror being dialed back from their robotic counterparts. Worse, while the [=RaidRiser=] visibly has some influence on its wearer, all it does is lessen the wearer's inhibitions while amplifying their emotions, meaning Raiders are acting on hatred they already had.
74	* Aruto also valiantly tries to get Rentaro to snap out of it while futilely holding Thouser back due to his fear of any finisher actually ''killing'' the Raider in particular because of how destructive they were to [=HumaGears=] in the past. Thankfully this turns out to not be how it works for Raiders as their more bootleg-Rider style transformations are simply cancelled out explosively instead, leaving the user dazed but relatively unharmed.
75	* The hooded woman figure appears when Isamu is talking to Horobi only to vanish when he tries to turn around to look at her. It could have just been his imagination, or she actually ''[[StealthHiBye was]]'' there.
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder: Episode 21: '''Objection! That Trial''']]
79	* Gai is shown to have access to both the [=ZetsumeRiser=] and Zetsumerise Keys, meaning he can potentially make ''any'' [=HumaGear=] go berserk at his whim, just like he did with Bingo, who was visibly [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Ark's influence]] at the time.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder: Episode 22: '''Nevertheless, He Still Didn't Do It''']]
83	* Metal Cluster Hopper's debut is full cluster of them:
84	** Just the development of the form itself demonstrates that Thouser hasn't just been temporarily stealing the powers of the Progrise Keys when he jacks them: he's been taking them permanently. By now he's well and truly won the SuperpowerLottery, having nearly all of Zero-One and Vulcan's powers combined.
85	** When the Key is shoved into Aruto's belt, he's sent into the datascape of the Ark. At first it looks like Zea's other than being black instead of white, but after a few moments the strings of binary are instead replaced with streams of kanji for ''[[ThePowerOfHate hate]]'', ''[[WarIsHell war]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/{{Abuse}} abuse]]'', ''[[HumansAreBastards evil]]'' [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters and other negative things]] that completely engulf him, [[HellIsThatNoise all with a electronic, revving-like screeching]]. Aruto is [[NotHyperbole quite literally]] being consumed by the Ark's madness so that ''[[WeaponWieldsYou it]]'' can take control.
86	** Where Zero-One's previous forms were themed around singular grasshoppers, Metal Cluster Hopper is themed around ''locusts'', with all of its abilities revolving around [[PestController a swarm of metallic grasshoppers]] that fill the air with a deafening buzz. While Valkyrie's Lightning Hornet had bee drones capable of simple attacks, and Shining Assault Hopper has crystal drones that can form barriers, Metal Cluster Hopper has ''hundreds'' of drones that coalesce into the shape of a single monstrous grasshopper before they form the armor. The locusts are so destructive that just a few seconds of swarming around the Dynamiting Lion Raider obliterates his armor, tears the clothing underneath to shreds, and covers his body in dozens of wounds. Even just a glancing blow from the swarm rips Vulcan's arm guns off.
87	** Thouser attacks the berserk Aruto, seemingly to try and prove his own superiority, and gets crushed just as easily as the Raider. Nothing he has even ''touches'' Zero-One, blocked by the swarm before it even gets there, and the Ark gladly keeps attacking once Gai loses his transformation. Fuwa manages to pull the belt off when Gai is inches from being shredded into a fine red mist.
88	** While all this is happening, Aruto is screaming in pain and desperation, [[AndIMustScream powerless to control his own body]], contrasting with views from outside the suit where he's moving so soullessly and silently.
89	** Worst of all, Gai is completely unfazed by these events, outright ''laughing'' when the berserk Zero-One grabs him by the throat, showing only mild fear at the near-death experience that follows, and declaring the Ark to be a work of art afterward. Somehow, all of this is exactly what he wants.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder: Episode 23: '''I'm in Love With Your Intelligence''']]
93	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1581854158682.png]]
94	[[caption-width-right:350: ''"Grasshoppers are known to swarm and devastate crops, and then cannibalize their own. Such vile creatures. And now Zero-One reflects their vile nature!"'']]
95	* The sheer hatred of the Ark practically ''subsumes'' Aruto's consciousness entirely, with the Ark trying to drag Aruto down with it [[GrandTheftMe so it can hijack his body]] ''permanently.''
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Episode 26: '''We are the Blazing Firefighter Corps''']]
99	* The fourth round in the Workplace Competition quickly turns for the worst as, unlike in previous cases, this round focuses on saving people's lives from a fire. Thanks to the Raider, the competition turns from a mere simulation to an actual life-or-death situation. People are now trapped in a building that is now on fire. Worse yet is Gai's complete and utter apathy by not only having the round continue, but declare that the person who saves the trapped Hiden Intelligence Board Members will be declared the winner. ''In front of a news crew no less!''
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder: Episode 27: '''I Will Not Give Up These Lives''']]
103	* The shot as Yua freezes up and goes quiet and subservient towards Gai after having her opinion silenced by him is ''unnervingly'' similar to an abuse victim. The implications of extreme verbal abuse to keep her in line are as heartbreaking as they are horrifying.
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder: Episode 28: '''My rap will change the world''']]
107	* It's revealed that Yua and Isamu each have a chip in their brains that allows them to use [=ShotRisers=]. Yua knew it. Isamu did not, nor was it a voluntary on his side. His role as ZAIA's lab rat/crash-test dummy has been already alluded to several times, but takes it to a different level and then another dozen more as it also turns out that the chip can be used to control its user.
108	* Isamu sees the identity of the hooded figure, who broke Horobi out of A.I.M.S captivity. It was him himself after Jin hacked the chip in his head. Poor guy takes it so hard that even Jin is briefly stunned.
109	* The public completely turns against Aruto. Everyone calls for the destruction of [=HumaGears=] and Amatsu has them sorted out like pawns on his chess board.
110	* The ParanoiaFuel stemming from the fact that anything either Yua or Isamu have done through the story so far could have been directly controlled by Amatsu. Also, in Yua's case, every order had an unspoken "or I'll make you do that" tacked on at the end. That's not even starting on what Metsubojinrai.NET could have done. Video footage or photographs being tampered with is one thing, but not being able to trust your own senses just goes straight into pure PsychologicalHorror.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder: Episode 29: '''Our Dreams Won't Break''']]
114	* [[TheBadGuyWins Gai wins the Five Round Workplace Competition.]] That alone is dreadful news to hear, but the implications are even worse. Not only is Gai now in total control of Hiden Intelligence's assets, but this also includes every piece of tech under the company's umbrella. ''That includes Zea and its ability to produce Progrisekeys.'' [[ReadTheFinePrint ...Or]] ''does'' [[MeaninglessVillainVictory it?]]
115	* Gai shows off how he can control the AI chip in Fuwa's brain with a ZAIA Spec… By ''[[ColdBloodedTorture torturing him repeatedly]].'' Even worse, he does so in front of Yua, who eventually cracks and rushes to Fuwa's side when he collapses on the ground screaming in agony, even though there's nothing she can do. The worst part is, Fuwa is ''still screaming'' after Gai drop the Rampage Vulcan Key in front of him, as the scene fades to black, meaning that even after 'giving' him the Key, ''Gai didn't stop torturing him.'' Amatsu Gai has elected to forgo jumping and is canon-balling over as many [[MoralEventHorizon Moral Event Horizons]] as he possibly can, at this point.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder: Episode 30: '''After All, I am a President and a Kamen Rider''']]
119	* The fact that Gai shows no hesitation going through with a finisher when Aruto gets in the way of him and Izu. He's now perfectly fine with trying to kill Aruto if it means that it gets him out of his way. This is no longer a Rider vs. Rider thing. This is a human who wants another one dead if it'll get him out of his way. If he didn't pass the MoralEventHorizon already, this certainly pushes him beyond it.
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder: Episode 33: '''Are Dreams Important to You?''']]
123	* It's ''heavily'' implied that Degawa and Shida were '''''gunned down''''', ordered by ''Gai'' himself, as by the time Yua goes to the van, neither of them were in sight, bullet casings lay scattered all around, and one of their sunglasses was on the ground. Considering that they were fine after being defeated by Zero-One, and she was attacked by 2 turncoat AIMS-enabled Battle Raiders immediately after finding the scene, it does not end well for both of them.
124	* Gai reveals that Fuwa's memory about the Daybreak Town Accident was fake. Yes, the chips in the A.I.M.S. members are powerful enough to ''rewrite memories''.
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder: Episode 34: '''This is the Path of Death''']]
128	* As if [=HumaGear=] hacking wasn't nightmarish enough, thanks to getting access to Naki, Ark is now able to hack ZAIA Spec users. The results are mass chaos.
129	* Midori's destruction, inflicted by Horobi using Sting Scorpion's Poison tail. She isn't destroyed immediately as much as having a painful looking breakdown of her entire body before exploding.
130	* Imagine being a worker going about your day as usual in the office. All of a sudden several your coworkers begin going berserk, wrecking things around them and actually trying to murder you while shouting "KillAllHumans". Even worse, it is revealed that they are all wearing ZAIA Specs, and they have been hacked. Cut to the culprit: Naki -- now back in a new [=Humagear=] body -- with her eyes glowing red and uttering that it is by the will of the Ark.
131	[[/folder]]
132
133	[[folder: Episode 35: '''What Do [=HumaGears=] Dream Of?''']]
134	* At first, it seems that Naki has regressed to being a "tool" of the Ark; after spending so much time trying to become their own person, they get turned back into the Ark's lackey as soon as they're back into a [=Humagear=] body. We already know how terrifying the Ark is, but this just cements how exceptionally dangerous it could be. Thankfully, Isamu manages to snap them out of it.
135	[[/folder]]
136
137	[[folder:Episode 35.5: '''How was [=MetsubouJinrai=] Created?''']]
138	* As' actions towards the followers of the Ark. All of them have attained Singularity and have partially grown independent, no longer blindly following the Ark thanks to Aruto's influence. Sounds great, right? It is up until As prods them exactly ''how'' they reached Singularity, then proceeds to '''rip''' that data right out of them with a mysterious Progrise Key and use it as fuel to revive the Ark, all of this done with a DissonantSerenity. Recall how any Humagear who reached Singularity got turned into a Magia and had that data stolen and turned into a murderous machine? That would have been preferable for [=MetsuouJinrai=] as they're reverted to being blindly obedient to the Ark, if not downright ''soulless''. Their response after having their Singularity data taken is chilling, their [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes not helping matters]].
139	-->'''Horobi, Naki & Ikazuchi:''' This... is the will of the Ark.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Episode 36: '''I am the Ark and a Kamen Rider''']]
143	* The Ark has fully revived. That alone spells bad news, but it gets worse as the trailer for the episode implies it can now manifest in Horobi, Ikazuchi and Naki after their Singularity data was taken from them. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Horobi gets to serve the Ark alright]]. [[HijackedByGanon As its meat puppet, that is.]]
144	** Those possessed by the Ark have [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver red and black]] tendrils of what appear to be nanomachines constantly flowing in and out of their body in an extremely disconcerting manner. And that's to say nothing of the actual transformation into Ark-Zero, where those same nanomachines generate writhing, wailing animal constructs that break down and collapse into the suit while uttering high-pitched ''screams''.
145	** It turns out that the Ark, in addition to being able to possess ''any'' [=HumaGear=], which it demonstrates by using Jin to fight Zero-One and Vulcan, can also possess ''Fuwa and Yua'', thanks to their neural implants. Fuwa barely manages to fight off the Ark before it decides to give up and use the more easily accessible Horobi.
146	* The debut of Kamen Rider Ark-Zero in general. If you thought [[Series/KamenRiderExAid Kuroto's transformation into Dangerous Zombie was discomforting and unsettling,]] then Ark-Zero's transformation sequence is a thousand times worse. The moment the transformation sequence starts, the Driver creates Lost Models of various animals, only they're all visibly writhing and screaming in pain as they break down and reform into the armor that makes up Ark-Zero.
147	* If you didn't think Gai Amatsu was bad news, then this will: instead of recalling every ZAIA Spec because of the hacking incidents, he instead opts to make the ZAIA Raidriser available to public so they can protect themselves and others. This is basically the equivalent to selling rocket launchers at a convenience store just because of the sheer paranoia that people might become aggressive all of sudden.
148	* Disturbing movements that Horobi make as he is possessed by the Ark is something that come straight out of [[Literature/TheRing The Ring]].
149	[[/folder]]
150
151	[[folder: Episode 37: '''It Cannot Be Stopped''']]
152	* Ignoring all the funny aspects, the fact that Gai has more than 1,800 complaints in his file brings to question on how did he managed to retain his popularity despite all the evidenced notoriety in that Shesta uncovered. In addition, one of the complaints being sexual and moral harassment among other things.
153	** Here's also a bit of FridgeHorror: How did Gai managed to get away with these complaints going unnoticed despite a normal person would've filed this to the court?
154	* Ark Zero promptly [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomps]] Aruto twice in the episode. What makes this terrifying is that in their second confrontation, Ark Zero doesn't even so much as take a step before unleashing its full power on Aruto. We also got another demonstration of its overwhelming power, as it took control of Isamu's ShotRiser and tried to shoot Is. If not for Jin, she would have been destroyed.
155	[[/folder]]
156
157	[[folder: Episode 40: '''Towards Mine and My Dream''']]
158	* Ark kills Aruto. And doesn't stop there, hacks the city's infrastructure to destroy itself, shoots Gai behind his back, shoots Yua right after she saved Fuwa from getting shot, destroys Rampage Vulcan's Rider Models before Fuwa could transform and one-shoots him as well. Thankfully, none of that actually happened, it was just one of the many calculations that Zea ran through Izu.
159	* Despite being simulations, they acknowledge one of the harrowing weaknesses of the non-Humagear Kamen Riders of the series. For all the technology and powers at their disposal, they're still only human. Ark doesn't kill Aruto, Fuwa, Gai and Yua with any glowing mass of energy or enhanced Rider kick, he kills them with little more than single, mundane bullet each.
160	* While it's played for laughs near the end of the episode, the emotions Is finally experiences that allows her to reach Singularity are through living multiple iterations of the same outcome; [[DespairEventHorizon Aruto dying]], [[AndIMustScream and her being alone.]] Is has plenty reason not to forgive Aruto for putting her through those simulations. While they might have been fake, Is' emotions were not.
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder: Episode 42: '''As Long as There's Malice''']]
164	* Aruto gives into the DespairEventHorizon and is given the Ark-One key to evolve Ark-Zero into Ark-One, an upgrade literally MadeOfEvil in a digital format, with him as the host. As if this wasn't shocking enough, the episode makes it very clear that Aruto is ''NotBrainwashed'' throughout the whole ordeal, willingly absorbing the suit's cocktail of raw, unfiltered hatred, and even ''smiles'' when he sees the key in Azu's hand. Unless someone sets him right, ''Zero-One'' has managed to do something that hasn't been done before: make a protagonist Rider completely [[FallenHero fall from grace]].
165	* Ark-One is fueled by five aspects of human negativity in particular: malice, fear, fury, hatred, and despair. In other words, the main ingredients of bigotry and prejudice. Aruto has essentially gone from the loving yet aloof president of Hiden Intelligence to a possibly psychotic, unambiguously evil avatar of hatred in the span of one episode. While Ark-One's stats are weaker than Zero-Two, it's through the power of malice alone that he becomes a fearsome force, easily taking down any who opposes him.
166	* Ark-One's parts list isn't as intense as the one for Ark-Zero (which explains in detail how the suit only works because the host is essentially on life support), but there are two particular standout implications: First, the red face jewel (the Ark Signal-One) on the faceplate silences the host's benevolence and stops any potential mental trauma from directly harming them - however, it's described as a ''calming'' experience for them, meaning Aruto might be in a state of humanly-impossible ''perfect zen'' while in the suit. Second, the Ergonice Arms are mentioned to ''inject'' the black-and-crimson, hate-filled energy into the host. Any regrets and doubts Aruto might have about being the Ark's new host may be enough to send him into a nervous breakdown out of the suit, but ''as'' Ark-One, they're all completely wiped out until only bitter prejudice remains.
167	* As is pretty damn unnerving in this episode. Her utter devotion to the Ark drives her to manipulate not just Aruto, but also Is and Jin, directly leading to Is's death and Aruto becoming Ark-One. Not to mention, she does it with a [[DissonantSerenity smile in her face]], actively gloating that the Ark is a almighty god, and it will revive as long as there is malice.
168	[[/folder]]
169
170	[[folder: Episode 43: '''That is a Heart''']]
171	* The first half of the episode is simply Gai, Yua, and Fuwa coming to the terrifying realization that [[NotBrainwashed Aruto has dominant control over Ark-One's processes]] as he shuts down ''all'' of their Rider powers with a single blow, ''permanently''.
172	* While Horobi and his army put up a decent fight at the start, Ark-One rather unsurprisingly [[CurbstompBattle tears through each and every one of them with ease.]] Especially once he's within close quarters combat distance of Horobi. Not even firing the Attache Arrow point blank into Ark-One's face so much as [[NoSell phases him.]]
173	* Horobi's finisher doesn't fare any better. Like every other attack and attempt prior, Sting Dystopia is simply [[NoSell parried,]] and Aruto stuns Horobi with a single punch.
174	* The fight between Aruto and Horobi reveals that Learning 5 wasn't even Ark One at full power. After Despair, Aruto continues pressing the Driver's button, giving us Strife, Bloodthirst, Ruin, Extinction and finally [[OhCrap Extermination.]] [[NamesToRunAwayFrom Perfect Conclusion;]] [[OhCrap Learning End.]]
175	[[/folder]]
176
177	[[folder: Episode 44: '''There's Only One Person Who Can Stop You''']]
178	* Aruto has a recurring, extremely twisted and creepy vision of As embracing him from behind over a field of the Ark's malice.
179	* Zero-Two finally returns for the first time since Aruto became Ark One... but it's not in the hopeful and triumphant way one would think. His back to Fuwa as he transforms, the complete lack of the Zero Two Driver's catchy standby jingle, Aruto brandished the Zero-Two Driver as a mercy after disabling Fuwa's chip the last time. To really throw any hopes of Aruto returning to normal out the window without a miracle, Zero-Two emits a ''human'' scream when the Zero-Two Streamer attaches, making it clear that Zea is now nothing but a tool of CruelMercy.
180	* While Naki's Zetsumerise Key was able to grant Fuwa the ability to transform again, the strain on both him and the Shotriser might have permanently put Kamen Rider Vulcan out of commission.
181	* Horobi finally receives an upgrade since debuting nearly 40 episodes ago, and [[OhCrap what an upgrade it is.]] We finally learn what the Key he received in the prior episode was; Ark Scorpion. As if that didn't already confirm the possibility of more than one Ark existing at a time, it couldn't be anymore apparent with Ark Scorpion's transformation and appearance.
182	** A convulsing, writhing mass of black, the glowing red kanji of hateful and negative words accompanying the scorpion that appears and wraps itself around Horobi. The Zetsumetsu Driver even speaks [[MeaningfulEcho the same words as the Ark Driver's Ark One sequence,]] only in English instead of Japanese.
183	--->'''Zetsumetsu Driver:''' ''DESTRUCTION! RUIN! DESPAIR! EXTINCTION!'' '''ARK SCORPION!!!''' ''The conclusion after evil climbs the top of the highest mountain of rock.''
184	** Jagged red lines throughout his suit, and the telltale [[RedEyesTakeWarning Ark eye]] in place of Horobi's left one.
185	[[/folder]]
186
187	[[folder: Episode 45: '''The Future of Each''']]
188	* The sponsor page at the beginning is no longer Zero-One riding his motorcycle on a scenery, rather instead takes place in the same dreaded field of Ark's malice with weapons scattered throughout the area with both Aruto and Horobi stand behind each other, accompanied with unsettling, suspenseful music.
189	* While Tribolite Magias are formed by being hacked by standard Magias back then, this is no longer the case, as some of the protesters actually become Trilobite Magia on their own anger and accord. Doubles as a Tearjerker.
190	* All the while As just watches the final battle unfold, and her face only registers twisted malice.
191	* TheStinger and set-up for TheMovie. As isn't finished with her plans and hands over an unknown Progrisekey to someone called S. Her original plan for Humagears and humans to fight each other went up in smoke, and yet she has a back-up plan in mind. And whatever it is, it is anything ''but'' good.
192	[[/folder]]
193
194	!!Movies & Specials
195	[[folder: '''Kamen Rider Reiwa The First Generation''']]
196	* The effects of Another Zero-One might have very well put the timeline alterations of previous Another Riders to shame, as humanity is effectively locked in a war with the now homicidal [=HumaGear=]. [[Series/KamenRiderZiO Are we going to see the origin, or at the very least a repeat of Kikai?]]
197	* And let's get to the part of the Human-[=HumaGear=] war where surviving humans are being hunted down by militarized [=HumaGears=]. If the scenes in the trailer are an indication, this is what would Metsuboujinrai.net basically do in the original timeline.
198	* Another Zero-One killing Korenosuke Hiden. The worst part is that the Another Rider in question is Korenosuke's own secretary [=HumaGear=].
199	[[/folder]]
200
201	[[folder: '''Project Thouser''']]
202	* Gai murdering Naki. To make it more horrifying, he does it with a ''regular'' revolver complete with a shot of oil and bolts that is very reminiscent of blood and guts.
203	[[/folder]]
204
205	[[folder:'''President Special''']]
206	* After Aruto more or less finishes giving Is a recap on Zero-One's combat data, he's suddenly thrown into the Ark without any warning and doesn't understand how he got there. And he's not the only person in the Ark, either, as he's soon greeted by a [[EvilCounterpart black Zero-One, surrounding by the corrupt kanji of the Ark.]] The second episode of the recap elaborates on what, or rather who, this mystery rider is. [[OhCrap It's the Ark, now with its own Kamen Rider form:]] Kamen Rider Ark-Zero.
207	[[/folder]]
208
209	[[folder:'''Final Stage''']]
210	* As an interquel between the series and TheMovie, the stageshow has As doing some soul-searching... and coming to the dread-inducing conclusion that she is not just [[MadeOfEvil a heap of malicious programming]], but [[ItCanThink someone willing to commit unspeakable atrocities out of free will]], tying in with her willing refusal to entertain the idea of benevolence. While merely unsettling at first and something that has been overtly hinted at in the series proper, it turns out [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill that this unlocks Ark-Zero's final upgrade]]: [[SerialEscalation Kamen Rider Ark Zero-One]], a red version of Ark-One fully merged with the Hiden family's technology which grants it unspeakable power, including the ability to ''create new Ark Driver Zeroes''.
211	[[/folder]]
212
213	[[folder:'''REAL x TIME''']]
214	* S' transformation into Kamen Rider Eden is perhaps one of the more menacing and downright creepy transformation sequences in any Kamen Rider series to date. In contrast to his transformation in TheStinger where it happened off-screen, the movie gives viewers a full-view. Red geysers of what look like ''blood'' spew around S while a glowing blue feminine figure flies around him before embracing him from behind, leaving the figure to merge with S' own, treating the viewer to the lovely image of S' skeleton just as the armor slaps over S' body.
215	* Metal Cluster Hopper vs Eden Reminds the viewers that the former is made for brutal destruction of its opponents. In a blink and you'll miss it scene, you can hear the Cluster Cells ''EATING'' Eden's nanomachines, from ''INSIDE'' his body. Now verging in Fridge Horror: Is that a normal attack subroutine in Metal Cluster Hopper or did Aruto direct that one attack?
216	* Lucifer's TransformationSequence, while not as extreme, still manages to maintain the creep factor by having a [[DemBones gashadokuro]] emerge from the ground and [[EatenAlive devour Bell whole]], forming the undersuit. Then the armor plates attach to the suit, manifesting from spiked growths that look like ''bone tumors''.
217	* Two words: '''Hellrising Hopper''', a rider form who, in the vein of Ultimate Kuuga, has the capability of ending the world. And Aruto has to the use this form to beat S, who has managed to kick his ass up to this point.
218	** Using it grants Aruto the power he needs, but it also drives him ''completely insane.'' Unlike Metal Cluster Hopper, which simply dissociates his mind from his body, Hellrising Hopper is rife with imagery of Aruto himself becoming a ruthless monster indistinguishable from the form itself that [[TheUnfettered will stop at nothing to MURDER S]], to the point where one of his punches ''[[SickeningCrunch shatters his forearm]]'' [[{{Squick}} and rotates it a full 180 degrees]] - and he simply ''makes a hasty attempt to put it back in place'' and continue fighting.
219	** And let's not forget Aruto's feral scream as he tries to defeat S. You can clearly hear the raw, savage, and brutal desperation when doing so.
220	** The transformation announcement is no better, being low-pitched, horribly-creepy heavy metal, which is capped off with a sinister SNARL.
221	--->'''Zero-One Driver:''' Hell's energy has destroyed the world. ''Hellrising Hopper.'' HEAVEN OR HELL... '''''IT DOESN'T MATTER.'''''
222	** Aruto is clearly in pain during the whole ordeal, S stated that the key wasn't made for a normal human to use to the point it would kill him if he used it, and you can see why, the first thing Aruto does after transforming? '''Scream in pure agony while he tries to destroy the Hellrising Hopper Progrise key while it's on his driver.'''
223	[[/folder]]
224
225	[[folder:'''Zero-One Others: Kamen Rider [=MetsubouJinrai=]''']]
226	* The actual plan of Leon isn't really to just sell his soldiers worldwide, but to subject [=HumaGears=] to tyranny of the masses. In the Massbrain system, their physical selves are practically dead inside while their actual minds are locked in a virtual server farm representing a parliamentary council - where every little action they do has to be approved or denied by everyone else in the room. It's little wonder, then, that Kamen Rider [=MetsubouJinrai=] is an elaborate trap designed to torture the four androids, since they've been working against the system the whole time.
227	-->''"Your opinion has been rejected."''
228	* The ending shot shows just how much agony [=MetsubouJinrai.net=] is in from becoming a slave to the Rider of the same name: the thing staggers out into the ruins of ZAIA Japan, and lets out a haunting, bloodcurdling scream in the voices of its constituents, which continues into the FadeToBlack and followed with the title card of the movie. Also doubles as a massive TearJerker.

Context NightmareFuel / KamenRiderZeroOne