Mythology Gag / Kamen Rider Ex-Aid

• The Level 1 & 2 forms in concept are similar to Kabuto's Masked & Rider Forms - exchanging the physically stronger, armored form for a more nimble one.
  • And in #17, Parado grabs the Muscle and Speed Energy Items to roundhouse kick Snipe and Ex-Aid at high speeds in the style of Kabuto's Rider Kick.
    • Similarly in #32 Cronus' time-manipulation, non-chalant fighting style, and Rider Kick appear to be reminiscent of Kabuto as well.
• When the Riders go from Level 1 to Level 2, they pass through a rectangular field, similar to how Kamen Rider Blade Riders transform (except Kamen Rider Chalice).
  • Speaking of Blade, Para-DX's transformation into LV 50 is very similar to Leangle's.
• Genm uses a prototype of Ex-Aid's Mighty Action X Gashat to become a black and purple Palette Swap of him. A black and purple prototype of a Rider? Gee, where have we seen this before?
• This is not the first where the secondary Rider is a sword user with a blue color. Not only that, but both share the same last name.
• Kiriya wears a red jacket outside of his doctor uniform. He is also a motorcyle-themed Rider... that turns into a bike. Guess which other Rider wore a red jacket, was motorcycle-themed and transformed into a bike?
• Mighty Action X's transformation tune is pretty much based on the first Kamen Rider's chorus.
  Mighty Action X's tune: Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Mighty Mighty Action X!
  Kamen Rider's chorus: Rider... Jump! Rider... Kick! Kamen Rider! Kamen Rider! Rider... Rider!
  • As an additional Mythology Gag, Mighty Kick is the name of Kuuga's finisher in Mighty Form.
• The Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat's name is one letter away from Kamen Rider Dragon Knight.
• We haven't heard "Dai Henshin!" since X, another doctor Rider.
  • It's also a throwback to Kuuga's "Chou Henshin!"
• Inside the Home Base (which is underneath the hospital no less), there is a corner dedicated to the DoReMiFa Beat arcade game (which itself is a reference to the pop'n music franchise). On said wall of the corner are various song names playable in the game, all of which are referencing older Heisei riders. Notable ones include Lost Memory^note A reference to the Lost Driver and a Gaia Memory - although this also could also serve as an Agito reference, given the fact that amnesia was a key part of the plot of that show, Climax High, Go Go Go!^note In Japanese, "go" means "five", so you get 555, PAN'2-OOO^note pan'2 refers to "pantsu" or "underwear" in Japanese, which is also a running gag in OOO, and My BF Is An Astronaut.
• The opening has clear references to previous Kamen Rider openings, including Decade, Faiz and Ryuki
• The second episode features a fight at a church, much like Kuuga's second episode.
• Gashacon Sword's initial form looks suspiciously similar with Kuuga Titan's sword, only with reversed cross-guard.
• Also from episode 2, Alhambra Bugster has been straight up stealing from Kamen Rider Wizard's spellbook.
• With the debut of Gekitotsu Robots, Ex-Aid joins the list of non-red Riders getting the obligatory red form change like Kamen Rider Gaim and Kamen Rider Ghost.
• With the debut of DoReMiFa Beat, Brave can turn into a literal Beat Rider.
• Hiiro's backstory (involving a dead girlfriend and a grudge against her murderer) has shades of Garren's story. He finally got his revenge on Graphite, but realizes that Vengeance Feels Empty as killing Graphite did not bring her back to life.
• Lazer's Gashacon Sparrow is a bow that can split into two scythes, not unlike Wild Chalice's weapon. Being a bow, it can also used as a melee weapon with its bladed portions, just like Sonic Arrow in Gaim.
• The fact the Riders need to have a special surgery to use the Gamer Driver harkens back to many a Showa-era Rider series^* basically the only Showa-era rider who didn't require an operation was Kamen Rider Amazon. where the titular Kamen Rider had undergone a procedure to become a Kamen Rider.
• Drago Knight Hunter Z isn't the first time a dragon's split apart into various pieces of armor that a Rider can equip either individually or all at once. Nor is it the first time a dragon-like form has driven a Rider berserk.
  • Brave's version of ht level 5 form is called "Blade Brave", which was the name of the first opening of Kamen Rider Blade.
• The fact that Proto Gashats work in a Driver as well as jabbed directly into the user (we've yet to see a human survive that one though) is pulled straight out of Kamen Rider W.
• The transformation announcement for Double Action Gamer Level X includes the line "Futari de Hitori" (two in one), which is an obvious reference to Kamen Rider W. "Futari de Hitori" was the name of Kamen Rider W's first episode and one the series' most used quote. We last heard it as a Driver announcement with Specter's use of the Legend Rider Eyecon based on Double just last season.)
  • The form itself is the anti-Double; in Double, two heroes formed one Rider. Here, one hero can form two Riders.
  • The gag is brought full circle with the Legend Rider Gashat for W partially borrowing Double Action Gamer Level X's transformation jingle.
• The Gashacon Keyslasher itself resembles both the Kunai Gun or DenGasher, what with possessing blade, axe, and gun modes at that.
  • Not only that, the button press sounds are similar to the button sounds of Faiz Phone.
• Nico attempting to transform into Snipe. This isn't the first time where not only a normal human female tries to become a Kamen Rider and failed, but also receives the consequences.
• Possibly a coincidence, but the manner in which Emu reacts to the revelation that he was Patient Zero is similar to the way that Kenzaki reacted to Tachibana telling him that his body is shabby. (first by repeating the fact, then saying "uso da" and then reacting violently to it. Though it was less lethal in Kenzaki's case and more memetic. And it ended up not being lethal for Emu either.
• This is not the first time where the episode airing on the week of Christmas features a Rider dying.
• As of episode 16, Nico and Taiga's relationship is essentially a darker version of that of Gon and Daisuke's. Bonus for both Riders involved being gun-toting tertiary Riders.
• Burgermon follows in the footsteps of every sympathetic monster in Kamen Rider history, he shares the lopsided face design and colors of Cubi and the fate of Roidmude 072.
• Kuroto's end goal is basically creating Ryuki and Gaim all over again.
• In episode 19, Kuroto warns Hiiro of the side effect of jumping from Level 5 to Level 50: His body will experience excruciating pain. Hiiro's response: "I will master it."
• Brave Fantasy Gamer Level 50 resembles Demushu and Lord Baron. Coincidentally, the Victim of the Week is a dancer named Mai, though in this case she's a traditional Japanese dancer.
• Much like how Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider #3 was using Shotaro Ishinomori's original ideas for Kamen Rider 3, the basis of Kamen Sentai Gorider (the "secret" heroes for Chou Super Hero Taisen which also gets a three episode miniseries) was the original draft of Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, where it was a union of five Kamen Riders.
• A particularly short-range one when Tsukuru develops games with monks as player characters. You know Onari would jump at it.
• When Maximum Mighty X is used, an armor appears from the sky before plopping down to Ex-Aid, similar to how the Lockseed armors are put on in Kamen Rider Gaim. Its also a bulky armor, just like Suika Arms.
• As a Ride-Player, Nico still wears her hat on her Rider form, much like Kamen Rider Skull.
• Parado describes Kamen Rider Chronicle as a game where Bugsters kill humans. While the initial premise of the game is similar to Ryuki, this revelation makes it awfully close to the Gegeru in Kamen Rider Kuuga.
• It may seems unintentional, but Kamen Rider Chronicle has 13 Bugsters as the major component in making the game (the eight Gashat Bugsters, Graphite, Parado (he counts as two because of his two Rider forms), Poppy, and Gemdeus, the Final Boss once all twelve Bugsters are defeated; reminds us of Kamen Rider Ryuki, which had 13 Riders participating in the Rider War.
• The toyline has one too. Decade's Legendary Gashat's Level 3 jingle has Narutaki's infamous ONORE DIKEIDO! quote as part of the jingle.
• Parado's Level 99 henshin pose is similar to Kamen Rider Beast's henshin pose. He also has a red/blue duality theme, just like Kamen Rider Double HeatTrigger form.
• After defeating the Riders, Parado then says to Emu: "I'll decide your fate!". A phrase that was also Kamen Rider Meteor's catchphrase.
• Graphite's Level 99 form is colored red, which is similar to the last time a Disc-One Final Boss came back with a red coloration, not unlike Nazca Dopant in Kamen Rider W.
• The patient◊ in Episode 30 sports a jacket similar to that of Gou Shijima. Being infected by Motos makes it even more hilarious.
• When Poppy attempts to use the Proto Mighty Action X Origin Gashat, she ends up entering the gashat's game world, and refers to it as the World of Proto Mighty Action X. She even changes her costume like Tsukasa would!
• Kuroto Dan being 'resurrected' as a Bugster brings to mind Sora from Kamen Rider Wizard, who retains his soul (or lack of which) and biologically becomes a Phantom instead of being replaced by one as intended.
• Nico's kill stealing of a Bugster in #31 has her paraphrase a certain Imagin's catchphrase.
• Cronus' finisher attack is a roundhouse kick, like Kabuto. Extra point for his time control abilities.
  • The Battle in the Rain in Episode 34 underscores this further by having the rain drops stop midair, not unlike an iconic fight in Kabuto.
• In Episode 33, Masamune offers the Bugsters a conciliatory fruit basket; said basket very pointedly contains an orange, bananas, grapes, a melon, a lemon, and apples.
• Ex-Aid's Super Mode, Hyper Muteki, requires him to attach the Hyper Muteki Gashat to the Maximum Mighty X Gashat in order to achieve it. This is extremely reminiscent of Gaim's Kiwami Arms, which likewise required him to attach the Kiwami Lockseed to the Kachidoki Lockseed, his previous highest form.
• The case that Cronus uses to contain the Energy items for his personal use is nearly identical to the O Medal Holder used by Ankh and Eiji.
  • On closer inspection, it seems to be a straight re-colour of the same prop.
• Gamedeus having all the abilities of past Bugsters actually goes back to Kamen Rider Fourze with the Leo Zodiarts using additional Switches, or the Ogre Phantom eating other Phantoms from Sengoku Movie Taisen. Both were apparently created as a counterpoint to Kamen Rider Decade having this Game-Breaker ability first.
• Taiga's Cronus form has an ability to use all Gashacon Weapons. This is like the ability of past Riders' final form that can use all their arsenal (most obviously Fourze and Gaim).
• In #43, Masamune, fed up after the Riders always spoiling his plans, defeat Gamedeus and absorbs its data in a moment of desperation and anger, becoming a Bugster and Final Boss in the process. This was exactly what happened to Kaito Kumon in Gaim when he desperately ate a Helheim fruit after his situation gone south, to become the Final Boss of the series. Hell, even the episode numbering is the same and they have the same green veins on their body!
• The late story revelation that Gemn's plot hinges on, that all of the people killed by Game Syndrome are actually trapped in the Game Worlds as data and can be revived or turned into immortal Bugsters, is almost identical to a similar revelation from Kamen Rider Dragon Knight that the Advent Void doesn't actually instantly kill anyone sent there, but instead keeps them hidden until they can be revived. It's for the same broad reason in both series as well. Gemn wanted to be able to overcome death so that humanity can become immortal after losing his mother. Eubulon wanted a way for his Kamen Riders to be able to fight without fear of death, allowing them to become unkillable defenders of justice and peace. And in both cases, their plan went pear shaped because of the Big Bad. Masamune wanted to use the Bugster virus and the promise of bringing people back to expand his playerbase, become even more rich, and satiate his god complex while Xaviax wanted to use the Rider War so that he could enslave enough powerful people to help rebuild his dying homeworld and become its king.