As a kid, Shoutaro was innocent and kind, like any average child. But that gave way eventually to a slightly troubled youth: getting in trouble, and constantly having to evade a single patrolman (usually accomplished by fooling him with a UFO sighting...though that only led him to having to help the gullible patrolman in his search for the constantly appearing UFO).
But there was always something at the back of his mind: the image of a man he'd seen as a child: fighting a large spider monster barehanded. Someone that was so amazingly cool to his young mind. That man was Sokichi Narumi. Was it because of this man that he tried to stand out in rebellion, to try to get another glimpse of him? Whatever the reason, he managed to get there, becoming his assistant, his admiration only growing more for the man, as he found out that he was also the city's mysterious protector: Kamen Rider Skull.
That is...until Begins Night.
Taking a mysterious case, Sokochi took Shoutaro to Gaia Tower, to rescue an unknown client's target: a young man that was working there. There, he was given a metal briefcase, and was told to NOT move. Shortly after, he witnessed Sokochi's transformation into Skull, and wandered off, finding his way to their quarry; a strange boy about his own age. Unfortunately, Shoutaro got him locked into a strange device, incurring wrath from his Boss. The two quickly located him, and Sokochi freed him, giving the boy the name 'Philip'.
But, as they started to make their escape, tragedy struck: the armed men of the facility shot Sokochi in the back. Dying near Shoutaro, he gave him his signature hat, which at points before, he'd never let Shoutaro touch, due to him not 'deserving to wear it'. This caused Shoutaro massive angst as he ran with Philip out into a stairwell. As the two were quickly pinned down, Philip opened the case, and offered Shoutaro a choice to 'ride with the devil'. Without thinking, Shoutaro grabbed the Double Driver and one of the contained Gaia Memories, and the two escaped the quickly disintegrating building, as Kamen Rider Double.
Over the next few months, Shoutaro took up his mentor's cases and agency, and with Phillip's help, carried on as both a team of detectives, and protecting the city from Dopants as Double. They would gain partners in Akiko Narumi, his Boss's spunky (and to Shoutaro...annoying) daughter, and Ryu Terui, a cold-as-steel detective with the police (though they didn't really get off to a great start, as Ryu had a massive grudge against Fuuto, which rubbed Shoutaro the wrong way).
They would take on several Dopants from The Museum, a mysterious organization spreading Gaia Memories to ordinary citizens as psuedo experiemnts. The Museum was run by the Sonozaki Family, a rich and influential family, living in a large estate in the city, and having holds in museums, businesses, and even the media. The family acted as the leaders/generals, with the father, Ryuubee, as the head, using the Terror Memory. His plan was to transform the world using the Earth's memories, using his children as the avatars (including, as later revealed Philip, who was his only son, Raito). This change would be known as Gaia Impact.
But they weren't the only threats: Foundation X, the sponsors of Museum's experiments, also wanted their own stake in the transformation of the world, with or without the Sonozakis, and the terrorist group NEVER, who wanted to turn the world into undying monsters like themselves. Even enemies from other worlds emerged, and forced them to join forces with what would have been the Rider's universe's destroyer: Kamen Rider Decade.
But there were also problems within the agency as well: Philip was not only the enemy's kin, but was also living data, since his actual body had died as a child. And his Mother, a woman known only as Shroud, was determined that Shoutaro and Philip were not the best possible partners to take on Museum (as it turns out, she was the client for Begins Night), since unlike Philip and Ryu, he had no resistance against Terror's powers.
But Shroud's scheme turned out to be wrong, as it was Shoutaro, using every bit of his bravery, despite being infected by Terror, who turned out to stop Museum's schemes.
After Museum was brought down, Foundation X took up where they left off,and attempted to use the remaining members of the Sonozakis to create their own version of Ryuubee's goal. But to stop them, Philip would have to give his life to transform into Double one final time. Shoutaro refused to do so several times, even when X's Utopia Dopant threatened to destroy them all. He even went in alone, and managed to stop the second attempt at Gaia Impact, using only his gadgets and his mentor's hat to stop Utopia.
Eventually though, Utopia, being like the members of NEVER, and unable to die without having his memory broken, forced Shoutaro to use Double one last time, Shoutaro even canceling the transformation himself afterward as a final 'goodbye' to his partner.
But, Philip left him one last gift: the ability to still protect his city from any Dopants that may still remain. Using his mentor's Lost Driver and his Joker Memory, he kept vigilant as Kamen Rider Joker.
A year passed, with minor Dopant activity, until a gang of punks called EXE decided they would continue The Museum's work. Shoutaro fought against them to save a child and his older sister, but when the odds seemed grim, Phillip surprisingly returned, and Kamen Rider W was reborn.
They continued fighting for Fuuto, discovering NEVER's origins, helping Ryu overcome a frame job by a crooked detective, and fighting alongside several of their Kamen Rider brothers (noteably OOO against the evil Kamen Rider Core, and with Fourze against Foundation X).
Re: Shoutaro Hidari [Reserved] 2/3
As a kid, Shoutaro was innocent and kind, like any average child. But that gave way eventually to a slightly troubled youth: getting in trouble, and constantly having to evade a single patrolman (usually accomplished by fooling him with a UFO sighting...though that only led him to having to help the gullible patrolman in his search for the constantly appearing UFO).
But there was always something at the back of his mind: the image of a man he'd seen as a child: fighting a large spider monster barehanded. Someone that was so amazingly cool to his young mind. That man was Sokichi Narumi. Was it because of this man that he tried to stand out in rebellion, to try to get another glimpse of him? Whatever the reason, he managed to get there, becoming his assistant, his admiration only growing more for the man, as he found out that he was also the city's mysterious protector: Kamen Rider Skull.
That is...until Begins Night.
Taking a mysterious case, Sokochi took Shoutaro to Gaia Tower, to rescue an unknown client's target: a young man that was working there. There, he was given a metal briefcase, and was told to NOT move. Shortly after, he witnessed Sokochi's transformation into Skull, and wandered off, finding his way to their quarry; a strange boy about his own age. Unfortunately, Shoutaro got him locked into a strange device, incurring wrath from his Boss. The two quickly located him, and Sokochi freed him, giving the boy the name 'Philip'.
But, as they started to make their escape, tragedy struck: the armed men of the facility shot Sokochi in the back. Dying near Shoutaro, he gave him his signature hat, which at points before, he'd never let Shoutaro touch, due to him not 'deserving to wear it'. This caused Shoutaro massive angst as he ran with Philip out into a stairwell. As the two were quickly pinned down, Philip opened the case, and offered Shoutaro a choice to 'ride with the devil'. Without thinking, Shoutaro grabbed the Double Driver and one of the contained Gaia Memories, and the two escaped the quickly disintegrating building, as Kamen Rider Double.
Over the next few months, Shoutaro took up his mentor's cases and agency, and with Phillip's help, carried on as both a team of detectives, and protecting the city from Dopants as Double. They would gain partners in Akiko Narumi, his Boss's spunky (and to Shoutaro...annoying) daughter, and Ryu Terui, a cold-as-steel detective with the police (though they didn't really get off to
a great start, as Ryu had a massive grudge against Fuuto, which rubbed Shoutaro the wrong way).
They would take on several Dopants from The Museum, a mysterious organization spreading Gaia Memories to ordinary citizens as psuedo experiemnts. The Museum was run by the Sonozaki Family, a rich and influential family, living in a large estate in the city, and having holds in museums, businesses, and even the media. The family acted as the leaders/generals, with the father, Ryuubee, as the head, using the Terror Memory. His plan was to transform the world using the Earth's memories, using his children as the avatars (including, as later revealed Philip, who was his only son, Raito). This change would be known as Gaia Impact.
But they weren't the only threats: Foundation X, the sponsors of Museum's experiments, also wanted their own stake in the transformation of the world, with or without the Sonozakis, and the terrorist group NEVER, who wanted to turn the world into undying monsters like themselves. Even enemies from other worlds emerged, and forced them to join forces with what would have been the Rider's universe's destroyer: Kamen Rider Decade.
But there were also problems within the agency as well: Philip was not only the enemy's kin, but was also living data, since his actual body had died as a child. And his Mother, a woman known only as Shroud, was determined that Shoutaro and Philip were not the best possible partners to take on Museum (as it turns out, she was the client for Begins Night), since unlike Philip and Ryu, he had no resistance against Terror's powers.
But Shroud's scheme turned out to be wrong, as it was Shoutaro, using every bit of his bravery, despite being infected by Terror, who turned out to stop Museum's schemes.
After Museum was brought down, Foundation X took up where they left off,and attempted to use the remaining members of the Sonozakis to create their own version of Ryuubee's goal. But to stop them, Philip would have to give his life to transform into Double one final time. Shoutaro refused to do so several times, even when X's Utopia Dopant threatened to destroy them all. He even went in alone, and managed to stop the second attempt at Gaia Impact, using only his gadgets and his mentor's hat to stop Utopia.
Eventually though, Utopia, being like the members of NEVER, and unable to die without having his memory broken, forced Shoutaro to use Double one last time, Shoutaro even canceling the transformation himself afterward as a final 'goodbye' to his partner.
But, Philip left him one last gift: the ability to still protect his city from any Dopants that may still remain. Using his mentor's Lost Driver and his Joker Memory, he kept vigilant as Kamen Rider Joker.
A year passed, with minor Dopant activity, until a gang of punks called EXE decided they would continue The Museum's work. Shoutaro fought against them to save a child and his older sister, but when the odds seemed grim, Phillip surprisingly returned, and Kamen Rider W was reborn.
They continued fighting for Fuuto, discovering NEVER's origins, helping Ryu overcome a frame job by a crooked detective, and fighting alongside several of their Kamen Rider brothers (noteably OOO against the evil Kamen Rider Core, and with Fourze against Foundation X).