Digimon: Everything You Need To Know Before Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning

Everything you need to know about Digimon before Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning. Great for newcomers or those who need a refresher.

Since 1999 the world DIGIMON has continuously reinvented & updated itself to keep up with the times. A franchise that superficially reflects our ever-changing connection with the digital realm: computers, emails, data, algorithms and how much we increasingly depend on it. But on a deeper level it’s a thematically rich over-arching story on growing up, leaving innocence behind and how our understanding of the world & our place in it evolves where every chapter reflects the troubles & complications of growing up and the even faster growing rate of technology and our reliance on it.

Which is why 24 years later we’re about to witness yet another silver screen adventure to add another layer of depth & intrigue to the mythology of the Digi-Destined and the digital world.

Where you are familiar or not with the franchise, this is your definitive, spoiler-filled recap of the Digimon Adventure franchise so far, and everything you need to know before watching Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning.

Digimon Adventure

The story begins on August 1st 1999 when seven children: Tai, Yamato, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, Sora and Takeru (TK); while on their first day of summer camp witness seven rainbow colored beams of light drops strange devices at their feet. Suddenly, a wave washes over them and transports them to a strange place where they are paired up and befriend several Digimon, who claim they long awaited their arrival. Tai is paired with Agumon, Yamato with Gabumon, Izzy with Tentomon, Mimi with Palmon, Joe with Gomamon, Sora with Biyomon and TK with Patamon. The first arc of the series sees the children exploring this strange new world while bonding not only as a group but with their respective partner Digimon.

It’s here where we begin to understand the group dynamics: Tai, the energetic hot-head and Yamato, the reserved loner butt heads constantly, Sora acts as the proxy mother of the group, the dedicated book worm Joe self-imposes the burden of being responsible for the others as the eldest in the group, Izzy is the brains, Mimi is the brings the sense of child-like wonder and TK is Yamato’s overly protected younger brother who lives with the pairs mother after their parents divorced. Through several encounters with wild Digimon the children discover their Digivices allow their partner Digimon to Digivolve into stronger forms and combat enemies, witnessing how these transformations happen to their partner whenever the children are in danger.

As the children insistently explore the wilderness to find a way home, they learn that they are what is known as the “DigiDestined”, children chosen to save the Digital World. This prophecy is well known even by dangerous Digimon and upon discovering all they have seen of the Digital world is a small place called File Island in the middle of a vast ocean, the children come to meet the demonic Devimon, who uses black gears to corrupt various Digimon, who have come to attack the group since their arrival. Devimon separates them by breaking File Island in different archipelagos.

The Digidestined find their ways back to each other and free Leomon from the Black Gears, a peaceful Digimon under Devimon’s control. In the climactic battle against Devimon T.K.’s Digimon Partner Patamon, the last of the pairs that is yet to digivolve, becomes Angemon and defeats Devimon, but this takes all of Angemons life force away and he must revert back into a Digi-Egg. Whenever a Digimon dies, their data is rebooted and they become an egg once more to get a second chance to start over, whether they be good or bad. As they celebrate having defeated Devimon, the DigiDestined are contacted by a mysterious man named Gennai and instructed to reach far beyond File Island into the Server Continent to retrieve artifacts called Crests, allowing their Digimon partners to Digivolve further into their Ultimate forms.

The children accept this call to adventure but upon arriving the group are targeted by a new opponent, Etemon, and his army. Eager to reach new levels and deepen their bond upon finding their crest of Courage, Tai over-exerts Agumon and while the latter indeed digivolves, it’s revealed to be a twisted, dark form known as SkullGreymon who pummels the rest of the groups champion level Digimon and is only stopped when he runs out of energy. Tai promises himself to be more caring towards Agumons needs and apologises to the group, strengthening the friends of the children. Eventually they all find their crests: Yamato is attributed the crest of Friendship, Sora the crest of Love, Izzy the crest of Knowledge, TK the crest of Light, Joe the crest of Reliability and Mimi the crest of Sincerity.

The children also learn that while they are made of data in this world, dangers is nonetheless real and if they die here they will die in the real world as well, no turning into eggs for the DigiDestined. Etemon seeks to exploits the newly earned crest powers of the children and kidnaps Sora, which Tai sees as his responsibility to rescue. In a final stand against an over-powered Etemon, Agumon and Tai unlock the power of their crest and the champion level Greymon digivolves to MetalGreymon who final defeats Etemon, only for the pair to be sucked through a vortex back to the real world.

Upon arriving Tai discovers it is still August 1st 1999, and we meet Tai’s younger sister Kari, who couldn’t go to summer camp due to sickness. During this day we discover Tai is just as protective of his young sibling as a Matt is, and that Kari seems to be familiar with Agumon and the Digimon as a whole. Upon seeing strange Digimon appearances across the city, Tai and Agumon manage to return to the Digital World, having to leave Kari behind, but discover months have passed and the group as disbanded while searching for them. In a quest to reunite the group, they discovered the children were being kept apart by the mischievous DemiDevimon, a servant of the evil Myotismon who seeks to travel to the real world to kill the eighth DigiDestined.

The DigiDestined embark on a mission to stop Myotismon but after their enemy opens a portal to the real world where his army follows, the children open the portal again and return to summer camp, on the day they were first transported to the Digital World. They relentlessly search around their home of Odaiba for the eight DigiDestined, discovering 4 years prior they all witnessed the Digimons first appearance in the real world, connecting them all. Myotismon also knows this, and holds the entire city hostage, including the children’s parents and friends, demanding the eighth child reveals themselves or he will kill innocents.

The eight child steps forward and she’s revealed to be Tai’s younger sister, Kari, and that Myotismon’s lieutenant Gatomon is her Digimon partner. Following a series of battles where several of the other DigiDestined achieve their Ultimate forms, the children are finally able to defeat Myotismon as Gatomon digivolves into Angewomon, after the sacrifice of Gatomon’s best friend and another one of Myotismon’s minions: Wizardmon. But Myotismon returns to life in a gigantic all-powerful form known as MaloMyotismon. In their desperate hour, Gennai warns the children of a new prophecy where angels must shoot arrows of hope and light at the loved ones of those they’ve been sent to protect, and a miracle will happen.

Unsure of its meaning, but steadily standing by one another’s side, Tai and Matt order Kari and TK to shoot Angemon and Angewomon’s arrows at them: and once the arrows touch them Agumon and Gabumon are able to finally defeat Myotismon with their Mega forms: WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon. But with MaloMyotismon’s demise the boundaries between the human and Digital Worlds begin to intersect, and reflections of the Digital World begins to emerge in the sky causing interferences all around the world. The DigiDestined choose return to the Digital World but find it destroyed an desolate eventually learning of the Dark Masters: MetalSeadramon, Puppetmon, Machinedrasmon, and Piedmon; a quartet of Mega Digimon who each took control of a part of the Digital World.

In the midst of their battles, the children learn from Gennai that they were chosen to save the human and Digital Worlds from intersecting four years ago, when they first witnessed Digimon in their world, this is when their partners were chosen to wait for their arrival, but in their own journey, Gatomon was separated from the group and eventually found by Myotismon who kept the secret of the eight DigiDestined as to stop the prophecy from being fulfilled. Gennai also tells the children they are not the first DigiDestined to ever be called onto the Digital World, and the prophecy only emerged after the first DigiDestined’s mission was over.

Tension between Tai and Matt, exploited by the evil Cherrymon, leads to infighting within the group and causes them to temporarily separate. After reflection and reassurance by his friends, Matt finally sees himself worthy of the crest of friendship and accepts his flaws, returning to join the DigiDestined to defeat Piedmon, the last Dark Master.

As a rainbow of light falls upon a saved Digital World the children are surprised to learn the Dark Masters were but the tool of the sinister Apocalymon, the embodiment of all of the Digital World’s laments, sorrows and pains, who seeks to destroy both worlds as to rob every one of the joy, friendship, hope and love it never had. Apocalymon destroys the children’s Crests, but the DigiDestined realize their Crests were never the source of their power but rather the conduits and together in their last stand they finally manage to defeat Apocalymon.

The Digital World is restored, but Tai and his friends must leave their Digimon partners behind and return to their normal lives as saving both worlds means closing the intersection so the two world cannot cross again. In a bittersweet farewell, the children and their partners promise to find a way to be together again.

DIGIMON ADVENTURE: OUR WAR GAME

After the DigiDestined return from the Digital World, Izzy notices strange activity on the internet and soon, with the help of a girl named Yolei, discovers corrupted Digimon who grows by consuming data. Together with the pairs observes its consumption disrupt computer systems across Japan and soon Tai and Izzy are contacted by their Digimon partners Agumon and Tentomon from the Digital World; who attempt to stop the corrupted Digimon in battle, unsuccessfully. Desperate, Tai and Izzy attempt to contact the other DigiDestined by an emergency voicemail system, but most of the DigiDestined are unavailable: Joe is busy studying, Sora is mad at Tai and Mimi is on vacation.

Fortunately, Matt and TK answer their call while visiting their grandmother in rural Japan. Yamato and TK call upon their partners Gabumon and Patamon to join the fight, but are physically slowed as a result of thousands of e-mails being sent to Tai and Koshiro by other children observing the battle through their computers around the world. The corrupted Digimon consumes an onslaught of data, and while having started a a Baby level he soon evolves into the menacing Mega Diaboromon, who creates thousands of duplicates of itself and hacks The Pentagon to launch a missile at Tokyo.

In a desperate attempt to stop Diaboromon, Agumon and Gabumon digivolve into their Mega levels: WarGreymon and Metal Garurumon, but they are crushed by Diaboromon’s seemingly unlimited power. Hopeless, Tai and Matt’s will transports them into the grid between the real and Digital world through their computers, and the two embrace their partner Digimon as they prepare for the inevitable.

But Tai’s courage, Matt’s friendship and the will of all the children witnessing their fight grants their partner Digimon new power and together they Digivolve into one single being: Omnimon, who defeats the duplicates with the help of Izzy who forwards the thousands of emails to the original Diaboromon to slow him, Omnimon vanquished the foe and ends the missile threat just in time as the missile crashes harmlessly into Tokyo Bay.

DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02

This new story is narrated by TK and is set in 2002, three years after the events of Digimon Adventure, where we meet a Digital World under the rule of the cruel Digimon Emperor, who attempts to enslave all Digimon with the Dark Rings and uses his slaves to build Dark Towers to negate Digivolution. In order to stand against this new threat, three new DigiDestined are recruited: Davis, Yolei and Cody; who each gain a Digimon for a partner: Veemon, Hawkmon and Armadillomon respectively.

The three new DigiDestined, along with TK and Kari, each possess a new type of Digivice that allows them to open a gate to be transported to the Digital World through any computer, called the D-3. They also receive D-Terminals that hold Crest-themed Digi-Eggs which they can use to Armor Digivolve Digimon partners, a form similar to champion but one that counters the presence of the Dark Towers.

The new children work alongside with our familiar DigiDestined to combat The Digimon Emperor’s attempts at controlling the Digital World, working as mentors to the new DigiDestined as they grow and use the crests to bond with their partners and each other. Davis is the goggle head of the group, hot-headed like Tai, but dedicated to his friends like Matt. Yolei is sensitive like Mimi but has maternal care for others much like Sora. Cody is reserved but smart like Izzy and mirrors Joe’s dedication and sense of responsibility. Soon upon their return to the Digital world, TK and Kari have their Digivices transform in D-3’s and become members of the new team of DigiDestined, unleashing also new Armor Digivolutions for Gatomon and Patamon.

It is soon revealed that boy genius Ken Ichijoji is the Digimon Emperor and desperate upon his identity being discovered he flees to the Digital World in an attempt for a final stand where using the data gathered in his battles against the DigiDestined and the innocent Digimon he enslaved, Ken creates the abominable Kimeramon, who is defeated with the assistance of the abused Wormmon, Ken’s partner. Upon his defeat Ken comes to the crushing realising that despite being made of data, the Digital World is as real as the Digimon in it, creatures with hearts and feelings. Emotionally ravaged by his actions, Ken renounces the facade of Digimon Emperor and apologises to Wormmon who dies in his arms.

As Ken returns home to rest and reflect on his sins, he soon learns his becoming the Digimon Emperor was all Arukenimon’s manipulation who twisted his guilt over the death of his older brother, which brought him to the Dark Ocean, a world that exists parallel to the Digital and Real Worlds which has the power to bring twisted thoughts to life, magnify and corrupt them, and invert the natural order of things, a world which has also captivated Kari at one point and lured her in by way of her kindness to help wayward souls, but Kari avoided being consumed by its inhabitants.

Meanwhile, as the rest of the DigiDestined rebuild the Digital World Davis, Yolei, and Cody unlock normal Digivolution: X-Veemon, Aquilamon and Ankylomon. But a new enemy emerges, a strange white-haired woman who uses the Dark Towers to create Digimon, and eventually a reformed Ken and a revived Wormmon, who also unlocks Digivolution into Stingmon, join the DigiDestined in their battle against the mysterious woman who reveals herself to be a Digimon named Arukenimon, working alongside Mummymon.

Arukenimon soon creates an Ultimate Digimon made up of 10 Dark Towers and so the children learn DNA Digivolution: which enables two champion-level Digimon to merge into one stronger Ultimate Digimon. The first pair to unlock this power are Davis and Ken who join X-Veemon and Stingmon to become Paildramon. An irritated Arukenimon uses 100 Dark Towers to create BlackWarGreymon, a being so powerful he refuses Arukenimon commands and embarks on a journey to discover why he exists. BlackWarGreymon feels the call of the Destiny Stones, sacred relics bound why holy rings spread across the Digital World that regulate the boundary between it and the real world.

The children along with their newly unlocked DNA Digivolutions of Silphymon (Kari’s Gatomon and Yolei’s Aquilamon) and Shakkoumon (TK’s Angemon and Cody’s Ankylomon) attempt to stop the sorrowful Digimon to no avail. Upon destroying the last of the Destiny Stones, Azulongmon appears before BlackWarGreymon and the children. BlackWarGreymon flees upon learning fighting Azulongmon won’t give him meaning, but the latter warns the DigiDestined about an impending threat who is behind Arukenimon and Mummymon.

The children return home, but during Christmas Dark Towers appear across the human world, bringing Digimon with them. Davis and Ken are gifted power by Azulongmon to digivolve Paildramon further into the Mega level Imperialdramon as they journey acrros the world to destroy the Dark Towers with the help of the international DigiDestined they meet through the several continents as they split into group alongside Yolei, Cody, TK, Kari, Tai, Matt, Joe, Sora, Mimi and Izzy. Meanwhile, Arukenimon and Mummymon use the situation as a distraction and begin kidnapping several children for the ominous Yukio Oikawa, a friend of Cody’s late father who dreams of entering the Digital World since he was a child.

Upon returning to Japan, the DigiDestined learn that Oikawa intends to use the Dark Spore inside Ken, which turned him into the Digimon Emperor, to implant them into the kidnapped children and as the seeds begin to sprout giving power to Oikawa, BlackWarGreymon chooses to sacrifice himself to seal the portal to the Digital World as a means to stop Oikawa and the kids from going there. But Oikawa finds another way to journey to the Digital world and opens another portal where he’s followed by The DigiDestined into a Dream World where Oikawa and the kids learn he was controlled by Myotismon, who first planted a dark seed in Oikawa when he was defeated by the DigiDestined in 1999 and Oikawa saw them travel to the Digital World, anguished he could not go with them.

The spirit Myotismon splits from Oikawa and uses the energy from the Dark Spores to be reborn as MaloMyotismon, killing Arukenimon and Mummymon to absorb their data. MaloMyotismon uses the DigiDestined’s purest hopes to exploit their deepest fears, creating dreamlike world where they get to live the life they want, but Davis uses the unlimited power of the Dream World to bring all their Digivolutions into battle all at once, breaking the all of the Dream World into the Digital world where the DigiDestined all over the world come to help and use their Digivices to shine a light onto MaloMyotismon defeating him and his darkness.

But as the battle ends and evil is vanquished, an injured Oikawa, carried by Cody into the Digital World sacrifices himself upon meeting his Digimon partner, so the Digital World can be rebuilt, and he can always be a part of it.

Twenty-five years later, TK is revealed to be an author who has chronicled his adventures with Digimon and his friends into published work, adventures that keep on happening as he, his friends, their Digimon partners and their children all play and live together.

DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02: Diaboromon Revenge

Three months after MaloMyotismon’s defeat, Diaboromon re-emerges online. Tai and Matt head into battle first travelling into the Internet alongside with Omnimon, while the younger DigiDestined go to deal with the rampage of a swarm of Kuramon, Diaboromon’s rookie form, invading the real world. With the help of Angemon & TK and Angewomon & Kari Omnimon manages to destroy Diaboromon again, but this is soon revealed to be a trap, as his destruction only allowed more Kuramon to go to the Real World.

This also traps Omnimon, Angemon and Angewomon within the internet and Diaboromon uses his data within the Kuramon to merge creating a Mega level Digimon called Armageddemon, the more powerful and invincible Mega in Diaboromon’s evolutionary line. Escaping the internet, Omnimon joins forces with Imperialdramon, but the pair of Mega level Digimon is unable to stop Armageddemon rampage.

Imperialdramon is eventually injured by one of Armageddemon’s attacks, so Omnimon lends him his power in the form of the Omni Blade, powering the Imperialdramon up to Paladin Mode. Using this opportunity, Imperialdramon Paladin Mode unleashes his Omega Blade attack to strike down Armageddemon, splitting his head in half and causing him to revert back into the Kuramon.

With the help of the energy from the Digivices and the cell phones from other children of Japan, the Omega Blade powers up and sends all of the Kuramon back to the Digital World and Diaboromon is finally vanquished once and for all.

DIGIMON ADVENTURE TRI

The film series is set six years after Digimon Adventure, taking place in 2005 and the story begins with the silhouettes of Davis, Yolei, Cody and Ken falling to the ground and dropping their D-3s after a mysterious attack.

Tai, now in high school, feels downhearted his friends are slowly drifting apart. But minutes before he is set to play a soccer match, Tai witnessed a wild Kuwagamon appear and rampaging the city of Odaiba, causing electronic malfunctions. As Tai follows the invading Kuwagamon, his Digivice shines and Agumon appears, digivolving into Greymon to fight Kuwagamon. The battle opens several rifts between the real and Digital worlds, ending up at Haneda Airport where Tai is able to give chase thanks to his homeroom teacher, Daigo Nishijima. As Greymon becomes overwhelmed by more Kuwagamon appearing, Tai is joined by the other DigiDestined, now reunited with their partner Digimon, who defeat two Kuwagamon before Alphamon suddenly appears to destroy the last one.

To investigate the circumstances leading up to Kuwagamon’s appearance, Tai and Matt pay a visit to Nishijima, who reveals he is part of an organization monitoring Digimon activity, alongside the mysterious Maki Himekawa. Meanwhile Izzy uses his laptop to develop easier access to their partner Digimon and a program to seek out digital disturbances, but Tai begins to fear that people could get hurt as a result of their actions as DigiDestined. Alphamon returns the next day and targets a Digimon under the care of Meiko Mochizuki, a girl who recently transferred into Tai’s class. Alphamon proves too powerful for the other Digimon, and a resolute Matt urges Tai to stop running away from his fears, unable to shy away from this threat, Tai agrees and together with Matt they manage to drive Alphamon off with the power of Omnimon.

Afterwards, Meiko reveals that she is also a DigiDestined and the reason Alphamon targeted her is her partner: Meicoomon.
The DigiDestined and their Digimon, apart Joe who stays home to study for his exams, go on a trip to a hot spring inn, chaperoned by Nishijima and Himekawa. After this trip, Himekawa and Nishijima direct soldiers to use experimental weapons against an infected Ogremon that manifests in Odaiba, but the DigiDestined’s friend Leomon emerges and takes Ogremon back to the Digital World.

As Mimi and Meiko prepare for a cheer girl café for the upcoming school festival, Ogremon appears again and battles the DigiDestined. In the heat of battle Togemon inadvertently damages a helicopter, and Izzy reprimands Mimi for being selfish. Ogremon is once more sent back to the Digital World, and Leomon visits the Real World to inform the DigiDestined that Ogremon is infected by the strange virus. As Mimi wallows in her perceived selfishness, she hears from Joe he is avoiding battles with the Digimon to try cope with adulthood but loathes his own ineptness, which causes Gomamon to run away from home.

On the day of the school festival, Meiko tries to cheer up Mimi, showing her support by wearing her cheer girl outfit for the café, while the Digimon sneak into the festival to try and win a costume contest for free food. Gomamon reunites with Joe after this and confesses he ran away because he refused to fight together anymore, causing Joe to angrily storm off.
Meicoomon is suddenly abducted by what appears to be the Digimon Emperor but Palmon, Gomamon and a now infected Leomon after an attack by the Digimon Emperor follow them into the digital distortion.

The Digimon are surprised to encounter an infected Imperialdramon, and while Leomon and Togemon stand together in battle, Kari urges Joe to fight by Gomamon’s side. Overcoming his insecurities, Joe manages to unlock Mega Digivolution for his partner and Gomamon digivolve into Vikemon alongside Mimi who upon learning from her faults Mega digivolves Palmon into Rosemon. The two new Mega forms are able to defeat Imperialdramon, but just as all seems well, a traumatized Meicoomon changes to something feral and kills Leomon before escaping into another distortion.

As Meiko is traumatized by Meicoomon’s betrayal, Izzy becomes obsessed in trying to determine what caused Meicoomon to become infected as the disruptions continue to grow causing malfunctions to airlines. Himekawa and Nishijima let Matt into their investigation but do not disclose that Meicoomon is causing the malfunctions nor that other DigiDestined have gone missing.
Meanwhile, TK is shocked in suddenly Patamon momentarily acts violent and bites him, causing TK to take his partner home and prompting the other DigiDestined to do the same. Not knowing how to handle the situation, TK confesses to Meiko his Digimon partner is infected and while TK doesn’t realise it, Patamon is well aware of it and tearfully asks T.K. to stop him should the worst happen.

The next day, as Patamon informs the other Digimon about his infection, Kari becomes possessed by Homeostasis, an incorporeal lifeform which rules over the Digital World. Homeostasis cryptically warns them that the infected Digimon could potentially destroy both the Real and Digital Worlds unless a great sacrifice is made. Overhearing this, Himekawa concludes Homeostasis might trigger a “reboot” to reset the Digital World whenever Meicoomon appears next, in order to stop the infection. As the group deliberates this decision, Gatomon warns the others this reboot would also cause them to lose all of their memories, causing the Digimon to prepare for the worst and cherish precious time with their partners, during which Agumon tells Tai about the reboot.

Izzy discovers that the distortions are the result of the binary code being overwritten by a different language and comes up with a plan after Tentomon informs him of the reboot as well. When Meicoomon appears at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center, the DigiDestined attempt to hold her out of the Real World and trap her in one of the digital distortions. But Meicoomon’s corruption causes he to digivolving into her Ultimate level: Meicrackmon. Patamon joins the battle by digivolving into Angemon, despite TK’s attempts to stop him, but Angemon is overcome by his infection which soon spreads to the other Digimon.

Soon enough, the countdown for the reboot begins in the digital distortion, but Izzy reveals his countermeasure before the clock strikes zero: the partner Digimon will be placed within a field containing their backup data in order to preserve their memories. Tentomon attempts to help the others despite struggling to fight off his own infection, but with Izzy’s desperation echoing Izzy’s own, he unlocks his Mega form and digivolves into HerculesKabuterimon; capturing Meicrackmon and snapping the other partner Digimon out of their infections, before using all of his strength to push them back into the distortion before the reboot occurs.

One week goes by and Meiko tells TK the infection originated six years ago from Meicoomon. The DigiDestined choose to travel to the rebooted Digital World by using the power of their Crests and upon arriving they encounter Alphamon fighting Jesmon, the Mega evolved from of Hackmon, who had been observing the children from a distance since their battle against the wild Kuwagamon. As the two combatants disappear the children reunite with their partner Digimon.

The partner Digimon’s lost their memories cause them to initially be weary of the children, but with patience and kindness, the DigiDestined are able to begin reclaiming the bonds they once shared with their partners. Himekawa, who secretly travelled to the Digital World as well, confronts the Digimon Emperor nearby who reveals himself to be Gennai, but sports with black version of his classic outfit. As the children get reacquainted with their partners, Meicoomon secretly observes them behind a bush still possessing her memories of Meiko.

As the DigiDestined try to rekindle their friendship with their partner Digimon, they come across Meicoomon, who has somehow retained her memories despite the reboot, and runs away as soon as the children spot her. Most of the DigiDestined have a surprisingly easy time befriending their partners, but Sora has trouble reconnecting with an amnesiac Biyomon, whose reserved nature instils feelings of guilt and remorse in Sora. Having observed this, Tai and Matt try to console Sora later that evening, but they are suddenly attacked by Machinedramon, whose savage attack disperses the DigiDestined and Digimon across the Digital World.

Meanwhile, Nishijima, having embarked on a private investigation on his partner Himekawa, discovers her secret files and remembers her desire to reboot the Digital World to revive her partner Megadramon, who was unable to recompose into a Digi-Egg, and we learn both Nishijima and Himekawa were members of the original DigiDestined. Hackmon appears to Nishijima, who relays the warning from Homeostasis that King Drasil, a mysterious entity Himekawa is working with, has corrupted Gennai and is targeting “Libra”: Meicoomon.

While journeying through the desert, Sora and Biyomon discover Meiko, who came to the Digital World alone in search of Meicoomon who jumps at them out of resentment, but Meiko manages to placate her before she can attack Sora and Biyomon. As the pair are distracted by this attack, they are attacked by Gennai who shows his true form after masquerading as the Digimon Emperor and attempts to capture Meicoomon and Sora’s Digivice but is thwarted by the other DigiDestined, who come to their aid.

Gennai reveals that the reboot was all part of King Drasil’s plan to create a new world order where humans and Digimon no longer interact with one other and summons Machinedramon and MetalSeadramon to attack the DigiDestined.
Meanwhile, Himekawa reunites with her partner Tapirmon, but she realizes he does not remember her and runs away causing Himekawa to go mad.

In the battle against two of the Dark Masters; Tai, Matt and Kari manage to strengthen their bonds enough to digivolve their partners and defeat MetalSeadramon, all the while Machinedramon’s attack against the other has Sora risking her life to protect Biyomon, which unlocks her Mega digivolution into Phoenixmon and the pair Machinedramon, alongside Seraphimon, who emerges as TK and Patamon’s relationship is relighted, and HerculesKabuterimon. Amidst this, Gennai attacks Meiko which enrages Meicoomon into digivolving to Meicrackmon who leaves through a distortion.

Himekawa numbly stumbles across the Digital World in search of Tapirmon. All the while, Digimon begin materializing in the Real World and Hackmon explains to Nishijima that Meicoomon was born from a fragment of Apocalymon’s remnant data after his defeat and Meiko was meant to suppress the darkness within her partner Digimon. However, Homeostasis considers Meicoomon’s unrestrained power to be an existential threat to both worlds and has decided to eliminate her.

The DigiDestined repeatedly try to survive the Digital World’s attempts to expel them and they manage to return to the Real World but are persecuted by the humans who fear the impact and dangers of Digimon. Nishijima’s comes to their aid, hiding the DigiDestined and their partner Digimon in their school to avoid the media and the children try to console Meiko during their hideout.

The next day, a rampant Meicrackmon emerges from a digital distortion and confronts Meiko near the school, but Jesmon intervenes and his attack on Meicrackmon only enrages her more, causing her to digivolve into Raguelmon. As the battle rages on, Homeostasis possesses Kari and warns the DigiDestined not to interfere with Jesmon’s actions. Jesmon is able to take Raguelmon to the Digital World but the DigiDestined, their partner Digimon, and Nishijima pursue them, arriving in a desert area where Alphamon joins the fray, who weakens six of the Digimon partners to the point of them returning to their In-Training forms: leaving only Omnimon, Raguelmon, Alphamon and Jesmon.

A broken Himekawa is still searches in distress for Tapirmon, but finds herself in the Dark Ocean, she emotionlessly walks into the waters and drowns, from a distance, Nishijima senses this and laments his inability to save his friend.

Unable to reach her partner emotionally, Meiko falls into despair and asks the DigiDestined to destroy Raguelmon and hearing her desperate plead Tai resolves to carry out her wish despite the objections of the other DigiDestined. One of the attacks in the berserking battle of the four Mega level Digimon causes a fissure to crack the ground open in which Tai and Nishijima to fall into. In the fallout, Raguelmon falls incapacitated near Tai’s goggles.

Overwhelmed by her brother’s apparent death, Kari becomes engulfed by corrupted digital code which causes Nyaromon (Gatomon’s baby form) to dark warp digivolve into Ophanimon Falldown Mode, a dark form of Gatomon’s Mega level digivolution, creating a dark portal which Ophanimon merges with Raguelmon into the terrifying Ordinemon. As the overwhelming falling angel Digimon emerges, the Real World is subsequently covered by a universal blackout as the invading Digimon become able to move and the Digital World begins to swallow the Real World.

Despite believing that Tai is dead, Matt takes Tai’s goggles into his hands and knowing his friend’s resolve to help others and unwillingness to give up, Matt rallies his friends to stop this no matter the cost and so the DigiDestined return to the Real World for a final stand against Ordinemon.

Meanwhile, we discover Tai alive along with an injured Nishijima who wake up in a facility. Nishijima reveals that Davis, Ken, Yolei and Cody are in cryostasis, and were captured after discovering King Drasil’s plan. Gennai appears and stops their life support system, forcing Tai to choose between escaping with the others into the real world or saving Nishijima, as there is only one extra pod. After tricking Tai to enter one of the capsules, a dying Nishijima sends him and the rest of the 02 DigiDestined back to the Real World, as the facility explodes.

In the Real World, the DigiDestined fight Ordenimon, except for Kari who wallows in shock while TK ends to her. As the DigiDestined are one by one defeated, Hackmon informs them of Homeostasis’ intent to reboot all digital technology in the Real World to stop Ordinemon, but Matt and the others refuse to give up and decide to have Meiko lure Ordinemon to the sea and confront her again but to once more this fails.

Kari decides to fight her overwhelming trauma and has a vision of Gatomon inside Ordinemon, who reveals that all light resides in Meicoomon. With this insight to guide him, Izzy discovers the memories from all the Digimon have a backup stored inside Meicoomon, explaining why she kept all her memories. Meiko uses the bond with her partner to unlock the sealed memories inside Meicoomon and with this restores the lost memories to extract Gatomon from Ordinemon. This gives Hackmon the chance to halt the reboot of the Real World, however, King Drasil floods Ordinemon with corrupted data.

Fearing the worst is inevitable, the DigiDestined reluctantly digivolve their partner Digimon and in their most desperate hour: Tai rejoins them, with Matt gifting him his goggles back, knowing he’d find a way to return to them. With all the DigiDestined and their Digimon standing together in battle, Meiko’s Digivice awakens Omnimon’s Merciful Mode, achieved by combining the data of all partner Digimon with Omnimon, offering him holy power. Omnimon is finally able to destroy Ordinemon but deletes Meicoomon in the process. Gennai, who witnessed the battle from afar, leaves through a digital distortion after King Drasil’s plans are thwarted.

Now with both worlds restored, Meiko returns to Tottori and Homeostasis shuts down King Drasil and Izzy begins working on a gate that would allow the DigiDestined to traverse between worlds without the D-3s. Three months later on Christmas Eve, Tai is checking in with Meiko on the phone as the DigiDestined and their partner Digimon are all together to check on their friend after their tragic adventure, and as Tai look upon his friends and reflects on their latest journey and his insecurities Agumon reassures him, and Meiko, by declaring that they will always be friends.

DIGIMON ADVENTURE: LAST EVOLUTION KIZUNA

The year is 2010, it has been five years since the events of Digimon Adventure Tri., Tai and the rest of the DigiDestined are on the brink adulthood but Tai and Matt still remain undecided about their future goals. They are call upon by Izzy, who presents them to Menoa Bellucci, a professor at Columbia University, and Kyotaro Imura, her bodyguard. Menoa, like Izzy before her, has noticed strange activity on the internet, and claims the mysterious Eosmon is targeting DigiDestined around the world by robbing both them and their Digimon partners of their consciousness.

With Menoa’s help, Tai, Matt, Izzy, T.K., and their Digimon embark on a mission to fight Eosmon on the Internet. Tai and Matt immediately fuse their Digimon into Omnimon but the fusion falls apart, allowing Eosmon to escape.

Returning to the real world after the battle, Tai and Matt grow concerned after finding countdown rings surrounding their Digivices and fearing this is an effect of battling Eosmon they share into information with Menoa, who explains the Digivices are powered by the infinite potential of childhood, and because Tai and Matt are growing up with their potential fulfilled, they have but limited time before they and their Digimon are separated forever. Menoa also warns them that Digivolving will only accelerate this countdown.

While Izzy examines Eosmon’s data, Matt begins to suspect Imura is involved with Eosmon, and asks Davis, Yolei, Cody and Ken to investigate Menoa’s job in New York. Meanwhile, Gennai (the real one) visits Tai and Agumon and when asked about the countdown corroborates Menoa’s statement. Eosmon plot rages on, and it captures Mimi, leaving her unconscious. Fearing they are being tracked, Matt gives Tai and Izzy prepaid mobile phones and also shows them a news article revealing that Menoa used to have a Digimon partner, alerting the two to his suspicions as he continues to investigate Imura, and eventually learns from Davis’ group that Imura’s identity is fake and Eosmon’s data was found on his hard drive, which leads Matt to deduce that he is the culprit.

Izzy is sent a link to a live stream video of TK and Kari held hostage which prompts Tai and Matt to go to their rescue, and while on their way Matt confronts Imura, who reveals he is an FBI agent investigating Menoa. Given this information, Matt realizes Menoa is the one orchestrating the kidnappings and Eosmon is but a distraction used to target Izzy for the list of DigiDestined. Once Tai and Matt arrive at TK and Kari’s location, they find their siblings are already unconscious due to Eosmon reaching them before they could, and as the pair reels from being unable to reach their younger siblings in time, Joe goes missing.

Realizing Menoa’s true involvement, Izzy tracks her down and texts Tai with the coordinates to her location within the Digital World, before she catches him and renders him unconscious. As Tai and Matt travel to the Digital World, Menoa confirms that she lost her Digimon partner: Morphomon, prematurely from growing up, and discovered Eosmon’s digi-egg during a recent aurora. In her grief she decided to prevent the other DigiDestined from experiencing her loss and captured their consciousness so to allow them to be with their Digimon partners as children forever. Unable to convince Tai and Matt of the righteousness of her plan, Menoa sends a swarm of Eosmon clones to the real world to kidnap more DigiDestined, sparking battles worldwide, in which Davis, Ken, Yolei and Cody attempt to stop other DigiDestined, including themselves, from being kidnapped.

Tai, Matt, and their partner Digimon resolve to stop Menoa despite it quickening their separation, and Agumon and Gabumon fuse into Omnimon to fight Menoa and her Eosmon clones, but once Menoa biomerges with Eosmon it cuts Omnimon into pieces, causing him to split back into Agumon and Gabumon. Tai and Matt are assaulted by the DigiDestined and their Digimon partners, rendered soulless puppets by Eosmon, but Tai awakens them and turns them back to normal using Kari’s whistle. The DigiDestined and their Digimon partners are then able to join the battle against the army of Eosmon and Tai & Agumon and Matt & Gabumon, witnessing the pain Menoa is unleashing on others as well as herself decide to make one final digivolution to stop Menoa.

With their bond being more powerful than any countdown or separation, both their digivices are overwhelmed with power and break, unleashing all new digivolutions: Agumon Bond of Courage and Gabumon Bond of Friendship. With Tai and Matt standing on their respective shoulders, the two Digimon defeat Eosmon once and for all and Menoa finds the closure she never got with Morphomon. After the battle Menoa is arrested and knowing their time is tragically short, Tai and Matt spend the remaining of their day with Agumon and Gabumon respectively, and they reflect on their lives together, their partners suddenly vanish and their digivices turn into stone.

The next spring, Tai and Matt move on with their lives and pursue their dream careers, Tai working on becoming a diplomat and Matt entering a space program to become an astronaut. They’re lives and their adventures change but their belief that they may one day see their Digimon partners again in the future, never will.

The many stories of the Digimon franchise are filled with wonder, whimsy, action, adventure, and bittersweet emotions, despite lasting for so long every story reminds us that all the good as well as the bad of life, shall at some point end, it encourages us despite our flaws and highlights our individual values, ultimately affirming that if we really wish for it, we can to meet a friendship that can last a life. And while we can never meet our literal Digimon partner, if we do our best, these stories will always be here to transport us there.

Now you are all caught up on the many stories of the Digimon Adventure saga, and ready to go witness Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning once its released in US theatres on November 8 2023.

Where in 2012, two years after the events of Last Evolution Kizuna: Davis, Ken, Yolei, Cody, TK, and Kari meet a boy called Lui Ohwada, who is found with a depowered Digivice and claims to be the first Digidestined ever. As a giant Digi-egg appears in the Tokyo sky, a Digimon named Ukkomon appears along with it, who wants every person in the world to have their own Digimon partner.

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