| Digimon | |
|---|---|
 English version logo forDigimon | |
| Created by | Akiyoshi Hongo[1][2] WiZ[1][2] |
| Original work | Digital Monster (1997) |
| Owners | |
| Years | 1997–present |
| Print publications | |
| Comics | See below |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | See below |
| Television series | See below |
| Games | |
| Traditional | See below |
| Video game(s) | See below |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Toy(s) | D-Arts S.H. Figuarts |
Digimon (Japanese:デジモン,Hepburn:Dejimon; branded asDigimon: Digital Monsters), short for "Digital Monsters" (デジタルモンスターDejitaru Monsutā), is a Japanesemedia franchise, which encompassesvirtual pet toys,anime,manga,video games, films, and atrading card game. The franchise focuses on the eponymous creatures who inhabit a digital world, aparallel universe which originated from Earth's various communication networks.
The franchise was created in 1997 asDigital Monster, a series of digital pets, and it was intended as the masculine counterpart toTamagotchi. The creatures were designed to look cute and iconic on the devices' small screens. Later developments had them created with a harder-edged style, which was influenced by Americancomics. The franchise gained momentum with an early video game,Digimon World, originally released in Japan in January 1999. Several anime series and films have been released;the video game series has expanded into various genres, such asrole-playing,racing,fighting, andMMORPGs. The franchise generated over $500 million in sales by 2000.[3]
TheDigimon franchise began as a series of virtual pets created by WiZ and Bandai, intended as a masculine counterpart to the more female-orientedTamagotchi pets.[1][2] It was released in June 1997[4] with the nameDigital Monster,[5] shortened toDigimon.[6][7] This device shows to players avirtual pet composed entirely of data and designed to play and fight.[4][5][8][9] In February 1998, theDigiMon fighting game was announced. It was developed by Rapture Technologies.[10] Theone-shotmangaC'mon Digimon, designed by Tenya Yabuno, was published in the Japanese magazineV-Jump byShueisha in 1997.[11]
A second generation of virtual pets was marketed six months after the launch of the first, followed by a third in 1998.[12] Each player starts with a baby-level digital creature that has a limited number of attacks and transformations[13] and to make the creature stronger by training and nourishing the creature;[4][5] when the player is successful in a workout, the Digimon becomes strong, when the player fails, the Digimon becomes weak.[4][5] Two devices can be connected, allowing two players to battle with their respective creatures, an innovation at the time,[4] however, the battle is only possible from the moment the creature is in the child level or bigger.[4] Playgrounds and subways were where the majority of users of the apparatus were concentrated; the virtual pet was banned in some Asian schools, being considered by parents and teachers as very noisy and violent.[14] The first Digimon were created by Japanese designer Kenji Watanabe, influenced by Americancomics, which were beginning to gain popularity in Japan, and as such began to make his characters look stronger and "cool." Other types of Digimon, which until the year 2000 totalled 279,[15][16] came from extensive discussions and collaborations between the Bandai company members.[17]
The original Digital Monster model that was released in 1997 sold14 million units worldwide, including 13 million units in Japan and 1 million overseas, up until March 2004.[18] By 2005, more than24 million Digital Monster units had been sold worldwide.[19]
Several media in the franchise are contained within their owncontinuity; however, they all share a similar setting and premise. For instance, mostDigimon stories begin with a human child, who comes into contact with a Digimon. This generally occurs either through an accidental entrance into the so-called Digital World[20] or an encounter with a Digimon who has come into the human world.[21] The child or children then often find themselves equipped with a "digivice", which is a device modelled after the series' virtual pets; this device enables them to empower their partner Digimon.
While some Digimon act like wild beasts, there are many who form small societies and follow governing bodies.[22][23] Digimon can change through evolution (or "digivolution" in most English-language dubs), where they absorb additional data that allows them to change forms. This process is normally linear, but there are other methods, depending upon the media within the franchise. For example, "Jogress" (aportmanteau of "joint progress"; "DNA Digivolution" in most English-language dubs)[24] is when two or more Digimon combine into a single being. Though evolution can occur naturally, Digimon can progress into stronger forms more quickly, when they are partnered with a human.
MultipleDigimon anime series have been produced byToei Animation since 1999. The first of these wasDigimon Adventure; it began as a short film, but after its storyboard was finished, a request for the film to become a television series was made. The film debuted in theaters a day before the series debuted on TV.[citation needed]
There are sevenDigimon seriesadapted into English for release in Western markets, with the first four treated as a single show under the collective titleDigimon: Digital Monsters.[25] The sixth series,Digimon Fusion, was only partially dubbed; its third season was never dubbed into English.[citation needed]
| No. | Title | Episodes | Originally aired | Network | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||||
| 1 | Digimon Adventure (1999) | 54 | March 7, 1999 (1999-03-07) | March 26, 2000 (2000-03-26) | Fuji TV | |
| 2 | Digimon Adventure 02 | 50 | April 2, 2000 (2000-04-02) | March 25, 2001 (2001-03-25) | ||
| 3 | Digimon Tamers | 51 | April 1, 2001 (2001-04-01) | March 31, 2002 (2002-03-31) | ||
| 4 | Digimon Frontier | 50 | April 7, 2002 (2002-04-07) | March 30, 2003 (2003-03-30) | ||
| 5 | Digimon Data Squad | 48 | April 2, 2006 (2006-04-02) | March 25, 2007 (2007-03-25) | ||
| 6 | Digimon Fusion | 79 | July 6, 2010 (2010-07-06) | March 25, 2012 (2012-03-25) | TV Asahi | |
| 7 | Digimon Universe: App Monsters | 52 | October 1, 2016 (2016-10-01) | September 30, 2017 (2017-09-30) | TV Tokyo | |
| 8 | Digimon Adventure: (2020) | 67 | April 5, 2020 (2020-04-05) | September 26, 2021 (2021-09-26) | Fuji TV | |
| 9 | Digimon Ghost Game | 67+1 special | October 3, 2021 (2021-10-03) | March 26, 2023 (2023-03-26) | ||
| 10 | Digimon Beatbreak | October 5, 2025 (2025-10-05) | ||||
| Total | 519 episodes | |||||
SeveralDigimon films were released in Japan, with some of them seasonal tie-ins for their respective television series. Footage from the first three films was used for the American-producedDigimon: The Movie.
| Title | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Digimon Adventure | March 6, 1999 (1999-03-06) | ||
| Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! | March 4, 2000 (2000-03-04) | ||
| Digimon Adventure 02: Hurricane Touchdown!! | July 8, 2000 (2000-07-08) | ||
| Digimon Adventure 3D: Digimon Grand Prix! | July 20, 2000 (2000-07-20) | ||
| Digimon: The Movie | October 6, 2000 (2000-10-06) | ||
| Digimon Adventure 02: Revenge of Diaboromon | March 3, 2001 (2001-03-03) | ||
| Digimon Tamers: Battle of Adventurers | July 14, 2001 (2001-07-14) | ||
| Digimon Tamers: Runaway Locomon | March 2, 2002 (2002-03-02) | ||
| Digimon Frontier: Island of Lost Digimon | July 20, 2002 (2002-07-20) | ||
| Digital Monster X-Evolution | January 3, 2005 (2005-01-03) | ||
| Digimon Savers 3D: The Digital World in Imminent Danger! | July 8, 2006 (2006-07-08) | ||
| Digimon Savers: Ultimate Power! Activate Burst Mode!! | December 9, 2006 (2006-12-09) | ||
| Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 1: Reunion | November 21, 2015 (2015-11-21) | ||
| Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 2: Determination | March 12, 2016 (2016-03-12) | ||
| Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 3: Confession | September 24, 2016 (2016-09-24) | ||
| Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 4: Loss | February 25, 2017 (2017-02-25) | ||
| Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 5: Coexistence | September 30, 2017 (2017-09-30) | ||
| Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 6: Future | May 5, 2018 (2018-05-05) | ||
| Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna | February 21, 2020 (2020-02-21) | ||
| Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning | October 5, 2023 (2023-10-05) | ||
| No. | Title | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Digimon Adventure 20th Memorial Story | 5 | November 22, 2019 (2019-11-22) | December 25, 2020 (2020-12-25) | |
| 2 | Digimon Adventure -BEYOND- | 1 | March 20, 2025 (2025-03-20) | March 20, 2025 (2025-03-20) | |
In the United States, the first three series/seasons that made upDigimon: Digital Monsters first aired onFox Kids from August 14, 1999 to June 8, 2002. The localized series was produced bySaban Entertainment, which was acquired byThe Walt Disney Company during the show's Fox Kids run. Some scenes from the original shows were modified or omitted in order to comply with Fox'sstandards and practices. The show also featured more jokes and added dialogue, along with a completely different musical score. As a cross-promotional stunt, 2001 and 2002 sawDigi-Bowl specials co-produced withFox Sports;NFL on Fox commentatorTerry Bradshaw provided interstitial segments in-between episodes as if the episodes were actually a football game.[26]
Disney's acquisition of Saban resulted inDigimon airing on Disney's TV networks and programming blocks. Reruns of the show began airing on thecable networkABC Family on March 4, 2002,[27] while the fourth series/season,Digimon Frontier (which serves as the final season ofDigimon: Digital Monsters), premiered on theDisney's Animation Weekdays block onUPN[28], and theABC Kids block onABC[29]. UPN aired the series until late August 2003, when they severed their ties to Disney.[28]Frontier also aired in reruns on ABC Family andToon Disney under theJetix branding. An English version ofDigimon Data Squad, produced and dubbed by Studiopolis, premiered October 1, 2007, on Toon Disney. Around this time, the remaining Digimon Adventure 02 movie, both Tamers movies and the Frontier movie were dubbed and aired on Toon Disney in the US, with most actors from the TV series reprising their roles. The Data Squad/Savers movie however have not had a North American localised English dub produced.
In September 2012,Saban Brands, a successor to Saban Entertainment, announced it had re-acquired theDigimon anime franchise.[30][31][32] Saban announced an English dub forDigimon Xros Wars, retitledDigimon Fusion, for broadcast onNickelodeon andNicktoons in the United States starting September 7, 2013.[33]Saban Capital Group sold most of Saban Brands' entertainment properties toHasbro in 2018 and shutter the division in July of that year.[34][35]
TheDigimon Adventure tri. series were distributed in North America byEleven Arts, while Saban was not involved with licensing of the film series. The English dub utilized localized names from Saban's original dub, reunite several voice actors from the original cast, and feature a remixed version of the English opening theme,[36] while retaining the original Japanese score.[37]Shout! Factory acquired the broadcast and home media distribution rights for the films.[38][39]
In Canada, the English versions ofDigimon were broadcast onYTV, with the exception ofData Squad, which aired inFamily Channel's Jetix block. YTV acquiredDigimon Fusion, but only the first 26 episodes were shown.[citation needed]
In the United Kingdom,Digimon first aired onFox Kids.ITV's children's slotCITV broadcastAdventure,Adventure 02 and several episodes ofTamers during after school hours from 2001–2002. The rest ofTamers aired onFox Kids from 2002–03.[citation needed]Digimon Frontier was originally announced to be broadcast on Jetix, but the series was later dropped.[citation needed] The series eventually saw a release on October 29, 2018.[40] In 2011,Digimon Data Squad aired onKix!. According to Fox Kids' (2000–03) and Kix's (2010–)BARB Television ratings,Adventure,Adventure 02 andTamers have been the most popular series'/seasons in the United Kingdom and was consistently in the weekly top 10 broadcasts for both channels for new episodes.[41] Broadcast rights and merchandising sub-licensing rights forDigimon Fusion in the UK have been acquired byITV Studios Global Entertainment.Digimon Fusion had aired since Spring 2014 on digital terrestrial channel, CITV.[42][43]
In the Philippines,Digimon was first aired onABS-CBN in Filipino English language from June 2, 2000 to October 21, 2001. And later, it was shift to Filipino on April 6, 2002.
Digimon first appeared in narrative form in theone-shot mangaC'mon Digimon, released in the summer of 1997.C'mon Digimon spawned the popularDigimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 manga, written by Hiroshi Izawa, which began serialization on November 21, 1998.
Written by Tatsuya Hamazaki and illustrated by Takeshi Okano,Digimon Next (デジモンネクスト,Dejimon Nekusuto) was serialized inShueisha's magazineV Jump from 2005 to 2008.[44] Shueisha collected its chapters in fourtankōbon volumes, released from July 4, 2006, to February 4, 2008.[45][46][47][48] The story follow Tsurugi Tatsuno and his digimon partner,Greymon (later Agumon). Tsurugi makes contact with the Digital World through his virtual pet device called Digimon Mini and a "Battle Terminal", a virtual reality interface. Digimon can use the technology to materialize in the human world as well.
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In 2021, a manga calledDigimon Dreamers was announced.[49]
A Chinesemanhua was written and drawn byYuen Wong Yu [zh] (余 遠鍠Yu Yuen-wong), who based its storyline on the television series. This adaptation coversDigimon Adventure in five volumes,Digimon Adventure 02 in two,Digimon Tamers in four, andDigimon Frontier in three. The original stories are heavily abridged, though on rare occasions events play out differently from the anime. The Chinese-language version was published byRightman Publishing Ltd. in Hong Kong. Yu also wroteD-Cyber.
Two English versions were also released. The first one was published byChuang Yi in Singapore. The second one, which was adapted byLianne Sentar,[50] was released byTokyopop in North America.
The three volumes forDigimon Frontier have been released by Chuang Yi in English. These have not been released by TOKYOPOP in North America or Europe. However, the Chuang Yi releases ofDigimon Frontier were distributed byMadman Entertainment in Australia.
Dark Horse Comics published American-style Digimoncomic books, adapting the first thirteen episodes of the Englishdub ofDigimon Adventure in 2001. The story was written by Daniel Horn and Ryan Hill, and illustrated by Daniel Horn and Cara L. Niece.[51]
The Italian publishing companyPanini publishedDigimon titles in several ways in different countries. Germany had their own adaptations of episodes, the UK reprinted the Dark Horse titles and translated some of the German adaptations ofAdventure 02 episodes. Eventually the UK comics had their own original stories, which appeared in both the UK'sDigimon Magazine and the UK Fox Kids companion magazineWickid. These original stories roughly followed thecontinuity ofAdventure 02. When the comic switched to theTamers series the storylines adhered to continuity more strictly; sometimes it expanded on subject matter not covered by the original Japanese anime (such asMitsuo Yamaki's past) or the English adaptations of the television shows and movies (such as Ryo's story or the movies that remained undubbed until 2005). In a money saving venture, the original stories were later removed fromDigimon Magazine, which returned to printing translated German adaptations ofTamers episodes. Eventually, both magazines were cancelled.[citation needed]
TheDigimon series has inspired various video games, including theDigimon World andDigimon Story sub-series ofrole-playing video games. Other genres have includedlife simulation,adventure, videocard game,strategy, andracing games.
By March 2001, Bandai had sold approximately1 million video games worldwide, including 400,000 in Japan.[52] In February 2010, a website for theMMORPGDigimon Battle Online was launched.[53] On September 22, 2011, online game publisherJoymax announced the release of an MMORPG game calledDigimon Masters, which was developed by the Korean publisherDIGITALIC.[54] In June 2021 it was announced that they were developing a new MMORPG titledDigimon Super Rumble.[55]
In 2011, a new entry in theDigimon World series was announced after a seven-year hiatus, titledDigimon World Re:Digitize.[56] The game was released in Japan on July 19, 2012, followed by an enhanced version forNintendo 3DS released in 2013.[57]
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth was first released in Japan in 2015.[58] It is the first game in theDigimon Story series to be released in North America under its original title;Digimon World DS andDigimon World Dawn and Dusk were originally marketed as entries in theDigimon World series, with the latter game being the last to be released in the West for nine years untilCyber Sleuth's release on February 2, 2016.[59]
There have been several mobile games.Digimon Links was active from March 2016 to July 2019, and was similar to theStory games in that the player raised digimon in a farm and fought enemies using a team of three of their Digimon. It was succeeded byDigimon ReArise, which launched June 2018 in Japan and October 2019 in America.[60]
In February 2023, Bandai announced aweb novel titledDigimon Seekers (デジモンシーカーズ,Dejimon Shīkāzu) to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the franchise. The novel will serialize on the Digimon Web website for about a year, starting on April 3, simultaneously in English, Chinese, and Japanese.[61]
In December 2023, Bandai announced a webcomic titledDigimon Liberator for Spring 2024.[62]
The Digimon Collectible Card Game is a card game based on Digimon, first introduced in Japan in 1997 and published by Bandai. The third season (Digimon Tamers) utilized this aspect of the franchise by making the card game an integral part of the season. Versions of the card game are also included in some of the Digimon video games includingDigital Card Battle andDigimon World 3.
During the fourth anime (Digimon Frontier), Bandai created theD-Tector Card Game to tie in to their own D-Tector virtual pet toys. This was a West-only card game. From February 25, 2011 to September 28, 2012,Digimon Jintrix was an online card game supported by physical card releases. It was followed up by the mobile gameDigimon Crusader, which lasted from December 2012 to December 2017.[63] In 2020 a new card game was launched to coincide withDigimon Adventure: using a new system, this was released in the West in January 2021.[64]
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During the year ended March 31, 2001, domestic unit sales ofDigitmon video-game software amounted to some 400,000, while global unit sales totaled approximately 1 million.
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