Summary

• Adventure 02 introduces new DigiDestined kids, and innovative ways of digivolving, such as Armor and DNA digivolution.
• Ken's redemption arc, from Digimon Emporer to DigiDestined, shines through the convoluted plot and explores themes of isolation and online radicalization.
• Oikawa's true identity is revealed, BlackWarGreymon heroically sacrifices himself, and an old foe, Myotismon, returns.

Digimon Adventure 02, the second season of Digimon: Digital Monsters, is notable for doubling down on the previous season's dark tone, and introduces innovative new ways for Digimon to digivolve. Three years after the defeat of Apocalymon, a mysterious tyrant known as the Digimon Emperor invades the Digital World, enslaving Digimon and restricting digivolution. The crisis prompts three new DigiDestined (Davis, Yolei, and Cody) to forces with T.K. and Kari from season one. Together they discover new methods of powering up their partners: Armor digivolution fuses Digimon with different armors, and DNA Digivolution combines two Digimon into one ultra-powerful hybrid.

As the season progresses, the teen emperor, Ken, comes to his senses and s the DigiDestined, leaving a void for numerous enemies to fill. Although the plot can be a bit convoluted, Ken's redemption arc is the season's highlight, exploring themes of self-isolation and online radicalization well ahead of their time.

Adventure 02 is packed with ideas that don't always come to fruition, but when they do, the results are thrilling and contribute to some of the best episodes in Digimon canon.

10 "The Crest of Kindness"

Season 2, Episode 21

Episode #21, "The Crest of Kindness", picks up from the previous episode's cliffhanger, which saw Veemon digivolve into Magnamon to fight Kimeramon. When Wormmon can no longer watch his partner slide down a villainous path, he sacrifices himself to give Magnamon the power needed to defeat Kimeramon and Ken. Unable to cope with the loss, the Digimon Emperor vows to delete the reboot the entire Digital World and begin his conquest anew. However, once the DigiDestined helps Ken realize that Digimon deserve respect and kindness, and he is able to confront and overcome his self-loathing.

Ken's rejection of the sinister force influencing him, nearly halfway through the season, is a pivotal moment in Adventure 02. The DigiDestined forgive their former enemy and implore him to their team, but Ken runs off, overwhelmed by being chosen by the Crest of Kindness. The episode closes out a major arc and clears the path for the revelation of a new villain, a staple trope in the Digimon series.

9 "Duel of the WarGreymon"

Season 2, Episode 46

While the DigiDestined continue to monitor the children Arukenimon abducted, the Dark Spores within begin to bloom. Meanwhile, BlackWarGreymon brutally confronts Oikawa, who reveals that he converted his DNA into a digital code to create him, along with Arukenimon and Mummymon. Tai's Agumon digivolves into WarGreymon, hoping to talk some sense into his dark counterpart, but the ensuing battle only causes more destruction in the real world.

Episode 46, "Duel of the WarGreymon" is a classic Digimon episode, complete with exciting battles, new digivolved forms, and poignant reflection on the meaning of life. After a showdown in the sky above Mt. Fuji between the two WarGreymon and Imperialdramon, Wormmon pleads with BlackWarGreymon to stop wallowing in self-pity and try to do something meaningful with his life. The questions of life's purpose and the meaning of existence presented in this episode are very heady concepts for an anime about latch-key kids and their virtual pets.

8 "Oikawa's Shame"

Season 2, Episode 48

Episode #48, "Oikawa's Shame", reveals the truth behind Oikawa and his plan to destroy the Digital World: it was Myotismon all along. The season one villain returns, having acted as a parasite within Oikawa's body since the loss of his best friend, Cody's father, Hiroki. Myotismon twisted Oikawa's grief, and desperation to visit the Digital World, into a suitable host body to carry out his misdeeds until he was strong enough to digivolve into MaloMyotismon.

The revelation that Oikawa was just a proxy for another villain isn't that surprising, but the backstory he recounts once he's free is rewarding for its beauty. The purple trench-coat-clad villain's arc is all about grief and the loss of one's dreams, and it ends with his self-sacrifice to protect the Digital World he was bent on destroying. It's a bittersweet ending for a villain that never quite made sense, being an adult male with no Digimon partner, but more importantly, it shows the fate Ken would have faced had he not redeemed himself.

7 "Genesis of Evil"

Season 2, Episode 23

A despondent Ken reflects on his tumultuous relationship with his brother, Sam, who mysteriously disappeared shortly after the appearance of a digivice years prior. It becomes clear that a sinister force has been preying on Ken's insecurity and manipulating him into becoming the Digimon Emperor. Ken reconnects with his parents after they apologize for stifling his identity while grieving the loss of their other son.

The conversation between Ken's parents at his bedside is one of the sweetest and most sincere moments in the series so far. The ission that they've failed Ken as parents and his eventual forgiveness is reminiscent of the touching conversation between Izzy and his parents in season one of the show. When Ken and Wormmon's baby form are reunited, they vow to become true partners and embrace their DigiDestiny.

6 "An Old Enemy Returns"

Season 2, Episode 19

The Digimon Emperor, Ken, finds Devimon's data in the Dark Whirlpool, the final piece to complete Kimeramon, a Digimon chimera composed of the strongest parts of past heroes and villains. Just as the DigiDestined attempt to infiltrate his base, Ken releases Kimeramon to keep them busy. T.K. manages to sneak into the base to confront Ken, and their showdown culminates in T.K. punching Ken in the face and retreating with his friends.

Poor Ken is more isolated and paranoid than ever, and even his partner Digimon, Wormmon, can't reason with him. Although a mysterious voice advises Ken that he cannot control the powers of darkness, Ken's obsession with enslaving the Digital World continues to cloud his judgment and ignores the warning. The episode's plot is simple, but it marks a turning point for both Ken and T.K., as they make strategic decisions that drive their character growth, for better or for worse.

5 "Kyoto Dragon"

Season 2, Episode 37

As the DigiDestined fight BlackWarGreymon, they finally unlock DNA digivolution for Angemon and Ankylomon, creating Shakkoumon. Still out-powered, the kids attempt to move the final Destiny Stone with their digivices, which summons Azulongmon, the worthy opponent BlackWarGreymon seeks. Azulongmon is a Holy Dragon Digimon, and one of the best designed in the series. Before the two can battle, Arukenimon and Mummymon show up and reveal that they were the ones who corrupted Ken into becoming the Digimon Emperor, with the goal of imbalancing the Digital World and destroying it.

Azulongmon is full of knowledge and gives the DigiDestined a helpful exposition dump about their journey ahead, the new forms of digivolution they've unlocked, and a warning that Arukenimon and Mummymon are not their true foes. Finally, understanding that all living beings have a purpose, despite the circumstances of their creation, BlackWarGreymon flies off to find his. The episode is rewarding for the answers it provides to season-long questions, as well as setting the stakes for the final arc of Adventure 02.

4 "The Dark Gate"

Season 2, Episode 45

With the Dark Spore plot revealed in the previous episode, the DigiDestined now know that the evil human, Oikawa, plans to enslave kidnapped children as he did the Digimon Emperor. They fight Daemon in the real world and are only able to banish him to the Digital World by tapping into their darkest fears to open a Dark Gate. With Daemon temporarily defeated, Oikawa releases the kidnapped children and retreats in a getaway car driven by Mummymon and Arukenimon.

Adventure 02's endgame begins in this episode, with Oikawa's plans to destroy the DigiDestined and rule over the Digital World revealed. Adding a layer of guilt to Ken's already battered psyche, Oikawa's army of evil children idolize the power the Digimon Emporer once wielded. That guilt, however, proved to be the fuel needed to banish Daemon to the Dark Ocean and close the gate.

3 "Ultimate Anti-Hero"

Season 2, Episode 30

The DigiDestined are busy cleaning up the Digimon Emporer's Control Spires, which dot the landscape of the Digital World and restrict digivolving. While friction between Cody and Ken divides the group, new foe Arukenimon uses 100 Control Spires to create BlackWarGreymon, a pure-evil MegaDigimon. Ken returns to his friends and confronts BlackWarGreymon with the DNA Digivolved, Paildramon, but they are still outmatched. With the partner Digimon defeated, BlackWarGreymon turns on his creator and flies off in search of a worthy opponent.

This episode marks the moment Adventure 02's plot gets convoluted. The new enemies are introduced with little explanation, as is BlackWargreymon, and more and more Digimon are added to the roster as the heroes learn new techniques. There's a lot to balance, and some plot threads sadly fizzle out with no closure. Problems with the overarching storylines aside, the episode is notable for its touching side plot involving Ken's difficulty integrating into the DigiDestined.

2 "BlackWarGreymon's Destiny"

Season 2, Episode 47

Cody's grandfather reveals that his son Hiroki and the villainous Oikawa were once best friends, and that they encountered the Digital World as young boys. When they next meet, Oikawa realizes that Cody is the son of his late best friend, and reflects on the lost friendship, sparking doubts about his plan to enslave the Digital World. Meanwhile, the Dark Spore starts blooming within one of the kidnapped children and Ken promises to save her from the same pain he suffered as the Digimon Emporer. However, he fails to rescue her, and Oikawa absorbs the dark energy from the flower.

Grandfather arrives and breaks through to Oikawa. The peace is short-lived when BlackWarGreymon shows up looking for a fight. Oikawa mortally wounds the dark Digimon and flees with the Dark Flower. BlackWarGreymon realizes his life's purpose can be achieved by sacrificing his remaining energy to close the gate to the Digital World, bringing stability to the real world. It's a beautiful end to a tortured character's story.

1 "The Last Temptation of the DigiDestined"

Season 2, Episode 49

Davis and ExVeemon attack MaloMyotismon who retaliates with his Mental Illusion move, which sweeps the DigiDestined into daydreams of their greatest wishes. Free from all worries and doubt, Davis is unaffected by MaloMyotismon's attack and is able to free his friends one by one. Back in the dimension between the real and Digital worlds, the DigiDestined focus their self-determination on their digivices, allowing their Digimon to simultaneously digivolve into their multiple forms.

It's extremely cool that the show capitalizes on all the amazing Digimon forms introduced in Adventure 02 by having them appear all at once in the penultimate episode. The emotional moments are just as numerous as the Digimon forms, with a heartbreaking scene involving Cody and his deceased father reuniting in a dream. Cody is often the most trodden upon of the DigiDestined, so it's nice to see him take the spotlight and hold hands with his father one last time.