For many decades, the the one many fans claim they ripped off, Pokémon.

The reason behind this iconic decision was revealed several years ago by Kenji Watanabe, the chief designer for the franchise. In the 20th Anniversary art book released in 2018, the man talked about his inspirations while deg the original Digimon and their evolutions, revealing the true origins of these amazing creatures.

Watanabe’s Love for American Comics Created Digimon

The Designer Wanted To Pay Homage to His Favorite Heroes

Most Digimon fans know that this beloved franchise did not start as an anime or videogame like many of its competitors. The original concept was a spin-off of the world-famous Tamagotchi toy aimed at younger male audiences. Watanabe, who had been working for Bandai since long before this project, oversaw the art direction for this virtual pet. The process behind his designs was revealed in an exclusive interview included in the 20th Anniversary art book released in 2018. According to Watanabe, he was given an extremely short time to come up with the appearance of the Digimon.

Drawing inspiration from Spawn, an American comic, as well as artists such as Simon Bisley and Mike Mignola, I added some little touches I was fond of back then while trying to draw illustrations aimed towards children, and that marked the start of Digimon illustration.

- Kenji Watanabe.

The designer decided to allow his biggest inspirations to guide his hand, these being several of the most popular American comics. Watanabe talked specifically about Todd McFarlane’s famous Spawn series and listed the artists Simon Bisley and Mike Mignola as the reason behind Digimon’s designs. This is a perfect explanation as to why the characters in the series feel so different from other franchises. The most powerful Digimon are more akin to superheroes than regular monsters, all thanks to Watanabe’s love for American literature.

Watanabe Also Took Inspiration From Home

The Early Stages Do Not Come From Comics

While the origins of the most iconic Digimon designs are a topic that has caused much hype among fans over the years, Watanabe’s interview also revealed another fascinating detail about the franchise. While the designer talked about his process, he explained that he still wanted the creatures to feel like a part of the Tamagotchi line of toys. As such, he decided to create cute and charming monsters to introduce the player to the concept. Agumon, who was one of the first Digimon ever created, was supposed to be an endearing dinosaur that would walk alongside you and become an imposing beast in the face of danger.

Despite the franchise being more than two decades old, the series still follows Watanabe’s ideas. Most Digimon introduced start as small and adorable creatures that enchant fans. As they grow stronger and evolve, their appearance becomes more and more superhero-like, giving viewers beloved characters like WarGreymon or Omnimon. This has greatly helped the franchise over the years, as these designs align with the themes of the series. Digimon has no fear in addressing messed-up topics, and having imposing and heroic characters helps these issues have a lasting impact on viewers.