Recap / Kamen Rider Ex Aid Ep 32 Judgement Received

Genm, you really think you've built this evil plan in the first place, but it was I, Cronus!

Written by Yuya Takahashi
Directed by Kazuya Kamihoriuchi

Ex-Aid has gained the right to challenge the advanced Bugsters in order to clear Kamen Rider Chronicle. The three advanced Bugsters are Parado, Graphite, and Loverica. The time of the final battle against the four Kamen Riders is at hand! At last, the curtain rises on the scene of the last battle! However, a disturbing darkness suddenly begins to appear...

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This Episode contains the following Tropes:

• A God Am I: Cronus declares himself as the "rule of the world itself".
• Big Bad: Masamune takes over this role from Parado after being discharged from prison.
• The Bus Came Back: Haima shows up again in this episode.
• Cerebus Syndrome: Once Cronus show up, this means Serious Business on both sides.
• Curbstomp Battle: Cronus pretty much one-shots all the Riders and Bugsters.
• Even Evil Has Standards: When Cronus tells Graphite that the "Game Over" inflicted on Loverica is permanent, the latter is visibly unnerved.
• Final Boss Preview: While it is yet to be seen if Cronus will eventually become the final opponent of the series, his debut fight has every hallmark of this trope.
• Hopeless Boss Fight: You think Para-DX beating up the Doctor Riders in their first fight is not enough? That was nothing compared to what Cronus did to everyone in his Game Area.
• Kick the Dog: Beating up Kuroto, the Doctor Riders, and the Bugsters is already low, but Cronus' permanent killing of Loverica proves that he's even worse than Kuroto and Parado combined.
• Killed Off for Real: Loverica becomes the first Bugster fatality, courtesy of Cronus.
• Knight of Cerebus: Masamune, to the point of upstaging Parado as the Big Bad, as shown in the opening.
• Make Way for the New Villains: Masamune/Cronus hijacks Kamen Rider Chronicle from the Bugsters by walking up and curbstomping them and the heroes alike, even permanently killing Loverica.
• Manipulative Bastard: Kuroto using Masamune as The Scapegoat during Zero Day was part of the latter's Evil Plan. In fact, Masamune orchestrated everything that's happened throughout the series up to this point.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Parado finally feels genuine fear for the first time, after Cronus demonstrates his ability to permanently kill any Bugster, even those who have completed their manifestation.
• Overshadowed by Awesome: Graphite's Level 99 form, Guren Graphite Bugster, made its debut in this episode. It actually made a pretty good showing, easily defeating Snipe Level 50 in the first half of the episode. Unfortunately, the second half has the debut of Cronus, whose power surpasses even Level 99. Needless to say, Graphite was easily defeated just like the others.
• Sacrificial Lion: Loverica, towards the Bugsters.
• Sequence Breaking: The Power of Cronus was meant to only be claimed before fighting the Final Boss Gamedeus. Masasmune bypassed this by infecting himself 16 years ago and just walking up to take it himself.
• Shoo Out the Clowns: As if to emphasize that the show's pulling a lot less punches, Masamune kills off Loverica, one of the goofiest villains shown so far.
• Sinister Silhouettes: Our first glimpse of Gamedeus is his demonic-looking silhoutte.
• Sympathy for the Devil: At the end of the episode, Emu can only do nothing but look at the emotionally distressed Parado in pity.
• Took a Level in Badass: Genm's Level X-0 form looks identical to his Level X form with the Buggle Driver being replaced by the Gamer Driver but its stats are way higher thanks to the Proto Mighty Action X Origin giving him bonus points.
  • Graphite managed to level up, becoming Level 99. Too bad Cronus debuted in this episode, making it pretty much useless.
• Unwitting Pawn: Masamune tricked Kuroto, the Doctor Riders, and the Bugsters into setting up a chain of events that led to him becoming Cronus.
• Villainous BSoD: Parado, despite being a Psychopathic Manchild with an Omnicidal Maniac endgame, becomes grief-stricken at the sight of Loverica being Killed Off for Real by Cronus.
• Wham Episode: Masamune, the other Patient Zero besides Emu, reveals himself as the true mastermind of Zero Day by manipulating Kuroto into doing his dirty work from behind the scenes, becomes Cronus, and kills Loverica permanently, to Parado and Graphite's horror.
  Gashat Count: Ex-Aid: 8 Brave: 4 Snipe: 3 Genm: 2 Poppy: 1 Nico: 1 Para-DX: 1 Cronus: 1
  Gashatrophies Collected: Gamer Riders: 9 Genm Corp.: 1
  Genm's Continues Left: 96