The Gaia Memories
A Gaia Memory (in Japanese: ガイアメモリ Gaia Memori) is a mysterious device resembling a USB flash drive that contains all of the Earth's knowledge of what it represents. This enables its user to become a Dopant, or in some special cases a Kamen Rider. Every Gaia Memory is adorned with the first letter of its name, stylized to reflect the powers it imbues on its user. For example, the Injury Memory (acquired by Shotaro and Philip before the series begins) resembles a broken bone in the shape of the letter I. In order to transform into a Dopant, the Gaia Memory is first inserted into a device called the L.C.O.G (Living Connector Setting Operation Gun), also called a Connect Shooter, which then produces a USB port-like tattoo on the user's skin called a Living Connector. Whenever the Gaia Memory is pressed onto the Living Connector, it enters the user's body and transforms the user into a Dopant. It is possible to use a Gaia Memory without a Living Connector however a side effect is that the user would later suffer intense physical pain after several uses.
This direct insertion will eventually drive its user insane from its addictive influence, which is why special belts called Memory Drivers have been developed for use by high ranking members of the Museum to filter out these and other side effects. This weakens the Dopant visibly, as such high-ranking Museum members use some of the strongest Gaia Memories, identified by their golden colors, to more than compensate for this weakening. Despite the benefits, they are those who dislike the use of Drivers and would very much prefer the poisoning than being weakened, like Doctor Isaka.
Kamen Riders utilize Gaia Memories that have been refined such that they can only be used in specialized Memory Driver belts, and the Gaia Memories used do not enter the body and channels power through the Driver. These kinds of Gaia Memories were created by Shroud during her time as Fumine Sonozaki. This refinement makes them resemble USB drives, rather than the ribcage design on Dopant Gaia Memories, but further weakens the power of the Memories, only allowing access to the Memory's full power during a Maximum Drive.
To defeat a Dopant, a Kamen Rider has to use one of its Maximum Drive finishing attacks to eject and destroy the Gaia Memory, resulting in what is called a Memory Break. Evolved Gaia Memories require a direct strike on its location within the Dopant's body to execute the Memory Break. If the Dopant does not have a Living Connector, a Memory Break will not occur, however the Gaia Memory will still be ejected from the user's body. Dopants who use Memory Drivers are not susceptible to Memory Breaks.
T2 Gaia Memories
T2 Gaia Memories are next-generation Gaia Memories developed independently by Foundation X and were started by Shroud's research before she left the Museum. They are carried at all times by Jun Kazu. Sometime later they are found by the terrorist organization, NEVER. All of them are similar in appearance to the Gaia Memories used by Kamen Riders but can used to transform into a Dopant by direct insertion, or with a Memory Driver to become Kamen Riders. While identical to Kamen Rider's Memories in design, they have blue plugs instead of silver ones. While they can be ejected by way of Maximum Drives, they are usually incapable to be broken by such methods, which serves as a sign that T2 Gaia Memories are more powerful than their predecessors.
Nevertheless, they were all eventually destroyed when Kamen Rider Eternal, who had all 26 of them, was defeated by Kamen Rider Double CycloneJoker GoldXtreme's Rider Kick
Legend Rider Memories in 2013.
Legend Rider Memories in 2013.
Special Edition Gaia Memories
In real life there exist exclusive illustration or toy Gaia Memories that do not exist in the television series, usually released in Kamen Rider related media, such as Televi-kun and Ganbaride.
A new batch of special Gaia Memories was released in 2013, more or less two years since Bandai stopped releasing Gaia Memories in any form — DX Candy Toy, Gashapon. One reason is the advent of Kamen Rider OOO's O Medals. Instead of Kamen Rider faces, the new releases feature logos of the riders' main form and/or final forms. Not only that, the new batch will include a full set of Showa Kamen Rider Memories, and Heisei Kamen Riders' Final Form (minus Wizard) Memories.
There was a Gaia Memory Complete Selection that had Gaia Memories that weren't used in TV Shows or some of the movies.
Kamen Rider Double Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate
T2 Gaia Memories can be used by any Rider who uses Gaia Memories, although that wasn't shown with any other Memories except the Eternal and Joker Memories. They are capable of selecting their users who have a high compatibility to them as if destined by fate.
Wizard
The Gaia Memories, along with the other Rider Powers, were stolen from Double by Amadum in the world within the Magic Stone, who explained that they were already his due to the Riders' powers being from the same source as evil. However, the power was soon returned thanks to the appearance of Kamen Rider Gaim, with the return of the Memories immediately transforming Double into CycloneJokerXtreme.
Gallery
Trivia
- The voice of the Gaia Memories is provided by Fumihiko Tachiki (立木 文彦 Tachiki Fumihiko?), who is also the narrator of W.
- It seems that compatibility can greatly increase or decrease the being using the Gaia Memory`s powers as shown through the Joker Memory, Cyclone Memory, Skull Memory, Eternal Memory, Accel Memory, and Utopia Memory.