Recap: Kamen Rider Wizard, Episode 23 – Death Match/Climactic Battle

Kosuke arrives and asks Haruto to let him eat the Phantom today. Haruto leaves Phoenix to him and hurries to Rinko.

Rinko says it was her fault he was in danger today. He whisks her away and Phoenix tries to go after him. Kosuke reels him back and rolls his Dice Saber only to get a “One.” Oops.

Sora is excited with all that’s happening.

Haruto brings Rinko to the ER. Wajima, Koyomi and Shunpei are at the shop worrying when Kosuke arrives annoyed at he couldn’t eat.

The nurse tells Haruto Rinko’s injuries aren’t life threatening, but they’re still pretty bad and she’ll have to rest. Haruto collapses into the chair as Kizaki shows up.

Wiseman and Medusa are conferencing and he tells her they should just stand by and watch Phoenix rampage since his target is Wizard anyway. Speaking of rampaging, Phoenix is downtown attacking.

The Familiars notify Koyomi and Kosuke, but Kosuke says he’ll go himself. Not that he wants to eat by himself, but for Haruto to stay with Rinko.

Kizaki and Haruto talk. Haruto blames himself for Rinko being in danger. That’s right, Kizaki says. Haruto is surprised.

Kizaki reminds Haruto about what he said before, only a ring mage can protect Gates from Phantoms. But Haruto also has to take care of the people he’s grown close to.

Kizaki leaves.

Downtown is a mess. Kosuke finds Phoenix and henshins. Ghouls arrive and Phoenix asks Kosuke to give Haruto a message: Tomorrow, meet him where they first fought. Phoenix disappears as Kosuke defeats the Ghouls.

Rinko wakes up with Haruto by her bedside. He apologizes for putting her in danger. She tells him about secretly meeting Phoenix. She says she was scared at first, but she later felt they were similar and maybe they could understand each other.

Rinko starts to cry. She foolishly thought she could help him, but in the end, she just gave him a reason to rampage.

At the shop, they’re thinking about whether or not to tell Haruto about Phoenix’s challenge. Wajima says maybe they shouldn’t since he might not be able to fight while he’s worrying about Rinko.

Haruto arrives just as they finish talking and they try to dance around it before he heads upstairs.

Rinko lies awake in the hospital while Haruto sits on the side of his bed. Koyomi sees him and he tells her he doesn’t deserve to be a mage.

“I arrogantly call myself the final hope. Yet I let Rinko-chan get hurt like that.”

Koyomi takes a seat next to him. “I thought you wanted to focus on facing forward instead of regretting the past,” she says. “I was saved thanks to you. I’m not the only one.”

Haruto thinks back and realizes, she’s right.

At sunrise, Haruto visits Kosuke’s tent and thanks him for delivering the message. Kosuke tells Haruto to just let him eat the Phantom since he won’t be able to beat him anyway. But Haruto says mages aren’t the giving up type and as long as they don’t give up, there’s always hope.

Okay, Kosuke says. He lets Haruto handle Phoenix on his own. No need for thanks either.

Haruto hops on his bike and heads to the place. Rinko thinks about him, Kizaki is informed about him, Koyomi watches him, and Sora blows some bubble gum.

Phoenix watches Haruto drive up. Looks like I’ll be able to play without holding back, Phoenix says. Sure, but the playtime ends here, Haruto replies. Phoenix trampled on Rinko’s feelings and that’s unforgivable.

It’s Showtime. Haruto henshins to Flame Dragon as Phoenix goes Phantom. They fight.

Phoenix throws Haruto around, but he gets up and uses the Drago Timer to summon his other modes. They take their fight into the woods.

Haruto tries to bind Phoenix and use two attacks, but it doesn’t work. Phoenix lets out a fireball. You might as well give up, he says.

Haruto sets his Drago Timer again, this time a Final Time All Dragon attack. The four modes combine into one.

“When all magic becomes one, that is the true final hope.”

White Wizard watches and says, “With this, one is completed.”

Haruto and Phoenix take the fight to the air. After trading a few punches, Haruto sticks his sword into him. Not bad, Phoenix says, but he’ll just revive all over again.

That’s not my plan, Haruto says. Phoenix’s immortality is a curse and he wants to drive him into a neverending cycle of life and death. Haruto uses all his power to send Phoenix flying into space and hurtling towards the sun where he will inevitably continue dying and resurrecting forever.

“For you, there’s no finale.”

Rinko is by the seashore in front of Yugo’s apartment. Haruto joins her.

She says her encounter with Phoenix reminds her just how dangerous Phantoms are. No more indecision. I’ve got to do my best to protect people from Phantoms, she says.

I’m not a mage, but I want to help protect people as much as you do, she tells Haruto.

“And my final hope… will always be by my side right?”

They smile at each other and he helps her up.

Medusa walks down a long corridor realizing Phoenix has been defeated. Sora catches up to her and asks what she’ll do now. It’ll be hard for her to carry out Wiseman’s plans on her own.

So do you want to help me, Gremlin? she asks. Sora goes into his Phantom form and happily skips towards her.

Episode Thoughts
That was an interesting episode. The “hero doubting him/herself”” episodes are usually gotten over with in the first few eps, so definitely interesting that they decide to do for what I assume is the midseason climax.

I’m sad to see Phoenix go like that. I’m sure he could easily return down the line, especially at the end, but I wanted more Yugo/Phoenix-Rinko angst. That was hot.

But I guess there’s that whole imaginary Haruto-Rinko-Shunpei-Koyomi quadrangle to ship on. Hehe.

Sora/Gremlin is a great addition though. Evil on the inside, bright and peppy on the outside? We’ll have to wait and see. The mysteriousness of Wiseman and the White Wizard definitely needs to get dug into soon though.

I do like the episode’s meaning towards the bonds Haruto, Shunpei, Koyomi, Rinko and Wajima have formed. It’s a great little group and Kosuke’s slowly getting himself in there too.

Overall great episode though. Great dramatic and comedic beats coupled with some very good action.