Phantoms (Wizard)

Phantoms are the antagonists that appear in the 2012-2013 Kamen Rider Series Kamen Rider Wizard. Born from within the bodies of despairing Gates, a infant Phantom (known also as a Inner Phantom) proceeds to destroy the Gate's Underworld before bursting from the host and gaining a physical humanoid body appearance and receiving the ability to disguise as the Gate which had given birth to them. Unlike the humanoid Phantoms that emerge from a Gate, the inner Phantoms are more monstrous in form. Each Phantom has a form based on a monster from various Western mythologies.

The Phantoms created on the day of the solar eclipse follow the orders of a mysterious figure called the Wiseman who gives them the task to find more Gates and place them in despair so that more of their kind can be created. However, Kamen Rider Wizard stands in their way of sacrificing more humans. But when it's too late to stop a Gate from falling into despair, Wizard must use an Engage Wizard Ring to enter the wearer's Underworld and destroy the manifested inner Phantom, in turn turning the Gate into a normal human.

Kamen Rider Beast also stands in the Phantoms' way, but differ from Wizard. Kamen Rider Beast's top priority is to replenish his mana supply by absorbing Phantoms' mana, rather than saving the Gates like Wizard. However, Kamen Rider Beast can also use his own Engage Ring to trip the Gates's Underworld to destroy their Underworld Phantom and revert the Gates to a normal human. In Movie War Ultimatum, Kamen Rider Fourze can use the Fourze Engage Ring to enter the Underworld by using the Cosmic Switch as the catalyst. The Phantoms also use familiars called Ghouls, which are created from magic stones and serve as the Phantoms' foot soldiers.

Like humans, Phantoms have different personalities and not all are interested in their supposed cause. So far several of the phantoms such as Caitsìth and Lizardman have shown little personal interest in creating more Gates, preferring to fulfill their own desires until forced to take action by the commanders.

Judging from the lives of Phoenix and Medusa's Gates, Yugo and Misa, it seems that Phantoms are manifestations of the Gates' darker side. As such, while retaining their abilities as Gates, Phantoms' personalities are the exact opposite of their former selves. However Gates such as Sora who already embrace their dark side appear to be able to dominate their inner Phantom and gain their powers and form without dying.

Also, because they are beings of mana, some Phantoms can change into a magician. For example, Fueki and Orma, who can change into White Wizard and Sorcerer, are Wiseman and Drake Phantom, respectively, however, Wiseman/Carbuncle is a manmade Phantom and Drake is only shown to exist in Magic Land, meaning they might be the exceptions rather than the rules.

Leader

 * Wiseman/Carbuncle (Manmade/Artificial Phantom)

Chief/Greater Phantoms

 * Medusa (1-47)
 * Phoenix (1-23, Movie)
 * Gremlin (18-51)
 * Drake (Movie)

Minor/Lesser Phantoms

 * Minotauros (1)
 * Hellhound (2-3)
 * Caitsìth (4-5)
 * Gnome (6-7)
 * Gargoyle (10-11)
 * Valkyrie (12-13)
 * Lizardman (14-15)
 * Manticore (17)
 * Hydra (18-19)
 * Beelzebub (20-21)
 * Weretiger (24-25)
 * Spriggan (28-29)
 * Legion (29-31)
 * Bogy (32-33)
 * Argus (34-35)
 * Raum (36-37)
 * Bahamut (38-39)
 * Sylphi (40-41)
 * Sphinx (42-43)
 * Siren (44-45)
 * Arachne (46-47)
 * Khepri (Movie)
 * Ogre (Movie)

Inner Phantoms

 * Dragon (kept within Haruto Soma in the form of WizarDragon)
 * Chimera (Previously kept within Kosuke Nitoh in the form of Beast Chimera as it was mysteriously imprisoned in the Beast Driver until Kosuke discover it; later set free after the Beast Driver's destruction.)
 * Jabberwock (destroyed by Wizard and WizarDragon)
 * Cyclops (destroyed by Wizard and WizarDragon)
 * Jörmungandr (destroyed by Wizard and WizarDragon)
 * Hekatonkheir (destroyed by Wizard and WizarDragon)
 * Bandersnatch (destroyed by Beast and Beast Chimera)
 * Mayu Inamori's unnamed Inner Phantom (kept within her)
 * Kazuyoshi Nemoto's unnamed Inner Phantom (presumably destroyed offscreen by Beast Chimera and WizarDragon)
 * Yuzuru Iijima's unnamed Inner Phantom (kept within him)
 * Gigantes (destroyed by Wizard All Dragon)
 * Masahiro Yamamoto's unnamed Inner Phantom (kept within him)
 * Ouroboros (Destroyed by Wizard, WizarDragon, Beast, and Beast Chimera)

Trivia

 * The Phantoms are the first Neo-Heisei era monster race not to originate from the collectibles of their respective series, the Wizard Rings in their case, as the Dopants of Kamen Rider W are humans who transform using Gaia Memories, the Greeed/Yummies from Kamen Rider OOO were created from the Core Medals/Cell Medals, and the Zodiarts of Kamen Rider Fourze like the Dopants are humans who transform using Zodiarts Switches.
 * Phantoms are similar to the Orphnochs of Kamen Rider 555, because in order to make more of their kind, they must kill a human first. Also, when they are about to transform into their monster form, a silhouette of their monster form's face will appear over their human face.
 * Orphnochs that are created by other Ophnochs (known as "Sired Orphnochs") are more mentally unstable and feral-minded, however, not to mention attempts to make Sired Orphnochs more often then not kill the infected human. Those who had died in an accident create stronger, more desirable Orphnochs known as "Natural Orphnochs".
 * Phantoms are also similar to the Worms of Kamen Rider Kabuto, who kill humans and take over their identities.
 * Worms, though, take over their target's identities by first mimicking their target's image, then kill the original.