I've reviewed the TV series and the Movies, now celebrating the 15th anniversary I'm going to talk about Digivolution and the different types, tools and effects.
Digivolution Types
Standard:
Standard Digivolution, known simply as Digivolution, is how the In-Training and Rookie stages of each Adventure/Adventure 02 Digimon reach the next respective Digivolutionary stage. It should be noted that in 'Digimon: The Movie' Angewoman, who is an Ultimate, digivolved into Mega-level Magnadramon seemingly without any special type of Digivolution although Angemon Warp Digivolves to gain his Mega-form.
Champion level is reached early on in Adventure yet it takes the newer four Digimon of Adventure 02 half the season to achieve this level. Where each Digivolutionary stage can be related to various ageing stages, Champion can be seen as the Digimon reaching their teenager years.
Digivolution in Tamers is reached through two methods, the first is via a Digivolution modify card and the second is through the In-Training Digimon Calumon. Calumon seemed to be the only method before the modify card was revealed and I'll get into both more when I talk about the tools of Digivolution but Tamers didn't make it simple to Digivolve.
Dark Digivolution:
Dark Digivolution is first seen in Adventure but is never named until Adventure 02. In the Adventure/02 series this type of Digivolution only affects Greymon as in Adventure he is forced to digivolve into Ultimate by Tai which causes him to digivolve into SkullGreymon as opposed to his true Ultimate form of MetalGreymon. In Adventure 02 under the Digimon Emperor's control Greymon accidentally keeps digivolving into SkullGreymon until the Emperor perfects a way of controlling Ultimates and therefore digivolves into a Virus-type MetalGreymon.
Dark Digivolution is shown again in Tamers as a livid Takato orders WarGrowlmon to digivolve into Mega. This forces a dark digivolution to happen turning WarGrowlmon into Mega-level Megidramon. Like SkullGreymon he is an abomination but a Mega-level abomination and is almost destroyed because of it.
Ultimate:
Ultimate Digivolution, again just called Digivolution in Adventure/02 is how the Adventure season Digimon reached what I call their Adult stage. For half of them this was their most powerful stage but for the other half, namely Agumon, Gabumon, Patamon and Gatomon there were higher stages they could reach. This stage is achieved through each DigiDestined activating the power of their respective crests. So for example when Greymon first digivolved into MetelGreymon this was because Tai showed great courage in overcoming his fears and facing square off against Etemon.
Warp Digivolution:
Warp Digivolution is the transition from Rookie to Mega, Mega being the Elder stage. Keeping in mind I've only watch three seasons, this type of Digivolution has only been reached by three different Digimon; Agumon, Gabumon and Impmon. As such it's one of the rarest types of Digivolution seen in the series. It should also be noted that in 'Digimon: The Movie' Angemon, a Champion-level, Warp Digivolved into Mega-level Seraphimon. It's unknown as to whether this was a dubbing error or simply how all Digimon achieve Mega-level at any stage. In Tamers, Impmon is given the power to Warp Digivolve by the Deva Caturamon and in the real world is seemingly able to do it at will.
Armor Digivolution:
Armor Digivolution is a form of Digivolution introduced in Adventure 02 as a way of combating the Digimon Emperor's Control Spires and Dark Digivice which prevented the original Digivolution process. As Armor Digimon they are treated as an in-between stage of Rookie and Champion. This form of Digvolution is 'unlocked' by means of special Digi-Eggs which contain the power of the Original DigiDestined's crests. The new three Digimon are given two Armor forms each and Patamon & Gatomon have their own Armor forms which expand their Digivolutionary stages.
Golden Armor Digivolution:
Golden Armor Digivolution has only ever been achieved twice. In the animé series Veemon unlocked this form upon activating the Digi-Egg of Miracles. In 'Digimon: The Movie' both Veemon and Terriermon unlocked their respective forms. Although the latter is taken out of continuity because of the former. It just seems to be a more powerful form of Armor Digivolving but rarer than Warp Digivolution.
DNA Digivolution:
DNA Digivolution is actually first seen in 'Digimon: The Movie' in the 'Our War Game!' segment where WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon merge as one to form Omnimon. This is essentially the explanation of this digivolution, two Digimon merge as one higher level Digimon. This is further explored in Adventure 02 when the new DigiDestined pair off with eachother; First ExVeemon & Stingmon, then Aquilamon & Gatomon and finally Ankylomon & Angemon. This gives them all a new Ultimate level in the forms of Paildramon, Silphymon and Shakkoumon respectively.
Mega Digivolution:
Mega Digivolution allows an Ultimate Digimon to digivolve to Mega and has only happened once in Adventure 02 when Paildramon digivolves to Imperialdramon. Again some might argue that Angewoman digivolving into Magnadramon could be Mega Digivolving but it's never stated.
Mode Change:
Mode Change occurs when a Digimon becomes a different version of itself, remaining the same level but a different form. This has occurred twice while I've seen the series with Imperialdramon in the Adventure 02 season and Gallantmon in the Tamers season. It doesn't necessarily make them stronger or more powerful but it gives them a different level of strength and power.
Matrix Digivolution:
Matrix Digivolution occurs only in Tamers and it's how our main three Digimon reach Ultimate-level. The way of which they reach this level is through a Blue Modify Card which I'll get more into in Tools for Digivolution.
Biomerge Digivolution:
Biomerge Digivolution is the most human-interacting form of Digivolution there's been up to that point. I think Fusion went leaps and bounds ahead but I lost interest after this season. Biomerge has elements of both Warp and DNA Digivolution as it combines the Digimon with their human partner to achieve Mega-level. This happened to Guilmon, Terriermon, Renamon, Cyberdramon and their respective partners. I love this form of Digivolution but it's never shown how negative it could be as in if the Mega is close to being deleted will the human also be killed? Thoughts and opinions are welcome.
Shining Digivolution:
Shining Digivolution is the only attack of In-Training Digimon Calumon. This attack releases all of Calumon's Digivolution energy and forces all Digimon to achieve Mega-level. Why this doesn't affect the Partner Digimon is beyond me but in the episode 'Janyu's Ark' it is pretty cool seeing all those Megas including MetalSeadramon, Machinedramon, Diaboromon and Kenta's new partner MarineAngemon.
Tools of Digivolution:
So there are various tools, devices and helpers that assist in the various types of Digivolution.
Digivices:
Digivices are a DigiDestined's main gadget, they are based on the Digimon Virtual Pet toys which kicked off this whole franchise back in 1997 so it's only fitting that they are a staple for every season. Their primary function is to help the DigiDestined's partner Digimon to digivolve but each season has their own form of Digivice which come with individual features.
While the Adventure/02 series continues the same story, the digivices of the Original DigiDestined and New DigiDestined are different, with the new group's being named D-3s. T.K. and Kari, who continue on the team after Adventure, have their original digivices altered into D-3s just before receiving their Digi-Eggs. With the original digivices features of tracking other digivices, telling the time and emitting beams of light which can purify evil Digimon as well as restrain them, the D-3s can also open Digi-Ports to the digital world. Ken's Dark Digivice had the inverse effect of normal digivices and instead of allowing Digivolution inhibited it but this was rectified when he was freed from the darkness.
In Tamers, digivices were called D-Powers. As well as the standard digivice settings, d-powers can also coincide with Modify cards to equip and strengthen their Digimon. This is the first season we see digivices either destroyed or made inactive with Takato and Jeri respectively; Takato having forced WarGrowlmon to dark digivolve that it destroyed his D-Power so he gained a new one, and Jeri who after Leomon was destroyed it just died.
Crests:
The crests are of dual-significance. The first is, as they are called in the Japanese version, the crests are traits which each Original DigiDestined embodies and the second is their physical manifestation in tablet form slotted into tags that the kids where around their necks. When the traits are exhibited by the individual DigiDestined, like if Matt shows strong sense of friendship or Izzy exhibits a strong sense of knowledge then the crests glow and the respective Digimon partners can digivolve from Champion to Ultimate.
In Adventure 02 another crest, the Crest of Kindness, is shown and is owned by Ken given to him after his redemption as the Digimon Emperor. While Ken never uses the crest for its primary use in digivolving Wormmon, it is used to stop an explosion that could potentially wipe out the digital world.
Digi-Eggs:
Digi-Eggs, unlike their standard forms used for hatching Fresh Digimon, are used for Armor Digivolution in Adventure 02. The three new DigiDestined were given two each; Davis had Courage & Friendship, Yolei had Love & Sincerity and Cody had Knowledge & Reliability. T.K. and Kari received Digi-Eggs of their own traits, Hope & Light respectively, and Ken would've received the Digi-Egg of Kindness as he did in other media but not in the animé. Each DigI-Egg seemed to embody the Digimon who originally held the trait, i.e. Flamedramon embodied the fire of Agumon and Shurimon embodied the horticulture of Palmon, and if you examine the entirety of an Armored Digimon's body you should be able to find the related trait symbol somewhere.
There are also two Golden Digi-Eggs, Miracles & Destiny, while the Golden Digi-Egg of Destiny is only seen in 'Digimon: The Movie' used by Willis, the Golden Digi-Egg of Miracles is seen both in the movie and the animé used by Davis and possibly making that third instalment of the movie non-canon.
D-Terminals:
D-Terminals are pocket computers from the real world primarily used for sending emails but are unexpectedly able to store Digi-Eggs. I say unexpected as the Digimon Sovereigns, namely Azulongmon, didn't foresee this advantage to the DigiDestined. The main thing I like about this device is that all the Adventure/02 DigiDestined seem to use them, Tai and Izzy are seen with them and all the new DigiDestined own them.
Modify Cards:
The true die-hard Digimon fans collected, traded and played with the Digimon cards which are this franchise's version of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Tamers exploits this product to the maximum as the kids use these cards to equip their Digimon partners with either attacks, enhancements, or Digivolutions. Some are a nice throwback to the Adventure series as we see cards like 'WarGreymon: Brave Shield' 'Thor's Hammer' and 'Digmon's Drill'. Others hold a slight more importance like the Digivolution card or a Red Card used in the finalé to help defeat the D-Reaper.
The Blue Card I always saw as the rarest and one of the most important aspects of the series. It is essentially a wish granter as any card can be turned Blue if the user wishes it enough. Also if said card is swiped through a Card Swiper or similar devices then that device becomes a D-Power. Imagine if it was used at a checkout? It's primary use is to unlock Matrix Digivolution and I never fully understood why Kazu never used this with Guardromon but I digress.
Similarities to Pokémon Evolution:
There are always going to be comparisons between Digimon and Pokémon not least because the success of Pokémon spawned franchises like Digimon. In terms of the Evolution vs. Digivolution debate I prefer Digivolution purely because when a Pokémon evolves it can't reverse the process, in Digimon at least they could de-digivolve or degenerate depending on who you ask. This is the process from which the Digimon would revert back to either their primary forms, mainly Rookie but Champion in Gatomon's case and Ultimate in Cyberdramon's, this could happen at any level but when they first Digivolve to a new level or use up all their energy in a battle then they may revert back to In-Training or even Fresh form.
So that's my overview on Digivolution, this also concludes my Nostalgia series on Digimon in commemoration of the 15th Anniversary. I've had a great month doing these, they've been a welcome distraction sometimes and I've enjoyed having a reason to revisit one of my favourite nostalgic TV series'. Let me know your thoughts and feelings about these posts and I hope you check out my other posts.
