During 1999, something arrived in the UK which took the nation by storm: Pokémon! Within a very short space of time, it was hard not to walk around without some spotting reference to Pokémon somewhere. I myself didn’t get into it for a few months, but when I did, I was obsessed by it, much as everyone else was. Then, out of the blue; came Digimon! For many, Digimon looked like a rip-off of Pokémon, in that they shared the same suffix at the end of their name. Digimon however was not a rip-off of Pokémon. Yes, it had the same suffix, but Digimon originated as virtual pets more like Tamagotchi. The word ‘Mon’ at the end of the name is not a simply copy either, as the portmanteau of Pokémon means Pocket Monsters, so in that respect Digimon really stands for Digital Monsters.
We could probably go on all day talking about the differences, origins and which is the better out of the two, but that’s a post for another time. When the two first came to the UK, one of the standout products for both were in the form of a couple of Anime shows. Pokémon had one, and so did Digimon. Pokemon’s was more based on an adventure with an anthology collection of mini stories, with an arching sub plot. Digimon’s however was a complete story told as the series went on. My preference out of the two is the Digimon one, as the story and character development feels way superior over that of Pokémon’s.
In the UK, the first three Digimon series were shown on TV, but only the first two series were under the name Adventure, with series 3; Tamers, choosing not to follow on. Since the release of these two original series, a follow up series of films called Digimon Adventure Tri have been released, and most recently a reboot of the original series has been produced too (for this list though, as I have not seen the Tri series or the recent reboot; I will be focusing on the first two series).
When it comes to the villains of the show, the composure of both series is interesting, as the first series almost had a revolving door policy of villains, with at least five major villains of the show’s run. The second series, had less, but this meant that some villains were on for longer. Some villains of the show were great characters, whilst others were a bit dull at times. But, as I still have fond memories of this show, I thought it might be fun to do a list of my stand out favourite villains from the show. So, without further ado; here are my Top 5 Favourite Digimon Adventure Villains; Enjoy!
5. The Dark Masters – The first series of Digimon Adventure had five major villain arch’s, one of those arch’s however was comprised of four characters simply known as the Dark Masters. Each Dark master had their own traits, which made an interesting mix of characters. Firstly you had MetalSeadramon; a mega evolved version of one of the show’s earliest mini villains, with an almost rock star attitude. Puppetmon; a wooden puppet designed character with a powerful arsenal of weaponry, and mind games to match. Machinedramon; a silent but deadly giant robot with malicious intent. And finally, Piedmon; a clown dressed Digimon who had many tricks up his sleeve. Altogether they made a very powerful combo, which required a process of elimination to take them all out, rather than all at once!
4. MetalEtemon – Etemon‘s first stint in the Digimon Adventure series is nothing to sing about. He didn’t carry much charisma and after a time became just a bit annoying. He did though have one redeeming quality: when he returned! During the DigiDestined‘s fight against the Dark Masters, he came back out of nowhere to throw a wrench into the situation. He also came back with a much more improved personality, and even a cool rock song. He only lasted a couple of episodes in this new MetalEtemon stage, but it was definitely worth it!
3. Apocalymon – Much like MetalEtemon above, this character appeared for only a couple of episodes, but what an introduction it was! He appeared out of the blue, in the penultimate episode of the series. A big surprise in the previous episode just as the last of the Dark Masters was defeated. He was introduced via a brief, but mysterious introduction, but the details of which applied to a mysterious previous villain, with Apocalymon’s being on the same grounds. When he arrived on the scene, he blasted out a range of metaphors that just made you feel sorry for him! You can’t help but agree that he makes a good point, and his desire to rule the world is out of a sense of loneliness, in his world of misery!
2. Yukio Oikawa – Yukio Oikawa is an anomaly on this list, as he is the only one on here that is not a Digimon. Oikawa is a human with a dark and sad past. Growing up, he and a friend discovered the Digital World and made a pact to visit it. But when his friend died; Oikawa was devastated! When the original series of Adventure entered the real world, he saw the DigiDestined leave it to go back, and wanted so desperately to join them, in turn making a pact with a mysterious voice promising him to take him there. Oikawa then became a mysterious figure in the latter stages of the second series, becoming the mastermind behind and creator behind major events in the series. All this though fell apart as the real mastermind became known. Oikawa is a very tragic character in the series, as through desperation and loneliness falls prey to a major villain, being manipulated into doing their work. His death though at the end of the series, is a very powerful moment, and one of the stand out moments from the entire show’s series; as he goes from major villain to a major hero!
1. Myotismon – Myotismon is a vampire Digimon, who makes an appearance in the mid stage of the first series, and becomes the show’s defining villain. He carried a level of charm and charisma that made him stand out above all the villains before and since. He was able to come up with incredible plans that spanned across whole episodes and story arch’s, and his knowledge and ideas made him a dangerous opponent, even before the DigiDestined had a chance to meet him. He had influence, and power, and was a villain to be feared. He carried that little bit je ne sais quoi, that made him stick in your mind. And like a good villain, he wasn’t easy to defeat, and just kept coming back, harder and stronger, and hungrier for more!
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