[Shin Densetsu]

With the conclusion of the Kamen Rider Ryuki series came a movie(Kamen Rider Ryuki Episode Final and Kamen Rider Ryuki 13 Riders)! Both are alternate retellings of the story.

Episode Final is a movie taking place towards the end of the series(iirc after episode 46) as the story is winding down and the last Riders continue to duke it out. Though Kamen Rider Femme has a more prominent role in Episode Final she isn't shown in 13 Riders much. In addition to Kirishima Miho we also see an all new rider created just for Episode Final; Kamen Rider Ryuga AKA Shinji's Mirror World double, Dark Shinji Kido!

13 Riders is a rather different retelling altogether and includes the chameleon themed Kamen Rider Verde. Things are definitely changed up and there were 2 endings, the "true" ending was selected via telephone poll via viewers who called in.

What is the purpose of Ryuga and Dragblacker appearing? Does Asakura Takeshi go out in a different blaze of glory? Does Kitaoka get to take out more Asakura with Magna Giga? Why is Shinji holding Ren's advent deck...

Discuss Episode: FINAL and 13 Riders!

[Shin Densetsu]

Gotta dip, but I did prefer Episode FINAL to 13 Riders. 13 Riders was very anti-climactic for me.

[Starscreamer]

13 riders needed more. Just too much crammed in. Though was amused that Scissors got axed yet again. Verde's character concept was cool and would have liked to gave seen him in the main show, but his rider theme was too goofy.

[Electric Turahk]

13 Riders was just horrible. It was too strange to have Shinji be a literal newbie to the Rider War, but yet all the other Riders are there and can't wait to beat up on him? It didn't make sense. I actually liked the alternate ending just that little bit more, because why should he care about Ren? He had just met the guy. This was a different Shinji. He clearly couldn't fight, so why not end it as quickly as possible?

I liked Episode Final until the end. Kanzaki had a clear plan. The reason this started and why the monsters existed and attacked people was clearly stated instead of hoping you could make all the right connections. (I never guessed that they just wanted to try and live; I just figured they were monsters. I really like that they had a purpose though.) Miho was an interesting character, though we never did manage to learn all of her true intentions... And Ryuga was awesome. I loved how they took the whole "mirror Yui/Shiro" concept that had been present in the entire series and made it clear it didn't just apply to them. Everyone had a darker mirror version.

Then it got to the ending and... I hated it. Because it wasn't an ending. Ryuki and Knight just waltz off insto the sunset to fight monsters. That's no ending to a movie. That's an ending to an episode, maybe, but it doesn't bring about an resolution.

[Switchblade]

Episode Final is arguably my favorite pre-Den-O Rider movie (Hibiki and the Seven War Oni is right up there, too). I love Femme, I love that we get an expanded explanation for how Kanzaki's plan is supposed to work, and we get to top all that off with some good action sequences and the really fun Agito cameos. Great film.

And Electric Turahk, if you hated the ending to this I can't even imagine what you think of Paradise Lost's ending.

[Den-O]

Episode Final is absolute garbage to me. I feel like it completely throws out the preconceived notions that we have of the characters. Asakura would not go out like that. Femme is nobody compared to him. Even with Ryuga destroying Genocider I just don't see Ouja being weak enough to die that way. Miho wound up being utterly worthless other than dying herself. Yui commits suicide, which made sense to me. But Kanzaki can just reverse time and start again. The anti climacticness of Ryuki and Knight just flying off to battle really kills me.

13 Riders I actually found to be very interesting. Obviously making Shinji a total noob was pointless as was Verde. I love the contrast from the TV ending to this one though. With TV we get Shinning dying and Knight taking up the fight in his memory. In Episode Final we get the 2 surviving and we get thethe 2 fighting together, and then 13 Riders (its canonical ending) gave us Ren dying and Shinji taking his place as Knight. The reset ending being the one that viewers did not vote for.

Overall I found 13 to be much more enjoyable than Final. Final has its moments, most of them bad, but I can still enjoy parts of it. Like the Agito cameos

[Dr Kain]

13 Riders is crap. The only reason to watch that special is to see Verde even though he is a total prick. The B ending is the better of the two endings, but still leaves a lot to be desired.

Episode Finale, on the other hand, is down right awesome. The ending is meh, but the effects are extremely well done and the scene with Shiro playing the organ is the highlight of the movie. I just love that score during that scene.

[MidoGreen]

Yay, I can finally share my thoughts since I saw these a few weeks ago.

13 Riders: An interesting retelling of the series. Verde was an interesting Rider, being businessman as a Rider. He wasn't flashy as others with his techniques, but he was brutally efficient in battle. He's not Gai or Tiger, but definitely up there on the asshole list. The reverse of the series ending with Ren dying in Shinji's arms was touching, and it was cool to see him become Knight. Also I laughed at how Ryuga, Odin, Femme, Imperer, and Tiger popped up at the end to say "We're here too!" . Also rather jarring that Yui was practically non-existant in this story.

Episode Final: Femme was an interesting Rider. Not too different from Ren's motivations, but Miho was quite a different character. I found her interactions with Shinji rather amusing. And now to my favorite of Epsode Final, Ryuga. Seeing how Shinji would act if he didn't have a heart was bonechilling and awesome at the same time. He destroyed Genocider with ease, and actually killed Miho without using a Final Vent. I just wish he had been in the movie more and got a longer fight with Shinji at the end.

[badlander86]

All in all, I think the writers never envisioned a "nice" ending for Ryuki. If this was the Rider equivalent to X or Battle Royale then it was always meant to play out like a tragedy. And in tragedies only heroes die.

Episode Final had a fitting if a little somber ending. Hell all the three endings were bad but at least Episode Final was epic, 2 warriors facing down certain doom, pulling a last charge of the Light Brigade.

[Den-O]

I still prefer the 13 Riders ending even if the rest of the special itself isn't great. After having seen the series and Episode Final the ending with Shinji becoming Knight was amazing. It brought everything full circle and we got 3 balanced endings. Two tragedies and one ambiguous battle. The TV show or course is the superior of the 3. My hatred of Femme and Verde will never allow me to care much about the films though