is a Japanese tokusatsu television series, the 36th entry of Toei Company's Kamen Rider metaseries, and the seventh series to debut during the Reiwa period. The series debuted on September 7, 2025, joining No.1 Sentai Gozyuger, followed by Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity and later, Kakusei Hunter Omegahorn in the Super Hero Time lineup after Kamen Rider Gavv's finale. The series concluded on August 30, 2026 and was succeeded by Kamen Rider MY-TH.

The overall themes of the series are dreams and spy technology. It is both the first Kamen Rider series to have a global simulcast alongside its domestic Japanese release and, to date, the final series to air alongside a Super Sentai series for the time being.

The second half of the series coincides with the 55th anniversary of the entire Kamen Rider franchise.

Plot

Baku Yorozu is a young man plagued with terrible luck who dreams of becoming a secret agent. He spends his nights dreaming of serving the special organization CODE as Code Number: Seven. When a stroke of misfortune pulls Baku into an encounter with the monsters known as Nightmares, he is enlisted by the mysterious commander Zero to become an actual CODE agent. Now equipped with the Zeztz Driver, a transformation belt using specially powered capsules known as "Capsems", Baku transforms into Kamen Rider Zeztz to stop the Nightmares in both the dream world and the real world. As he goes on more and more missions, however, Baku is quick to discover that there is a great deal that he doesn't know, and he has to learn before things spiral out of control.

In his battles in the dream world and the real one, Baku finds he has several allies. In reality, he is assisted by Tetsuya Fujimi, a police detective of the Mysterious Case Division, and his initially unwilling assistant Nasuka Nagumo. In dreams, he is assisted by Nem, a highly beloved celebrity who has not been seen publicly for years; only appearing in people's dreams. As Baku and Nem's relationship evolves, they come to realize she was injured and rendered comatose in an accident, and Baku makes it his ultimate mission to find Nem in the real world and help her wake up.

Working against Baku is a mysterious man known as Nox, who, like Nem, only exists in dreams where he tries to create Nightmares and bring ruin to the world. Nox's identity is revealed to be Kensei Odaka, a police officer, Fujimi's former assistant in the Mysterious Case Division, and also formerly Code Number: Four until his disappearance a year before the show's start. Zero assists Baku in both realms, only appearing as a shadowy hologram or remotely controlling an android which transforms into a motorcycle: CODE Zeroider.

As Baku continues to fight Nightmares and discovers the hidden depths and motivations behind the enemies and his own allies, more CODE agents are activated and brought into the fray. During an attack on CODE Japan, Baku is betrayed by Code Number: Three for choosing to protect Nem and is killed, only to wake up in a hospital bed immediately following his accident in episode 1. Baku realises his experience was not merely an elaborate dream but a premonition of a dangerous future and, discovering he still possesses the Zeztz Driver and all his knowledge from his dream, brings his allies together to aid him in his mission.

Soon after, all sides are disturbed by the return of Sieg, a former Code Number: One who fused with a Nightmare and was imprisoned for 1000 years for mass murdering people in dreams. With the odds ever changing, Baku must uncover what truths have been kept from him and decide who he really wants to be to complete his mission, which gets more and more complicated as the group faces an entirely new threat - the Gore Nightmares.

Production The Kamen Rider ZEZTZ trademark was registered by Toei Company on March 11, 2025, and published on March 19, 2025.

ZEZTZ was officially announced on July 6, 2025. A production announcement conference introducing the main cast and characters and the artist for the show's theme song was held on August 7, 2025.

This is the first Kamen Rider series to be broadcast internationally via a simultaneous release with North America, the UK and Australia and New Zealand receiving the show via Shout! Studios on its platforms.

The opening theme song is titled "VISIONS", performed by NAQT VANE, Hiroyuki Sawano's vocal project. The second opening theme song is titled "PLAY BACK", performed by Yuta.

Episodes

The story is split into two arcs: First arc (Episodes 1–24) - Baku discovers that he really is a secret agent and using his skill of lucid dreaming begins to fight in the real world and the dream world, helping defeat Nightmares and saving people. His enemy Nox manages to repair the Knight Invoker to become Nox Knight and battles Zeztz. As the story develops, Baku discovers that CODE had influenced his childhood, training him from a young age along with other children into becoming operatives capable of lucid dreaming. He also learns the truth about Nem's origins and why she appears only in dreams before The Lady leads an attack on CODE Japan, and Baku is forced to decide which side he is on. Second arc (Episodes 25–50) - Discovering that everything that happened until now was a dream, Baku rediscovers his command post in his closet and begins defeating Nightmares swiftly. He gathers his allies from reality and dreams and explains to both that he had a premonition of a future, and uses that knowledge to convince them to help him. A new enemy named Sieg appears and intends destruction by making Nightmares powerful beyond their own control, whilst Code Number: Three lays the groundwork to overthrow Zero and ensure the true goal of CODE comes about. Although Three has been eliminated, someone manages to steal the Code: Somnia Capsem and misuses it to commit "Black Cases" that cause dreamers with malice intents to progressively become Nightmares and have their existence be consumed a few seconds later. Additionally, a powerful Gore Nightmare Oblivion rises.

Films Kamen Rider Zeztz made his first appearance as a cameo in the film Kamen Rider Gavv: Invaders of the House of Snacks.

Farewell Mission is a film released on July 24, 2026, double-billed with Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity: The Day the Sun Cried. Additionally, the main characters of Kamen Rider MY-TH made their first appearance, portrayed by Ikuho Akiya as Sora Otosumi and Riko Horikawa as Yuna Mizuki. The film was written by Yuya Takahashi and directed by Kazuya Kamihoriuchi. The theme song is "Dreams Never Sleep" performed by Yuta. The events of the film take place before the post-credits scene of the final episode of the series.

Spin-offs : A web-exclusive series released on Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club on September 7, 2025. As inferred by the title, this series focuses less on Baku/Zeztz and instead follows his younger sister, Minami, in her own adventures as a talent agent. : A web-exclusive animated short series released on Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club on December 28, 2025. : Televi-Kuns . : A web-exclusive special short released on YouTube on August 30, 2026.

Cast

, :

Voice cast

Guest cast

Theme songs Opening themes "VISIONS" Lyrics: Benjamin + cAnON. Composition & Arrangement: Hiroyuki Sawano Artist: NAQT VANE Episodes: 4–24 Episodes 1–3 do not feature the show's opening sequence, and it is instead used as an ending song in episodes 1–3 and as an insert song in episodes 5, 7, 23, and 50. "PLAY BACK" Lyrics: Composition & Arrangement: Hi-yunk (Back-On) Artist: Yuta Episodes: 26–49 Episodes 25 and 50 do not feature the show's second opening sequence, and it is instead used as an ending song in episodes 25 and 50 and as an insert song in episode 49.

Insert themes "MOVE! TAKE IT!" Composition & Arrangement: Lyrics & Artist: TEEDA (Back-On) Episodes: 2–4, 6–8, 18, 22

Lyrics: Composition & Arrangement: Artist: Nem (Maho Horiguchi) Episodes: 16 "Kickstart" Lyrics: Hi-yunk (Back-On), TEEDA Composition & Arrangement: Hi-yunk (Back-On) Artist: Back-On Episodes: 34

Lyrics: Isa Takinoo Composition & Arrangement: tatsuo Artist: (from Royz) Episodes: 38

Notes

References

External links