digimonhandbook | Digimon - What Are Digimon?

[ What Are Digimon? ]

So! You want to know about Digimon, do you? Well, you've come to the right place! I, Nanomon, shall endeavor to tell you all that you need to know!

[ "Living Data" ]
[ Digital Lifeforms ]

To understand what Digimon are, you must first know about Digital Lifeforms. All examples of "living data" in the Digital World are Digital Lifeforms, including Digimon. However, not all Digital Lifeforms are Digimon.

Throughout the Digital World, you will see plants and small animals much like the kind you might see in your own worlds. These are primitive Digital Lifeforms, based on the data of said creatures. But what makes them living? The answer, in our world, is the kernel of artificial intelligence.

What is said "kernel", you ask? The kernel is the central programming that allows a Digital Lifeform to function on a higher Level than simple environmental programs. It governs behavior, biological processes, and other functions that make these creatures basically "alive".

For many of these Digital Lifeforms, this does not mean they are sapient, or necessarily even sentient. It simply means they have functions and behavior that are complex. Even digital plants operate under this principle, with their "behavior" being the function to propagate and thrive.

Throughout the Digital World, you will see creatures like this, from insects to birds and small mammals, or complex and bizarre plant-life to digital fish. However, they never reach the complexity or uniqueness of Digimon, who are by far the most dominant form of life in the Digital World.

[ What Makes A Digimon? ]

We now come to the heart of the matter. As I stated before, Digimon are Digital Lifeforms, but not all Digital Lifeforms are Digimon. What then, makes a Digimon a Digimon? There are several things that define them, but we'll start with their most important trait.

Remember earlier when I spoke of the kernel of artificial intelligence? For a Digimon, that is known as a DigiCore. A DigiCore is a spherical mass of data found inside each Digimon's body, containing all the data relevant to their existence. Not only that, it is analogous to both a Digimon's heart and a Digimon's brain, as it is the source of awareness and bodily function. The more spiritual of us may even refer to the DigiCore as a Digimon's soul.

The DigiCore differs from the kernel of other Digital Lifeforms by being more complex, affording most Digimon self awareness, intelligence, and the ability to reason. Where more simple Digital Lifeforms simply function based on commands like "feed" and "grow", Digimon have wants and desires. This all stems from the DigiCore.

There are other important traits of Digimon, though they are not as unique. Between the DigiCore and the rest of the body is a mass of data, which can either appear as a black void or a swirling mass of color. Formed around that is the wire frame, a kind of "skeleton" that gives a Digimon's body its shape and features. Stretched over that is the texture data which basically serves as a Digimon's "skin", defining its appearance.

Another thing that makes Digimon unique from other forms of digital life is the ability to perform special attacks. Special attacks are abilities unique to each Digimon that they use for offense and to defend themselves. These can take the form of anything from a simple spray of bubbles to devastating energy blasts, depending on the strength and evolutionary Level of each Digimon.

That brings us to another thing that makes Digimon distinct: their unique life cycle and ability to evolve...

[ Life Cycle and Evolution ]

To start off, a Digimon's life cycle begins as a Digi-Egg. A DigiEgg is, well, an egg that contains the data that will one day form into a Digimon. At this point, all that a Digimon will one day be is a mass of data yet to take form; not even the DigiCore has manifested yet. Only once the data has fully formed into a Digimon will the egg finally hatch.

The appearance of DigiEggs varies greatly. Pictured above are only a few of the many varieties. There is so much differentiation that it is considered impossible to determine what manner of Digimon an Egg will hatch into, and it seems wholly dependent on the individual.

It should be noted, that DigiEggs simply manifest when Data coalesces into one. Digimon do not in fact produce DigiEggs, and lack biological sexes and the ability to reproduce. Digimon do sometimes express a gender identity, but this is a matter of self-identification and is not always universal.

When a DigiEgg finally hatches, it is at the lowest Level possible for a Digimon: the Baby Level. Baby Digimon are normally primitive-looking, with weak special attacks and small bodies that usually, but not always, lack limbs. From here, they continue infancy at the Baby II Level, which is usually larger and fairly more complex but still relatively weak and unable to properly defend itself.

When Digimon change from one form to the next, they are undergoing evolution. Evolution occurs as a Digimon grows and takes in new data, whether it be in the form of food or absorbing it from their environment. Still others may evolve through external modification, though these forms tend to become available as natural evolutions for other Digimon once they appear.

These first two evolutionary Levels are passed through relatively quickly, finally they finally reach the Child Level, the first stage where a Digimon is capable of properly fighting. From there, they evolve to the Adult Level, then to Perfect, and finally the Ultimate Level. Each Level takes longer and longer to reach, with some Digimon never even reaching some of their higher evolutionary Levels in their lifetime.

When a Digimon's lifespan ends, whether it be by old age or physical injury, they do not "die" as other lifeforms do. Instead, they revert back into a DigiEgg to begin their life cycle anew. However, doing so is effectively a total reset, and results in the "death" of their previous personality. Therefore, a Digimon reborn from a DigiEgg is effectively a new individual entirely.

It should be noted that other forms of evolution occur outside of these norms. One is known as mode changing, in which Digimon change from one form to another and back again without advancing in evolutionary Level. This ability is usually exclusive to more highly evolved Digimon, though it has been known to exist at lower Levels as well. It is more akin to a transformation than a true evolution, but is listed here for the sake of being informative.

In this game, Some mode changes will available as separate evolutionary forms, while others will be listed as transformations that Digimon can perform freely. Which examples are which will be defined in each separate Handbook entry.

Another example is the rare Digimon who becomes a Super Ultimate Digimon, transcending the limits of the Ultimate Level and reaching an incredibly rare level of power. Very few Digimon have ever reached this Level, with some surely being lost to time.

Other evolution methods have existed in the Digital World's history. Known as Armor Evolution, Spirit Evolution, and DigiXros, these were achieved by individual Digimon using methods that no longer exist. Nevertheless, forms associated with these methods still exist in the form of natural evolutions.

Still another method is known as X-Evolution, which occurs when the DigiCore is exposed to what is known as the X-Antibody. When undergoing X-Evolution, a Digimon does not ascend to a higher Level and instead changes form and appearance, undergoing further mutations and releasing latent abilities. This can result in the appearance of new abilities and special attacks, as well as a drastically altered appearance.

What causes X-Evolution and the X-Antibody to develop in a Digimon's DigiCore is unknown, but it is believed to have first occurred in response to an calamity that occurred in the Digital World's distant past.

A Digimon partner contracting the X-Antibody and X-Evolving into a new form is available on request to the moderators. Please contact them if you wish to have this occur. Keep in mind that it may result in modifications to your partner's evolution line.

X-Evolved Digimon are also available as regular partners, without a transformation needed. X-Evolved Digimon may also evolve into Digimon that lack the X-Antibody, just as Digimon with the X-Antibody may evolve from regular Digimon. In the former case, the X-Antibody would simply be repressed in that form.

Before moving on, it should be noted that while evolution typically occurs over a great deal of time, a variation occurs within Digimon partnered to Tamers. It can result in evolution occurring much more quickly and more importantly temporarily, with a Digimon being able to evolve back and forth from each Level. Another phenomenon is that when partnered Digimon "die", they retain their memories after being reborn. The reason for these is most definitely connected to the bond shared between Tamer and Digimon, but other than that, these phenomena are poorly understood. For more details, please see here.

[ Digimon Classification ]

There are two means by which Digimon are classified, and the first is Attributes. There are six Attributes, and each one is assigned based on the kind of data found in a Digimon's DigiCore.

Vaccine: Associated with data-types meant for the restoration and preservation of information. Vaccine Digimon are usually relatively peaceful so long as they aren't provoked.

Data: Associated with archiving of information. Data Digimon are usually relatively neutral or close in alignment to Vaccine-Attributes.

Virus: Associated with programs designed to attack and disrupt systems. Virus Digimon are usually aggressive or at the very least hard-edged.

Free: Has no association with specific data, information, or programs, or involves a mix of said traits. Free-Attribute Digimon have no commonly shared traits or behaviors.

Unknown: Attribute is impossible to quantify. Usually associated with Digimon that have a disruptive influence on the Digital World.

Variable: The rarest Attribute, whose properties are always changing. Usually associated with Digimon that have inherited data from the Warrior Ten, a group of powerful Digimon from the Digital World's past.

It should be noted that despite the traits described above, there are always exceptions; there exist many aggressive or even wicked Vaccine and Data-Attribute Digimon, and many peaceful and heroic Virus-Attribute Digimon.

Another means by which Digimon are classified is Type. Types are a collection of Digimon who all share broadly similar traits. An example of this would be the two Digimon Greymon and Tyrannomon; both are classified as Dinosaur Type Digimon. There are many examples of Types, and are far too numerous to list here, but you will find them listed in individual profile entries.

[ Species and Subspecies ]

There is one final area to cover, which is the matter of Species. Species can refer to one of two things: one, an individual species of Digimon, and two, a group of Digimon that share heritage and similar data. The first is self-explanatory, while the second can cover a wide variety of Digimon.

When referring to these varieties, one begins by saying the shared name/trait, followed by "-species". In the Digital World, there are a number of these species types that the majority of Digimon fit into: Beast-species, Plant-species, Aquatic-species, Ice Snow-species, Dragon-species, Dinosaur-species, Mutant-species, Machine-species, Bird-species, Insect-species, Holy-species, Dark-species, Angel-species, and Demon-species. A Digimon may be more than one of these types; for example, the Digimon Dorumon is both a Beast-species and Dragon-species Digimon.

It should be noted that while "x-species" are similar to Types, they can actually encompass a large number of Types. For instance, the Digimon Tyrannomon is a Dinosaur Type, while the Digimon known as Ankylomon and Brachimon are Armored Dragon and Long-Necked Dragon Types respectively. All three would, however, be Dinosaur-species Digimon.

Finally, we come to the matter of "type-species" and "sub-species". Type-species is the collective name for all sub-species of an individual Digimon species. Subspecies are Digimon that have effectively split off from an original type-species through some manner of data change or mutation that differs from evolution.

An example of type-species would be the four Digimon above: Agumon, Agumon (Black), YukiAgumon, and ProfessorAgumon, who all collectively belong to the "Agumon-species". This category can transcend Levels and also describe Digimon that are also related by means of shared evolutionary heritage, such as is the case with the "Greymon-species".

This brings our lecture to a close! I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've done making it!