Tear Jerker / Kamen Rider Zero-One

Moment Subpages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.

Series

Episode 1: I am the President and a Kamen Rider

• During a flashback, we see Aruto as a child trying to trigger a HumaGear which took the likeness of his father to laugh. In the next scene, an explosion happens, which also takes the latter with it.
• The manager looking on upon the destruction wrought upon his amusement park. He's just simply looking on in horror, watching it be torn apart and guests running away, his dream going with it.
• The simple fact that most HumaGears are very much human-like and only desires to live normally, that is until a Metsubojinrai member hacked them into Magias. It is visible from an innocent HumaGear's perspective in episode 1 when he is pleading that his job is to entertain others and not as a weapon of mass destruction. And given that all Magia are blown to smithereens following their hacked rampage, it implies that a HumaGear cannot be saved or recover their old self anymore once they are hacked.
• It is rather sad to see just how heartless Metsubojinrai can make a HumaGear. Just before he was hacked, Taro was analyzing the memories of the people he made smile with his act, and he smiled fondly. Not even five full minutes later, and all of that emotion and heart is gone. He proceeded to mock the manager's horror. He doesn't even truly understand the word 'dream' anymore, only the dictionary definition. This is what Metsubojinrai wants the relatively innocent HumaGears to become; heartless instruments of destruction.

Episode 2: Are AIs The Enemy? Allies?

• Isamu's flashback.
• Aruto, courtesy of Jin, is Forced to Watch Mamoru's transformation into a Magia. Aruto is desperate to return him back to normal, yet Izu bluntly tells him that Mamoru is beyond saving and that he must be destroyed.
• Aruto tearfully giving Mamoru a Mercy Kill hurts bad. You can even tell he's on the verge of breaking down through his Catchphrase.

  Aruto: There's only one thing that can stop you… (flashes back to meeting Mamoru) …and that’s me!

Episode 3: That Man, Sushi Chef

• The Sushi Restaurant Owner's point of view is a bit of a tearjerker in of itself. Ever since he hurt his back, he's been trying to find a successor in order to keep the restaurant in operation. Unfortunately, his former pupils backed out because none of them were able to keep up with him. What makes this even worse is that during the first half of the episode, he flat out refuses to allow Nijiro to work at the restaurant, believing there is no way a robot can be a sushi chef - especially a soulless one, like the Owner thought Nijiro was. The fact that he's this adamant on refusing to allow a robot succeed him, and is willing to allow the legacy of the restaurant die when he does is truly a tearjerker.
• Nijiro was able to understand something about the Restaurant Owner's sushi-pressing technique that none of the other pupils understood. The technique also carried the Owner's sincerity in his craft. The reason he dismissed Nijiro as nothing more than a "soulless robot" was that he didn't believe it would carry his the same sincerity in his craft.

Episode 4: I Saw The Bus Guide! Anna's Truth

• You feel sorry for Gou for all the bullying he received from his classmates because his father allegedly caused the Daybreak event.
• During their trip to Daybreak Town, Gou is unable to find anything about what happened and contemplates giving up. Isamu tells him to keep his head up high and keep moving forward.
• What happened at Daybreak Town is finally revealed. It was revealed that metsuboujinrai.net sabotaged the facility and hacked all the HumaGears in the facility to go berserk, and Satoshi sacrificed his life to seal every bulwark to ensure they don't get out of the facility.
• Also, the video shows Satoshi's final words alive, which is saying his son's name.
• Anna's persistence in revealing the Daybreak incident even being forcibly converted into a Trilobite Magia was both awesome and tear jerking, as she was proof that corrupted Magia can be still be saved. Unfortunately, as Fuwa tried to retrieve her for data and possible rebuilding, Horobi executes her to destroy any evidence about the Ark.

Episode 5: His Passionate Path Of Manga

• G-Pen's descent into becoming the Magia of the week is depressing. Seeing his own fellow Humagear assistants being treated like trash by their employer probably made him more willing than the other Magias in the previous episodes to be hacked by Jin. In other words, mistreatment of HumaGears has dangerous consequences.

Episode 6: I Want to Hear Your Voice

• The owner of the victim of the week always saw her as his own daughter, who passed away before the series began. When A.I.M.S. arrives to arrest him for modelling her on a deceased person without obtaining permission (which is illegal), the owner has to order her not to address him as "papa" anymore so she won't be taken away. The victim's hurt expression at that is heartbreaking.
• Jin desperately trying to pry the Zetsubou Riser from the victim of the week after hearing her father's plea to not hurt her. The fact that Jin shows remorse is a tearjerker in and of itself. For the past five episodes, we've seen him show no mercy or remorse towards the HumaGears he was hacking, but after discovering the concepts of love and family, he begins showing signs of doubt.
• The reveal that Jin is a HumaGear, shortly followed by Horobi hacking him with the Force Riser. What makes it sad is how Jin asked if Horobi came to protect him, only for Horobi to put the belt on him.
• Seine, the victim/monster of the week, has the saddest backstory of the HumaGears in the series:
  • her previous template, Sumire died three years before, then Sumire was "revived" as Seine despite a law making such practice illegal, and she only wanted to make her manager happy with her job as a voice actress in public and as his 'daughter' in private. Yet people like Choichiro see her as mere tools that can be used until they break down, and A.I.M.S wanted to dismantle her immediately and arrest her 'father' for violating the law. And then it gets worse.
  • A.I.M.S. pursuing Seiji for making a HumaGear in his Sumire's likeness seems like a petty, letter-of-the-law interpretation for Isamu to have an excuse to kill her because of his hatred of androids. It's only illegal without the consent of the person being copied, and "the deceased can't give consent" reasoning comes across as somewhat flimsy when Seine actually had several differences from Sumire anyway. He begged for one more day, obviously an attempt at finding closure for himself before turning himself in, but the only thing that finally allowed it was Aruto's intervention.
  • She gets damaged by an attack by Magias which damaged her headset and caused her AI to perform erratically.
  • While on the stage about to perform her role, Seine has flashes of Sumire's memories while she was alive. before blurting out Sumire's final thoughts prior to her death.
  Seine/Sumire: Papa, I want to see you in Heaven...
  • She then gets strapped with a Zetsumerizer Key, but Jin actually re-considers getting the Zetsumerizer back. Unfortunately, he was too late, and became a Magia, in which she fell in the hands of Yua.
  • The look of desperation and panic on Jin's face while he tries to pry off the Zetsumerizer off of Seine makes you want to cry with him. It's a sign that he's not as evil as he seems, that he really thinks what he's doing is the best thing for the world, but that he's having second thoughts and sees that humans might have a place in the world. And worst of all, Horobi wipes his personal development and reprograms him to be more resolved to their cause.
  • Not only was Seine not restored as a Humagear, but Hiden had to bring her back as a non-Humagear AI virtual assistant due to the Specialised Artificial Intelligence Law. Even if Aruto and Izu wanted to bring her back as a Humagear, it would only cause A.I.M.S. to go after her again.

Episode 8: The Destruction Starts Here

• Isamu upon meeting face to face the mastermind behind the Daybreak incident. His ultimately futile rage and fight against Horobi is heart-breaking to see.

Episode 9: I'll Take Care of Your life

• Yua is actually acting emotional for once and asking Aruto to restart HumaGear in the hospital to save Fuwa.
• Aruto is stuck in depressed mode for a good portion of the episode after trying and failing to stop Jin and Horobi, to the point where he says nothing to stop Jun from ordering Izu to deactivate the hospital HumaGears.

Episode 11: Don’t Stop the Camera, Stop Him

• The look of shock and betrayal on Owada's face as he is shot by Little Assassin.
  • Given his words, the true tear-jerking part is that Owada is willing to die if it means that Little Assassin will grow as an individual.
  • Earlier in the episode, Little Assassin is shocked that he has been assigned to kill whom he sees as his master.
• Aruto arrives too late to stop the assassination attempt, the first thing that greets him being the film director screaming at him that all HumaGears are nothing but killing machines.
  • You can't help but feel sorry for Aruto by the end of the episode: the public knows of an un-corrupted HumaGear attempting to kill a human, which pretty much sets human-machine relations several thousands steps back and plunges Hiden Intelligence's reputation to an all-time low.

Episode 13: I Work as the President's Secretary

• Pretty much most of Izu's moments this episode. Because the Shining Hopper Progrise Key's data was incomplete, Izu feels responsible for Aruto's injuries and sees herself unfit to be the President's secretary.
• It is revealed that HumaGears that are aware of the Zero-One project (Izu and Wazu) are unable to have their memories backed up in order for the project to remain secret. Meaning that if either two were to be destroyed or compromised in some way, they're gone for good.
• Even Jin gets a little moment here. When Horobi offers the idea of a truce, you can see poor Jin looking all mopey because Little Assassin no longer will listen to him. He may be a villain, but he has the mind of a child, and his demeanour is akin to having your friends all leave you.
• The last Zetto Matsurida is shown hiding out at a stage where he and his "brothers" once performed, clearly heartbroken over the fact that they'll never perform together again and ashamed to even show his modified face due to it being the same one worn by an attempted murderer. On top of that he's clearly horrified at the monster his fourth brother has become, fleeing in abject terror at #5's promises of a "festival of blood".
• In order to complete the incomplete data of Shining Hopper Progrise Key, Izu prepared herself for the extraction of the battle data inside her memory bank. Just before she could do that, Wazu pushes her out of the way, and sacrifices himself instead.
• Before shutting down for good, Wazu claims he saw his life flash before his eyes, and that Korenosuke was there, and Izu has also witnessed his memory.
• Izu finally calls Wazu her wonderful older brother. Wazu's last words tear at the very soul.
  Wazu : I wish... you had called me that... earlier...

Episode 15: To Each His Own End

• This episode REALLY manages to put those tear ducts to test. Highlights includes:
  • Jin wanting to bury the Dodo Zetsumerise Key, before Horobi took it out of its stone grave and told him to stop acting like a human. Jin seemed even sadder, but relented and followed Horobi along.
  • In a visit to Hiden's family grave we learn that Soreo Hiden's HumaGear is also honored there, much to Subaru's confusion.
  • Izu starts to think about her brother Wazu, encouraging Subaru to remember too the good moments he had with Raiden. Subaru, unused to emotions, cries "Brother", stumbling back.
  • The clash between Fuwa, Yua, Aruto, Horobi and Jin ends up with Fuwa having another backlash from Assault Wolf and scaring Yua in the process, Horobi tossing himself in front of Fuwa's finisher to protect Jin, Jin angrily lashing at Izu when he saw her smiling and fatally wounding her, and Jin ending up walking away with Horobi in his arms to disappear in the water.
  • Aruto's anguish over Izu's shutdown right in his arms, and his fumbling in the secret lab in an attempt to fetch tools to try to fix Izu.
  • How does Jin reach Singularity? Horobi orders him to carry on with the destruction and shuts down in his arms. The pain in his voice as he carries on the will of Ark and leads an assault makes it very clear of how scarred he was for his loss.
  • Aruto gives Jin a Reason You Suck Speech about hurting other HumaGear in name of his so called friendship. Jin can only weakly retort that it's Ark's will, but doesn't have any answer to why he hurt Izu other than screaming Shut up! and attacking.
    • An alternative interpretation is that Aruto was actually making headway in pointing out the Ark was wrong until he brought up Izu, who was pretty clearly Bullying a Dragon when she marched up to a still transformed, visibly distressed and emotional Jin and rubbed salt in his wounds by declaring Horobi had been defeated with a pleased smile, resulting in him lashing out and attacking her. Any chance Aruto had of getting through to Jin promptly vanishes upon reminding Jin of this in a way that makes it clear Aruto doesn't recognise the callousness of Izu's behaviour in that moment, and that Jin was hurt by it, and he only succeeds in angering Jin even more. It's equally as sad to watch that chance of understanding disappear so quickly because of one wrong word.
  • Yua is so scared by Fuwa's suicidal charge to the point she rips the Assault Wolf Progrise Key from his Shotriser mid-fight and gets in a heated argument with him multiple times through the episode to no avail.

Episode 16: This is the Dawn of ZAIA

• After damaging Jin with Shining Assault Hopper, Aruto asks why Jin is so dedicated in destroying humanity. Jin does not even have an answer aside from that it is what Horobi taught him. Aruto is rather saddened that just like other HumaGears, Jin took his learning through the letter and that they may not have to fight like now if Jin's learning phase was not so steeped in violence. In the end Aruto has to kill Jin once it is clear that he won't budge away from a goal which was never truly even his own.

Episode 19: She is a House-Selling HumaGear

• The verbal and physical abuse Smile Sumida endures at the end of the episode can be upsetting. Her only interest, as she puts it, is "to always have smiles on the house", but her words get thrown back in her face by Tatsumi, who mocks her for supposedly relying on a catchphrase. She's so distraught and confused, she can't even respond to Tatsumi's assault on her, until she snaps and turns into the Neohi Magia.
• Even as the Neohi Magia, her rampage seems pathetic as she's desperately restrained by Aruto and later batted around by Kamen Rider Thouser. In one particular moment, she's thrashing and screaming on the ground. Smile essentially is having an android panic attack, and it's for this Gai Amatsu claims all HumaGears shouldn't even be granted the chance to have sentience, right before destroying her.

Episode 21: Objection! That Trial!

• Aruto is heartbroken after Horobi tells him that HumaGear go berserk of their own free will.

Episode 22: He Still Didn't Do It

• Yuto and Chiharu's romance, which apparently was going really well based on the images on his social media, just completely broke down just for a reason completely unrelated to Yuto. Makes their smiles at the end even more jarring.

Episode 23: I'm In Love With Your Intelligence

• The whole premise of this episode just serve to hammer home the Tear Jerkerness of the previous episode, that Yuto lost his girlfriend forever.
  • Here's the further explanation: at the beginning of the episode, Aruto asks Chiharu that wasn't she engaged with Yuto after the marriage fraud trial, which also serves as the third round for Hiden vs ZAIA's workplace competition. Chiharu answers that she decided to break it off with the reason of "marriage wasn't really an option for them." Thankfully, her explanation is accompanied with a lighthearted BGM, and even then the implication as mentioned above is still there; meaning that even after Yuto went through and finally declared not guilty after the truth came to light, his efforts to clean his name and rekindled his relationship with Chiharu ended in vain. It's easy to wonder why Chiharu had a hard time to trust anyone, particularly men in general.

Episode 26: We're the Firefighter Team

• 119nosuke ended up getting reprimanded by his human competitor, Homura Takeshi for ignoring a victim who was thought to be dead instead of trying to save him, questioning 119nosuke's credibility to be a fire responder. On the good side, the HumaGear did not perceive this as malicious intent that would make him go berserk like other HumaGear in the previous episodes. Bad side, it left him vulnerable that he slightly evolved to singularity and Gai uses this chance to order Yua put on the ZetsumeRiser on 119nosuke to make him go berserk. What is worst is that there is a live broadcast, which records the moment when the HumaGear become Magia but not the act caused by Gai through Yua. And then Gai proceeds to declare how bad HumaGears are and should be scrapped nonsense despite it was his doing. Especially for the last few episodes.

Episode 27: I Will Not Give Up These Lives

• Seeing the state of 119nosuke’s heavily damaged body from holding off the fallen debris and the intense heat and smoke is a gut-wrenching moment.
• Shester being the first one to collapse from the heat in the burning building is really heartbreaking as she tried her best to keep in contact with Izu before malfunctioning. Jun even tried to keep her awake. Sanzo is the next one to lose consciousness and Jun desperately tries to reach out for him, telling him not to give up. Thankfully, Fuwa, Yua, and Takeshi arrived just in time to rescue all three of them.

Episode 28: My Rap Will Change the World

• Things go downhill for Aruto in this episode. MC Check it Out, after being countered with fake evidence, loses his temper so easily and started discriminating against humans, even against Aruto himself when he tried to get things under control. Check it Out got taunted and transformed with the ZetsumeRiser from Gai, on his own will. And to make things worse, the public began to acknowledge HumaGears as villains and sided with ZAIA, just because Aruto as MetalCluster Hopper attacked Thouser, who interfered in his path.
  • To be specific, Check it Out betrayed Hiden Intelligence by saying he was fed up with them, specifically to Aruto, in his face when the latter hardly done anything wrong to hurt him. All this time, the president never did any kind of abuse to the Humagears and treated them as pals, trying to protect them from turning into Magias. Imagine being in Aruto's position, who just wanted to settle things all nice and professional, free of violence, when one of his fellow colleagues just suddenly decides that he was a villain, equally as guilty as those really bad people.

Episode 29: Our Dreams Won't Break

• The preview shows Aruto handing out flyers to people passing by, no doubt trying to convince everyone to support Hiden after the disastrous events from #28 that have put his company in a bad situation.
• Seeing Zero-One desperately trying to protect Izu from her demise from both Yua and Gai is heartbreaking to see as Izu was the only one that was together with him during their hardships and probably the last memento from his grandfather.
• Fuwa screaming in agony when Gai is attempting to press his control over him was enough for Yua to start begging him to stop resisting, to no avail.
• As if being ignored isn't enough, their very own existence to Gai are nothing more than tools for him to control. The revelation hits Yua like an incoming truck as she keeps trying to justify herself joining ZAIA out of her free will and trying to deny the fact that she is not a tool.
• Despite Aruto's best efforts, Hiden Intelligence loses. As of this episode, Gai Amatsu is now in total control of his company. Considering we've seen Aruto do his best to help people as the President of Hiden Intelligence, regardless of the fact that he was only chosen because of his grandfather's will, it is severely depressing to see all of that hard work go down the drain.
  • Because of that, Aruto is back to being unemployed, not knowing what will he do and where to go. Despite having clashed against him since the first episode, even Jun and Sanzo looked saddened to see him go.
  • What makes it even sadder is that the way the latter speaks almost makes it sound like he wants Aruto to reconsider his decision to leave, saying that while the board recommended Aruto voluntarily step down from his position, he isn't being forced to. Meanwhile, Jun vows to stand firm to the bitter end, wanting to see what happens to the company.
• Yua's reluctance to go against Gai's orders thanks to the chip in her head forces Isamu to decide that, so long as she follows Gai and doesn't have a dream of her own to follow, he can and will fight her. And if he needs to, he will crush her. What makes this even more tear-jerking is that Yua is clearly hesitating through her fight with Isamu, and not long ago, she begged him to give in and stop struggling against the chip's effects because of how much it was hurting him. She wants to help Isamu, but she can't so long as Gai has that damned chip in her head.
• Because he was absent in this episode, it’s implied they didn’t restore MC Check It Out due to having been Maddened Into Misanthropy and he probably won’t be restored anytime soon as long Gai is the president of Hiden Intelligence... Downer Ending for a Rapper.
• Aruto's stunned and confused reaction when Fuwa apparently turns on him. Especially because it comes after he shows off how much trust he's come to have in Fuwa by snapping at Gai that Fuwa would never obey someone like Amatsu when Gai originally gives the order to 'defeat Zero-One,' and seems rather insulted that Gai would refer to Fuwa as a tool. When Vulcan actually turns the gun on him, Aruto's too shocked to even fight back properly, resulting in him being promptly de-transformed. His bewildered 'Fuwa, why…?' as Fuwa drops his transformation to reveal an uncharacteristically completely blank expression is both unsettling and heartbreaking.
  • Even more painful because of the timing of Fuwa's arrival. Gai taunts Aruto that there's no one to share his dream, only for the ShotRiser to appear in the shot as Fuwa fires into the air to clear the crowd, then points it at Amatsu. Aruto was probably glad and relieved to see an ally and even friend at that moment… Only for it to come crashing down.
• The fact that, after all the revelations in the previous episode, Fuwa is visibly shaking as he points the ShotRiser at Gai. His weakened mental state probably only made it easier for Naki to take over.

Episode 31: Take Off Toward Your Dream

• Apparently, since Gai took over Hiden Intelligence, people were terrified to see Humagear walking in public, all active, as in the case of Morifude G-Pen, the Cartoonist type Humagear from episode 5.
  • In this case, this Humagear was unable to think what his actions should be despite the initial persuasion by Aruto and Jin. He did no harm to anyone. All he wanted was just to connect to Satellite Zea to ask what he should do. As said by Horobi, most Humagears like G-Pen that had yet to achieve Singularity needs to connect to either Ark or There to be functional Humagear.
• Yua. Just her in this episode. Her misery is clear as day as she gets commanded against her will to destroy Humagears and fight Fuwa in order to steal the Assault Wolf ProgriseKey. What makes it even worse is that unlike Aruto and Fuwa, she barely has the willpower to fight against Gai because the heavy implications that she's internalised that she will be forever Gai's subordinate in order to survive. This line pretty much sums it up:
  Yua: This world is not so kind... to allow people to live alone.

Episode 32: My Pride! Runway of Dreams

• Yua again. When Naki rebels, she drops her Fighting Jackal transformation and simply says "tool", referencing the Armor-Piercing Question Isamu had asked her several episodes earlier. She sounds like she's one the verge of tears when she says it.
• Because of ZAIA's repetitive interference, Delmo couldn't physically appear on the model runway due to a damaged leg caused by Gai. Walking on the runway was something that she dreamt of and yet she could not do it herself. Luckily enough, there is a Heartwarming Moment, as Izu and Aruto helped her to achieve that by having themselves there. Izu even transmits the cheering of the crowd and presumably all the things that Izu sees, so that Delmo could feel it too.

Episode 33: Are Dreams Important to You?

• Gai revealing that Fuwa's memories from 12 years ago are all lies due to the chip in his head. Fuwa goes into absolute shock and breaks down at the revelation, paralyzed with tears. Even as he's picked himself back up, the audience isn't sure whether he's actually fine with the truth. His actor really sells the misery Fuwa is feeling during the scene.
• Yua's dilemma during this whole episode. It's clear that she's reached her breaking point with Gai, especially after he revealed the truth about Fuwa's memories. She sounds like on the verge of tears when the truth is revealed.

Episode 34: This is the Path of Death

• The death of Midori. what makes it even more shocking is the fact that there was a little Hope Spot before Horobi's restraints stabbed her in the back.
• A subtle one, Naki being turned back into a "tool" of the Ark. This comes after their adamancy of not becoming a tool just two episodes before.
• Another subtle one, Fuwa still reeling from the revelations over his Fake Memories. While he's handling it better now, it's pretty clear that it's still affecting him and his work.
• Midori prodding Horobi, and his blank responses about the Ark being his only purpose. The fact that she seemed to actually be having an effect on him makes it all the more heartbreaking when he kills her, as it comes across as the Ark or at least its power over him hurriedly doing away with this thing that’s giving him doubts and pushing him towards thinking about his own will.

Episode 35: What Do Huma Gears Dream of?

• Aruto is distressed about having to fight Jin, who assists in retaking Raiden/Ikazuchi's data.
• It being confirmed, though it had been merely a topic of speculation before, that not only has Horobi not reached singularity, he has absolutely no earthly clue of what free will or thinking for himself is. Aruto has to spell out for him that he shielded Jin because he wanted to, and even then he's still confused. It really drives home that in the end, he's no different from other HumaGear, and just how much damage Gai caused by creating the Ark.

Episode 35.5: What Created Metsubou Jinrai?

• Horobi finally took a step toward self-awareness, only for As to reset him.
• Metsubojinrai.net (sans Jin) getting their Singularity data taken out of them. All of those emotions, dreams, passions... just gone in an instant. All to fuel a horrific agenda.

Episode 36: I am the Ark and a Kamen Rider

• Yua's breakdown in the hospital. She is clearly distressed at the fact that she led to the Ark's revival by taking Naki's data out of Fuwa, which led to the utter monster known as Ark-Zero. To make this even worse, she thought that she was doing it for a good cause, as Jin let her get involved in his plan to destroy the Ark, simultaneously ruining ZAIA's plans as a result.
  • What probably makes this even more tragic is her entire state. She's absolutely frightened of the monster she inadvertently helped to create and practically begs Aruto and Fuwa not to fight him.
• Aruto blaming himself for giving Horobi Ikazuchi's key. It's a subtle one, but seeing him blame himself for something that went out of his control is just depressing.
• The state of Hiden Intelligence as shown with Aruto and Jun's phone call. Clearly from their conversation, the company has taken a turn for the worse, with the mass-production and selling of RaidRisers going against everything the company - and Korenosuke Hiden - stood for. Even Jun is displeased with these turn of events, however, he really has no other choice in the matter.

Episode 37: It Cannot Be Stopped

• Aruto feeling absolutely distraught and terrified from fighting Ark Zero, who becomes the very representation of betrayal to his faith in artificial intelligence. It takes Jun to gain his resolve back.

Episode 38: I'm 1000% Your Friend

• Gai's backstory showed that as a child, he was a victim of tiger parenting, with his father being dissatisfied even if Gai got 100% on a test, demanding he strive for an impossibly unrealistic 1000%. One day, Gai brought back a test that was one point short of 100%, and was forced to return Thouser to Hiden Intelligence, his father believing his education is staggering due to the robot dog. No wonder he was so soured since, driven to believe he had to be perfect. The analysis from Thouser really sums up his pitiful state with well-spoken English.
  Emotion:
  Despair.
  He was not acknowledged by anyone.
  I wasn't worth a percent.
  Setback.
  He lost everything.
  He is looking for help.

Episode 40: Toward My Dream and Mine Alone

• The simulations Izu runs in order to figure out how the heroes can beat Ark-Zero. Sweet mercy, this girl needs a hug, especially as almost all of the simulations feature Aruto's death.
• Fuwa's reaction to Aruto's death in one of the aforementioned simulations. As soon as Aruto's brought to Hiden Intelligence, Fuwa tries to shake him awake, telling him to get up until Gai tells him to stop. He then begins tearing into Gai, putting fault on him because of his actions with the Ark.
  • In the same situation, Ark-Zero effortlessly kills Gai, Yaiba, and Fuwa.
    • The way all three of them go out is worth a mention as well. First Gai gets shot through the back, then Yaiba is shot trying to protect Fuwa, and then Fuwa himself is taken out before he can even transform and attempt to fight back.
• Even though Aruto's death was not real, the emotions running through Izu were. As she goes through simulation after simulation to bring Zero-Two into reality, we finally see her shed genuine tears and get choked up. The moment Izu sees Aruto dead in the simulation, it doesn't click with her that he is dead. She keeps asking him for orders and to respond in her usual robotic tone, before she devolves into sobbing and crying, all while pleading him to wake up and tell her what to do, and that she still wants to chase dreams by his side.
• Ark-Zero destroying Hiden Manufacturing for good by blowing up the entire office building. Made even more of a tearjerker when you see that in the rubble, the wall mantle that has the company motto "Take Off Toward A Dream" is burning. In a symbolic sense, it can also be seen as Aruto's dream being reduced to ashes as well.

Episode 41: Thou, Take Thine Neighbor's Hand!

• After Horobi spares him and walks off, Jin is hunched over against the lair's entrance-corridor. The look on his face is one of betrayal, sorrow and shock; making it clear the event affected him deeply despite how indifferent he may have acted toward Horobi before.
• Horobi's introspection scene really sells his inability to reconcile his mission with the fatherly love he's suppressed for so long. Once he does finally come to terms with it, he tries to approach his son... only the Ark to snatch that moment from him and use him as a puppet to attempt to kill Jin.

Episode 42: As Long As There's Malice

• Is' death is the emotional peak of this series: Horobi coldly shooting her, Aruto breaking into a teary and sobbing mess, and at the end of her death... Is blows up, leaving behind only her ribbon. What probably make this even more heart-wrenching is how detached Horobi is when he the shot. Afterwards, he looks absolutely dejected, having done something completely irredeemable, but chooses to press on anyway.
• As Ark-One, Aruto is clearly emotionally at odds with himself, to the point where he starts crying more out of confusion rather than regret once he disengages the suit for the first time. During the preview you can hear his voice tremble with sorrow more than anger as he acknowledges what he has become.
  Aruto: I am... the Ark...
• As if Aruto's isn't already suffering with the Ark feeding off his anger and grief, consider this: Aruto had tried to give Horobi a chance to spare humanity. To see that Humanity and Humagears could coexist and live in peace. And Aruto very well could've either destroyed Horobi during his last fight against Ark, or let Horobi get destroyed by Gai. But Aruto saved Horobi and tried giving him the chance to be a better person. That isn't to say Aruto was wrong for doing so. That doesn't mean Aruto thinks he wasn't wrong to do so. It's very likely that Aruto considers Izu's death his own fault as well as Horobi's.
• The Ark Signal-One, Ark-One's red gem on its faceplate, mostly serves to calm Aruto down while he's in Ark-One by clearing his mind and protecting it from trauma. His cold, calculated movements aren't the result of being painfully bent into doing so, unlike Ark-One's predecessor - rather, he's fighting with the mind of a sheltered child, unable to tell the difference between right or wrong, incapable of rationally dealing with things that don't go his way, and simple-mindedly focusing on one single desire: Horobi's total annihilation. It's perhaps an incredibly bitter and tragic case of Emotional Regression, spurred by the immense grief of losing Is.
• After Is's death, Yua very clearly tries to go to Aruto, but Fuwa stops her.

Episode 43: That is a Heart

• Horobi deludes himself into believing that him killing Is was somehow a good thing, claiming that humanity has "tainted" her and that he's fighting for justice and solace for all HumaGears.
  • Probably the most heartbreaking thing about it is that he knows what he did was wrong and it's what led to Aruto becoming Ark-One, but he refuses to believe it as it acknowledges he truly has a heart. Jin calls him out for it, but he bluntly denies any of his claims, saying that no one will get in his way if it means getting justice for Humagears, even if Jin is his own son.
• Gai, Yua, and Fuwa finding out that Aruto is Not Brainwashed as Ark-One, thus controlling the suit out of his own desire for revenge. Their reactions are subdued, but you can feel their disappointment as they realize that the kind, optimistic CEO they once knew is sadly gone with the death of Is.
• In an attempt to bring Aruto back, Yua and Fuwa go to Hiden Intelligence to not only tell them of what has happened to both Aruto and Is, but to see if there is a way to rebuild the latter. Shesta is the first to show genuine concern and sadness over the loss of her counterpart and reiterates that because of Is's connection to the Zero-One project, she has no back-up.
  • Jun and Sanzo's reactions are also telling. They initially react to the news of Is's death and Aruto becoming the Ark with laughter, thinking Yua and Fuwa are joking... and immediately stop when they realize they're serious.
  • Fuwa's concern for Aruto is worth a mention as well. Without a way to bring back Is, he starts losing hope, thinking there's no longer a way to bring him back... as well as his lame jokes that he's become fond of.
• Jin's death. If the previous episode was heart-wrenching, and if Horobi had any doubts of what is in his heart... this one crushes Horobi's heart and shakes Aruto so hard that not even Ark-One's suit can contain his emotions. Just like how Horobi did something irredeemable, Aruto can't help but feel he has done much worse.
  • Let's take a moment to address the scene in more detail: Up until now, the only HumaGear capable of crying was Izu, even then it was but a simulation for most of it... until she made the Zero-Two Progrise Key. But now we have a HumaGear, older than Izu, who didn't just shed a single tear, but many, as he watched his son die in his very arms. There's no way he could have faked those tears, his heart was squeezed into scrap at that very last moment.
  • What's even worse is that Jin was doing this to save him. Jin didn't want him to fall into the same fate as Aruto did, so he protected him from not only being destroyed - but also to save him from becoming another Ark. Unfortunately this leads Horobi down the same path as Aruto, as As manipulates him into avenging Jin's death with an Ark Progrise Key that is similar in design to Zero-Two.

Episode 44: There's Only One Person Who Can Stop You

• Aruto's breakdown when working HumaGears asks of him to say something about becoming Ark-One or reassure them Horobi is lying. To say he took it poorly is an understatement.
• One of the rioting HumaGears was in conflict with herself and attacks Yua, however Yua simply forgives her and demonstrates empathy.
• Horobi's heartfelt rebuttal to Raiden shows us two things: Horobi is trying to silence his aching heart and Raiden doesn't know how he would handle it if Subaru was killed instead of Jin.
• Aruto's state in this episode is heartbreaking. When he's by himself, he's utterly confused on what to do and masks his regret and panic under a veneer of Cruel Mercy in order to distance himself. He's so lost with himself that he asks Zea on what to do now.
• Fuwa's confrontation with Aruto in this episode is rather sad. He doesn't offer Aruto any sympathy for Izu's death, instead scolding him and talking down to him before jumping to attack him, only to get curb-stomped by Aruto. If Fuwa had empathized with Aruto and tried talking him down rather than resorting to violence almost immediately the conflict could have been deescalated right then and there, instead of amplified.

Episode 45: Each of Our Plans For the Future

• Shuya Sunagawa puts in a magnificently heart-wrenching performance as Horobi during a lull in the final battle. Unable to lie to himself any longer, he rages at Aruto for killing his son Jin, before breaking down and realizing how much pain he's caused by killing both Soreo Hiden in the past, and Is not too long ago. He then finally, tearfully admits that he hates humanity not for any grand philosophical reason, but out of simple fear and despair that humans have taught him how to feel such pain.
• Even though Izu was successfully rebuilt, the ending also serves as a bittersweet reminder that the Izu we knew and loved since Episode 1 is gone. All the quirks she picked up, the memories she shared, all of that... gone forever. She may look and sound like Izu, but at the same time, it's not the Izu we know.

Movies and Specials

Kamen Rider Reiwa The First Generation

• The premise of the film in general. A Time Jacker created Another Zero-One in order to prevent the Daybreak Town Incident from happening. Just one problem: Another Zero-One, Korenosuke Hiden's secretary HumaGear Will kills Korenosuke and takes over Hiden Intelligence before starting a war with the human race. In the official trailer, Izu tells Aruto that this happened 12 years ago. If that isn't enough to tell you how gut-wrenching that is, then this will: Soreo Hiden, Aruto's HumaGear father is working for the homicidal androids in this altered timeline for the sake of "creating a world where HumaGear can smile".
  • This is thankfully cleared up in the movie proper. Soreo isn't actually an enemy towards Aruto and is even responsible for giving him the ForceRiser after he lost his powers as Zero-One and is doing whatever he can to protect humanity, including his son.
• Soreo had it rough all the time: Aruto went back in time to berate at him for creating the Rider System, Ark revealed its plan of Human eradication, his attempt to foil Ark's launch was foiled, he got manipulated into trying to murder Aruto, and the only way things could truly end would be if his son could surpass him.
• The only way for Aruto to become the first Kamen Rider of the new generation was by defeating his HumaGear father. That's right, Kamen Rider Zero-One had to kill his own father in order to earn the title and also bring about a new era as he remembered it. And the worse part is that he and Izu will always remember it because Zea somehow was capable of storing data beyond time erasure.
• Listening to one of the movie's songs while remembering Aruto's past can drive the listener to tears.

Project Thouser

Part 1

• At first, from the start of the series, Naki was just only following orders from Gai and did not question his intentions at all. However, by the time ZAIA developed the Gigars, the ripped off robots of Breaking Mammoth, they began to doubt Gai's goal and ended up blurting this information to Horobi, which made Metsuboujinrai.net hack into those weapons and turned it against AIMS, or specifically, against what Gai had intended. At this time around, when questioned about their act of blabbing information by Gai, Naki had supposedly reached singularity and believed to have wanted peace between humans and Humagears. However, Gai decided to discard them, by shooting them with a revolver once and then multiple times until Naki would be considered dead before deciding to put their AI chip in Fuwa, leading to what happened from episode 17 until now.

Zero-One Others: Kamen Rider Metsuboujinrai

• Even for all the trouble As caused, Jin couldn't help but feel bad for her, and possibly made her a grave after bringing her defunct body to Daybreak Town.
• Despite their initial successes in the film and managing to kill Leon, MetsubouJinrai loses. The Massbrain Zetsumerisekey turns out to be anything but a powerup to help them punch through all the crap they've been given over the course of the film, and Kamen Rider MetsubouJinrai quickly kills all of them off again. The end result is a simple-minded creature with delusions of grandeur who only thinks they are saving the world by burning everything related to ZAIA and the group that made it down to the ground, a far cry from what the reformed group of androids set out to accomplish.
  • Even worse: without their own body (because the Mass Brain's conclusion was that MetsubouJinrai.NET's destruction was necessary), the four are fused into one entity and can't help but let out a scream in agony.
• This also completely reframes the ending song, "S.O.S." While appropriate for Jin's role as a Distressed Dude being used to weaponize the Mass Brain system, it also applies to the situation that MetsubouJinrai themselves are trapped in, trying to save the world but instead becoming trapped in the very thing they tried to control and now need someone else to save them from themselves.
  Swinging around, this insane justice
  For whom do we fight? For what do we fight?
  Breaking free, to be born again
  An Eden of the past and lies...
  

Zero-One Others: Kamen Rider Vulcan & Valkyrie

• Justice Serval's debut manages to pull something the franchise has never done before: make the debut of a final form look hopeless and desperate. Despite the name, there is nothing fair about the circumstances behind its use, with Yua plucking the Zetsumerisekey from a dead and liberated Sold20, and realizing that there is nothing that can be done for Naki, nor anyone else in MetsubouJinrai.net. The only way out of the hellish situation that Zero-One Others has put everyone in is to use Justice Serval to destroy Kamen Rider MetsubouJinrai... and she doesn't even get that as the key is hacked before shorting out and destroying her Shotriser.
  • It's made even worse when MetsubouJinrai repairs all the damage Yua did a scene later, meaning not only did Yua lose she failed to accomplish anything.
• In general, Yua's handling in the film is rather sad, as she doesn't a get a single victory and gets only one fight with her new form that she utterly loses, leaving her a Failure Hero at the end of the saga.
• Fuwa's final moments with Yua is very heart-wrenching to watch and after he passed out, Yua could do nothing but scream his name in pain.
• Things turn out to be even more of a Downer Ending than the previous film. Valkyrie is destroyed, MetsubouJinrai is completely obliterated with no chance of recovery, and in a first since Gaim, the secondary Rider, Fuwa, may very well have perished too.
• From Aruto's perspective, things get even worse for him after the happy ending in REALxTIME where he got Is's memories back and allowed her to inherit Zero-Two. Every other Rider sans Thouser (and maybe Vulcan) is now either permanently dead or depowered... meaning his endeavors to redeem MetsubouJinrai and protect those closest to him have been utterly torn away for the most part. The conflicts that stirred the world of Zero-One may be gone, but so is everything else.