50 Fun Facts About Digimon

Digimon began in 1997 as a virtual pet intended as the masculine counterpart to what?

Tamagotchi, Bandai's 1996 virtual pet, was seen mainly as a toy for girls; WiZ and Bandai created Digimon in 1997 as a tougher version for boys whose pets could battle when two units were linked.

What is 'Digimon' short for?

Digimon is short for Digital Monsters: the creatures are artificial life forms living in a Digital World that grew out of Earth's communication networks.

In Digimon Tamers, which Digimon is Takato Matsuki's partner?

Guilmon is Takato Matsuki's partner in Digimon Tamers, a red dinosaur Digimon born from Takato's own drawings in the show's first episode.

Which designer created the first Digimon, drawing on American comics to make them look 'cool'?

Kenji Watanabe designed the first Digimon, giving them a spiky, 'cool' look inspired by American comics rather than the cute style of Bandai's earlier virtual pets.

In Digimon Adventure, which Digimon is Joe Kido's partner?

Gomamon is Joe Kido's partner in Digimon Adventure, a white seal-like Digimon with a red mohawk who becomes Ikkakumon at the Champion level.

What is the term for a Digimon changing into a stronger form?

Digivolution is the process by which a Digimon changes into a stronger form, moving up through levels such as Rookie, Champion, Ultimate and Mega.

What is the gadget, modelled on the virtual pets, that lets children empower their partner Digimon?

A Digivice is the handheld device, modelled on the virtual-pet toys, that each child carries; it glows to trigger their partner's change into a stronger form.

Which studio animated the original Digimon Adventure series in 1999?

Toei Animation made Digimon Adventure in 1999 and went on to animate every later Digimon television series, from Adventure 02 and Tamers through Ghost Game.

On what 1999 date are the seven children sent to the Digital World at the start of Digimon Adventure?

August 1, 1999 is the day the seven summer campers are swept into the Digital World in episode one; fans mark the date every year as the franchise's memorial day.

From which Tokyo district do the original DigiDestined come?

Odaiba, the reclaimed-island district in Tokyo Bay, is home to the original DigiDestined; Digimon Tamers, by contrast, is set in Shinjuku.

Which villain hunts the DigiDestined early on using black gears to corrupt other Digimon?

Devimon is the first major villain of Digimon Adventure, splitting File Island to scatter the children and using Black Gears to turn peaceful Digimon hostile.

What artifacts do the children retrieve so their partners can reach the Ultimate level?

Apocalymon destroys them, but the kids realise the Crests' power was inside them all along.

Who is revealed to be the eighth DigiDestined child?

Kari, Tai's sister, is the eighth DigiDestined; her partner Gatomon had been serving Myotismon before finding her in Tokyo.

What are the Dark Masters?

The Dark Masters are Four Megas who carved up the Digital World: MetalSeadramon, Puppetmon, Machinedramon and Piedmon each rule a layer of Spiral Mountain after the children return.

How many episodes did the original Digimon Adventure run on Fuji TV?

Digimon Adventure ran for 54 episodes on Fuji TV from March 1999 to March 2000, ending with the defeat of Apocalymon.

Who sang 'Butter-Fly', the opening theme of Digimon Adventure?

Kōji Wada sang 'Butter-Fly', the opening theme of Digimon Adventure, and went on to perform themes for later Digimon series; he died of cancer in April 2016 aged 42.

Which song by Ayumi Miyazaki plays during Digivolutions in Digimon Adventure?

'Brave Heart', sung by Ayumi Miyazaki, is the insert song played whenever the partners change into stronger forms in Digimon Adventure; the ending themes 'I Wish' and 'Keep On' were sung by AiM, Mimi's voice actress.

Which company produced the English dub of Digimon Adventure that premiered on Fox Kids in 1999?

Saban Entertainment produced the English dub, which premiered on Fox Kids in August 1999; Disney's 2001 purchase of Saban later moved the show onto Disney-owned channels.

In Digimon Adventure 02, which Digimon is the Digimon Emperor's partner?

Wormmon is the Digimon Emperor's partner in Digimon Adventure 02, staying loyal despite his cruelty; Wormmon later evolves into Stingmon.

In Digimon Adventure 02, what is the name of Matt Ishida's rock band?

The Teenage Wolves is the rock band fronted by Matt Ishida in Digimon Adventure 02; his bandmates tease him over his many fans, including Jun Motomiya, Davis's sister.

Which future Oscar-nominated director made the 1999 Digimon Adventure short film?

Mamoru Hosoda, later Oscar-nominated for Mirai, directed the 20-minute Digimon Adventure short that premiered in Japanese cinemas on March 6, 1999, the day before the TV series began.

In Digimon Adventure 02, who is the Digimon Emperor revealed to be?

Ken Ichijoji, a child prodigy, is unmasked as the Digimon Emperor; after his partner's sacrifice and rebirth he is redeemed and joins the DigiDestined.

What new type of device in Adventure 02 lets the kids enter the Digital World through any computer?

The D-3 is the new model carried by the younger DigiDestined in Adventure 02; pointing it at a computer screen opens a Digi-Port into the Digital World.

Which Digimon does Arukenimon create from Control Spires in Adventure 02?

BlackWarGreymon is the artificial Mega that Arukenimon builds from 100 Control Spires; unable to find a purpose, he roams the Digital World destroying the Destiny Stones.

In Digimon Tamers, what does Takato find that turns his reader into a D-Power?

A Blue Card mysteriously appears among Takato's cards; swiping it through his card reader transforms the reader into a D-Power, the Tamers' version of the device.

Which Serial Experiments Lain writer, known for Lovecraftian touches, was head writer of Digimon Tamers?

Chiaki J. Konaka, who wrote Serial Experiments Lain, was head writer of Digimon Tamers, giving it a darker tone in which Digimon exist as a card game and TV show within its own world.

In Tamers, what is Hypnos?

An intelligence agency, Hypnos is a secret Japanese government organisation run by Mitsuo Yamaki from the twin towers in Shinjuku; it monitors the network and tries to delete Digimon that cross into the real world.

What makes Frontier different from the earlier series?

The kids become the monsters themselves in Frontier: using Spirits and a D-Tector, Takuya and his friends transform into Legendary Warriors such as Agunimon instead of having partner Digimon.

How many Legendary Warriors, tied to elements from fire to darkness, are there in Frontier?

Ten Legendary Warriors, one for each element from flame to darkness, each left behind a Human Spirit and a Beast Spirit, twenty in all.

Digimon: The Movie (2000) stitched together how many Japanese short films?

Three Japanese shorts were stitched into Digimon: The Movie: the 1999 Digimon Adventure short, Our War Game! and Digimon Hurricane Touchdown; it grossed over $16 million on a $5 million budget.

In Digimon: The Movie, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon DNA Digivolve into which Mega to stop Diaboromon?

Omnimon is the Mega formed when WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon fuse inside the internet; it stops Diaboromon, who had hacked the Pentagon and launched nuclear missiles, with seconds to spare.

How many parts make up the film series Digimon Adventure tri.?

Six films make up Digimon Adventure tri., from Reunion in 2015 to Future in 2018; the series introduced a new DigiDestined, Meiko Mochizuki, and her partner Meicoomon.

In which year is Digimon Adventure tri. set?

2005 is the setting of Digimon Adventure tri.: Tai and the others, who went to the Digital World as children in 1999, are now in high school; the first part, Reunion, was released in November 2015.

Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna is set how long after tri.?

Five years separate the two: Kizuna is set in 2010, when Tai and Matt are university students confronting the end of their partnerships as they become adults.

In Kizuna, which Digimon was Menoa Bellucci's lost partner?

Morphomon, a butterfly Digimon, was Menoa Bellucci's partner; she vanished when the teenage prodigy chose her future early, the loss that drives Menoa to create Eosmon and trap the DigiDestined in their memories.

When was the film Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning released in Japanese cinemas?

October 2023 saw the Japanese release of Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning, on the 27th; the film centres on Lui Ohwada, who claims to be the first ever DigiDestined.

How many episodes did the 2020 reboot of Digimon Adventure run?

67 episodes make up Digimon Adventure: (2020), the reboot that aired on Fuji TV from April 2020 to September 2021 and was the franchise's eighth anime series.

In Digimon Ghost Game, what is Hiro's partner Digimon called?

Gammamon is Hiro Amanokawa's partner in Digimon Ghost Game, a small white dinosaur with a taste for chocolate, left in Hiro's care by his missing father.

On which console was the first Digimon World game released in 1999?

PlayStation hosted the first Digimon World, released by Bandai in Japan in January 1999; raise your partner badly and it turns into the pathetic Numemon.

In Digimon World, the player is brought to File City on File Island by which Digimon?

Jijimon, the elderly leader of File City, summons the player to File Island; the goal is to help amnesiac Digimon recover their memories and return to the city.

In Digimon Adventure, what is Gatomon's Ultimate form?

Angewomon is Gatomon's Ultimate form in Digimon Adventure, an angel Digimon whose Celestial Arrow brings down Myotismon in his first defeat.

What was the title of the one-shot 1997 manga in which the franchise first appeared in story form?

C'mon Digimon, drawn by Tenya Yabuno for Shueisha's V Jump in 1997, was the franchise's first story; its success led to the Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 manga the following year.

Who wrote the Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 manga, serialised from November 1998?

Hiroshi Izawa wrote Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01, with art by Tenya Yabuno; it ran in V Jump from November 1998 to August 2003 and follows Taichi Yagami and his partner Zeromaru.

Which NFL on Fox commentator hosted the 'Digi-Bowl' specials of 2001 and 2002?

Terry Bradshaw hosted the Digi-Bowl, Fox Kids' Super Bowl-weekend Digimon marathons of 2001 and 2002, introducing the episodes as if calling a football game.

Under what title did the 2013 English dub of Xros Wars air on Nickelodeon?

Digimon Fusion was the English title of Xros Wars; the dub premiered on Nickelodeon in September 2013, with the show's DigiXros merging renamed DigiFuse.

Which studio produced the English dub of Digimon Data Squad that premiered on Toon Disney in 2007?

Studiopolis produced the English dub of Digimon Data Squad, which premiered on Toon Disney in October 2007 with a largely new voice cast led by Quinton Flynn as Marcus Damon.

Which comics publisher adapted the first 13 episodes of the English Digimon Adventure dub in 2001?

Dark Horse published the American Digimon comic, thirteen issues adapting the early English-dub episodes; the UK's Panini later reprinted them.

Digimon World 4 was released on which Nintendo console?

GameCube, along with Sony's and Microsoft's consoles, hosted Digimon World 4, an action RPG playable with up to four players.

Which 2015 game was the first Digimon Story title released in North America under its original name?

Earlier Story games had been marketed in the West as Digimon World entries; Cyber Sleuth reached America on February 2, 2016.

What was the title of the web novel Bandai launched in 2023 for the franchise's 25th anniversary?

Digimon Seekers, the 25th-anniversary web novel Bandai launched in 2023, follows Eiji Nagasumi and his partner Loogamon; it was published simultaneously in Japanese, English and Chinese on the Digimon Web site.