Ranking the First Five Digimon Series

1–2. Digimon Adventure & Digimon Adventure 02

I don't think I can separate the two series. They are so intertwined and I love both. 

As a kid, I did not get to watch the first Digimon Adventure in its entirety because I got to it late, so Digimon Adventure 02 was the series I was most invested while growing up. It is also the most nostalgic one for me to this day.

I really like both series. The Vamdemon arc from Digimon Adventure and the International Travel arc from Digimon Adventure 02 are my most favourite arcs in the two series.

In Digimon Adventure, Angewomon and HolyAngemon's Kanzentai 完全体 evolutions are perfectly built up. I like how HolyAngemon owned the climax in defeating Piemon because all the other Digimon got turned into dolls (this scene scared me as a kid). 

My favourite Kyuukyokutai 究極体 evolution to this day will have to be Imperialdramon from Digimon Adventure 02 (not a fan of the Fighter Mode though).

Ichijōji Ken's storyline in Digimon Adventure 02 is also very well-written. Growing up, I could definitely relate to it.

3. Digimon Savers (Digimon Data Squad)

In Digimon Savers, I am a fan of the more mature, institutionalized-agency approach (DATS) that links the real world to the Digital World. 

There are also great lessons echoed throughout the series:

• Sometimes you just have to stop calculating, and power through challenges
• But, there are moments where being analytical will work to your advantage
• Being in a team with different people of different strengths could allow you to achieve greater goals than you could accomplish alone

I really like how the main trio (Masaru, Tōma, and Yoshino) plus Ikuto getting their full moments—they all overcome challenges in one way or another to have their Digimon partners evolve all the way to Kyuukyokutai 究極体 as well as their respective Burst Mode バーストモード.

The pacing is great too. I remember how Agumon, Gaomon, and Lalamon all got to evolve to Kyuukyokutai 究極体 at the same time after their partners trained with Banchōleomon. I think this is the right call, because there is yet another evolution (Burst Mode バーストモード) where each of them will have their own moment (otherwise it would be too repetitive).

I also like how many side characters there are with their Digimon partners, where all of them got to evolve at least to Kanzentai 完全体:

• Captain Satsuma with Kudamon (evolved to Sleipmon, Kyuukyokutai 究極体)
• Chief Yushima with Kamemon (evolved to Shawujinmon, Kanzentai 完全体)
• Chika and Piyomon (evolved to Garudamon, Kanzentai 完全体)
• Daimon Suguru with Banchōleomon (evolved to Burst Mode バーストモード)
• Kurosaki Miki 黒崎 美樹 with Black Pawnchessmon (evolved to Rookchessmon, Kanzentai 完全体)
• Shirakawa Megumi 白川 恵 with White Pawnchessmon (evolved to Bishopchessmon, Kanzentai 完全体)

Fun Fact: Kurosaki Miki 黒崎 美樹 and Shirakawa Megumi's 白川 恵 Japanese surnames match the colour of their Pawnchessmon partners—in Japanese, "Kuro 黒" is black and "Shiro 白" is white)

4. Digimon Tamers

I like the more mature, darker undertones of the storyline. Like Digimon Savers, I am a fan of how the main trio (Takato, Jianliang, and Ruki) getting their full moments to evolve all the way to Kyuukyokutai 究極体.

Merging the kids and their Digimon partners to attain Kyuukyokutai 究極体 was a great concept as it heightened the stakes and the kids' involvement in the battles, as opposed to the two previous Digimon series where the kids are more on the sidelines (don't get me wrong, the original evolutions are pretty great, but I like Tamers' approach just a little more).

Also, the Renamon > Kyuubimon > Taomon > Sakuyamon evolution line is very aesthetic. The East-Asian cultural infusion of yin-yang, and the mythical nine-tailed fox to Renamon's evolution concept is very well executed and it is my favourite evolution line.

5. Digimon Frontier

I don't mind the concept of human evolving into Digimons—I think it's a natural progression after what we see in Tamers, where the Tamers trio merged with their Digimon partners to attain Kyuukyokutai 究極体 evolutions.

What I'm not a fan of comes in the second half of the series, where Takuya and Kouji kept getting powered up and everyone else is two evolutions behind. It became Takuya and Kouji's show:

• Takuya and Kouji got Double Spirit Evolutions and nobody else did
• Takuya and Kouji hoarded everyone else's spirits for Hyper Spirit Evolutions and nobody else got to evolve, at all

Once Hyper Spirit Evolution became a thing, the rest of the kids (Izumi, Junpei, Tomoki, and Kōichi) don't even get to participate in important battles! Sure, they helped out (for example, when they moved and secured the Digi-eggs in the trains), but these are side character jobs. The plot could have made it so that Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon are agile enough to move everything on their own, or perhaps some other Digimon from neighbouring regions could fly in and help out.

At least in Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02, the rest of the kids are pretty much only one evolution behind, and they get to participate in important battles together.

Over and Out

I like all five Digimon series, and even though I ranked Digimon Tamers at No. 4, it's just because I like Digimon Savers a tad more. I would change parts of Digimon Frontier here and there, but it's not bad as a series.

I could not get into Digimon Xros Wars. There's too much Shoutmon and robots.

From the five Digimon series, these are my favourite things:

• Favourite arcs: Vamdemon arc (Digimon Adventure) and International Travel arc (Digimon Adventure 02)
• Favourite Kyuukyokutai 究極体 evolution: Imperialdramon (Digimon Adventure 02)
• Favourite evolution line: Renamon > Kyuubimon > Taomon > Sakuyamon (Digimon Tamers)
• Favourite character development: Ichijōji Ken (Digimon Adventure 02)
• Favourite evolution build-up: Angewomon and HolyAngemon (Digimon Adventure)
• Favourite storyline pacing: Digimon Savers

Spark a Conversation

Which Digimon series have you watched? What are your favourite moments?