 This article is about a villain in Kamen Rider Kuuga.
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- For the Manga version and leader of the Gurongi in the World of Kuuga, see N·Daguva·Zeba (2015 manga) and N·Gamio·Zeda.
N·Daguva·Zeba[src] (ン・ダグバ・ゼバ, N Daguba Zeba) was the stag beetle-like lord of the Gurongi and main antagonist of Kamen Rider Kuuga. He was given the codenames Unidentified Lifeform #0 (未確認生命体第０号, Mikakunin Seimeitai Dai Zero-gō) as his Intermediate Form and Unidentified Lifeform B13 (未確認生命体Ｂ群１３号, Mikakunin Seimeitai Bīgun Jūsangō) as his human form.
History[]
Kamen Rider Kuuga[]
Daguva fought the original Kuuga, Riku, in his Imperfect Form and lost ending up sealed in Kuuga's sarcophagus along with him. He is reawakened in modern times by archaeologists whom he kills and revives the other Gurongi to re-initiate the Gegel. [Revival]
Before showing himself to the modern Kuuga, Yusuke Godai, Daguva kills 152 of his kind seeing them as inferior in Nagano. He reveals himself to the police killing Goma and falling off the radar after six days of being sighted. By this time he assumed his human form. Once Gadol is killed, Daguva begins the "end game" by causing an endless heavy rain before defeating Kuuga in his Amazing Mighty Form while leaving massive damage in his wake. As he revealed to Balva, he is giving Kuuga time to get stronger as a favor for giving him time to move around the country in peace.
N·Daguva·Zeba fight with Kuuga Ultimate Form
Once in Nagano, Daguva resumes the carnage before starting a systematic genocide of all humans in Japan as he tells Yusuke to meet him at Mount Kuro (九郎ヶ岳, Kurōga-take) for a final confrontation. But as he hoped, Yusuke appears in his now controlled Ultimate Form while Daguva assumes his Gurongi form as he and Kuuga battle each other. After exhausting themselves to the point that they are too weak to maintain their transformations and both their Amadams break, they continue to fight as humans with their bare hands to the death until Daguva finally dies, succumbing to the multiple injuries that he had sustained and laughing to the very end, hoping Yusuke would become as violent as him.
Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen[]
N·Daguva·Zeba is revived and becomes one of Dai-Shocker's commanders. However, he isn't seen in the final battle, when Dai-Shocker and Dai-Zangyack reveal their alliance and are defeated by the united Kamen Rider and Super Sentai forces.
2019: Apocalypse[]
An Another World version of N·Daguva·Zeba is among the villains who are summoned by Another Decade to battle Kamen Rider Zi-O and was destroyed by Ohma Zi-O.
Video Game appearances[]
Kamen Rider Agito & Kuuga Wild Battle[]
N·Daguva·Zeba (Perfect Form) is one of eight Gurongi who are playable in the Fighting, Training, and Survival Modes of Kamen Rider Agito & Kuuga Wild Battle.
All Kamen Rider: Rider Generation 2[]
N-Daguva Zeba in All Kamen Rider: Rider Generation 2.
N·Daguva·Zeba appears as a monster in the video game All Kamen Rider: Rider Generation 2.
Kamen Rider Battride Wars[]
N·Daguva·Zeba appears as a boss in the video game Kamen Rider: Battride War. His first appearance is in the stage "Kuuga", which loosely adapts the identically-named episode 48 of Kamen Rider Kuuga. After this, he appears several more times as a boss character in the game's main plotline. Daguva's abilities include pyrokinesis and a powerful punch combo. His only weakness is he lacks any long-range attacks. Also, his pyrokinesis attacks are easy to dodge as a red mark can be seen when he utilizes them.
Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbarizing[]
N·Daguva·Zeba Card
N·Daguva·Zeba serves as a boss enemy in Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbarizing. Later in the campaign of Kamen Rider's 50th Anniversary, he becomes a playable character and the first type of fully monster enemy become playable.
Personality[]
Much like the rest of his kind, Daguva enjoys battle and is a social darwinist, exterminating 152 other Gurongi as a means to carry out their rituals. He also dislikes his own powers being used without permission, killing Nu·Zajio·Re and Xu·Goma·Gu for relying on pieces of his discarded armor.
Disturbingly, when in human form, Daguva acts akin to a young child, using modest pronouns when speaking with Godai/Kuuga.
Since none of the Gurongi completed their "Gegeru", Daguva ultimately decided to carry out the task of wiping out humanity, doing so in a callous manner. Simultaneously though, Daguva decided to entertain himself, giving a wounded Kuuga the chance to use Ultimate Form.
In their second battle, Daguva expressed joy at facing Kuuga as an "equal", trading blows with the latter while laughing. Even in his final moments, Daguva showed no fear of death, falling with a smile on his face.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Gurongi Physiology: Among the Gurongi, Daguva was the strongest member, owing to his titanic strength and supernatural abilities. The sole being shown capable of matching him is Kuuga Ultimate Form, with anything less of little threat.
- Transformation: Daguva can freely switch between his human and Gurongi form. In human form alone, his mere presence proved too much for Kuuga Pegasus Form, causing the latter to become stricken with immense fear and stress.
- Morphing Power: One of his most powerful abilities, Daguva can change the structure of atoms themselves. While other Gurongi can do this to an extent, Daguva's skill and precision with it is nearly unparalleled. Thus, he can summon waves of flames in an instant, potentially capable of destroying the world if he desires to.
- Regeneration: Daguva can regenerate from wounds inflicted on him, including attacks by Kuuga Ultimate Form.
- Weather Manipulation: Daguva can control the weather without issue, having summoned a lightening bolt from the sky.
- Teleportation: Daguva can instantly teleport into different locations.
Weaknesses[]
- Amadam: Like Kuuga, Daguva has an Amadam hidden inside his waist. Unlike Kuuga though, it is not linked to a power source like Gouram, contributing to Daguva's downfall.
- Blood-lust: Similar to all other Gurongi, Daguva's desire for carnage and destruction proved his ultimate undoing, given how he spared Kuuga on multiple occasions.
Forms[]
Imperfect Form
Exclusive to the S.I.C. Hero Saga, the Imperfect Form (不完全体, Fukanzentai) resembles a muscular human and is three times taller than the original Kuuga.
Intermediate Form
- Statistics
- Height: Unknown
- Weight: Unknown
The Intermediate Form (中間体, Chūkantai) of Daguva, having a smaller, more human-like build whilst retaining the hair he possessed in his previous form. Briefly appearing in the TV series, as the Gurongi lord, Daguva has power over his kind through fear. Due to being the leader of the Gurongi, Daguva likely has other powers not shown.
- Abilities
- Physical Strength: Daguva launched a genocide against the Gurongi he considered weak, killing 152 of them, including Goma, who was using parts of Daguva's body as armor.
- Weather Manipulation: Daguva is capable of manipulating the weather to induce thunderstorms.
- Resurrection: After being freed, Daguva was able to revive 200 dead Gurongi.
Appearances: Kuuga Episodes 1 & 41
Ultimate Form
- Statistics
- Height: Unknown
- Weight: Unknown
Daguva's Ultimate Form (究極体, Kyūkyokutai), or Perfect Form (完全体, Kanzentai), resembles Kamen Rider Kuuga's Ultimate Form but is white in color, adorned with a cape and several Gurongi accessories, and with a smaller four-pointed head crest. This similar appearance is because of Kuuga's ties to him. He is in possession of an Amadam that increases the user's lifespan.
- Abilities
- Physical Strength: Daguva's physical strength is on par with Ultimate Kuuga, being able to break through his shell and make him bleed.
- Supernatural Combustion Ability (超自然発火能力, Chō Shizen Hakka Nōryoku): Daguva can turn atoms and molecules into plasma just by pointing at the target, he uses this to instantly ignite anything, killing his opponents by burning from the inside out.
- Weather Manipulation: Daguva is capable of inducing violent storms and blizzards that last as long as he wants.
- Darkness Beam: During his fight against Kamen Rider Zi-O, Daguva was able to shoot a beam of darkness from his palm.
Appearances: Kuuga Episodes 47-48, Zi-O Episode 49
Behind the Scenes[]
Concept Art[]
_concept_art.jpg "N·Daguva·Zeba (Intermediate Form) concept art.jpg (320 KB)")
N·Daguva·Zeba was designed by Takuya Abe (阿部 卓也, Abe Takuya).
Etymology[]
- His name is based on "dark" (ダーク, Dāku) and the Japanese word for "stag beetle" (クワガタムシ, Kuwagatamushi).
Notes[]
- In early promotional materials, the magazines predicted Daguva to be the true identity of Kuuga Ultimate Form.
- Daguva's smile is reminiscent of Yusuke Godai's, but it is expressed with a different meaning, especially in their final confrontation where he continues to smile until the end. Kenji Urai, who portrayed Daguva, interpreted the character as "innocent" and mentioned that when playing the role, he immersed himself completely, feeling as if Daguva had taken over him by the end.[1]
- The costume for the human form was chosen as a white outfit to convey the feeling of "nothingness," based on a proposal from director Hidenori Ishida. In Episode 48, he wore a wetsuit for snowy mountains and had about thirty hand warmers attached underneath.[2]
- The design of N·Daguva·Zeba's Ultimate Form was handled by Takuya Abe, and the Intermediate Form was handled by Tetsuya Aoki.[3] The motif is a stag beetle, and the concept was to create the "king of the Gurongi" in white, contrasting the Ultimate Form. Daguva wears numerous ornaments to signify his higher rank. In the Intermediate Form, a blend of human and insect-like hair grows from the joints. Originally, the eyes resembled Kamen Rider, but Shigenori Takatera's adjustments resulted in a more fitting Gurongi face.[4][5]
Appearances[]
Kamen Rider Kuuga
- Kamen Rider Kuuga: Odyssey
- Episode 1: Revival
- Episode 38: Transition (hidden)
- Episode 39: Goma (hidden)
- Episode 40: Impulse
- Episode 41: Control
- Episode 42: Battlefield
- Episode 43: Reality
- Episode 44: Crisis
- Episode 45: Archenemy
- Episode 46: Indomitable
- Episode 46.5: Kamen Rider Kuuga: First Dream of the New Year
- Episode 47: Decision
- Episode 48/Finale: Kuuga
Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen
Kamen Rider Zi-O
- Episode 49: 2019: Apocalypse
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- ↑ 『仮面ラ���ダークウガ超全集』 最終巻、小学館〈てれびくんデラックス愛蔵版〉、2001年4月1日。ISBN 4-09-101473-9。
- ↑ 『仮面ライダークウガ超全集』 最終巻、小学館〈てれびくんデラックス愛蔵版〉、2001年4月1日。ISBN 4-09-101473-9。
- ↑ 超全集 最終巻 2001, p. 64, 「メモリー オブ 仮面ライダークウガ スタッフインタビュー デザイン 阿部卓也」
- ↑ 『平成仮面ライダー怪人デザイン大鑑 完全超悪』ホビージャパン、2020年12月24日。ISBN 978-4-7986-2338-2。
- ↑ 完全超悪 2020, pp. 130–135, 「DESIGNER INTERVIEW 阿部卓也・青木哲也・飯田浩司[仮面ライダークウガ]」