Digimon Adventure was way ahead of its time for a reason you may have missed

THE Digimon The anime franchise is considered one of the biggest and most influential in history. It is best known as an industry pioneer due to its innovative storytelling and expertly designed monsters. For more than two decades, fans have been enchanted by this incredible series, and there are plenty of reasons why.

However, fans often forget one of the details that helped the original series, Digimon Adventureremain a timeless classic: its realistic and complex female characters. Unlike other programs aimed at boys at the time, the Digimon the franchise made a point of developing its heroines as much as their male counterparts, something rare for the time.

Sora, Kari and Mimi are more than damsels in distress

Your stories are unique and moving

THE Digimon Adventure anime follows a group of eight chosen children known as the DigiDestined. These special children were chosen by destiny to find a digital partner to help them fight against the forces of darkness. Since the series was designed to appeal primarily to a younger male audience, like most shonen released in the early 2000s, most of the group's members were boys. Just three of the protagonists, and their Digimon partners, were women. However, this distinction didn't stop the show from giving them complex and engaging character arcs.

As the series progressed, Mimi, Kari, and Sora faced challenges that revolved around their personal growth and desires rather than focusing on their feelings for one of their male friends. Tai's sister was particularly important to the plot, being the bearer of the Light Emblem this was vital to defeating the series' most powerful villains. Despite the male focus of the series, with Tai and Matt often considered the true protagonists, the girls were never underused. They were equally important whenever an opponent made himself known and often overshadowed his male friends.

Strong female protagonists were rare at the time

Digimon broke a lot of tropes

Although the female protagonists Digimon Adventure were by no means the first to have significant roles in male-centric anime, they broke many tropes of their time. Series of the time, such as naruto or Yu-Gi-Oh!They tended to give their female characters a more supportive role, often acting as sources of motivation for the men. Other shows featured girls only to become the heroes' love interest, forgetting about them until it was time for a romantic or comedic moment between the main couple.

This isn't to say that early 2000s anime didn't have strong female protagonists, as franchises like Inuyasha or the controversial Elfen lied featured powerful girls. However, the fact that the Digimon the series went out of its way to give the female characters a personality and motivations unrelated to the male heroes was an incredible decision. This is one of the reasons why the show is still considered a classic, despite being released more than two decades ago.

Other series in the franchise followed the same formula

Almost no Digimon anime lacks powerful female characters

Although Digimon Adventure was the first in the series to include strong girls in its cast, it is not the only one in the franchise to do so. In almost all subsequent seasons of the anime, female characters are given the same respect and importance as boys. Rika aka Digimon Queenwas considered the best and strongest member of the Tamers cast. Along with her Renamon, hailed as one of the best creatures in the franchise, she defeated villains that none of her teammates could.

Not all seasons had the same vision for their female characters, as proven Border. Despite the series being one of the most interesting and unique, it did not give its only female character, Zoey, the same level of relevance as her co-stars. However, she still had several episodes of personal development that had nothing to do with her being a damsel in distress or a simple love interest. Even when the series doesn't focus as much on the girls, it still tries to give them a certain level of respect.

Having strong female protagonists is just one of the features that helped the Digimon franchise maintains its status as a classic anime. This beloved show is more than just extremely powerful digital monsters fighting each other, it's an incredible coming-of-age story. No matter how much time passes, fans will never stop loving the adventures of Tai and his friends.