The Digimon series has never been known for its epic romances or memorable couples, as its focus has always been on the exciting adventures of its heroes. Nonetheless, this has never been an obstacle for shippers to find out which characters have the best chemistry and imagine what their hypothetical relationship down the line would look like.

Among the various ships the Digimon fandom has seen over the years, the one between Tai and Sora has always been among the most popular. Lamentably for those shippers, Sora’s fate is to marry Matt, as proven during the anime’s epilogue. Moreover, this ship can be quite confusing for many fans, especially those who have never seen the dub, as the series never gave many strong hints about them having feelings for each other.

Tai and Sora Were Not Destined To Be Together

Matt Was Always Her Other Half

Tai, the protagonist of the Digimon Adventure anime, is one of the show’s most charismatic and likable characters. However, he could also be quite reckless and stubborn, traits that frustrated some of his friends. While most of Tai’s big arguments were between him and Matt, he would also find himself often disagreeing with Sora, one of the few girls in the group. Despite this, the duo was surprisingly close, taking care and ing each other whenever it was needed. While Matt was always depicted as Tai’s best friend, Sora was always a close second.

Their deep bond caused many fans to see this as a blossoming romance, envisioning Sora as Tai’s love interest. Nonetheless, as their adventure through the Digital World progressed, fans noticed that neither of them seemed to have any feelings towards each other. What is more, the anime did an amazing job slowly developing what the main couple of the group would be, Sora and Matt. The more time they spent together, the more their feelings for each other became obvious to fans. This was no coincidence, as the director of the series, Hiroyuki Kakudo, had already confirmed it.

Whenever he was asked about the decision to pair Sora and Matt, the man always assured fans that this was the plan since the series began production. The team knew that, at some point, the carriers of the still unresolved Crests of Love and Friendship would become a couple, despite not knowing exactly how this would occur. Kakudo also revealed that the idea of them being married and having two children in the epilogue was also planned from the beginning. As hard as it might be for some fans to it, Tai never had a chance to be more than Sora’s best friend.

The Dub Caused Many of the Issues

The Original Japanese Anime Never Hinted at Their Relationship

One of the most curious differences between Japanese and international Digimon fans is the fact that the former were never too attached to the idea of Tai dating Sora. This is likely since the original dub of the series never hinted at them having feelings for each other. From the start, Tai and Sora are presented as close friends whose relationship could best be described as quarreling siblings. Their arguments were not hints at them hiding some sort of attraction for each other, but simply disagreements between them.

The English dub, on the other hand, decided to include several allusions to Tai and Sora’s feelings for each other. Several of their conversations were altered to include dialogue that made it seem like the kids were developing crushes on each other. One of the biggest examples of this trend comes from the first in a long list of movies, Digimon Adventure, a prequel to the story of the anime. While Tai and Kari cheer on Greymon as he battles Parrotmon, Sora looks outside her window and calls out the boy’s name with a tone of endearment.

Moments like this caused Western audiences to believe that Tai and Sora were supposed to become a couple at the end of the story. Millions of fans were later confused when their ship was sunk without any warning during episode #38 of the 02 anime when the girl confessed her feelings to Matt. English-speaking viewers were not expecting to see these characters begin a relationship, as they were sure Tai would be the one to date Sora. This resulted in the shipping wars the fandom has been engaging in for the past few decades.

Tai and Sora Are Not Compatible

​​​​​​​Their Personalities Would Clash Too Often

While it is still understandable that some fans would have liked to see Tai and Sora become a couple, plenty of signs in the Digimon Adventure anime prove they would not have been happy. The main hero and his partner Digimon, Agumon, are widely known for being rash and tactless, unlike Sora and Biyomon, who are calm and thoughtful. The story itself proves how many arguments they would get into because of their clashing personalities. The characters can be amazing friends, as they are aware of and accept their differences, but a committed relationship is a completely different topic.

Matt’s more reserved and collected personality perfectly aligned with Sora’s wants and needs. Although it is heavily implied that Tai did begin to see the girl as a possible partner, he was aware of how conflicting their relationship would be. This is the main reason why he decided to her decision to confess, as proven by Agumon congratulating him for his mature approach. As much as the relationship between Tai and Sora would have delighted the fans, it would not have been the right decision.

Another Beloved Couple Was Also Not Made Canon

​​​​​​​Kari and T.K. Were Never Made Official

Another popular ship that was born from the Digimon Adventure cast was that of Kari and T.K. As the youngest of the team, they understood each other better than the rest, and they became quite close in the time skip between Adventure and 02. Fans were yearning to see the moment in which they would confess to each other, as the show hinted at there being a mutual attraction several times. Woefully, when the fates of the DigiDestined were revealed, it was confirmed that Kari and T.K. decided to remain only as friends.