Pokemon vs Digimon: Which One is The Best?

There are some debates that people will argue about until the end of time. Did the egg come before the chicken? Did Han Solo shoot first? And which is better, Pokemon or Digimon?

Pokemon and Digimon are two famous franchises that can be seen across various mediums such as TV shows, video games, comic books, and toys. They both started in the 90s with Pokemon debuting its first game on the Nintendo Game Boy in 1996 and Digimon Monster Ver. S Digimon Tamers, the first Digimon game, releasing in 1998 for the Sega Saturn. Each franchise saw its television series debut in the same period.

Both series boil down to people (usually children) becoming friendly with powerful creatures. The titular monsters can evolve, speak to a certain degree depending on the series, and are way stronger than humans. It’s a good thing that the majority of these beasts are friendly. Once you get past the similarities, though, differences arise that really set Pokemon and Digimon apart.

Anime

Both franchises have shows that played a big part in why the franchise have become so popular. While the general idea of kids befriending creatures were similar, there are some noticeable differences in the shows. Digimon kicks off with a bunch of kids at summer camp who get whisked away to the Digital World. What follows is a fight to save not only this new world, but the kids’ own world as well.

Pokemon is a story about a young boy named Ash traveling the world with his trusty Pikachu to be the best Pokemon trainer there ever was. Of course, there are new regions, new Pokemon, and new characters, but the story is linear in that it always follows Ash on his quest. Pokemon tends to follow to follow a similar formula throughout the years; Ash is trying to be the very best and Digimon will always be about some kids trying to save the world. 

Yet, Digimon does tend to shake it up every once in awhile. Even if the main idea remains the same, the settings and characters will change. They tend to start with scratch for their own shows, only going back to older material recently. Which is something that works for Digimon; meanwhile, Ash is still 10 years old (somehow) when he befriend these powerful creatures. There’s nothing wrong with what works, and that’s why Pokemon is still going to this day. It just works.

Which show you would want to watch would depend on which you like more. Digimon tends to offer more variety through its narrative, which means fans can pick and choose which season they wish to watch. Meanwhile Pokemon sticks to the tried and true with little to no difference in its plots. 

Video Games

It’s not very difficult to tell which franchise’s games have remained popular throughout the years. Similar to the anime, the games don’t tend to change from the usual story. Players start from home, go across their region to beat the eight gym leaders to become the best. Of course there has been minor changes throughout the years such as adding new types, better graphics, and endgame content. Yet, Pokemon games still remain the same no matter what, even if something new is added or something is upgraded. Even right down to everyone trying to decide which starter to pick. Despite being the same thing over and over again, this gaming franchise won’t slow down anytime soon especially as it branches out from the 3DS.

Digimon games tend to rely on the idea of changing things up; one game might be a straight up brawler type, the other will be RPG. Just like the show, Digimon doesn’t worry about leaving a well established universe and trying something new. While both franchises do focus on making these creatures stronger and fighting against others, the way that they introduce that main aspect is different. It throws you into the unknown, while Pokemon will make sure you’re comfortable and feel a sense of familiarity before changing anything. 

Pokemon’s bread and butter will always be the main series on the 3DS. While Digimon has a variety to offer for fans without a single genre as the main the focus. Yet, why change what works and has helped this franchise become a part of pop culture? This is a franchise that has played a role in many people’s lives. They showed that during the trailer announcing the ports of the original games: you saw adults, children, and everyone in between playing Pokemon. You can see it with how well GO is doing. How well a franchise is known does play an important part in how the games sell. Speaking of…

Popularity

Pokemon’s popularity is nearly unrivaled, there are several people who do not play games, but know about it. From the show to video games to card games, it’s safe to say that people know about one of these things. Anything regarding the games, especially the main games, tends to be breaking news when any new information comes out. It is hard to deny that most things related to Pokemon is something that is well known among people at this point.

You cannot say the same about Digimon, sadly, even though the beginning seasons of the show were popular in places like North America. Digimon came back into the limelight recently with the show going back to focus on the original kids, but that’s mostly it. That’s not saying the show isn’t great (you should absolutely go see the Digimon Tri), but not a lot of people follow things like the games, trading cards, or anime. You’ll find that those who do are hardcore fans, but if you go up to anybody who plays games they probably don’t know what the latest release was.

Honestly, that could come down to marketing, because Pokemon has always found a way to make sure that anything related to its franchise was known. While Digimon fell off as the seasons went on and it became the fans job to keep up with everything. That’s when it becomes harder to know when the newest game will release, unless you’re following the right Facebook groups or forums. Meanwhile, learning whatever’s new with Pokemon takes no effort because if there is a new game then you’ll hear about it. You don’t go searching for it because it’s always there. While most things could go either way depending on what you like, it is hard to argue that Digimon is more popular than Pokemon.

Conclusion

Both franchises have done a lot throughout the years, in some way shape or forum, it can be said that they have had an impact on people’s childhoods. This is what they grew up loving and there is always a soft spot for what you grew up with. It’s hard to compare the two when a lot depends on what you look for and what you like, that also doesn’t mean you can’t love both because both are great. If you’re looking for a franchise that is willing to make changes then Digimon would be a great choice.

Yet you can also pick the franchise who hasn’t evolved much, but is now slowly branching out and trying new things. It’s a matter of rather you like one that plays it safe vs one that doesn’t. But also keep in mind that since Digimon has changed throughout the years, some of the stuff produced from this franchise isn’t so great. While Pokemon will generally be consistent throughout the next decade or so. No matter which you pick, you probably will enjoy stuff from both. Making the debate of Pokemon vs Digimon continuing to be just a matter of opinion for the next few decades. Let us know in the comments below which you prefer.