ZEZTZ Episode 1 Explained — How the Series Begins

With Kamen Rider ZEZTZ heading into its final chapter, a lot of people are going back to the start — or starting for the first time — and searching for what actually happens in episode 1. Here is a clear breakdown of how the series begins, what the first episode sets up, and the production quirk that confuses almost every new viewer.

The Setup: Baku Yorozu and CODE

Kamen Rider ZEZTZ premiered on September 7, 2025, taking over the Super Hero Time slot alongside No.1 Sentai Gozyuger after Kamen Rider Gavv wrapped. The series follows Baku Yorozu, a young man plagued by genuinely terrible luck whose dream is to become a secret agent. And "dream" is the operative word: at night, Baku dreams of serving the special organization CODE as Code Number: Seven.

The show's monsters are the Nightmares, and the series' whole identity lives on the boundary between dreaming and waking — a boundary the show will spend its entire run playing with. When a stroke of misfortune pulls Baku into an encounter with the Nightmares, the mysterious commander Zero enlists him to become an actual CODE agent.

What Happens in Episode 1

The premiere, "Stop the bomber," opens inside a dream where Baku finds himself a fugitive criminal. He encounters the Bomb Nightmare, transforms into Kamen Rider Zeztz for the first time — and the Nightmare gets away. That unresolved ending is deliberate: episode 1 is less a self-contained story than the first act of a longer opening arc.

Why There's No Opening Theme

If you started episode 1 and thought your copy was broken — it is not. The series deliberately omits the opening title sequence in episodes 1 through 3. Director Kazuya Kamihoriuchi treated the first three episodes as the show's "pilot," using them to introduce the characters, the setting, and — in hindsight — to quietly plant elements that pay off much later. Watch the first three episodes as one unit and the structure makes a lot more sense.

Worth Knowing Before You Binge

Without spoiling anything: the dream-versus-reality framing in episode 1 is not just flavor. The series later delivers a mid-run twist that reframes what you watched in these early episodes — our ZEZTZ review covers the show's quality arc with light spoilers, and once you are caught up, the Dream Twist explainer unpacks the reveal in full (heavy spoilers). If you are watching ahead of the finale, the Exdream final form guide explains where Baku's power set ends up.

The Toys That Start Here

Episode 1 introduces the Zeztz Driver and the Capsems — the capsule devices that power every transformation in the series. If the premiere sold you on the gimmick, the ZEZTZ Driver & belts buying guide breaks down the DX line piece by piece, starting with the DX ZEZTZ Driver Baku uses from this episode onward.