is a Japanese tokusatsu series that serves as the 34th installment in the Kamen Rider franchise and the fifth entry in the Reiwa era.
Main characters Houtaro Ichinose is a second-year freshman at . He becomes a student at Alchemist Academy after he was entrusted by Fuga Kudo with the belt and the remaining Chemies during their brief encounter with each other, which ultimately led the former to rediscover his childhood past connections with the Chemies. Following the Dark Kings' return and Glion's resurrection, Houtaro's ideals in coexistence between humans and Chemies were challenged by his increasing rivalry with Supana and the public's distrust against them. Eventually, by the time Glion threatens to cover the entire planet in gold, Houtaro comes to the conclusion of creating a second planet Earth for the Chemies to inhabit and defeats him once and for all. Realizing that the general population has yet to accept the existence of Chemies, Houtaro and the entire Alchemist Academy decide to make recurring visits to the second Earth while working his way to achieve his dream of peaceful coexistence. After graduating high school, he studies to obtain a chef's license.
Utilizing the Hopper1 and Steamliner in conjunction with the GotcharDriver, Houtaro can transform into Kamen Rider Gotchard . While transformed, he gains the use of the ability to transform into a non-humanoid state based on his current form. He also wields the and the bladed bow. Houtaro later receives the sword, which can be reconfigured into an adapter that combines with the GotcharDriver, from UFO-X. While certain optimal Ride Chemy Card combinations known as a allow him to assume a variety of forms via other combinations of cards, Houtaro can combine the GotcharDriver with other devices and/or advanced Chemies to achieve the following evolutions of his Rider form: : An upgrade form accessed by combining the GotcharDriver and Exgotchalibur while using the Hopper1 and Steamliner Ride Chemy Cards in conjunction with the former and any Level Number 10 Ride Chemy Card in conjunction with the latter that can switch between varying sub-forms. If necessary, Houtaro can wield the Exgotchalibur in battle. : The yellow-colored evolved form of Steamhopper accessed from the Hopper1, Steamliner, and UFO-X Ride Chemy Cards that grants teleportation capabilities and the use of the twin flying saucer-like drones for combat assistance. In this form, Houtaro is equipped with the chest-mounted levitating disc. : The red-colored evolved form of Steamhopper accessed from the Hopper1, Steamliner, and X-Rex Ride Chemy Cards that grants the use of the expandable . In this form, Houtaro is equipped with the chest-mounted sonokinetic jaw and a pair of clawed sabatons. : The purple-colored evolved form of Steamhopper accessed from the Hopper1, Steamliner, and X Wizard Ride Chemy Cards. This form appears exclusively in the sequel novel Novel: Kamen Rider Gotchard University. : The brown-colored evolved form of Steamhopper accessed from the Hopper1, Steamliner, and Xeggdrasil Ride Chemy Cards. This form appears exclusively in the sequel novel Novel: Kamen Rider Gotchard University. : An upgrade form accessed by combining the GotcharDriver and the belt buckle while using any Gotchanko Chemy combination in conjunction with the former that allows Houtaro to assume pyrokinetic versions of his preexisting forms. While transformed, he is equipped with the back-mounted jet engine, which grants warp speed capabilities. However, the Gotcharigniter must be cooled down after each use, as overusing it will cause Houtaro's transformation to overheat and burn him. : Houtaro's super form accessed by combining the GotcharDriver and Tenliner while using the latter's eponymous Ride Chemy Card in conjunction with the former that grants superhuman strength. While transformed, he is equipped with a pair of self-propelling gauntlets, which can be augmented by using up to two other Ride Chemy Cards at once. However, prolonged use of this form will strain Houtaro's body, rendering him fatigued once he cancels his transformation. : The evolved form of Iron Gotchard accessed by combining the GotcharDriver, Tenliner, and Crosshopper while using the latter two's eponymous Ride Chemy Cards in conjunction with the former that grants the use of the ability to channel the powers of up to five other Ride Chemy Cards at once for enhanced attacks. : Houtaro's final form accessed by combining the GotcharDriver and Nijigon while using the latter's two eponymous Ride Chemy Cards in conjunction with the former that increases his alchemical capabilities to its fullest potential and grants the ability to summon Rainbow Chemies and/or enhanced copies of his preexisting forms known as the for combat assistance. If necessary, Gotcharbrothers Steamhopper can borrow the Exgotchalibur to transform into an enhanced version of Kamen Rider Super Gotchard. However, the Gotcharbrothers can only be summoned if Houtaro assembles all 101 Chemies into a team, as he will lose access to this ability if an unused Chemy is turned into a Malgam. : A special form accessed by combining the GotcharDriver and Exgotchalibur while using the Hopper1 and Steamliner Ride Chemy Cards in conjunction with the former and the Ride Chemy Card in conjunction with the latter that grants the combined powers of BeetlX, Lixion, X Fortress, Xeggdrasil, and Exceedfighter. This form appears exclusively in the crossover film Kamen Rider the Winter Movie: Gotchard & Geats Strongest Chemy ★ Gotcha Great Operation. : A special form accessed by combining the GotcharDriver and Nijigon while using the Hopper101 and Gigantliner Ride Chemy Cards in conjunction with the former that grants size-shifting capabilities. This form appears exclusively in the film Kamen Rider Gotchard: The Future Daybreak.
Houtaro Ichinose is portrayed by . As a child, Houtaro is portrayed by .
Future Houtaro is the cynical counterpart of Houtaro Ichinose who briefly appeared in the series as his Rider form before his identity was revealed in the film Kamen Rider Gotchard: The Future Daybreak. After Glion successfully opened the Door of Darkness and lost his friends and right eye in the process, Houtaro fell into despair and his grief evolved his Ride Chemy Cards into , with Gotchard himself becoming the color-inverted . Following the acquisition of his own Gotcharigniter, the Future Houtaro went into the past and diverges his timeline into an alternate future by invoking his younger self's Fire Gotchard transformation at an earlier point. Once his mission ended, he returned to his timeline to continue his fight and rescue survivors of Glion's regime.
His actions in creating a diverged timeline however caught the interest of the alternate Glion into spreading his influence to the present day timeline and the Alchemys Union joining the Future Houtaro's fight. Having experienced his friends' deaths, the Future Houtaro tries to dissuade them from joining him, but the encouragement from his present self and Rinne allows the Future Houtaro to regain hope and reestablish contact with his Chemies, in particular his timeline's Rinne. After defeating Kamen Rider Dorado and the Dark King, Kamen Rider Gotchard Shining Daybreak travels through time to stop the monster from terrorizing the past, creating a bootstrap paradox wherein he is the Kamen Rider of Daybreak legend.
Similarly to his past self, the Future Houtaro utilizes the Daybreak Hopper1 and Daybreak Steamliner Daybreak Chemy Cards in conjunction with the belt to transform into Kamen Rider Gotchard Daybreak Steamhopper. While transformed, he gains the use of Wild Mode to transform into a non-humanoid state based on his current form. He also wields the Gotcharge Gun and Gotchartornado. Additionally, he can assume the following evolutions of his Rider form: : An upgrade form accessed by combining the GotcharDriver (Daybreak Ver.) and Gotcharigniter while using the Daybreak Hopper1 and Daybreak Steamliner Daybreak Chemy Cards in conjunction with the former. : The Future Houtaro's final form accessed from the Level Number EX and Ride Chemy Cards. This form appears exclusively in the film Kamen Rider Gotchard: The Future Daybreak.
Kamen Rider Gotchard Daybreak/Future Houtaro Ichinose is portrayed by Daigo. The flashback to his younger self is portrayed by Junsei Motojima, who also portrays the present-day Houtaro.
Rinne Kudo is Houtaro's classmate and a student at both Furasu High School and Alchemist Academy. During the events of the crossover film Kamen Rider the Winter Movie: Gotchard & Geats Strongest Chemy ★ Gotcha Great Operation, she reunites with her father Fuga in the dream world where he entrusts her with the belt and the , granting her the ability to transform into . However, following her first transformation, Rinne loses access to her Rider powers until she saves Atropos from the Cerberus Malgam. After high school graduation, she studies abroad in the UK.
Utilizing the Unicon and The Sun Ride Chemy Cards in conjunction with the AlchemisDriver and High Alchemist Ring, Rinne can transform into Kamen Rider Majade . While transformed, she gains anti-magic casting capabilities. She can also use other Gotchanko Chemy combinations from the Fantastic and Cosmic categories to assume a variety of forms. If necessary, she can borrow one of Houtaro's weapons for her use in battle.
Following Atropos' sacrifice, Rinne acquires the belt and the , which she can use in conjunction with the Twilight Unicon and Twilight The Sun Ride Chemy Cards to transform into her final form; . While transformed, she gains photo- and umbrakinesis.
In the film Kamen Rider Gotchard: The Future Daybreak, Rinne's alternate self was one of the many casualties of Glion's regime, whereupon her death resulted with her spirit merging with Daybreak The Sun. However, as Houtaro became cynical and shutting his communication with his Chemies, Rinne's spirit was unable to reach him until their present selves encouraged him, allowing her spirit to reach the Future Houtaro and lending her support to Gotchard Daybreak.
Rinne Kudo is portrayed by . As a child, Rinne is portrayed by .
Supana Kurogane is an alchemist, a graduate of Alchemist Academy, and Houtaro's rival who initially viewed the Chemies as tools instead of living beings. His parents, and , were alchemists who were killed by Glion 10 years prior to the series. After accepting his past and managing to avoid becoming an unwitting pawn of Glion's schemes, Supana creates his own to honor his parents' sacrifice, though he tends to fight his opponents alone. Realizing the horror of general population reacting to the Chemies' existence, Supana attempts to absorb them in a self-destructive charge against the Dark Kings, but was stopped by Houtaro before his plan can be carried out. Despite losing the belt and realizing how far he had fallen, Supana's renewed resolve to fight alongside the Alchemist Academy allows him to restore his belt into the upgraded .
Throughout the series, Supana has assumed the following forms as he wields the wrench-like pistol sword in battle: : Supana's Kamen Rider-esque warrior form accessed from the Madwheel Ride Chemy Card in conjunction with the Valvarusher that can use other Ride Chemy Cards from the Vehicle category to assume a variety of forms, which equip him with a forearm-mounted weapon based on the corresponding card. : Supana's Rider form accessed from the Machwheel and Daiohni Ride Chemy Cards in conjunction with the ValvaraDriver that can use other Gotchanko Chemy combinations from the Vehicle and Occult categories to assume a variety of Customs, which grant the combined powers of the corresponding cards. He later acquires evolutions of his Rider form.