Digivolution
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Digivolution is a fictional term used in the Digimon: Digital Monsters anime series. It is a process used by Digimon, monsters that inhabit a parallel universe called the Digital World that spawned from Earth's communication networks. Through Digivolution a Digimon can develop into a more powerful being. The original Japanese version of the anime simply uses the term "shinka" (進化) for this process; "shinka" translates literally to "evolution."
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[edit] Concept
Digimon reside in the Earth's various electronic networks as well as in the Digital World. As they are essentially computer data they can download additional data to themselves, which makes them stronger. If they download enough data Digivolution is triggered. During Digivolution the Digimon's appearance and attributes change, and it becomes stronger than it was before. The resultant form of the Digimon almost always has a different name than the previous. However, the Digimon's consciousness remains unchanged. Once a Digimon evolves its data-loading requirements increase. If it does not absorb enough data it will get sick or revert to a lower Digivolutionary level.
Digimon can load data from each other as well as from the environment. When Digimon are deleted (i.e., killed) they break apart into innumerable bits of data that can be easily absorbed by other Digimon.
Digimon partnered with humans can absorb the data of their enemies but otherwise the normal Digivolution requirements do not apply to them. Their humans provide the energy needed to make them "Digivolve."
In all Digimon anime a partner Digimon will shout out its type of Digivolution immediately before Digivolving and then shout out its new name immediately after, hence the examples of "Agumon Digivolve to . . . Greymon (Agumon shinka! Greymon)!" and "Imperialdramon Mode Change to . . . Fighter Mode (Imperialdramon Mode Change! Fighter Mode)!"
[edit] Digivolutionary Levels
- Digitama (Digi-Egg in the English dub)
- Fresh (Baby in the English dub, Baby I in Japanese)
- In-Training (Baby II in Japanese)
- Rookie (Child in Japanese)
- Champion (Adult in Japanese)
- Ultimate (Perfect in Japanese)
- Mega (Ultimate or Final in Japanese)
[edit] Effects of Digivolution
Digimon have several Digivolutionary stages. When a Digimon Digivolves, it goes into a higher stage. The appearance of the Digimon can resemble its previous level or it can have no relationship to it at all. Usually, the resultant Digimon is larger than the previous form, though there are several exceptions (e.g., MetalGreymon to WarGreymon or Salamon to Gatomon).
A variety of changes can occur via Digivolution. Each Digimon and Digivolutionary stage has a different effect. A Digimon may have arms and legs when it had none before, become bipedal when it was quadrupedal (or vice versa), or even change from non-humanoid to humanoid form. There are too many physical changes possible for them to all be listed here.
Though Digivolution is named after the theory of evolution, it is in practice closer to metamorphosis, though there is also an element of aging involved (hence the Japanese names of the Digivolutionary levels). When real living things age they slowly change from one life stage into another (e.g., an infant ages into a toddler, a toddler into a preteen and so on). However, Digivolution is instantaneous and is not necessarily permanent.
[edit] De-Digivolution
In the Digimon anime the Digimon partners of the DigiDestined children often return to their Rookie forms after fighting a battle in a higher one. This regression in the Digivolutionary scale is referred to as "De-Digivolution." When a Digimon is severely wounded it can revert to a lower level and thus avoid deletion. Through recuperation and training, the Digimon can evolve to a higher level again.
Sometimes when a Digimon attacks another it will sap that Digimon's energy instead of deleting it, causing the host to De-Digivolve.
[edit] Types of Digivolution
[edit] Digivolve
Digivolve (Evolve 進化 Shinka), the most common form of Digivolution. A Digimon morphs into a higher stage as previously discussed. In Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02 and the first Digimon video games (including the original Digimon virtual pet) it is a natural process that parallels aging. (Very few Digimon live long enough to naturally evolve to the Mega level.) However, a human can act as a catalyst for Digivolution so that the Digimon he or she is partnered with can Digivolve at will.
In Digimon Tamers it is more difficult to trigger Digivolution in partner Digimon. In this universe, the ultimate source of Digivolution for every Digimon is Calumon, an In-Training Digimon created by the Digital World's gods, the Digimon Sovereigns, to put the power of Digivolution in a space small enough so that it couldn't be detected by the malicious computer program D-Reaper.[1] A Digimon’s Tamer must swipe a Digivolution card[2] into their D-Power Digivice as an activator for Calumon to give them Digivolution energy. (Though Calumon is sentient his energy is sent to Digimon automatically. He does trigger Digivolution for the Tamers on his own on several occasions, however.) To Digivolve to the Ultimate level, a partner Digimon is sent the energy of a Blue Card via the D-Power, as well as being given some of Calumon’s energy.
In Digimon Savers a human partner evokes a DigiSoul within themselves. A DigiSoul is a manifestation of a human partner's emotions that they can send to their Digimon to prompt evolution. Some non-partnered Digimon feed off the negative thoughts of people to evolve in this series.
In each series it is possible for a swarm of Fresh or In-Training Digimon to combine into one Digimon of a higher level. As this method of evolution produces a Digimon with once consciousness it cannot be considered a type of DNA Digivolution.
[edit] Super Evolve / Matrix Digivolve / Perfect Evolution (Champion to Ultimate)
Super Evolve (超進化 Chō Shinka) is the Japanese term for when a Digimon evolves from their Champion (Adult) stage to their Ultimate (Perfect). This is a normal evolution in the English Adventure and Adventure 02 dubs. In the original series, this was done by combining the powers of the children's Crests
Exclusively in Digimon Tamers the Champion-to-Ultimate progression is called Matrix Digivolution. It is triggered through the aforementioned examples of Calumon and the Blue Cards. In the Japanese version of the series this is also what Biomerging is called.
In Digimon Savers, Perfect Evolution is a method used by the members of DATS (Digital Accident Tactics Squad) to evoke a stronger version of the DigiSoul.
[edit] Warp Digivolve / Ultimate Evolution
Warp Digivolve (Warp Evolve ワープ進化 Wāpu Shinka) is used in Adventure and Adventure 02. When a partner Digimon at the Rookie or Champion level is given enough power from an external source it will Digivolve directly to the Mega level. For example, to get to his Mega, WarGreymon, Agumon (a Rookie) would normally have to Digivolve to Greymon (Champion), then to MetalGreymon (Ultimate) and finally WarGreymon. With Warp Digivolution he does not have to wait to evolve to the Champion and Ultimate levels.
In Digimon Tamers Impmon gains the ability to Warp Digivolve to Beelzemon,[3] though it is never actually called Warp Digivolution in the series.
Unpartnered Digimon can Warp Digivolve to other levels besides Mega. In Digimon: The Movie the Rookie level Keramon Digivolved to Infermon, his Ultimate.
In Savers, it is Ultimate Evolution, where with enough DigiSoul, Masaru, Tohma and Yoshiro give their partners, Agumon, Gaomon and Lalamon to Digivolve into their Mega forms, ShineGreymon, MirageGaogamon and Rosemon.
[edit] Types of Special Digivolution
These methods of Digivolution branch out from the normal types.
[edit] Dark Digivolution
Dark Digivolution is a corrupt form of regular Digivolution. A Digimon Dark Digivolves when its partner coerces it to Digivolve forcefully. A Dark Digivolved Digimon is evil and perceives nothing but its urges to destroy, making it very dangerous. In Adventure Tai Kamiya pressured his partner Greymon to Digivolve to SkullGreymon (as opposed to MetalGreymon, his true Ultimate).[4] Greymon Dark Digivolved to SkullGreymon again[5] and then into a virus MetalGreymon[6] in Adventure 02 as a result of the Digimon Emperor. In Tamers, Takato Matsuki willed WarGrowlmon to become Megidramon, a Digimon so viciously powerful it almost destroyed the entire Digital World.[7]
[edit] Armor Digivolution
Armor Digivolve (Armor Evolution アーマー進化 Āmā Shinka) is the fusion of a Digimon with a Digi-Egg. (Known as "Digimentals" in Japanese, this type of Digi-Egg is used exclusively for Armor Digivolution.) It is featured in Adventure 02. It is an ancient form of Digivolution that developed when the Digital World was young and it was almost impossible to evolve even to the Champion level without assistance. There are eight types of Digi-Egg used in 02: Courage, Friendship, Love, Hope, Knowledge, Reliability, Sincerity, and Light. These correspond to the traits that each DigiDestined child holds.
A normal Armor level Digimon has less power than a normal Champion but more than a normal Rookie. There is a subsection of Armor Digivolving, Golden Armor Digivolution, which produces Digimon that have the power of a very strong Champion or a normal Ultimate.
A DigiDestined activates Armor Digivolution by shouting, "Digi-Armor Energize (Digimental Up!)!" For Golden Armor Digivolving (simply Armor Evolution in Japanese), "Golden Armor Energize!" is shouted.
[edit] DNA Digivolution
DNA Digivolve (Jogress Evolution ジョグレス進化 Joguresu Shinka) is a method of Digivolution used in Adventure 02. This method of Digivolution developed because the DigiDestined of 02 have no Tags or Crests (devices that amplify the amount of energy they give to their Digimon partners to help them Digivolve). With DNA Digivolution two Digimon combine into one Digimon of a higher level. Though the new Digimon has one body the minds of the two Digimon remain separate. When a DNA Digivolved Digimon speaks its voice consists of the original Digimon's voices uttered simultaneously. One of the Digimon can take control of the body for a short time and speak by itself, attack or otherwise have the body do things without needing the consent of the other Digimon. Izzy has also stated that DNA Digivolved Ultimates are considerably stronger than normal Ultimates, as the combined power of the two Champions is joined by extra data.
Digimon known to use DNA Digivolving in the anime are:
- WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon to Omnimon
- ExVeemon and Stingmon to Paildramon
- Gatomon and Aquilamon to Silphymon
- Ankylomon and Angemon to Shakkoumon
The Japanese term for DNA Digivolution, Jogress Evolution, is a portmanteau of the words "joint" and "progress."
[edit] Mega Digivolution (Ultimate Evolution)
This is a special type of Digivolution used only by Paildramon in Adventure 02. Like Tamers, this series has the Digimon Sovereigns, though only Azulongmon appears here. Azulongmon shared the energy of a DigiCore with the Adventure 02 partner Digimon, a ball of powerful energy that catalyzes Digivolution in a similar way to what Calumon does in Tamers. The other Digimon were at the In-Training stage and evolved to Rookies but the Ultimate level Paildramon, who was fighting a losing battle against a Triceramon at the time, Mega Digivolved to Imperialdramon and easily defeated it.[8]
[edit] Mode Change
Not really a Digivolution, a Mode Change (モード・チェンジ Mōdo・Chenji) occurs when a Digimon becomes a different version of its current species. The new mode is usually more powerful than the last. So far the only Digimon that can Mode Change are Imperialdramon, Gallantmon (Tamers), Beelzemon, ShineGreymon (Savers movie), MirageGaogamon (unknown), Alphamon (Digimon Chronicle, Digital Monster X-Evolution), Lucemon (Frontier), Belphemon (the Digimon card game) and Chronomon (Digimon World DS).
In exception to the general rule, when Belphemon changes into Sleep Mode he becomes weaker than he was before.
[edit] Warp DNA Digivolution
This special Digivolution was used in the English version of the second Adventure 02 movie, Return of Diaboromon. Agumon and Gabumon Digivolved together directly into Omnimon. (In Digimon: The Movie they combined to form Omnimon as their respective Megas, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon.)
[edit] Biomerge
Biomerge (Matrix Evolution マトリックス・エボリューション Matorikkusu・Eboryūshon) is used only in Digimon Tamers and its second movie, Runaway Locomon. It works like Warp Digivolution, but the partner Digimon literally evolves with its human Tamer. Unlike DNA Digivolution, the resultant Mega level Digimon has one consciousness. The Digimon and Tamer can feel each other's thoughts and feelings; a Biomerged Digimon's body always acts as one.
A Tamer activates Biomerging by commanding, "Biomerge Activate!" in the English dub. In Japanese Biomerging was simply another type of Matrix Evolution.
In the Japanese version of Tamers Biomerged Digimon speak with a single voice that is different from the Digimon's or the Tamer's. In English a Biomerged Digimon uses the voices of the Digimon and Tamer in a way that mirrors how DNA Digivolved Digimon speak.
[edit] Shining Digivolution
What is considered to be Calumon's attack. In Tamers, when Calumon released all of his Digivolution energy he caused every Digimon in the Digital World (except the Tamers' Digimon) to Digivolve to Megas.[9]
[edit] Hyper Bio Evolution
Hyper Bio Evolution (Haipā Bio Eboryūshon) is used in Savers. Kouki, Nanami and Ivan use this type of evolution to become BioThunderbirmon, BioCoatlmon and BioStegomon.
[edit] Hyper Bio Extra Evolution
Hyper Bio Extra Evolution (Haipā Bio Extra Eboryūshon) is used in Savers. It enables Kouki, Nanami and Kouki to become BioDarkdramon, BioLotusmon and BioSpinomon.
[edit] Dex Digivolution (Death Evolution)
Similar to Dark Digivolution, except the Digimon has died when it is forcibly Digivolved. Its data corrupted, it becomes a sinister undead Digimon.
Dorumon, the main Digimon in Digimon Chronicle and Digital Monster X-Evolution, was the first Digimon to have an entire "Dex" version of his normal Digivolutionary line.
[edit] Spirit Digivolution
These Digivolutions only appear in Digimon Frontier. They refer exclusively to when a DigiDestined child morphs into a Digimon. (The DigiDestined of this series can do this because they are each 'partnered' with the spirit of one of the ten deceased Legendary Warrior Digimon.)
Digimon can Digivolve with spirits as well, but this is not classified as Spirit Evolution.
[edit] Spirit Evolution
Spirit Evolution (スピリット・エボリューション Supiritto・Eboryūshon) categorizes the use of a spirit of a Legendary Warrior to Digivolve. There are two types: regular Spirit evolution, which results in a humanoid Digimon, and Beast Spirit Evolution, which produces a Digimon more similar to an animal but not necessarily devoid of humanoid features. These are called Human and Beast Digimon respectively. The Japanese version of Frontier refers to both types of evolution as Spirit Evolution.
[edit] Slide Evolution
Slide Evolution (スライド・エボリューション Suraido・Eboryūshon) is not actually an evolution. It is a convenient way for a human or Digimon to switch back and forth between Human or Beast forms.
Outside of the Frontier universe normal Digimon can perform a type of Slide Evolution. In Digimon Savers a Drimogemon, a Champion, morphed into a Digmon,[10] a Digimon that was at the Armor level in Adventure 02 but is reclassified as a Champion in Savers.
[edit] Fusion Evolution
Fusion Evolution (Double Spirit Evolution ダブル・スピリット・エボリューション Doburu・Supiritto・Eboryūshon) is the merging of a Human and Beast spirit of the same element to form a Digimon that has twice the power that a single Human or Beast spirit can carry. Only two of the DigiDestined, Takuya Kanbara (keeper of the Fire spirit) and Koji Minamoto (keeper of Light), use Fusion Evolution in Frontier. The appearance of a Fusion Evolved Digimon can vary, but in the case of Aldamon (Takuya's Fusion) and Beowulfmon (Koji's) they are literally a mixture of features of their respective Human and Beast counterparts.
[edit] Unified Spirit Evolution
Unified Spirit Evolution (Hyper Spirit Evolution ハイパー・スピリット・エボリューション Haipā・Supiritto・Eboryūshon) is an evolution wherein the person evolving uses five of the ten Legendary Warrior spirits to evolve. Takuya and Koji are the only children to evolve in this way as well. Takuya uses the spirits of Fire, Wind, Ice, Earth, and Wood to become EmperorGreymon, and Koji takes the Light, Thunder, Darkness, Water, and Steel spirits to transform into MagnaGarurumon. The spirits of the other children are returned to them when EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon revert to Takuya and Koji.
[edit] Ancient Spirit Evolution
Ancient Spirit Evolution (エンチェント・スピリット・エボリューション Enchento・Supiritto・Eboryūshon) is the most powerful evolution in Digimon Frontier. All of the Legendary Warrior spirits combine at once to form Susanoomon, the most powerful Digimon obtained through a spirit. Susanoomon appears twice in Frontier; first Takuya and Koji evolve into him[11] and then in the final battle of the series all the DigiDestined (except Koichi Kimura) combine to form him.[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and References
- ^ "Azulongmon Explains It All." Digimon Tamers. Fox Kids. 2002-03-23.
- ^ In the Digimon Tamers universe there is a version of the Digimon trading card game that is very popular with children all over the world. If a child becomes the Tamer of a Digimon he or she can use these trading cards to modify various aspects of their Digimon. They can temporarily give them extra power or weapons, or in this case get them to Digivolve.
- ^ "Motorcycle Madness." Digimon Tamers. Fox Kids. 2002-02-09.
- ^ "The Arrival of SkullGreymon." Digimon Adventure. Fox Kids. 1999-10-05.
- ^ "The Emperor's New Home." Digimon Adventure 02. Fox Kids. 2000-09-23.
- ^ "The Captive Digimon." Digimon Adventure 02. Fox Kids. 2000-09-30.
- ^ "Lionheart." Digimon Tamers. Fox Kids. 2002-03-09.
- ^ "Dramon Power." Digimon Adventure 02. Fox Kids. 2001-03-31.
- ^ "Janyu's Ark." Digimon Tamers. Fox Kids. 2002-04-06.
- ^ "The New Team's First Outing! Pursuit Drimogemon!." Digimon Savers. Fuji TV. 2006-04-23.
- ^ "Lucemon on the Loose." Digimon Frontier. UPN. 2003-07-13.
- ^ "End of the Line." Digimon Frontier. UPN. 2003-07-14.
[edit] External Links
| Digimon | |
|---|---|
| Anime: | Anime overview | Adventure (Season 1) | Adventure 02 (Season 2) | Tamers (Season 3) | Frontier (Season 4) | Savers (Japan only) | Digital Monster X-Evolution (movie) |
| Mangas: | V-Tamer | Digimon Next | Digimon Chronicle | D-Cyber |
| Video Games: | Digimon World (and 2, 3, 4) | Digital Card Battle | Battle Spirit (and 1.5, 2) | Digimon Racing | Rumble Arena (and 2) | Digimon RPG | Digimon World DS | Digimon Savers: Another Mission | Anode/Cathode Tamer |
| Other: | Digimon card game | Digimon virtual pet | DigiDestined | Digivice | Digivolution | Digital World | List of Digimon | Chosen Digimon | List of human characters |
