The Digimon vs Pokemon debate has been one of the biggest anime rivalries since immemorial.
While the Digimon and Pokemon franchises have "mon" in their names, they're independent and successful in their own ways.
Our team researched and compiled the differences and similarities of both popular children's anime.
How Is Pokemon Different From Digimon?
The Japanese franchises came out at very similar times, albeit pokémon (or Pocket Monsters) anime came out first; Pokémon fans have accused Digimon (Digital Monsters) of imitation.
However, these are baseless accusations, and if you watch them, you'll know exactly what we're talking about.
For one, Pokemons exist as real-world creatures like regular animals, while Digimons hail from a digital realm.
Both Digimon and Pokemon have unique storylines, themes, character designs, toys, and video games.
A Closer Look At Their Differences
History & Origin
Most people know Digimon and Pokemon because their anime aired on TV in the late 90s. However, they didn't actually start there.
The Japanese version of the Pokémon video game first came out in 1996 for the Nintendo Gameboy and led to trading card games in the same year. The popularity of the first game earned it the right to be a standalone Pokémon anime [1]. But when do fans celebrate Pokemon Day?
On the other hand, the Digital Monster, or Digimon, started as virtual pets like Tamagotchi—the main difference is that Digimon creatures could engage in combat with others. They gained similar popularity, which resulted in a Digimon anime in 1999.
Popularity
The question of popularity is debatable. There are avid fans from the two franchises who argue theirs is better than the other. Unfortunately, if we look at the sheer number of anime fans, Pokemon takes the cake vs. Digimon Adventure.
Thanks to the continuing seasons up until the time of writing, new fans are added to the roster. Plus, unlike the Digimon story, which taps into multiverses, the Pokémon storyline is easier to follow. Pokémon games are also much more popular than the Digimon franchise.
Continuity & Development
As mentioned above, the Pokémon story is an easier franchise to understand. It simply follows the life of Ash Ketchum and his trusted Pokemon, Pikachu, as he trains and battles to become one of the best Pokémon trainers in the world. But how many Pokemon are there?
Meanwhile, Digimon episodes focused on young teens sent to the digital world, inhibited by Digimons. The "DigiDestined" protagonists, as the show puts it, are set on a quest to save the real world and the digital world from evil.
Trainers
Pokemon trainers are the people who catch, train, care for, and combat with other Pokemon trainers. The main protagonist, Ash Ketchum, is an example of this.
For the Digimon franchise, the generic term to call people who partner with Digimons is tamers. On Digimon seasons, they're called DigiDestined when benevolent beings select a child to protect the digital world. Based on the strength of the DigiDestined, the Digimon may undergo "digivolution."
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The animes have their strengths, but their approach could be more similar.
Unlike the fun, lighthearted, and adventure-filled Pokemon, Digimon gets darker as the first season progresses. The show tackles mature themes like depression and evil, so it ages well and gets more interesting for some.
Although Pokemon has some evil villains like Team Rocket, they don't amount up to Digimon's level. The Pokemon series focuses more on friends, battles that are more like a new game than a fight, etc. But what's the proper way to watch Pokemon in order?
Power & Abilities
Both Pokémon and Digimon have powers and abilities. Pokémon's nature influences their power. For example, an electric-type Pokémon like Pikachu attacks with electricity or "thunderbolt."
On the other hand, Digimon has its own set of abilities, too, but not as pronounced or declared as with Pokémon. Tamers don't command their Digimon to make certain moves; say, Taichi doesn't need to scream, "Agumon spit fireballs!" for the latter to attack.
Most of the time, tamers or DigiDestined fight alongside them.
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Characters & Creatures (Natures & Types)
The natures of Pokemons and Digimons are entirely different. Pokemons are like animals endowed with special powers but can't talk or interact like normal people do. Meanwhile, Digimons are created from data that live in virtual realms.
Pokemon types refer to the elements associated with the creature. Each type has strengths and weaknesses. For example, a fire type like Charizard is weak against a water type like Gyarados. For the most part, these rock-paper-scissor relationships make the quality of play more interesting and cool.
Death & Re-generation
When a Pokémon dies, it stays dead. Remember that they're only powered animals with bones and flesh.
On the other hand, Digimon may also die but since they're made of data, they can reconfigure and reboot back into a "digiegg" and undergo the same growth and development process as they gather data and experience.
Story Line & Concept
Pokémon and Digimon have amusing stories and plotlines that impart invaluable lessons like friendship and compassion.
However, Digimon features more mature themes and topics that relate to real life. Conflicts and battles against evil villains are more emphasized. Meanwhile, for Pokémon, although there are some villains, each episode is more lighthearted and fun rather than conflicting.
Even fans of Pokémon will agree that Digimon is darker, especially in Ken's Digimon Emperor arc or Jeri's possession by the D-Reaper storyline in Digimon Tamers.
Villains
In terms of character design and villain quality, Digimon is way better. Since the central theme of Digimon is darker, the villains pose a greater threat to the Digimon world. They talk in a more mature theme and get increasingly better with every passing episode.
On the other hand, Pokémon villains are less ominous. You certainly won't feel chilly every time Ash goes against Team Rocket.
Evolutions
Pokémon evolution and Digivolution have their similarities. For one, they evolve into strong and powerful forms.
Digimons power up through Digivolution, which is affected by their tamer's age, inherent strength, and energy. When strength is depleted or Digimons are mortally wounded, they revert from their "digivolve" state back to normal.
Pokémon evolutions, on the other hand, are independent of humans. The main characters evolve naturally due to age, strength, battle experience, or the stone used. An example is Pikachu evolving to Raichu.
Main Cast
In Pokémon, the focus is on Ash Ketchum's journey to become the best Pokémon trainer. He is usually accompanied by two other main characters, with the remaining cast serving as fleeting supporting characters.
In contrast, Digimon features a larger main cast, each with distinct backstories and roles in the plot. While certain group members, such as Taichi and Yamato, may receive more screen time, the other Digimon partners remain consistently present.
Games
As for the games, Digimon have had success with Digimon: Cyber Sleuth, but that one Digimon game is incomparable to the many successful Pokémon games (collecting new Pokemon, gym badges, and friends).
Aside from the Digimon Trading Card Game, what intrigues fans most is the real-world connection that Digimon World has over Pokémon and the likelihood that Digimon VR will be cohesive with the anime.
Although Game Freak and other developers can produce better Pokémon VR than Pokemon Go, we're hopeful for a new generation of Digimon games. So, who's the best Pokemon player ever?
How Are They Similar?
Pokémon and Digimon, despite their differences, share slime themes. One of the most notable is the connection between a Digimon with a tamer and Pokémon with their trainers. Although the former are virtual creatures, the idea of having a super-power companion is uncanny.
Both also have the concept of evolution, except that Pokémon evolution is more permanent than Digimon's.
Lastly, Pokemon and Digimon fans will talk smack to defend the shows to the death.
FAQs
Is Digimon a rip-off of Pokémon?
No. Pokemon came first before Digimon, but the latter is not a rip-off of Pokemon. They're unique in their own ways, with distinct characters, storylines, and plots.
It's safer to say that Digimon Adventure is a ripoff of Tamagotchi as the popular monster show is indeed based on Tamagotchi [2].
Which is older Digimon or Pokémon?
Pokémon is older as the games were published in 1996 - a year before the Digimon gameplay was released as the "masculine" counterpart of the female-oriented Tamagotchi.
The anime for Pokémon was also released in 1997, while Digimon became a show in 1999. Given the slim time difference, it's safe to say no one ripped the other off.
Why is Digimon not as popular as Pokemon?
Digimon didn't achieve the same level of popularity as Pokémon because of its weaker marketing strategy in the US.
Additionally, Digimon [3] aired on TV concurrently with Pokémon's peak popularity, overshadowing its presence.
Furthermore, the surface similarities between Digimon and Pokémon led some to perceive Digimon as a mere imitation of Pokémon, especially among those less familiar with Digimon's unique qualities.
Did Pokemon inspire Digimon?
Pokémon didn't directly inspire Digimon. Both franchises emerged around the same time in the 1990s and were influenced by the popularity of digital monsters and creatures in Japanese pop culture.
Despite their coincidental similarities, each franchise has distinct concepts, characters, and storylines.
Final Thoughts
Digimon vs Pokemon is one of the longest-running comparisons between two successful franchises. Contrary to popular belief, the level of similarities ends with the "monster" in their names because they follow very distinct paths.
Although both have succeeded in their rights, one is clearly more successful than the other based on sheer numbers.
Many argue that Digimon's story is better, but this is subjective and debatable. The merch, games, fans, and popularity ascribe to Pokemon [4] from an objective standpoint. Nonetheless, both are awesome shows, and we recommend you watch both!
If you're looking for Pokemon merchandise and Digimon collectibles, visit Toynk!
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