Ultimate
- For the English dub "Ultimate" level, see Perfect.
For the Appmon Grade, see Evolution Stage#Appmon Grades.
Ultimate (究極体 Kyūkyokutai, abbreviated 究 Kyū;[1][N 1] Dub: Mega), also referred to as Level VI, is the sixth and final natural Evolution Stage in Digimon evolution.
Overview[edit]
Ultimate Digimon are a rare sight, as only a small handful of Digimon are capable of attaining the level. Evolving to Ultimate is accomplished only by Perfect Digimon who endure countless battles and overcome their own limits.[2]
Ultimate Digimon are, by definition, extraordinarily powerful. Because of their sheer power, they tend to act independently. It is possible for Digimon to be even more powerful than the standard of the Ultimate level, although this is extremely rare.[2]
It is possible, albeit rare, for Ultimate Digimon to undergo further evolutions into other Ultimate Digimon.
Introduction and Absences[edit]
Ultimate is the only natural Evolution Stage that did not exist at the time of the inception of the Digimon franchise in 1997. It is absent from the original Digital Monster virtual pets and some early video games. The first Ultimate Digimon (Herakle Kabuterimon, Saber Leomon, and Metal Etemon) debuted on October 24, 1998, in the Digimon Pendulum 1.0 Nature Spirits virtual pet.
Some Digimon video games released around or after the launch of the Digimon Pendulum, as late as 2000, also do not feature the Ultimate level, but still include Digimon who normally belong to the Ultimate level. These games instead depict these Digimon as Perfect:
- Notes
Super Ultimate[edit]
Super Ultimate (超究極体 Chōkyūkyokutai; Dub: Ultra[3]/Super Ultimate[4]) is a classification that is sometimes given to certain exceptionally powerful Ultimate Digimon who surpass the standards of power of conventional Ultimates.
Super Ultimate status is commonly associated with Digimon who are:
- Fusions of other Ultimate Digimon (e.g. Omegamon, Examon)
- Mode Changes of other Ultimate Digimon (e.g. Dukemon: Crimson Mode, Ulforce V-dramon Future Mode, Shine Greymon: Burst Mode)
Canonicity[edit]
According to Watanabe Kenji there is no seventh Evolution Stage above Ultimate, and "Super Ultimate" is considered to just be a title that is ascribed to certain Ultimate Digimon to signify their exceptional power.[5][6]
The Super Ultimate concept originated in the manga Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01; the concept was first raised in "Folder Continent's Military History" in 1999, and the first Super Ultimate Digimon, Arkadimon Super Ultimate, debuted in "The Super Ultimate Is" in 2003. The manga's creative team, Izawa Hiroshi and Yabuno Tenya, wanted to base the plot around defeating a "true final boss" who belonged to an Evolution Stage above Ultimate, so they asked Watanabe whether it would be permissible to create the Super Ultimate level. Watanabe's response to them was to establish the aforementioned "title, not Evolution Stage" rule.[6]
Despite this rule, however, a minority of Digimon media does still depict a "Level VII," usually called Super Ultimate. Video games produced from the 2010s onward are the most frequent media to do so. Conversely, no anime series has ever explicitly used the concept of Super Ultimates.
Media featuring Super Ultimates[edit]
The following are media in which the Super Ultimate concept is featured, either as just a title, as an Evolution Stage, or without any explicit status either way.
- Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01:
The plot revolves around Demon's scheme to create a "Super Ultimate" Digimon by using the Digimental. Three Super Ultimate Digimon appear in the series: Arkadimon Super Ultimate, Demon Super Ultimate, and Ulforce V-dramon Future Mode. It is unconfirmed whether V-Tamer treats Super Ultimate as an Evolution Stage or a title. - Digital Monster Card Game:
Expansion Board - Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 SP features cards based on all three of the aforementioned V-Tamer 01 Super Ultimate Digimon. The Card Game does not treat Super Ultimate as an Evolution Stage, and their Level is just Ultimate. Instead, the Super Ultimate status of these Digimon is only identified in their card names; this status is used by Bo-25v Ulforce V-dramon Zero Super Ultimate's Special Ability as a criterion by which it targets the other two Super Ultimate Digimon. - Digimon Reference Book:
The Digimon Reference Book does not treat Super Ultimate as a separate Evolution Stage, but the title of "Super Ultimate Digimon" is mentioned twice: Armagemon's profile describes it as "a Super Ultimate Digimon," and Demon's profile mentions its scheme to revive "the Super Ultimate Digimon."[7] - Digimon Story:
Although the level itself does not appear in gameplay, Chronomon is described as a Super Ultimate Digimon in story dialog. - Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker's Memory:
Super Ultimate is included as a separate Evolution Stage. With the exception of Lucemon: Satan Mode, all Super Ultimates evolve, Jogress or Mode Change from other Ultimate Digimon. - Digimon ReArise:
Super Ultimate is included as a separate Evolution Stage. One non-Digimon entity, Spiral Origin's final form, is also a Super Ultimate. - Digimon New Century:
Super Ultimate is included as a separate Evolution Stage. All Digimon at this level are formed via Jogress. - Digimon Survive:
Super Ultimate is included as a separate Evolution Stage, although there is only one playable Super Ultimate Kemonogami: Omegamon. All other Super Ultimates are enemies, including both Kemonogami and non-Kemonogami entities.
List of Super Ultimate Digimon/Entities[edit]
The following Digimon or other entities have, in at least one piece of media, been classified as Super Ultimates. Those with the classification who have not appeared in any media in which Super Ultimate is explicitly considered the seventh Evolution Stage are marked in italics.
- Notes
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"Level 7"[edit]
There is also a small minority of Digimon media that includes the concept of a seventh Evolution Stage in some fashion, but does not call it "Super Ultimate."
- Digimon Masters:
Digimon Masters features two explicit Evolution Stages—"Burst Mode" and "Side Mega"— which are effectively seventh Evolution Stages which are equal or superior to Mega (Ultimate). These are usually further evolutions for other Mega Digimon, but a minority of them instead evolve from Digimon of lower Evolution Stages. Evolving into such a Digimon requires that the player has a matching "Burst Mode Item," in addition to other criteria such as minimum levels. - Digimon Card Game:
The game's numerical "Level" system denoting evolution progression features a "Lv.7," which is dedicated to Ultimate Digimon who evolve from other Ultimate Digimon (Lv.6), and often features Digimon who have been associated with the Super Ultimate label in other media. However, the term "Super Ultimate" itself has, at time of writing, never been used at all in the Card Game, and the Form (Evolution Stage) given in the Characteristics of Lv.7 Digimon is still just "Ultimate."
The following Digimon have been classified as one of the aforementioned seventh Evolution Stage concepts in at least one such piece of media, without having otherwise been explicitly classified as Super Ultimates in other media. Be advised that despite the common ground of the concept of a seventh Evolution Stage, this listing is not to be taken as a definitive assertion that they officially count as Super Ultimate Digimon.
- Notes
Additional Information[edit]
| References | Notes |
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See also[edit]
| Digitama ⇒ Baby I ⇒ Baby II ⇒ Child ⇒ Adult ⇒ Perfect ⇒ Ultimate |
| Armor, Hybrid |
| Evolution Stage |
| Evolution |
