Awesome / Kamen Rider Drive

A Rider Kick, Drive style.

Episode 0: The Countdown To the Global Freeze

• Despite not being able to destroy 005's Core, Proto-Drive was still able to deliver a royal smackdown.
• Proto-Drive's catchphrase:
  Proto-Drive: I don't need to introduce myself to something I'm going to destroy.

Episode 1: Why Did My Time Stop?

• In his own debut fight, Shinnosuke was able to kill three Monsters of the Week, with some help from his partner and fellow ass-kicker Kiriko.
• His own Rider Kick. His finisher had more kicks in it than the entirety of Gaim!
• Kiriko's help shouldn't be understated. Especially the fact that she takes on those same monsters with a friggin' standard-issue pistol and fends them off.
• The Shift Cars are capable of fighting the Roidmudes in their base forms and even defeated three of them in the past. Of special mention is Funky Spike - he defeated a Roidmude by driving through him, leaving a gaping hole in his abdomen!
• Mr. Belt gets one when he first summons the Shift Cars onscreen to save Shinnosuke.
• Just like Takumi and Shotaro, Shinnosuke has his own Character Tic: Flicking his right hand. Displaying all his coolness and pride in one little movement.

Episode 2: What is a Kamen Rider?

• The First Car Chase. We see Tridoron in action for the first time, weaving past obstacles with incredible high-speed handling and gaining the abilities of other Shift Cars with Tire Enhance.
• Of course, there's Shinnosuke saving a woman from a Roidmude.
  Shinnosuke: Hey, were you raised in a barn? That's no way to ask for a lady's company.
  • What's even better is that the line in Japanese has Drive borrow the English term "country boy." He's calling the Roidmude a hick.
• The Justice Hunter Full Throttle Finisher. Drive is shot through tires to deliver a Megaton Punch to the Iron Roidmude, who can't dodge thanks to the cage Drive created around it.

Episode 3: Who Stole the Women's Smile?

• Proto-Drive deserves a special mention for pulling off a Big Damn Heroes moment and saving Kiriko from a very frightening situation in the flashback.

Episode 4: What is That Prideful Chaser Thinking?

• Shinnosuke declares himself to the MOTW to be Kamen Rider Drive, officially accepting his newfound title. He then proceeds to completely beat 010 into the ground, finishing him off, fittingly, with the help of the Shift Cars he hurt: Dimension Cab and Dream Vegas.
  Shinnosuke: I am Kamen Rider... *Flicks his wrist* Drive! *Leans to the side* And I'm taking you along for the ride.
• The episode in general really shows that there was a reason Shinnosuke was part of the elite forces prior to the Global Freeze. From shielding Kiriko from Chase to the chilling speech he gives to Roidmude 010 for holding the women hostage.
  Shinnosuke: Take a good look at my face, you cheap street artist. If anyone tries to terrorize these women for their own pathetic ego, this will be the face of justice.
  • That line was enough to make the Roidmude in disguise avert his eyes elsewhere. Damn, can Shinnosuke deliver a line!
• We finally see Mashin Chaser in action and we know that he really deserves the title of Grim Reaper.

Episode 5: What Are the Steel Robbers After?

• Chaser gets one for beating Max Flare into the ground and show Drive just what he can do with a Shift Car.
  • He later shows off one of his newest toys, Chaser Spider, to show that he and Drive are about equals.
• The ruthless beatdown Drive gets from a pumped up Crash Roidmude at the ending of the episode, capped off by Brain poisoning Shinnosuke with a powerful neurotoxin.

Episode 6: Who Does the Warrior Fight For?

• The debut of Drive Type Wild. Shinnosuke paid back all the thrashing Mashin Chaser laid on him in the previous episode.
• Tridoron transforming for the first time and even using the Rumble Dump Tire to become a what's amounts to a Drill Tank. It truly shows how versatile and awesome the Tire Exchange gimmick can be.
• The Special Unit also gets some spotlight, especially Rinna, for uncovering the conspiracy between the president of Font-R and Superintendent Kirihara.
• Want to know how strong Type Wild is? Shinnosuke shoulder-checks Crash and sends him flying across the courtyard and into wall behind him near the roof! Now that's a home run!

Episode 7: How Was That Decisive Moment Captured?

• The Scooper Roidmude's power. Silly sounding on paper, yet this allows him to be away from the crime scene and still able to wreak havoc.
• Chaser gets one by not only showing off his new toys, which reveal his weapon is basically 3 weapons in one, but denying Shinnosuke to transform into Type Wild AND beats him out of his armor!

Episode 8: What is the Secret That Dwells in the Heart?

• Shinnosuke gets to show off more of Type Wild's Strength by tossing the Scooper Roidmude around a stadium like a ball, using his hands, shoulder, and Tridoron's Car Fu.
• The Debut of the Door Gun.

Episode 9: How Can I Get Used to the Cool Body?

• The debut of Drive Type Technic. A form that can analyze complex machines in an instant, learning how to disarm them, and fight Roidmudes without turning his back. All at the same time!
  • HOW Shinnosuke transformed into Type Technic is pretty awesome in and of itself. Throughout the episode, Shinnosuke thought "being cool" meant acting suave and in control. In truth, it was having a clear mind. How did it happen? The Roidmudes made the mistake of placing a little boy he rescued in an electricity machine.
  Shinnosuke: You know, I never thought I'd get so angry that it'd clear my head. *Gets out Shift Technic* Now, I will coolly judge you.

Episode 10: What Happened In The Belt's Past?

• Chase entering a library to collect Shinnosuke for a duel. He even coolly chides him and Kiriko for reacting noisily.
  Chase: Don't you humans have a rule about keeping quiet in a library?
  • The reason he's doing this? He feels that he'll learn more about himself through battle with Drive.
  • And on the duel itself? Not only are they about even in skill, Chaser even admits that Shinnosuke's grown stronger since their first meeting.
• Heart showing up and causing Mr. Belt to panic and order a full retreat. Though admittedly it is a perfectly reasonable response...seeing that Mr. Belt was facing his own murderer.
  • The later fight with Drive. Shinnosuke fights with everything he has, even utilizing his quick thinking with Shadow's duplication powers and Mixer's quick drying cement. But not only does none of it work, but Heart doles out a beating that shows that, yes this guy could have easily killed Proto-Drive and Krim. Oh and the best part? Heart and all the other Roidmudes have only grown stronger since the Freeze, and do so every day.
  • Shinnosuke turns it around near the end, getting the idea to use Type Technic to violently overclock Heart's power in an attempt to cause him to self-destruct, likely taking both down together. And when Mr. Belt asks him why he's doing this?
  Shinnosuke: You can find someone else to be Drive, so long as you survive! Now get out of here!

Episode 11: Who Can Prevent the Dark Christmas Eve?

• Despite his debut being in the next episode, Gou shows up in the Mach suit in order to protect his big sister.
• Shinnosuke finally takes care of Volt once and for all, with assistance from Type Technic Tridoron, swinging Volt around like a demented merry go round right into a Speedrop, ending one hell of An Asskicking Christmas.
• The Shift Cars Deco Traveller, Road Winter, and Colorful Commercial saved Mr. Belt and Shinnosuke's collective bacon with inventive uses of their abilities. Badass Adorable indeed.
• Chase coming in out of nowhere to separate Drive and Heart from killing each other.

Episode 12: Where Did That White Rider Come From?

• Two words
  Go (Kamen Rider Mach): Let's... henshin!
• Kamen Rider Mach kicks Gunman's ass at his own game in a very showy fashion.

Episode 13: Why Won't My Little Brother Put On the Brakes?

• Go's shootout with Gunman and Chase.
• In a dark way, Go as Mach deliberately causing a Slowdown.
• Mach taking care of Gunman and 018 with the other Signal Bikes, as well as sniping their Cores out of the air after they survived.

Episode 14: Who is the Black Shadow Chasing Her?

• The debut of the Ride Crosser. Gou's Ride Macher combines with Chaser's Ride Chaser to form a beast of a bike, with grappling hooks and an armory of weapons to destroy the giant evolved Roidmude, ending with him grappling above the monster than unloading the entire armament on it before crashing into the Roidmudes' core.

Episode 15: When Will These Feelings Reach You?

• When it looked like Brain was about to kill him, Mach takes the Max Flare Shift Car, which was knocked away from Drive while he was fighting Chase, and is able to use it to fend off Brain rather skillfully.
  • This actually damages Brain to the point of Medic pulling Chase back and rushing off to treat her fellow Executive.
• Medic herself gets one when she's shot at by Gou following this: she blocks it without even trying, showing why she's an Executive.

Episode 16: Why is Rinna Sawagami Nervous?

• Remember Drive's last fight with Heart? How he couldn't really do anything other than a suicide attack? Yeah, that gets totally paid back when Drive accesses his Type Dead Heat form. Not only did he fight Heart on even terms, he punched him through a mountain. And with him losing control soon thereafter, one has to wonder how much stronger he will be once he gains mastery of the form.
  • Heart gets some credit here for his reaction to this. When he realizes that Drive can use his own Dead Zone power, does he break down? Does he have a "this is impossible!" moment? No, he just laughs as though he's overjoyed to find an opponent on his own level.
  • Not to mention the usage of Drive's insert theme, "Don't lose your mind", which happens just as soon as Drive Type Deadheat begins kicking butt.
• This exchange between Shu Amagi/Voice and Shinnosuke just shows that trying to pull a Hannibal Lecture on the detective is easier said than done.
  Voice/Shu Amagi: I think I saw a Cop Drama like this, once... The out of touch detective persistently dogging a celebrity suspect...
  Shinnosuke: Yeah, I loved that show. If I'm not mistaken, in the end the detective always wins, right?
• Rinna making gear that can allow Kiriko to aid more effectively in battle, including new bullets, and special shoes that give a person the strength of a Kamen Rider, Kiriko even lets out a little "Seiya" as she destroys a cardboard cut out of a Romuide.
  Kiriko: Rider... Kick.

Episode 17: Who Will Control Dead Heat?

• Mach's debut with Dead Heat against Voice and two other Roidmudes, taking down all three at once.
• Kiriko shows how effective the new equipment is by unleashing a Rider Kick on an out-of-control Go, complete with copying Shinnosuke's trademark wrist flick.

Episode 18: Why is Lt. Otta Following Him?

• Chase's interruption may have brought an early end to it, but Dead Heat gets another good showing this episode. While the Judge Roidmude easily handles our heroes in their base forms, the tables turn completely when Drive goes Dead Heat, and the shooting of the scene - including sudden cuts between Drive's attacks and slowing down the action - highlights just how overwhelming the new form's power is. The effect of Drive's armor constantly giving off steam doesn't hurt either.

Episode 19: Who Will Judge the Police?

• Mashin Chaser using the Ride Crosser, leading to Tridoron to come to the heroes' aid. It's short, but still awesome regardless, with Drive and Chaser dueling with their shots, and when Chaser lobs a steel platform at Drive, Drive sends out Tridoron's Type Technic top to slash it in half.
• Gen's pride as a police officer and his determination to take down judge for good inspires Deco Traveller to help Shinnosuke find Okajima's button. Using his own intuition, Gen finally nabs Utsugi, with Shinnosuke providing the evidence to arrest him.
• This leads to the climactic battle with the Judge Roidmude. Outmatched by Judge's swordplay in Type Speed, Shinnosuke changes to Type Wild to combine swordplay with Rumble Dump's drill. Meanwhile, Mach distracts Chaser, who shows that without anything holding him back he's still a huge threat. Mach then changes to Dead Heat to fend him off, while Shinnosuke finishes off Judge with a Drill and Handle Sword Drift Slash.
  Shinnosuke: I won't allow your sword to cut down the pride of the police!
• Chaser taking a Full Throttle attack from Deadheat Mach, the strongest form in the series at the time, and walked away from it EASILY.

Episode 20: When Did Kyu Saijo Become a Roidmude?

• After Medic killed 072, Shinnosuke was PISSED. He walked up while she was saying that she would be taking over Chase's duties as Grim Reaper, only she would kill defective Roidmudes instead of resetting them, and called her out.
  Shinnosuke: You're no Reaper! Don't compare yourself to Chaser! We have a word for people like you, and it isn't Grim Reaper... You're a demon!
  • He then went into Type Dead Heat and let her Reapers have it with the Handle Sword before managing to actually wound her. Then, when she tried to use a cutting laser on him, he responded to Mr. Belt's line about how it was hot enough to cut right through him by saying that it was nowhere near as hot as he was before using Max Flare to do a Tire Exchange into Type Dead Heat Flare and using a Full Throttle to almost take her out. Almost, thanks to Medic using the two Reaper Roidmudes as meat shields.

Episode 21: What Can the Strange Victims Reveal?

• Everything about the Roidmudes in this episode. Medic upgrades Chase to be able to create Slowdowns that can affect everyone, including Riders. Then she shows that she can upgrade Roidmudes during a fight. and then she corrupts the Shift Cars, turning them against Shinnosuke. Finally, we have Chaser using the Shift Cars against Drive and combining all three of his Viral Core weapons.
• Type Formula's debut: saving the day when it looks like Drive is done for. Amidst the explosion, Formula drives right into it, when the flames clear, Drive Type Formula is standing tall, unscathed.
  • Keep in mind, the flames cleared because of Type Formula's tires, spinning it into a tornado of fire!
• Before falling under Medic's control, Hunter was able to send Shinnosuke and Kiriko an SOS.
• Kyu, of all people, gets this moment! He found a way to track down Roidmudes' cores on the internet thanks to how 072 found him last episode and he was able to map the unique data print the Roidmude left behind. Even Mr. Belt is impressed!

Episode 22: How Can I Control The F1 Body?

• The debut of the Trailer Cannon. It takes three Rolling Gravities just to create a road fit for this mammoth-sized Shift Car to drive on. And oh yes, this guy is also a sentient Shift Car, as he fires blasts at Chaser to pull off a Big Damn Heroes for Drive. Then he drops onto the battlefield and opens his rear door...and out comes Shift Formula who speeds around and attacks Chaser too, before heading for Shinnosuke so he can transform. And then after all that, the cannon showcases why it's paired with Type Formula as its power proceeds to devastate Chaser, and seemingly ends the battle once and for all...
  • Before the finish, Type Formula does a damn fine job of beating Chaser into the ground using faster speed than Type Speed, as well as the tires on its arms as weapons.
  • The finish to the fight is epic too. Chaser and Drive have a Beam-O-War that looks suspiciously like the one Goku and Vegeta had in Dragon Ball Z (color wise, at least).
• Chase survives even after all of this! Granted, he's pretty busted up when Kiriko finds him at the end of the episode, but he's still alive.

Episode 23: Who Can Stop The Wicked Smile?

• Drive in Type Formula running around the city and taking out the bombs faster than anyone could see. Type Speed by comparison moves too slowly to keep up with the Roidmude's attacks.
  • And this is increased by the Pit Crew, that restores him to fighting condition, and improve Formula's speed to near Ludicrous Speed.
• Doctor actually being able to patch up Chase after that beating he received.

Episode 24: What Keeps Mach Going?

• Rinna actually managed to fix the Mach Driver and as shown by the end of the episode made a second one as a test bed for new Mach upgrades! Ladies and Gentlemen, we now know who's most likely to build Kamen Rider Chaser's Signal Bike!
• Mach, poisoned by an upgraded Shoot Roidmude, finally figuring out why he's been getting his ass kicked so hard after his initial appearance: He'd lost faith in himself and doubted his own strength. Once he realizes he's been strong all along he OVERHEATS TYPE DEADHEAT ON PURPOSE to quite literally burn the poison out of his system And then he proceeds to kick Shoot Roidmude's ass despite having blown out Type Deadheat!

Episode 25: Why Has the Battle Changed Like This?

• The Roidmudes continue to show their ability to evolve when 007 actually fuses with a human to create the Sword Roidmude. Rinna develops a system to separate the two via a finishing move without harming the human host in response. And it works!
• Chase shows where his loyalties truly lie by turning into Mashin Chaser and shooting part of his own armor off to give Kiriko the sample of an evolved Roidmude she needs. It's pretty obvious this actually hurt Chase too from the pained sounds as he started to walk away.
• When Shinnosuke was about to transform to fight the Sword Roidmude, Kiriko and Belt-san tell him not to do it since he was in a public area with many witnesses. Shinnosuke argues that protecting the civilians from the monster's rampage is more important and to hell with protecting his Secret Identity. He transforms without a second thought.
• Drive vs. Sword Roidmude, round two. Sword never stood a chance.
  • Gen and Kyu enthusiastically cheering Drive on during this fight was awesome as well as heartwarming, as they did this only seconds after finding out his identity.

Episode 26: Where is Chaser Going?

• The debut of Kamen Rider Chaser. Nuff said.
  • Not to mention, his henshin into Chaser. After closing the Mach Driver, Chase's form of Machin Chaser appears, before doing a rather Cast Off like effect, and turning into Kamen Rider Chaser.
  • Chase's entrance was pretty awesome too. Using the Ride Chaser to ram the Sword Roidmude, preventing him from impaling Kiriko, while leaping off of it to catch her.
  • What, no mention of his debut fight against Sword? Chase beat him like he was expecting candy to pop out, and that was BEFORE he summoned the Signal Axe from his bike and proceeded to slash Sword to ribbons with it...literally. He actually cut Sword so deep that he was able to reach inside and pull Taga out, reverting Sword back into 007, something we haven't seen since Cazali's Yummys.
• Earlier in the episode, Shinnosuke's battle against Heart where he tries to beat the information about 001's connection to his father's death out of him. Not only does Drive deflect Heart's energy blasts with his hands alone, it's like that, had there not been interference, he would have killed Heart outright then and there.

Episode 28: Why Were The Families Targeted?

• Booster Tridoron's debut.

Episode 29: What Really Happened to the Robbery Event?

• Chase calling out Shinnosuke about how his recent quest to find out his father's killer is affecting his ability to protect people gives such a bone-chilling, yet cathartic dose of Get A Hold Of Yourself Man into Shinnosuke. Bonus points, as the way Chase growled out what Kamen Riders as supposed to do brings back memories of when he was simply Mashin Chaser.
  • This gets even better when you remember that Chase was Drive before Shinnosuke. It's in a sense like an old retired superhero mentoring his younger successor.

Episode 30: Who Is Speaking with the Real Criminal?

• Drive's battle with Open near the end of the episode, switching into Type Speed Shadow, Type Speed Monster and Type Speed Flare, and had it not been for some stupid luck, Drive would've likely have finished him then and there.
  • Not to mention, as Drive switches into Midnight Shadow, "Don't lose your mind" begins to play, adding to the awesome.
• Chaser and Mach: Round Three ends with another Rider Kick clash that Chaser wins.

Episode 31: Why Did the Important Memories Disappear?

• Shinnosuke is able to resist Freeze's mind control powers!
  • So did his dad! He knew who Freeze was and was able to resist his control. Unfortunately, that's what ended up killing him.
    • 001's reaction to Shin's dad resisting? Sheer horror and disbelief. Possibly the only time he's ever felt such emotion.
• 001 showing his evolved state of Freeze, totally whipping the floor with Drive Type Formula and not even allowing the Pit Crew to help at all.
  • Though to be fair, they held out for a while. Marntarn especially, managing to create a vortex of heat that kept Freeze's own power at bay for a brief window and even managed to push it back at one point.
• Shinnosuke managing to find 001 by using Shadow to listen in on a phone conversation between Nira and 001.
  • And a bit later, Chase saving Shinnosuke from two Reaper Legion members working with 001.

Episode 32: What is Waiting At the End of Evolution?

• Freeze severely injuring Shinnosuke, possibly even killing him. It's awesome for the villains... just not for the heroes. To put it in more detail: Freeze already achieved his Ultimate Evolution after being supposedly defeated by Drive Type Formula and then he shows his power... by blasting through Shinnosuke and Belt-san in ONE HIT TO THEIR DEATHS!
• Despite being killed, Shinnosuke put up a good fight, managing to use fire to keep Freeze at a distance. Type Speed Flare and Type Formula Matarn came in great help today.
• Rinna creating an antidote for Freeze's memory alteration. Also the method by which she did, Shin using Mad Doctor while untransformed, so Rinna could extract the needle in his neck

Episode 33: Who Claimed the Life of Shinnosuke Tomari?

• Though for those of us that watched episodes 31 and 32 of Fourze it becomes quite clear what's about to occur. From death's clutches, a hero speeds back to life, driven to protect others.
• Go reveals that he was immune to Freeze's mind control, and returns firmly to the side of good.
  • Chase, is willing to go on what is more or less a suicide mission to fight the Roidmude Commanders, just to avenge Shinnosuke and save Go.
  • Despite being totally over-powered, Chase still fights 001, and even taunts his abilities.
  Kamen Rider Chaser: You're wasting your time! I'm a Roidmude and what you did to Drive isn't going to work on me!
• Type Tridoron's debut. Both Shinnosuke and Belt-san get to demolish Freeze with their bare hands, Super-Speed, and firing an energy Tridoron out of the Trailer Cannon. It was glorious.
  • That's not an "energy Tridoron". Drive reverts back to Type Speed when he executes the attack and the beam lands afterward to turn back into Tridoron's regular car form. They shot the car itself as a finishing move!
    • This bears repeating. After attacking with the Attack 1.2.3 Tire (which combined Midnight Shadow's duplication powers, Funky Spike's spikes as a hailstorm of projectiles, and Max Flare's heat as a BIG explosion), the two shot Freeze. With a car. Out of a cannon. It is as awesome and badass as it sounds.
  • Krim showing off what he can do with a body by effortlessly handing Freeze his ass. For being dead for 12 years, he showed no signs of rust when it came to fighting!
  • Another thing to note? Freeze attempts his One-Hit Kill attack again, but Drive, as Krim, tosses it aside one handed.
• One simple word never sounded more badass.
  Shinnosuke & Krim: Henshin!
• Earlier in the episode, Nira storms in and demands that Honganji help him select a new Kamen Rider since Shinnosuke is dead. Honganji snaps, and for the first time we see him actually angry as he bears down on Nira - who at this point is clearly afraid of the Chief's fury.

Episode 34: Who Claimed the Life of Eisuke Tomari?

• Type Tridoron gets two good showings this episode. The first time he fights the Thief Roidmude, he uses the People Saver combination to rescue two endangered civilians each with Fire Braver and Mad Doctor's abilities while simultaneously catching the Roidmude in Justice Hunter's cage. Later, he fights Thief and Brain at the same time and easily handles them - and that's before he even breaks out the construction crew combination!
• When Shinnosuke first used Rolling Gravity's weapon as Technic Gravity, he could barely lift it. But when he uses it while in Type Tridoron, he swings it around like it's nothing and uses it as a weapon effectively!
• Shinnosuke's Shut Up, Hannibal! to his father's murderer claiming that every human is a monster inside. He then proves it by not giving in to anger and doing his damnedest to arrest the culprit rather than take revenge.
  • The fact that he reverts to Type Technic after using the Formula Cannon finisher just emphasizes that point. After all, it is the Type that Shinnosuke can only use when he's calm and collected.

Episode 35: Why Did The Siege Happen?

• Mr. Belt fully "mobile" self with the help from a few Shift Cars.
• Shinnosuke and Chase defeating Brain!Thief before Brain reveals his Super Evolution.

Episode 36: Where Does the Bullet Guide Justice?

• After the Cliffhanger ending of #35, it seemed like things looked bleak for the SCU. However, with the help of Prof. Banno and Dimension Cab, Shinnosuke and the Crew finally have the decisive evidence to not only prove their innocence, but also finally put Nira under arrest in a live broadcast.
• All three Riders transforming together.
  • The ensuing fight. Not only do the Riders manage to kill six Roidmudes, but they smear Nira. And that's not to mention the debut of the new insert theme sung by Shinnosuke's, Gou's AND Chase's actors, "Spinning Wheel".
    • After they defeated his Thief Roidmude form, Brain throws Nira out and attacks the riders with his Ultimate Form. The Riders quickly destroy his body in less than 1 minute with a Triple Rider Kick, one after another, leaving his weakened core.
  • Brain gets a bit of one simply by surviving that, given just Drive Type Tridoron's Finishing Move was enough to kill 001 completely.
  • The moment itself deserves more elaboration. As soon as Chase joined the team, Gou and Shinnosuke both had their daddy issues affect their job as Riders. Gou himself had to fake being evil for a few episodes. When they transformed together, the three were pretty much putting everything that split them away recently aside and kick Roidmude ass together.
• It is sheer testament to Shinnosuke's patience and dedication to bringing Nira to lawful justice that all he thrown to Nira's way at gunpoint was a shove. Lesser beings would have killed Nira for all the mocking and the jeerish laughing he threw at Shinnosuke, or at the very least seriously maim him, especially the part where Nira compares Eisuke's death to that of a dog's and begins barking. That or laugh so hard that you can't bring yourself to kill him.
• Admit it, you weren't expecting Banno to have some teeth despite being confined to his current form.

Episode 37: Who is Aiming for the Ultimate Taste?

• 006's lackeys, 062 and 036 get one for being able to overpower both Chase and Mach, and later Chase. 006 gets one himself for being able to beat down both, in his HUMAN form.
• Heart survived Type Tridoron's Rider Kick and beat Shin out of his transformation.

Episode 38: Why Is The Devil Still Seeking Evolution?

• The fight between the Riders against Medic, Cook, and a couple of Reapers.

Episode 40: Why Are The Two Geniuses Having A Conflict?

• As Chase was fighting 006's Mook, before performing Across Breaker (with will lead us to Funny Moment), he used Shift Prototype Speed in battle for the first time, using the very same speedy punch in Episode Zero as Proto Drive!
• Go's He's Back! moment later in the episode, bringing back his original catchphrase and leading up to all three Riders working together to bring down Tornado. And naturally, "Spinning Wheel" playing makes it all the richer.
  Go: Searching! Destroying... Yeah, this feels right... I'm gonna wipe out any evil that threatens humanity. Even if it is my own father. That's my responsibility... my duty as Kamen Rider Mach!
• And in the battle, the three Riders use Tridoron combined with the two Ride Boosters, just as Rinna had envisioned, back when Gou was refusing to work with Chase.

Episode 43: When Will the Second Global Freeze Start?

• Banno tries to steal Shift Tridoron again only for it to be revealed the heroes hijackproofed the Shift Cars. The result is Banno taking the first Oh, Crap! and hit he's gotten so far.

Episode 44: Who Loved Heart The Most?

• Chase figures out on his own terms that Kiriko and Shinnosuke really do love each other... and A.I. Is a Crapshoot takes one up the ass as he's learned to take it all in stride, treasuring the pain as a sign of his burgeoning humanity. Pity it turns out to be a Death Flag.
• No mention to Brain's Heroic Sacrifice to save Medic, even after all the shit she did to him?

Episode 45: What Is a Roidmude's Last Dream?

• How the group survived 004 self destructing. Go overclocked Deadheat and used the speed boost to knock them all out of the way.
• Drive, Mach and Chaser giving three Reaper Legion Roidmudes a Triple Rider Kick. It is of the SpeeDrop variant, where the Riders bounce off of the Tridoron. Both Mach and Chaser's bikes get in on the fun. Oh, and did we mention that as this happens, Spinning Wheel plays?
• What about seeing Drive, Chaser, Mach, Heart, and Medic all transform side by side?
• Chase, mortally wounded by Banno, charges forwards and latches onto the Mad Scientist, refusing to let go no matter how hard Banno tries to dislodge him, all to catch the psycho in his death explosion.
  • Mashin Chaser's last hurrah. In that form, he was called a Grim Reaper, but the last thing he uses the powers for is to save a human life.

Episode 46: Why Must They Fight?

• Go lays the ultimate smackdown on Banno and makes him pay for all the suffering he's put everyone through by killing him in the exact manner that Shinnosuke killed Krim in the Drive Summer Movie. This moment gets awesomer for these little tidbits:
  • It averts the If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him! angle that some people were expecting. Though it would have been idiotic if they did that to Banno considering what he was doing at the time.
  • Go underwent a heavy depression throughout the middle of the way into Drive and most of that is because of his father. Seeing him finally put him to rest has redeemed him in some people's eyes.
  • Banno was being a huge Smug Snake before Go takes the axe. Afterwards, he loses his composure and begs his son not to kill him off. To say it was satisfying is to put it lightly.
    • A little elaboration is required here. Throughout his entire time on the show, Banno's been a crowning example of a Smug Snake. Whenever he seems to lose control or his enemies gain ground, he'd reveal some twist that let him stay on top laughing like the creep that he is. When Go picks up the Signal Ax and makes it clear he has absolutely zero intention to let his monstrous excuse of a father live, Banno well and truly loses his composure for the first time in the series. His begging isn't mere platitudes and promises of power, he's honest to god begging for his life because he's realized that the son whose life he took for granted is going to actually end him and since his only arguments are self centered and egotistical he has no chance of convincing him. Banno is brutally removed from the world in the most cathartic way possible for those who'd suffered through his cruelty and smugness: Panicked, screaming, and terrified.
  • Go's Calling the Old Man Out moment is truly spine-chillingly epic:
  Go: You've done so many things I could never forgive, you bastard... You used me... You brought shame on my sister... You used Krim's inventions for Evil! But... Worse than any of that... You... You killed my friend!
  • It should also be mentioned that Mach only gets any weapons at the end of the fight, until that he's beaten the stuffing out of his psychotic father with his bare hands.
  • Even more epic? Go is the first support character since Kamen Rider Knight and arguably Beast to defeat the overall Big Bad by himself.
  • What were the things that came to Go's rescue when Banno used his slow down on him? The Chaser Viral Cores. That means most of Chase's arsenal went into helping Gou stop Banno.
  • As the final touch, Mach's theme Full Throttle plays throughout the whole sequence of him beating down Banno.
  • There's also Go's Shut Up, Hannibal! a little earlier in response to Banno mocking Chase's death:
  Banno: The efforts of fools never amount to much.
  Go: In that case...you must not amount to anything at all. He wasn't even human...but he was the kindest person I ever met! I can't imagine anything as thoughtless as that twisted mind of yours!
  • Even better is Go echoing the Signal Ax's Catchphrase into an awesome Pre-Mortem One-Liner.
  Go: It said to go for it, didn't it?
  • And crossed with Crowning Moment of Heartwarming is the Mach Driver Honoh's announcement when Go pounds the ignition booster. "Zutto, Chaser!" Go didn't go into his last fight with Banno alone.

Episode 47: Who Will You Entrust the Future to, My Friend?

• Drive and Heart finally destroying Sigma with a Combination Attack.
  • Even more awesome, Shinnosuke does this by calling on and combining just about every single Shift Car he has and pulling off just about the single most badass Rider Kick in the entire series.
• Kamen Rider Ghost saving Shinnosuke in the afterlife after his near-death experience. He takes on not one, not two, but THREE fully evolved Roidmudes (Among them being Super Evolved Freeze!) And he beats them with ease!

Episode 48: The Case of Ghost

• Shinnosuke is back at the old construction site where Hayase nearly died, and in the exact same situation: The criminal is threatening to kill Kiriko. However, this time things are different. He has the power of a Kamen Rider. With the Eyecon in his hand, Mr. Belt miraculously appears on his waist... but the most badass thing is that he chooses NOT to transform, proving one fact central to the entire series: The suit doesn't make the Rider. It's the person inside that makes the Rider.
  Shinnosuke: I'm not who I was a year ago. Now, I've learned that evil hasn't disappeared just because the Roidmudes are gone. True evil comes from the darkness in humanity's hearts. So I'm never going to stop. I'll keep moving forward! Even if I can't transform, even if Mr. Belt isn't here, I'm still a cop, and I'm still a Kamen Rider!

Miscellaneous stuff

• Drive is the first season since Fourze to have the main hero be called a Kamen Rider in series, which in and of itself is rather amazing. The fact he was given the title because a monster thought he was one adds to the awesome factor.
  • It gets even more awesome when you find out why the title is regarded as The Dreaded. In a single night, a Kamen Rider managed to thwart a robot apocalypse with overwhelming odds ranging from being unable to permanently kill them and the Roidmudes having someone who could heal them instantly.
• Want to make your iPhone sound badass? Then why not turn it into the Break Gunner?
• Seeing an aversion to Police Are Useless after seeing it in play for so long, especially after one of them starred a cop as a main character yet had this trope, is perhaps one of the more awesome moments in the show, especially when the characters practice being cops above being heroes.

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