For over 25 years, the Digimon franchise has brought joy and excitement to the lives of millions of fans all around the world. From the iconic Adventure to the terrifying Ghost Game, almost all entries in the series are ed fondly by anime fans to this day. The various shows released around the franchise undoubtedly have no shortage of memorable battles, hilarious jokes, and amazingly designed monsters.

Yet, as with any other series, not every episode or scene is held with the same love and iration. At several points throughout its history, the Digimon franchise has caused more than one fan to raise their eyebrows in confusion at its bizarre decisions. From unnecessarily explicit depictions of minors to ridiculous attacks, there are many examples of times the series should have reconsidered approving certain moments.

8 Kokatorimon Chasing the Girls

Digimon Adventure

In episode #17 of the original Digimon Adventure anime, the DigiDestined come across a sailor who promises to take them back to the human world in his boat. The kids, desperate to return home, agree to travel with the man without realizing that he was not a human but rather a Kokatrimon in disguise. At some point in the episode, the girls decide to go take a bath, prompting the Digimon to capture their friends and proceed to spy on them.

Despite Kokatorimon not being a human, the idea of a sentient creature with a mature mind spying on children was already unsettling. Worst of all, to escape their captor, the girls were forced to run while wearing nothing more than a towel. The series did not need to make the kids escape while not wearing clothes, and it makes the scene unnecessarily uncomfortable to watch in the modern day.

7 Zoe Being Used as Fan Service

Digimon Frontier

Digimon Frontier is one of the most underrated shows in the franchise, often overlooked by fans who did not find it as interesting as other entries. While the show is an amazing experience that all viewers should allow themselves to enjoy, it does have a major issue: the oversexualization of its female protagonist. Zoe, like most Digimon heroes, is a young child when she is transported to the Digital World.

This fact did not stop Frontier from making her pose in highly inappropriate poses, wear revealing outfits, and use her in some truly awkward jokes. Her DigiSpirits, Kazemon and Zephyrmon, were also victims of this trend, as their outfits were more akin to lingerie than anything else. Overall, Zoe’s treatment is one of the reasons why many adult fans avoid rewatching Frontier nowadays.

6 Numemon’s Special Attack

Digimon Adventure

Numemon is one of the most iconic Digimon in the franchise, being a part of the Adventure story from the very beginning. While not as mighty as the strongest Digimon in the series, the slug-like creature surprised fans by being a brave, loyal, and sometimes funny character. Still, the fandom has never been too fond of its signature technique, and the reaction has only gotten worse with time.

When Numemon wants to attack an opponent, they pick up their bodily waste and throw it at their target. The anime tried to make this less unappealing by coloring their projectiles pink, although the idea of being hit with one of them is still revolting for fans. Despite this, Numemon is still a beloved Digimon, even though its attacks have gotten less funny with age.

5 Jetmervamon’s Design

Digimon Fusion

It is no secret that the Digimon franchise tends to exaggerate the proportions of its humanoid monsters. Nevertheless, few examples of this practice are as over the top as the design of JetMervamon, one of the characters who helped the heroes of Digimon Fusion save the Digital World. The evolution of this member of the lesser-known Gods of the Digimon franchise, the Olympos XII, leaves behind her protective armor to instead wear a small top.

Jetmervamon clothes were deemed so revealing that most countries outside of Japan had to alter her outfit before she was introduced to the series. Whenever she was present during a scene, the show would do the impossible to make sure that her torso would be visible for as long as possible. She might not have been the only member of the Fusion’s cast to receive this treatment, but JetMervamon’s was too on the nose.

4 Tai and Kari’s Neglectful Parents

Digimon Adventure

One aspect that fans of the Digimon franchise often forget is how truly messed up some of Digimon Adventure's plotlines were from the beginning. Among the most difficult to watch in the original Adventure anime is the tragic family history of Tai and Kari. Since they were children, the siblings were forced to see their parents fight and neglect their needs. This was better exemplified in episode #48, which revealed how bad their mother could get.

When the duo was much younger, not able to care for themselves, Tai was left in charge of looking after Kari, who was severely ill. The protagonist, not realizing the severity of the situation due to his age, took her to the park, causing her sickness to become worse. After learning about this, Tai’s mother slapped him and blamed him for his sister’s state, even though she abandoned them while the girl was sick.

3 Icedevimon’s Attitude

Digimon Tamers

During episode #10 of the Digimon Tamers anime, Rika is confused about Terriermon managing to Digivolve while her Renamon cannot. Her desire for power attracts the attention of IceDevimon, a wild and manipulative creature who wants to use the girl’s ambition to become stronger. While his plan was not unsettling per se, as several villains have attempted to persuade the heroes to them, his methods were quite uncomfortable to watch.

The Digimon would constantly hug the girl close to him, caress her face, and speak to her almost as if he was trying to get more than just a new tamer. His attitude was beyond awkward for many fans, who still cannot find a reason why the writers decided to give him such an invasive personality. The fact that Rika was seemingly hypnotized during these events and was unable to resist any of his advances only makes the situation more disturbing. This was a step too far, even for a series with such horrifying moments as Tamers.

2 The Adventure Cast Asking for a Ride

Digimon Adventure

After returning to the human world in episode #30 of the original Adventure anime, the DigiDestined found themselves without resources to chase Myotismon. The sinister villain was trying to find Kari, intending to kill her before the group of DigiDestined and their Digimon partners were completed. The heroes’ desperation led them to try and find someone who could give them a ride to their destination. After several failed attempts, no one seemed interested in helping mysterious boys from the side of the road.

It was not until Mimi and Sora decided to ask for help themselves that a man stopped, only to be disappointed once he realized the girls were not alone. The idea of an adult man being happy about picking up two underage girls and acting angry about them not being on their own did not sit right with fans at the time. Although it is often forgotten, Matt was also a victim of a similar situation, as an older woman tried to get him into her car alone, flirting heavily with him despite being a minor. The scene as a whole feels out of place in a series like Adventure.

1 Dark Gennai’s Lack of Boundaries

​​​​​​​Digimon Adventure Tri

The Digimon Adventure Tri movie series, an important entry fans of the original anime should know about before its end, introduced several new characters. One of the most disturbing was Dark Gennai, an evil and twisted version of the DigiDestined’s mentor, who wanted to destroy the human world. Unlike his counterpart, who was a kind and wise teacher to the heroes, this character was cruel and manipulative, liking to attack the protagonists when they least expected it.

For an unknown reason, the writers decided to make him act in a particularly unsettling way with the female characters, to the point where seeing him is uncomfortable. For example, after Sora attempts to save Meicoomon from him, the man tackles her and licks her face without any logical explanation. On another occasion, Dark Gennai cornered Meiko, grabbing her face and caressing her cheek as he approached her. The idea of an evil version of such a beloved character was already unsettling enough, so the fact that the character harasses minors was not necessary for the audience to fear him.