Ancient Species
- For the group of Ultimate Digimon whose names are all prefixed with the word "Ancient," see Warrior Ten.
The Ancient Species (collectively 古代種族 Kodaishuzoku, individually 古代種 Kodaishu) are a group of Digimon species that date to the very beginnings of the Digital World. Many of them are associated with the use of Digimentals and Armor Evolution.
Overview[edit]
The Ancient Species existed at the inception,[1] or Genesis,[2] of the Digital World, and flourished during ancient times.[3] Compared to modern Digimon,[1] they had a limited breadth of evolution options and a low likelihood of ever evolving at all.[4]
To compensate for their poor evolutionary potential, the Ancient Species used the now-lost technology of Digimentals. Some Ancient Species Digimon were capable of borrowing the power of Digimentals to undergo the easier "pseudo-evolutionary"[2] process of Armor Evolution, as an alternative to using their own power, although doing so was also viewed as dangerous in the ancient Digital World due to how easy it made drawing out great power.[1] To this day, only Ancient Species Digimon and their descendents[2] are typically capable of Armor Evolving, although having traces of ancient data in one's program may give non-Ancient Species Digimon a chance of awakening to this ability as well,[1] among other pathways.[5]
Ancient Species Digimon often, but not always, have the Free Attribute, which predates the emergence of the main three Attributes of Data, Vaccine and Virus.[6]
Only a small few Ancient Species Digimon have managed to survive into the present day. These species have been sealed away with the Digimentals, in preparation for a crisis to befall the Digital World.[1] Some Digimon, such as Patamon, have also inherited the genes of ancient Digimon,[7] i.e. they have traces of ancient data left in the program that comprises their body.[1]
Members[edit]
Associated with Armor Evolution[edit]
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 |
 |
 |
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| Armadimon (descendant)[8] |
Hawkmon (descendant)[3] |
Patamon (inherited genes)[7] |
V-mon (descendant)[2] |
Wormmon (descendant)[9] |
Other[edit]
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 |
 |
 |
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| Aero V-dramon[10] | Babydmon (related)[11] |
Valdurmon (according to legend)[12] |
V-dramon[13] | Ukkomon[14] |
Appearances[edit]
Anime[edit]
Digimon Adventure 02[edit]
As part of their plan to use the Digimentals and Armor Evolution to stop the Digimon Kaiser, the Four Holy Beasts selected three Digimon who still possess the Ancient power to use Digimentals—V-mon, Hawkmon and Armadimon—and sealed them away in sleep with the Digimentals, until the day that their partner Chosen Children would come for them.[15]
Manga[edit]
Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01[edit]
Yagami Taichi's partner Digimon, Zeromaru, belongs to the V-dramon family of Ancient Species Digimon.[10]
Ancient Species Digimon are distinguished from the average Digimon by the extreme Overwrites that they experience. While these Overwrites can drastically empower them, they also give Ancient Species extremely short lifespans, to the point that Ancient Species Perfects are few in number and very rare,[16] and there is no previously known Ancient Species Digimon who has evolved to Ultimate.[17] In particular, according to Fujimoto Hideto, the Aero V-dramon species has a poor survival rate[10] and encountering a living specimen like Zeromaru is so improbable that the species is said to be extinct.[16] However, as documented in a legend known to Jijimon, Ancient Species Digimon are also capable of a second Overwrite with the opposite effect: the Ulforce.[18]
Because of their scarcity, Ancient Species are considered to be mythical 「幻」. Prior to Zeromaru and Taichi, there had never been an Ancient Species Digimon raised by a Tamer.[17]
Taichi is not aware of Zeromaru's status as an Ancient Species, or of the nature of the Ancient Species' Overwrite, until Hideto confronts him on his way to Demon Castle. Hideto speculates that at this point, Zeromaru is so near his Overwriting limit that he is unable to evolve any further.[16] Despite this, during his battle with Hideto's Omegamon, Zeromaru's determination to protect his friends triggers an extremely powerful Overwrite which grants him both the technique Dragon Impulse[19] and a significant permanent power-up,[20] at the cost of leaving him in critical condition and in need of a long period of rest, recovery[21] and adjustment to the change.[22]
After being critically wounded by Arkadimon Ultimate, Zeromaru manages to resist being dissolved into zeroes and ones by Arkadimon's Dot Matrix. Jijimon speculates that this is another Ancient Species-exclusive ability, since no ordinary Digimon is capable of resisting it.[23]
During his battle with Arkadimon Super Ultimate, Taichi and Zeromaru's absolute faith in each other and determination to protect their allies triggers the Ancient Species' Ulforce which, even after Zeromaru disintegrates, enables him to reform and evolve into Ulforce V-dramon.[18]
