Top 10 Most Iconic Moments of Digimon Adventure

Some people grew up with Dragon Ball Z, others Pocket Monsters. For me, it was Digimon Adventure, the one shounen show that defined shounen anime for me.

And while rewatching some of the scenes a few days ago, I noticed that there were a couple of moments in the series that distinguished Digimon Adventure from the rest. Don't get me wrong, there are many "gimmicky" moments that were cliche and formulaic (the wise old man, video game bosses, convenient power-ups), but that's probably the reason why the more unique moments stood out amongst them. Here are my top 10 most iconic moments in the show that made me recognize Digimon as Digimon.

10. You Can Die

Digimon Adventure has several elements that made it pretty similar to other popular and more well-made shounen anime like Hunter x Hunter and even the old Fullmetal Brotherhood series. However, right off the bat, in episode 19, Koushirou straight-up told Taichi that this is serious business, and that people can and, as the show went on, will die, even in the Digital World.

While the notion of death isn't as uncommon in anime, I still found this to be a pretty well-written scene that gave the audience a reality check. Furthermore, Taichi's feelings after failing to pass through the electrified gate felt much better handled than the forced crest-activations that would come later.

9. First Evolution

While nothing impressive today, the sight of those tiny little fuzz-balls evolving into cool monsters with distinctive designs was quite an experience for the seven year old me. Admittedly, the children's dragged out shouting of the Digimon names was one of the most cringe-worthy scenes among anime cliches, but that moment when "Brave Heart" first played in the show made me forget all about it, and right before my eyes were seven colorful creatures that were spitting fires and shooting thunders. Pokemon evolutions just didn't seem as badass as this (except maybe Charizard).

8. SkullGreymon

Just when you expect that things would take a predictable turn and the next evolution would occur like Angemon's appearance, the show took a dark turn and gave little kids nightmares. Honestly, despite the episode title giving away that something would go wrong with the evolution, that scene with SkullGreymon's appearance was quite shocking to me back then, made further terrifying by the suspenseful BGM that replaced "Brave Heart".

And that's not even getting into the fridge horror that a Greymon was killed in that episode.

7. The Darker Backstories

A number of the backstories and "character conflict" moments that activated the crests (Mimi and Jyou) felt kinda lackluster to me, and I would even go on to say that Taichi's crest-activation was written pretty genetically compared to most anime heroic BSODs, despite him being my favorite character.

That said, Yamato and Koushirou both had some pretty mature moments when dealing with their pasts, moments that a "typical kids show" wouldn't really deal with. It's hard to say if Yamato's parental divorce or Koushirou's adoptive parents was the better sub-plot, but I'd say, just for linking Koushirou's value of "Knowledge" with his conflict of dealing with the truth made his sub-plot a much better story for me.

6. My Sister's Keeper

Probably my favorite backstory of all. I'm not sure about the dub, but I'm pretty sure the words Taichi used to describe Hikari's illness was, "She almost died because of me."

Aside from Avatar: The Last Airbender, I don't know that many cartoons that deal with guilt and angst as well as Digimon Adventure did. The creepy way Hikari held no grudges against her brother made me love the relationship the two had even more.

5. Angemon Finally Appears

Despite being a rather predictable moment, the reason I ranked this so high on the list is because of the epic way the predictable scene was executed. Digimon Adventure has several religious undertones, but the battle between good and evil was done so well in episode 13, when Angemon's light frightened a giant Devimon and made him go, "S*** just got real." This was made even more awesome when you learn of the fact that the series was originally intended to be a 13-episode anime with Devimon's defeat being the conclusive battle - and what a conclusion it would've been!

Also, Angemon's sacrificial death being teased by the end of the battle made the scene pretty memorable for me, as well as Takeru in season 2, when he remembered how much he hated Devimon for almost killing his friend. That being said, the actual deaths in the series were probably more iconic for me, especially this next entry on the list...

4. Wizardmon's Fate

There were many great deaths in the series, but none was as shocking to me as Wizardmon's, of whom the impact of his demise could still be felt in season 2. Sure, Gotsumon and Pumpmon were killed by Vamdemon before Wizardmon kicked the bucket, but they were minor side characters with one episode of screentime. Wizardmon was a pretty big ally, and his death signaled the dark massacre that was to come in the anime, by the time of the Dark Masters arc.

Also, that BGM when he died. Dammit, Digimon...

3. The Whistle

While not technically a moment found in the TV series, you can't talk about Digimon icons without mentioning the whistle, a reference that was also heard at the end of the Digimon Adventure Tri teaser trailer. The whistling of both Hikari and Taichi were such awesome moments in the Digimon Adventure movie that it'd almost leave a tear in my eye everytime I watched that scene.

2. The Hat

The big one, the one moment in the anime that made everything we went through together with these lovable characters worthwhile - when Mimi's hat flew away as Butter-Fly (Theater Version) started playing. It felt poetic, not only because of how beautifully it was timed, but also because that same theme was played in the movie of the same title that served as a prologue of the TV series (the movie was aired one day before the TV series aired in Japan, btw). I love it when stories make a nice connection with the beginning like that by the end of the story, bringing things "full-circle" as they say.

But of course, the one moment that defined Digimon Adventure for me, the one moment that made Adventure fans everywhere loved the series...

1. Home Away From Home

Yes, the entire episode.

The entire episode was so well-done you'd think a different director had stepped in. From the darker animation to the character conflict (of whether or not to return to the dangers of the Digital World) to just the great overall atmosphere in the episode. While many would merely remember this episode for the tearful separation scene at the end, I would always remember the entire 23 minutes of this as the one that defined "Digimon Adventure" for me.