Why does Shadow Moon's name sound like something out of a 14-year-old's fanfic?

Because in Japan, simply being in English makes a name awesome, regardless of what it means.

Because Japan.

As for pseudo Riders, I don't think Alternative is treated as a Rider (Unsure about this, though).

Tackle, definitely. The Alternatives aren't usually classed as Riders, either. There was a lot of debate about Nazca when he was around. You could probably argue the Shocker Riders, too. Oh, and the other bug dude from Shin.

Both Century Kings were given names that refer to an eclipse: Shadow Moon and Black Sun.

Nah, Alternative isn't a rider, technically. He's more like a Prototype Rider, but I think the thing that takes them out of the running is that in Ryuki's lore, a Rider is someone who participates in Kanzaki's game. Alternative wasn't really an intended factor, so he's not a Rider, even though one could certainly make the argument.

So far the list seems to be:

Tackle
Shadow Moon
Mashin Chaser
Alternative (Zero)


Nazca could technically too, I suppose. Didn't he even have a driver as his transformation trinket? TBH, I was fully expecting Kirihiko to be a frequent W ally and become "Kamen Rider Nazca".

If you count people with a Driver as pseudo-riders, then technically every member of the Sonozaki family (minus Philip and Shroud) fall into that category, because they all use a driver- even the cat (but Saeko only uses it when she becomes Taboo. When she's Nazca, she uses the memory directly so... She's only a Taboo pseudo-rider?). I don't know if Dr. Isaka had one, but I think he used one at some point?

Alternative was dubbed a Psuedo Rider, so yes not a rider but in the form of a rider.

If you want further proof, the SHFs of the Alternatives aren't labeled as Riders.

I'm really disinclined to count Nazca. He was still very much monster-like in his transformed state. But that's just me.

The Kamen Rider wiki's Kamen Rider like category has a good list, but to me definitely has a lot I'd call more than a stretch.

Same. Nazca was JUST a dopant. Maybe if he used a lost driver and his Gaia Memory was converted to the format Shotaro, Phillip, Soukichi, Ryu, and Katsumi used he would have been a rider. But yes, he's just a dopant. Nothing more nothing less.

You know, considering Riders, couldn't we technically count any of the Ace monsters from Blade?
Mild spoiler warning, but Chalice's "Rider" form is just the Mantis Undead wearing a buckle, as he doesn't transform into a Rider, but takes on the appearance of the Undead's card he scans through the Chalice Rouser.