Digimon

A television series which is also a Japanese manga, Digimon is similar in many ways to the world of Pokemon, but with several significant differences. As a result, Pokemon and Digimon are frequently crossed over. Digimon is often called a Pokemon ripoff by those who dislike the series, but in fact Digimon would be more accurately called a Tamagotchi ripoff; the franchise began with a line of virtual pets similar in design to the insanely popular toy. However, when most people think of Digimon, they think of the anime series.

The series has progressed through several seasons but only Seasons One and Two are linked, with all other Seasons after those happening in alternate universes. The basic plot is that a child from the Real World is given a special companion with which to fight off the forces of evil that seek to exploit the Digital World. Badfic authors often use the loophole that the children technically are all from the Real World, and so don't place the AU label on stories that have little to do with the canon story and often fail to include the Digimon.

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS AND POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN CERTAIN SECTIONS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

First Season
The first Season of Digimon, this follows the exploits of seven, and later, eight, children who are dragged away from summer camp and into the Digital World. Upon entering the world, each child is found to have a companion Digimon, similar in natural to the relationship between Humans and Daemons in the world of 'His Dark Materials', by Philip Pullman.

Official Name: Digimon Adventure.

Items

 * Digivices: A symbol of the Digidestined. The initial use of the Digivice is to harness the emotional energy of a Digidestined and give it to their partner Digimon, enabling them to Digivolve to their Champion level. When the energy within a Digivice merges with the energy in one of the Crests, it enables Digivolution to the Ultimate level, and in the case of two of the characters, enables their Digimon to warp-Digivolve to the Mega level. The Digivices have several other functions, the most basic is an inbuilt-clock, the most notable the ability to purify 'corrupted' Digimon. The energy within the Digivice can also be used to restrain evil Digimon, track other Digivices, and on one occasion, create a forcefield large enough to contain an explosion.
 * Crests: One of the main plot pieces centers around objects called 'Crests' which belong to the eight children. Each Digidestined possesses a Crest and Tag, which allow them to 'Digivolve' their Digimon from the Champion level to the Ultimate level (their Digimon normally spend their time as Rookie level, which is one below Champion). Each Crest represents a virtue inherent to the character (for instance, the main character, Tai, possesses the Crest of Courage, his rival/best friend, Matt, possesses the Crest of Friendship, etc.). Sues typically possess Crests that sound cool (Darkness, etc.) but do not fit the canonical pattern, or Crests that have powers beyond Digivolution (e.g. healing or flight).
 * Tags: The holding devices for the Crests, the Tags consist of a necklace with a small, locket-like object at the end. The Crests slot into the Tags, allowing the Digidestined to carry them at all times.

Concepts

 * Digimon, a Primer: The first season established the basic structure of Digivolution and Digimon in general; Digimon hatch from eggs into the "Fresh" form, which evolves into the In-Training form and then into the Rookie form. The Digidestined first met their Digimon in the In-Training form, though they most commonly remained in the Rookie form afterward. Rookies Digivolve into Champions, and Champions into Ultimates. There is another level above Ultimate, the Mega level, but it is extremely difficult to obtain, to the point where Mega-level Digimon are practically a step below gods, and the process next to legend.


 * The Digidestined's companion Digimon most commonly remain at Rookie level because of power issues; when evolution is "forced", as it were, with the crutches of the Digivices and Crests, it occurs with much less of a time requirement but with a much higher power requirement. Digimon who Digivolve in this way quickly run out of energy and revert to lower-ranked forms, most commonly the Rookie, though higher forms like the Ultimate and Mega may revert lower, to the In-Training. The power expended is typically replenished by nothing more complicated than a good meal or a good night's sleep, and in at least one case eating heartily triggered evolution from Fresh to In-Training. Inversely, if a Digimon is hungry, it may well not be able to Digivolve. Digimon who use Digivices or Crests to Digivolve and then remain in that state are almost certainly Sues or connected with Sues, and should be regarded as such.


 * Digivolution without Digivices and Crests is quite possible, as evidenced by the numerous Champion, Ultimate, and Mega-level Digimon the Digidestined encounter. However, it is a much more intensive process that takes much longer (years, usually) to happen, and when it occurs can be considered semi-permanent (Gatomon is an example of this). Digivolution without Digivices or Crests but at the same speed as if they were used is almost certainly a sign of a Sue; examples exist, such as the Diaboromon encountered by Tai and Izzy in the second Digimon movie (second segment in American Digimovie), but they are exceedingly rare.


 * Warp Digivolution: Warp Digivolution is a concept established by the First Season, which persisted into the Second Season (though much reduced in format). It is, in the First Season, the only way known for Partner Digimon to Digivolve to Mega-level, and only Agumon and Gabumon are capable of it (since only Tai and Matt were subject to the process that enabled it). Warp Digivolution is enacted at the Rookie-level and "warps" the Digimon to the Mega-level, bypassing Champion and Ultimate. It requires a Digivice, but not necessarily a Crest. Evolution to Mega-level is exceedingly rare, and often the sign of something not being right, although it IS possible as examples like VenomMyotismon and the Dark Masters display through their existence alone; Warp Digivolution, on the other hand, is not known to be possible by anyone except Tai Kamiya and Matt Ishida, and as such any other instances can be viewed as strictly non-canonical.


 * Time Dilation and World Separation: In Season One, time in the Digital World moves much faster than time in the Real World, due to the existence of a literal fire wall that divides the two, making transit between worlds very difficult to anyone without a Digivice (or even with one). This effect is removed after the final battle of Season One.

Characters

 * Tai Kamiya - The de facto leader, Tai is known for being stubborn and rushing in without thinking things through. Within the Digital World, he holds the Crest of Courage, which enables his partner, Agumon, to Digivolve from Greymon to Metalgreymon. Tai / Matt pairings are among the most common slash pairing within the Digimon Community.
 * Matt Ishida - Best friend and rival of Tai, Matt is the older brother of T.K. His main personality traits are being protective of his younger brother, and being a loner. Matt holds the Crest of Friendship, which allows Gabumon, his Digimon Partner, to Digivolve from Garurumon to Weregarurumon. Tai / Matt pairings are the most common slash pairing within the Digimon Community.
 * Sora Takenouchi - The motherly figure of the group, Sora also holds the Crest of Love. With this, her partner, Biyomon, is capable of Digivolving from Birdramon to Garudamon. A frequent pairing occurs in fanfiction is between Matt and Sora.
 * Koshiro "Izzy" Izumi - The "smart one" of the group, Izzy fell into the Digital World with his laptop. Using it, he is capable of bringing up information about the Digimon the group encounters, as well as using it to make maps. Izzy holds the 'Crest of Knowledge' which enables his partner, Tentomon, to Digivolve from Kabuterimon to Megakabuterimon.
 * Mimi Tachikawa: Frequently targeted by Sues because of her "stuck up" manner, Mimi is actually very kind, albeit very ditzy. Mimi holds the Crest of Sincerity, which allows Palmon, her Digimon Partner, to Digivolve from Togemon to Lillymon. Additionally, due to the fact that Mimi later moves to America, Sues are introduced to the Digital World through her, or become her (uncanonical) sister.
 * Joe Kido: Holder of the Crest of Reliability, Joe aspires to be a doctor, and as a result, is frequently found studying. He is the oldest member of the Digidestined, and as such considers the lot of them his responsibility, to a degree. Because of his worrisome nature and "nerd" look, Joe is often forgotten by Suethors. Within the canon, Joe has a crush on Mimi. Joe's Digimon Partner is Gomamon who, with the Crest of Reliability, can digivolve from Ikkakumon to Zudomon.
 * T.K. Takaishi: One of the youngest members of the group, T.K is the younger brother of Matt and the partner of Patamon. After obtaining the Crest of Hope, T.K is capable of helping Patamon Digivolve from Angemon to MagnaAngemon. T.K was also part of the main group of Digidestined present within Season Two.
 * Kari Kamiya: The younger sister of Tai, Kari holds the Crest of Light, which allows her Digimon Partner, Gatomon, to Digivolve to Angewomon. Of the Digidestined, Kari was the only one not present at the start of the series. Because of her Crest, Suethors often create the "Crest of Darkness" for their own characters.

Second Season
The second season of Digimon takes place in the same universe as the first, roughly four years later (the time varies slightly between the Japanese version and the Saban dub), and like the first is broken up into several plotlines. The second season brings back the original eight Digidestined, but only the two youngest, T.K. and Kari, play consistent major roles in the new season. They are accompanied by three new Digidestined, and a fourth joins them later.

The fandom is often widely split in its opinion of this series, mostly due to the ending, which many (this author included) view as being extremely unsatisfying (being a "Twenty Years Later" ending, for one) and running contrary to the direction that the series was taking prior, to the point of outright ignoring significant and established tenets of some characters and sending them off in seemingly arbitrary directions (many fans will go off like a bomb at the mention of the ending, especially at the mention of Matt hooking up with Sora or T.K. NOT hooking up with Kari, depending on their taste in shipping).

Official Name: Digimon Adventure 02; this reflects that the Second Season can be considered an effective sequel to the first.

Items

 * D3: The D3 is the updated version of the original Digivice that was given to Season 2's New Digidestined (T.K. and Kari's original-model Digivices morphed into D3s early on), and is distinctly different from the original Digivice's octagonal shape. In addition to clearly identifying a Digidestined as part of the second generation, these devices are the only ones which can open Digi-Ports, which allow transit between the Real World and the Digital World in Season 2.
 * Digimentals: Digimentals (also known as Digi-Eggs, though they are distinctly different from the eggs Digimon hatch out of) are much like Crests-and-Tags (and commonly bear the same symbols such as Courage and Friendship), but a second-season Digidestined often possesses more than one of them. They are used to "Armor Digivolve" Digimon when normal Digivolution is blocked. Everything about Sues and Crests also applies here.
 * Dark Equipment: Includes Dark Rings, Dark Spirals, and the ubiquitous Control Spires. The creations of the Digimon Emperor (or Digimon Kaiser, depending on your preference), these devices are his tools of conquest in the Digital World. Dark Rings behave much like Black Gears, an early Season One item, in that they are used to take control of "good" Digimon and turn them to bad ends, and that the effect is removed when the Ring is destroyed. Higher-level Digimon have been known to be able to resist or even overcome the effects of the Rings. Dark Spirals serve the same purpose as Rings, but are considerably stronger and more powerful than them, being able to effectively control Ultimate-level Digimon. Control Spires are obelisk-shaped monuments that are erected by the Digimon Emperor to expand his area of influence in the Digital World. They act as control hubs for all Dark Rings in their sector of influence; commonly, when a Control Spire is destroyed, it takes all the Dark Rings in its influence with it. Control Spires are also notable in that they block traditional Digivolution, necessitating the use of Digimentals.


 * Tags and Crests: A footnote; the Tags and Crests from the original season do not exist in Season 2, having been given up by their holders between Seasons (with one exception). Due to this, the Partners of the Original Digidestined have lost their ability to Digivolve to their Ultimate-levels. Any instances of Crests or Tags existing in the Second Season (minus the aforementioned exception, explained below) can thus be considered violently non-canon.

Concepts

 * Digi-Ports: In Season One, transit between the Digital World and the Real World was extremely difficult for a variety of reasons, and is thus extremely infrequent. In Season Two, however, the concept of Digi-Ports are introduced, which are portals that appear on computer screens that can be opened with a D3 Digivice. These make regular and relatively painless transit between the worlds possible, something which has been criticized by some fans for variety of reasons, but without which the lives being led by the New Digidestined would not be possible.
 * Armor Digivolving: Armor Digivolving is introduced as an alternative form of Digivolving to the traditional evolution line, and is used to circumvent the blocks that the Control Spires place on such traditional Digivolution. It requires Digimentals to be performed. Using a different Digimental will Armor Digivolve a Digimon into a different form; for example, while the Courage Digimental changes Veemon into Flamedramon, the Friendship Digimental changes him into Raidramon. Armor Digivolutions can be considered the rough equivalent of the Champion level. Though Word of God has stated that any Digimon can use any Digimental, the series keeps certain Digimentals restricted to use by certain characters, likely to ease storytelling and production costs, and to prevent an overabundance of characters.
 * DNA Digivolving: A form of Digivolution introduced first in the second Digimon Movie (the second segment of the American Digimovie) with Omnimon, though it was not referred to by the term until Season Two. DNA Digivolving entails two Digimon Digivolving together to form a newer, more powerful form. DNA Digivolutions can be considered one step higher up on the traditional scale than their "component" members; hence most such Digivolutions seen in the Second Season can be considered the equivalent of the Ultimate level, or possibly slightly higher (though decidedly not quite Mega level).

Characters
Three new Digidestined are introduced in Season Two, and a fourth appears later on. In addition, all of the Original Digidestined (several years older) make appearances and play minor roles; by and large, their personalities can be considered the same as their Season One incarnations.


 * Daisuke "Davis" Motomiya: The de facto leader of the New Digidestined. Takes after Tai considerably in that he is brash, bold, and somewhat thickheaded, but also has a distinct sense of right and wrong, and aggressively attempts to right said wrongs. Known to have a significant crush on Kari Kamiya, and to somewhat resent T.K. Takaishi by extension as he views him as a rival for her affections. Partnered with Veemon. Is often bashed by Sues, much like Ron Weasley. Admittedly, he isn't the brightest sort, but the Sues turn him into a cretin and refuse to acknowledge his good-heartedness. An alternative Suethor treatment is for him to become angsty and enraged at all his friends, much like Dark!Harrys. This appears to be a reaction against the bashing he often endures.
 * Yolei Inoue: The "brainy one" of the New Digidestined. Though energetic and impulsive, is also quite smart and capable of impressive feats of technical ability and rational thinking. In the dub, at least, appears to have been modeled to a degree off of Izzy, both in her intelligence and social awkwardness (she also, like Izzy, has a catchword in the dub which she says frequently). Has an extensive crush on boy genius Ken Ichijouji. Partnered with Hawkmon. Due to her heavy crush on and later relations with Ken Ichijouji, may be a target of Sues wishing to get her out of the way of them and Ken.
 * Cody Hida: The "quiet one" of the New Digidestined. Generally the most introspective, subdued, and possibly most downcast of the Digidestined. Has an even sharper hatred of injustice and wrongdoing than Davis, and when confronted with extremes of this has a tendency to get quite aggressive. Partnered with Armadillomon.
 * T.K. Takaishi: One of the Original Digidestined, T.K. becomes a prominent member of the New Digidestined alongside Kari. Though commonly one of the group's strongest voices of reason, his history in the Digital World occasionally comes back to haunt him. Due to his familiarity with Kari thanks to their long friendship, Davis initially views T.K. as the major obstruction to his crush on Kari. Partnered with Patamon.
 * Hikari "Kari" Kamiya: One of the Original Digidestined, Kari becomes a prominent member of the New Digidestined alongside T.K. Though kind and caring, Kari is hardly the defenseless little girl she (to an extent) used to be, and is quite experienced in the affairs of the Digital World. Possibly the most emphatic of the New Digidestined. Maintains a longstanding friendship with T.K., which Davis initially views as a rival for his affection towards her. Partnered with Gatomon.
 * Ken Ichijouji: The fourth of the New Digidestined. Originally encountered as the New Digidestined's first major foe, the Digimon Emperor, he later atones and joins the group after realizing the extent of the damage he's caused. Is a child prodigy, though this aspect is implied to have slackened off following his atonement. "Dark boy" of the New Digidestined due to a tragic backstory and his own guilt over his actions. Was evidently intended to be part of the Original Digidestined, though events led to him being kept away from that group at that time. Bearer of the Crest of Kindness. Partnered with Wormmon. Ken is extremely vulnerable to Sues due to his backstory and generally melancholy attitude; as with other similar characters, he tends to attract people who want to "make him better". This has a high potential to cause trouble for (in addition to him) Yolei due to her attraction to him and thus Sues' animosity towards her.

Third Season
The first season to be detached from its predecessors' canon, Season Three takes place in an alternate reality wherein Digimon are (at first) generally viewed as nothing more than a children's franchise, with trading cards, video games, and a show (which is how the disconnect between seasons is explained, S1 and S2 being nothing but a TV show in this world. This also served as a retcon of the first two seasons in light of the rather poor performance of Season Two). However, Digimon are very real, and are making their way to the Real World for reasons only they know- and by methods that no-one seems able to stop.

Season Three is notable for being considerably darker than the prior two seasons, something that has caused the fandom to divide in its opinion of the season- some think it is too dark for a children's show, lacking the lighthearted energy of the prior two seasons, whereas others think the more serious setting, minus much of the joking feel of the first two seasons, makes for much more identifiable, believable characters and a more interesting plot. In addition, Season Three does much more to make the Digimon characters in their own right rather than just mobile weapons that happen to be intelligent, in the manner of Pokemon (though this was always true, Season Three goes much farther with it).

Official Name: Digimon Tamers. While the first two seasons were connected and are commonly referred to as "01" and "02", Tamers is almost always referred to as "Tamers" or "Season Three" rather than "03", due to its disconnect with prior canon. The name is derived from the Season Three universe's name for humans partnered with Digimon, who are referred to as "Digimon Tamers" (or just "Tamers") instead of the prior seasons' Digidestined (though they fill essentially the same role).

Items

 * Cards: Basic merchandise of the Digimon franchise. Essentially the same as the real-life cards of the Digimon Trading Card Game, though the design is different. Most all of the main characters, prior to becoming Tamers (and in some cases after that fact) were avid players of the card game, with extensive collections. The cards most commonly seen in Season Three are Modify cards, which provide a variety of effects and items to increase the fighting capability of the Digimon they're used on, ranging from boosted speed to flight to Evolution. Though their overall use drops off as the series progresses, the card motif is continually present due to the design of the Season Three Digivices.
 * D-Reader: The D-Reader is Season Three's incarnation of the Digivice; due to the altered nature of the perception of Digimon in the Season Three world, the actual Digimon are intricately tied to the playing card game. Though the basic reader is standard equipment for the card game, the altered versions used by the Digidestined use the cards in battle; scanning cards apply their various effects to the Tamer's Digimon. In addition, evolution has to be triggered by use of cards, though in some cases the previous requirements of "Tamer or Digimon in serious danger" have proven to be enough to trigger evolution.
 * Blue Card: A special form of card created by an unknown entity. Tends to appear precisely when needed, usually as another card that takes on Blue Card aspects (including the blue matte look). The Blue Card contains an algorithm that, for the main characters, acts as an enhanced version of the Evolution card by triggering "Matrix Digivolution", which is Season Three's equivalent to Crest Evolution.

Concepts

 * Digimon, Season Three: The explanation for the existence of Digimon in Season Three is distinctly different and far more elaborate than in the prior seasons, as is the elaboration of their world and their relationship with humanity.
 * Matrix Digivolution: A form of Digivolution introduced in Season Three. Matrix Digivolution is essentially the same as Crest Evolution, and fulfills the same role by boosting Digimon to their Ultimate rank, but is not nearly as commonly-used due to the need of Blue Cards to trigger it and the rarity of those.
 * Biomerging: A form of Digivolution introduced in Season Three. Biomerging (also known as Biomerge Digivolution) is similar to S2's DNA Digivolution, but instead of two Digimon Digivolving together, the Digimon and its Tamer Digivolve together. Biomerge Digivolutions, unlike most Digivolutions of Season Three, do not appear to require catalysts, and can be triggered at will (though doing so in the Real World evidently requires some sort of prerequisite, as opposed to the Digital World). Biomerging evidently exists to allow the Tamer to fight alongside his Digimon (albeit as two parts of the same organism), and bthe gased off the results, Biomergings can be considered to be slightly stronger than Mega-level Digivolutions.

Characters
Jeri has drawn a lot of ire from the fandom due to her nearly perpetual depression after the death of Leomon, which may be partially tied into similar fandom fondness for Beelzemon. PPC agents are to be advised to keep an eye on her, as writers may attempt to shunt her out of the way or even kill her out of simple spite.
 * Takato Matsuki: The de facto leader of the Tamers, though he takes some time to assume this role. Unlike past "goggleheads", Takato is generally rather level-headed and meek, though he is prone to bursts of high emotion and, later on, anger. His character is initially somewhat immature, but as the series progresses he develops the mindset and abilities of a leader. He learns very readily from his mistakes, and he tends to learn quickly. His partner is Guilmon.
 * Henry Wong: The "smart guy" of the Tamers. Henry was the first Tamer to get a Digimon partner, and possibly the first to come into contact with them in the Real World. Henry is extremely worried for the well-being of others, most notably his own Digimon and his little sister, Suzie, and though this aspect is a positive part of his character it has in the past caused him to either take a decidedly pacifistic attitude towards Digimon combat, or to cause him to become outright nasty at times, even towards those he really cares about. Henry's initial pacifist attitude is slowly eroded in the interest of the greater good, and though he always prefers diplomacy to confrontation, he eventually evolves into a highly capable fighter and tactician. His partner is Terriermon.
 * Rika Nonaka: The "fighter" of the Tamers. Rika is a widely-renowned player of the Digimon card game, whose Digimon approached her in the interest of becoming the most powerful around. Though her personality is originally extremely cold and confrontational, viewing Digimon as nothing more than computer programs to be used to fight, the events of the series bring her around and warm her up to the idea of working in a group with Takato and Henry, though she never completely loses her edge and individualist nature. Her partner is Renamon. PPC officers are advised that Rika can often serve as an effective "dipstick" for Season Three missions; her personality is one of those most commonly altered, explained away, or eschewed entirely by Sue writers, and viewing exactly how out-of-character Rika is is often a good indicator of how bad the situation is. Since Rika fits the "bad girl" template, at least at first, she may often be a victim of Marty Stus attempting to "tame the tiger", as it were.
 * Ryo Akiyama: Referred to only as Ryo in the dub. Ryo is a card-gamer even more legendary than Rika, who evidently disappeared some time back- disappeared, in that he went to the Digital World and didn't come back. He is the only character to make appearances in both the Adventure canon and the Tamers canon; Ken Ichijouji encountered him early on, and traveled with him for some time (this is expounded on more in the video games; in the anime, Ryo's only appearance is quite brief, in a flashback). The Tamers encounter him when they go to the Digital World, and later bring him back with them. Ryo is an extremely capable Tamer, being the only one who can control the vicious Cyberdramon, and a highly capable fighter besides (other than the three main leads, Ryo is the only character on the show to Biomerge). His personality is largely self-depreciating, though he's well aware of his abilities, and as a result consistently confident to the point of being slightly smarmy. His partner is Cyberdramon.
 * Jeri Katou: A girl that Takato has a significant crush on. Carries a dog-shaped hand puppet with her that seems to act as her inner voice. Generally sweet, kind, and optimistic, though quick to blame herself when things go wrong. She is at first playfully disdainful of Takato, Kazu, and Kenta's near-obsession with Digimon, but eventually reveals herself to be a massive enthusiast. Jeri is probably the most-suffering character of Season Three; some time after the Tamers travel to the Digital World, her partner is violently killed by Beelzemon, which sends her into a deep depression. This slowly begins to abate as their adventure continues, but just before the return to the Real World she is abducted by the series' ultimate villain, the D-Reaper, and replaced with a doppleganger. The D-Reaper then feeds off her negative energies to gain power, and Jeri's depression increases as the battle intensifies, to the point where she nearly attempts suicide to attempt to stop the D-Reaper. Fortunately, Calumon stops her from doing this, and she slowly regains her will and her hope as the series comes to a close, before being rescued by Takato. Her partner was Leomon.
 * Kazu Shioda: One of Takato's friends since the start of the Season. He plays the card game in a very aggressive style, which matches his personality; Kazu is brash, outrageous, and often doesn't think things through before acting. However, he is a rather steadfast friend (an instance early in the season notwithstanding), willing to stick to his guns or those of his friends to the bitter end, and he has considerable knowledge of Digimon, especially on the battling end. Kazu tags along with the Tamers into the Digital World and eventually becomes partnered with Guardromon.
 * Kenta Kitagawa: One of Takato's friends since the start of the Season. He plays the card game, but is not as good as Kazu or Takato, which means he's almost always the loser in those matches. Kenta is generally wishy-washy and tagalong, and is generally inseparable from Kazu, though he is often the butt monkey of the situations. Despite his flaws, Kenta is generally reliable, and can be counted on to be there- if only to complain. Kenta tags along with the Tamers into the Digital World and eventually becomes partnered with MarineAngemon.
 * Suzie Wong: Henry's younger sister. She initially is generally unimportant to the plot, other than as a childish antagonist to Terriermon (who she thinks is a stuffed animal for most of the series), but some time after the Tamers go to the Digital World a rift appears in the park where she is playing, pulling her into the Digital World (much to her father's dismay). There, she encounters Antylamon, who eventually becomes her partner- much to the dismay of her brother Henry, who is worried for her safety. Suzie is undeniably the youngest of the Tamers, still speaking with a child's lisp, and her personality is generally divided into two options initially: happy or sad, in the extremes of each. However, though she never loses her childlike energy and optimism, she does mature somewhat as the series progresses, taking her responsibilities as Antylamon's Tamer very seriously. Her partner is Lopmon, Antylamon's Rookie form.
 * Ai and Mako: Two very young siblings who are Impmon's initial contact with the human world. Their selfish, argumentative nature causes him to run away, disenfranchised with humanity as a whole. However, his running away evidently has a deep effect on the two, who have distinctly changed when Impmon seeks them out again, becoming much less quarrelsome and more appreciative of the Digimon. Their newfound selflessness reassures Impmon's faith in humanity and gives him the strength to Digivolve back into Beelzemon, now with the Corona Blaster (formerly a toy gun owned by Mako), to aid the Tamers in their fight against the D-Reaper. After that battle, it is revealed that they are BOTH Impmon's Tamers (only one D-Reader appears).

Digimon of Import
NOTE: Technically, all the Digimon in Season Three could be counted as characters in their own right. But for the sake of space, this list shall only include those Digimon viewed as particularly high risks for PPC agents.


 * Guilmon: Takato's partner Digimon, and (besides Calumon and the two unidentified Digimon during the very beginning of Episode One) the first Digimon to appear in Season Three. Is the first Virus-type Digimon partnered with a lead character (though not the first Virus-type partner overall; that title goes to Wormmon), but is more notable to the PPC in that he was literally Takato's creation. Takato's sketches and notes about Guilmon wound up being scanned through his D-Reader by accident, and created Guilmon. This method of creation led to him having a very innocent and carefree personality, almost childlike, though he matures along with his Tamer as the series progresses (though he never loses his enthusiasm and energy).

PPC agents are to be warned that Sues may duplicate this or use a similar method for their partners, and to be on the lookout for such Digimon (especially so since Guilmon has incredible power locked inside him- levels abnormal even for a Digimon- which may be related to his method of creation, and it is not known if similarly created Digimon will have similar occurrences).
 * Renamon: Rika's partner Digimon. She sought Rika out in the interest of finding the strongest Tamer possible to, by extent, make her the strongest Digimon possible. However, as the season progresses she loses her exclusively militarist outlook, in favor of the unfolding relationship between humans and Digimon, and begins to see more to her quest than exclusively becoming stronger.

Renamon is an extremely at-risk character; though Digimon technically do not have genders (being computer data), her feminine appearance, personality, and general design combined to make her one of the most pornographized nonhuman characters known to anime. Any erotic fic involving Season Three in any degree is almost certain to drag Renamon into the mix somehow, and the character has become one of the most common sights in the Department of Fictional Psychology. PPC agents are advised to keep close surveillance on the character due to her high-risk designation.
 * Impmon: A Digimon partnered to Ai and Mako late in the series. Impmon's initial encounter with humanity was not a positive one, and it violently skewed his perception of them, causing him to become a perpetual troublemaker or even outright antagonist to the world he was stuck in. Though he talks tough, he's rather weak physically, and would like nothing more than to Digivolve. This desire eventually gets him into a lot of trouble, a "deal with the Devil" with the Devas, and leads to him doing some truly atrocious things as the Mega-level Beelzemon before being stopped by Gallantmon. Impmon's personality for the majority of the series is generally nasty, ranging from petty troublemaker to outright villainous. This culminates with his slaying of Leomon (which shocked a lot of people), a point which marks a turnaround in both his personality and his views on humanity as a whole. The general fan view is that he redeemed himself for his prior sins when he sided with the Tamers against the D-Reaper (as well as being incredibly awesome while doing so), and when all is said and done Impmon came out as a fan favorite.

Impmon is considered to be somewhat at risk from two sides; one, from Mary-Sues attempting to become his partner instead of Ai and Mako (among other things) due to the author's love of Impmon. On the other, however, there are some who have not forgiven the character (usually ones who haven't watched the whole season through), and who hold ill will towards him. Also, though far less of a risk than Renamon or Guilmon, Impmon is a somewhat common candidate for character derailment in erotic fics, and thus should be monitored accordingly.
 * Calumon: A Digimon key to the plot of Season Three; Calumon's role for a large part of the series is kept ambiguous, but he is later revealed to be the "Light of Digivolution" changed into the form of a Digimon for the sake of keeping it safe from the Season's ultimate enemy. Earlier on in the series, Calumon practically has to be present as a rule when evolution is attempted to be undertaken, though towards the late middle of the season the "Light" is released, negating this necessity. Calumon's status as a plot device makes him notable even though a large majority of fics tend to omit or ignore him outright.

Terminology

 * Gogglehead: Fanon slang for the season's leader figure. The name arose from the fact that the protagonists of the first four seasons all wore goggles, and as such the presence of these goggles came to be viewed as a symbol of leadership among the fanon. This chain was broken with the Season Five protagonist, Marcus Damon, but the term has persisted. While it is not a guarantee, a possible sign of a Sue might well be the presence of a set of prominently worn goggles, since they have come to be a sort of unofficial symbol of authority. The "Goggleheads" are, in order: Tai Kamiya, Davis Motomiya, Takato Matsuki, Takuya Kanbara, and Daimon Masaru.