X-Antibody
The X-Antibody (X抗体 Ekkusu-kōtai) is an antibody that, when present in a Digimon's Digicore, provides them with resistance against the effects of Program X. If it is present in high enough concentrations, it is also able to cause a Digimon to undergo X-Evolution into an X-Antibody-enhanced form with new or improved traits.
Overview[edit]
Origins[edit]
The X-Antibody originated with Program X, a virus created by Yggdrasill[1] that it used in Project Ark to cull Digimon and end the overpopulation of the Old Digital World. However, powerful Digimon with strong survival instincts were able to survive by altering their Digicores to incorporate Program X itself. This created the X-Antibody, which made them resistant to being deleted by Program X. However, since the X-Antibody in a Digimon's Digicore would expire if the Digimon continued to be exposed to Program X, this resulted in two major societal shifts: first, competing with each other to acquire more X-Antibodies, and second, an exodus of Digimon from the Old Digital World to the New Digital World, where Program X was not present.[2]
Mechanics[edit]
Acquisition[edit]
There are three main ways for a Digimon to acquire the X-Antibody.
- When exposed to/infected with Program X, alter their Digicore to incorporate Program X into it by producing antibodies to it.[1] Only strong Digimon are able to do this.[2]
- Kill and absorb the data of a Digimon who already possesses the X-Antibody. There is intense survival-of-the-fittest competition between Digimon for X-Antibodies,[2] and weaker X-Antibody Digimon (such as Tokomon (X-Antibody), a rare case of a Baby X-Antibody Digimon) are often preyed upon as easy targets.[3]
- Receive a serum of the persistent strain of the X-Antibody.[4]
Temporary Nature[edit]
In its original strain, the X-Antibody population within a Digimon who acquires it is not permanent. They must continue to intake more X-Antibodies in order to maintain the X-Antibody population within themselves.[4] In particular, continuous exposure to Program X will destroy a Digimon's X-Antibody population, again unless they intake more X-Antibodies.[2] Failing to maintain the X-Antibody within oneself results in death.[1]
This restriction does not apply to Digimon who naturally possess the X-Antibody, such as Alphamon, Tobucatmon, and Metal Piranimon. The X-Antibody strain that they carry does not disappear from their bodies.[4]
The deaths of Digimon who carried the X-Antibody have resulted in the mutation of another, persistent strain. When an X-Antibody Digimon dies and is sent to the Dark Area, they have been known to leave behind the data of duplicate X-Antibodies as residue. Originally, such duplicates would quickly cease to exist. However, over time, the strong survival instincts in the Digicores of the carrier Digimon caused these X-Antibody particles themselves to acquire self-preservation functionality, resulting in a persistent strain of X-Antibody that does not require its host to continue to intake more X-Antibodies. The persistent strain can be acquired by absorbing the data of a Digimon who innately carries it, or it can be administered as a serum to a Digimon.[4]
X-Antibody Concentration Levels[edit]
The effects of this antibody differ depending on the concentration of antibodies present on the Digicore. There are three levels of concentration.
The presence and concentration of the X-Antibody in a Digimon can be identified by the X-Antibody Indicator (XAI) system invented by Yggdrasil. This system would later be implemented on the Digimon Pendulum X and Digital Monster X devices.[5]
| Image | XAI Reading | Concentration | Effects | Attack Power | Evolution | Behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Weak | Provides the host with resistance to Program X. Incomplete form,[2] called the X-Antibody Protoform (Ｘ抗体プロトフォーム Ekkusu-kōtai purotofōmu). |
Weak[6] | Wild[6] | Aggressive[6] |
|
|
Normal | Provides the host with resistance to Program X. Extracts latent data from the host's Digicore to induce X-Evolution. Complete form.[2] |
Normal[6] | Natural[6] | Ordinary[6] |
|
|
Strong | Provides the host with resistance to Program X. Extracts latent data from the host's Digicore to induce X-Evolution. This level of concentration is characteristic of the strongest X-Antibody Digimon. |
Strong[6] | Artificial[6] | Docile[6] |
Effects[edit]
Resistance to Program X[edit]
Any concentration level of the X-Antibody within a Digimon's Digicore is sufficient to protect them from the effects of Program X, in the same way that a real antibody protects an individual from a particular foreign pathogen.
X-Evolution[edit]
The X-Antibody has the ability to, if concentrated within a Digicore at normal level or higher, actively extract latent data from the Digicore to a high degree. When this happens, it triggers X-Evolution (ゼヴォリューション Zevoryūshon/X-進化 Ekkusu-shinka), where the Digimon is transformed into a form that expresses that extracted data. As a result of this, the Digimon becomes able to express both power and its potential to a degree far superior to a common Digimon.[2][7][1]
Typically, X-Evolved variants of pre-existing Digimon are distinguished from the regular variants by the suffix "X-Antibody", usually in parentheses, at the end of their name. For example, a Gomamon who has undergone X-Evolution is called Gomamon (X-Antibody) 「ゴマモン（X抗体）」. This is sometimes shortened to just the letter "X" (for example, Gomamon X 「ゴマモンX」).
The nature of what X-Evolution does to a Digimon is entirely dependent on what, and how much, latent data they have for the X-Antibody to extract. In addition to a common increase in the Digimon's power and potential, effects include:
| Altering the Digimon's Type to reflect latent data of another species. | A change in the Digimon's temperament that often intensifies a pre-existing trait. | Fully embracing a pre-existing latent power or trait and turning it toward a new direction. |
Example: → 
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Example: → 
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Example: → 
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| An ordinary Agumon is a Reptile Type Digimon, but the X-Antibody draws out its Dinosaur Type data and qualities for evolving into an especially outstanding Greymon-species Digimon.[8] | X-Evolution intensifies Orgemon's wild temperament and streak of cruelty, turning it into Orgemon (X-Antibody), a crazed warrior who attacks with glee.[9] | X-Evolution enables Guilmon (X-Antibody) and its evolutions to accept and contain the power of the Digital Hazard within itself, giving it the potential to evolve to use that power constructively.[10] |
| Altering a Digimon's natural anatomy or body plan. | Restoring corrupted compositional data in the Digimon's Digicore. | Developing new adaptations based on the Digimon's environment. |
Example: → 
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Example: → 
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Example: → 
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| Metal Garurumon is fully quadrupedal, but X-Evolving into Metal Garurumon (X-Antibody) changes it into a biped so that its body can be fully armed for both short- and long-range combat.[11] | The X-Antibody improves Mammon's self-repairing ability, enabling it to near-totally restore the significant corruption of Mammon's data. As a result, Mammon (X-Antibody) is nearly identical to ancient Mammons.[12] | Anomalocarimon (X-Antibody) has evolved an active camouflage ability, Ghost Surprise, from all of the elements of its native ocean environment that it has taken into its body.[13] |
| Conferring new weapons, equipment or body parts. | Enhancing weapons or equipment that the Digimon already had. | Providing the Digimon with new attack techniques or powers. |
Example: → 
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Example: → 
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Example: → 
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| Leomon (X-Antibody) acquires a new longsword, "Jūga-maru", which it dual-wields together with its original "Shishiou-maru". It also acquires armor.[14] | Justimon can only use one of its Arms at a time, but all three Arms are integrated into Justimon (X-Antibody)'s body, so it does not need to switch between them to use them.[15] | By X-Evolving, Omegamon (X-Antibody) has acquired the Omega inForce, the power to read ahead and respond accordingly, and the attack technique All Delete, which erases anything that the Grey Sword cuts.[16] |
If a Digimon simply does not have much latent data that its original form was not previously expressing, X-Evolution will not cause much change in them. For example, the relatively minor changes that Holydramon and Goddramon undergo when they X-Evolve into Holydramon (X-Antibody) and Goddramon (X-Antibody) indicate that the two Digimon had already been expressing their latent data and abilities in their original forms.[17][18]
A side effect of X-Evolution is that any wounds the Digimon had prior to the X-Evolution are healed, and their stamina is replenished.[5]
Other Effects[edit]
X-Antibody Digimon can bypass the XSpiral's "X-Barrier" entirely and deal regular damage, in addition to taking 25% less damage from the XSpiral's "X-Charge". However, this is only applicable to Digimon like War Greymon (X-Antibody), and not natural carriers like Alphamon.[19]
Death-X-Evolution[edit]
- Main article: Death-X
Related to the X-Antibody is the phenomenon of Death-X, in which the X-Antibody forces a Digimon to keep evolving even after it has died, in a process called Death-X-Evolution.[20] A Digimon who has undergone Death-X-Evolution remains active and animated despite being deceased and despite the decay of its own body, and it is governed by a powerful instinct to consume Digicores so that it may continue to evolve and remain active.[21][22][23]
Digimon normally have no access to Death-X-Evolution by themselves. It can only be triggered by a third party that knows how it works, like Yggdrasill or Grand Dracumon.
Possible retcons to natural carriers[edit]
On August 10, 2021 the Digimon Reference Book added the X-Antibody to Digimon's profiles, re-confirming them as Digimon with the X-Antibody — however they did not include it for Clavis Angemon, Death-X-mon, Dracumon, Grand Dracumon, Matadrmon, Sangloupmon, Medieval Dukemon, and Volcdramon. Whether this is a mistake, or is Bandai retconning them to no longer having the X-Antibody is unconfirmed. They are all stated to be X-Antibody carriers in Digimon Masters and/or the Digital Monster Card Game.
Appearances[edit]
Anime[edit]
Digital Monster X-evolution[edit]
Manga[edit]
Digimon Chronicle[edit]
Every Digimon that appears in Digimon Chronicle, except Okuwamon, is an X-Antibody carrier, either natural or not. DORUmon's evolutions are influenced by his X-Antibody and are referred to as X-Evolutions.
In "X-Evolution", Okuwamon tried to steal DORUmon's X-Antibody by killing him. War Greymon (X-Antibody) protected him and Doumoto Kouta, then, after Okuwamon demanded he left as he already possessed the X-Antibody, proclaimed that Digimon like Okuwamon should never obtain that new power and that Kouta needed it.
Every time DORUmon evolved, his X-Antibody flashed in his eyes. During his Blast Evolution into Alphamon: Ouryuken, Kouta's eyes also showed the X-Antibody. The same happened to Ryudamon when powered-up by the X-Cast.
Digimon D-Cyber[edit]
Digimon Chronicle X[edit]
Novel[edit]
Digimon Chronicle X[edit]
Video Games[edit]
Digimon World X[edit]
Digimon World X is based on the history of the X-Antibody. In the game, the X-Antibody can be used to increase the powers of Digimon as well as objects.
Digimon Masters[edit]
The X-Antibody Factor is an item needed to evolve certain Ultimate Digimon into their X-Antibody forms, considered Burst Modes in the game. Other X-Antibody Digimon are also playable as their own evolution lines.
Digimon World Re:Digitize Decode[edit]
The X-Antibody is a plot point during the Lament of the X-Antibody chapter (慟哭のＸ抗体編 Dōkoku no X-Kōtai-hen). It protects Digimon from the X-Program, which Yggdrasill launched once again, as well as greatly powering them up. DORUmon possesses it, but doesn't know why, and is traumatized because it allowed him to survive when all of his friends were killed by the X-Program. Due to that, he's attracted to Kuga Yuuya and Black, who himself obtained the X-Antibody in the past for reasons unknown even to them. DORUmon himself attracted Plotmon, who in its search for power, later obtains the X-Antibody itself and X-Evolves into Plotmon (X-Antibody), the sight of which terrifies DORUmon.
To brave Infinity Mountain, which is infected by the X-Program, Omegamon (X-Antibody) and Dukemon (X-Antibody), who themselves possess the X-Antibody, created the Infinity Mountain Exploration Team, which consists of other X-Antibody Digimon like Agumon (X-Antibody) and Greymon (X-Antibody). Seadramon later joins it, reactivating its own X-Antibody and X-Evolving into Seadramon (X-Antibody). Other X-Antibody Digimon also appear in Infinity Mountain to challenge Taiga/Shinomiya Rina and their allies, some clones, some real, including the Demon Lord Beelzebumon who X-Evolved into Beelzebumon (X-Antibody). Clearing the ones that appear as fixed boss battles may award Taiga/Rina specific items which can be traded to Agumon (X-Antibody) for X-Antibody items.
In the Colosseum Heavenly Hall Free Battle "We'll put you to the test", Yagami Taichi's Agumon and Matsuda Takato's Guilmon implicitely obtain the X-Antibody, as they can be fought as War Greymon (X-Antibody)/Omegamon (X-Antibody) and Dukemon (X-Antibody), respectively, though no explanation is given as to when or how they did so. Clearing their fights rewards Taiga/Rina with the X-Antibody items for those specific Digimon.
In terms of gameplay, Digimon with the X-Antibody are immune to the X-Program constantly sucking their health in certain Infinity Mountain battles as well as the first Omegamon (X-Antibody)/Dukemon (X-Antibody) fight, otherwise a special item is needed to stop the drain. As well, using certain X-Antibody items on specific Ultimate Digimon will allow them to evolve into their X-Antibody forms, powering them up and making them immune to the X-Program. Using these items is the only way to obtain these evolutions. Uniquely, the item for Black War Greymon (X-Antibody) can be used on any Perfect Digimon and can be obtained from an obligatory story fight against Yuuya and Black separate from the ones mentioned above, significantly earlier into the game, though it's unlikely to be obtained outside of a New Game + as the fight is very difficult for that point of the game and the player is allowed to lose in it and still proceed with the story.
| X-Antibody items in Digimon World Re:Digitize Decode | |||
| Item | Digimon | Requirements | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courage X-Antibody | War Greymon (X-Antibody) | Current Digimon: War Greymon | Trade Courage Piece to Agumon (X-Antibody) in Infinity Mountain |
| Crimson X-Antibody | Rosemon (X-Antibody) | Current Digimon: Rosemon | Trade Crimson Piece to Agumon (X-Antibody) in Infinity Mountain |
| Ultimate X-Antibody | Omegamon (X-Antibody) | Current Digimon: Omegamon | Win the Colosseum Heavenly Hall Free Battle: "We'll put you to the test". Trade Ultimate Piece to Agumon (X-Antibody) in Infinity Mountain |
| Supreme X-Antibody | Dukemon (X-Antibody) | Current Digimon: Dukemon | Win the Colosseum Heavenly Hall Free Battle: "We'll put you to the test". Trade Supreme Piece to Agumon (X-Antibody) in Infinity Mountain |
| Swiftness X-Antibody | Ulforce V-dramon (X-Antibody) | Current Digimon: Ulforce V-dramon | Trade Swiftness Piece to Agumon (X-Antibody) in Infinity Mountain |
| Gluttony X-Antibody | Beelzebumon (X-Antibody) | Current Digimon: Beelzebumon | Trade Gluttony Piece to Agumon (X-Antibody) in Infinity Mountain |
| Miracle X-Antibody | Magnamon (X-Antibody) | Current Digimon: Magnamon | Win the Colosseum Heavenly Hall Free Battle: "We'll put you to the test". Trade Miracle Piece to Agumon (X-Antibody) in Infinity Mountain |
| Jet-Black X-Antibody | Black War Greymon (X-Antibody) | Current Evolution Stage: Perfect | Dropped from boss Black in Signpost Woods |
Digimon Crusader[edit]
Digimon Linkz[edit]
Digimon New Century[edit]
Sometime before meeting Tokumori Katsuhiro, Duftmon and Omegamon fought Barbamon and Megidramon. During the fight, Omegamon gave Duftmon an X-Antibody causing Duftmon to X-evolve to Duftmon (X-Antibody). The new evolution allowed the duo to defeat the two evil Digimon.
Grand Dracumon creates an immortal army of Vamdemon-species Digimon using the data leftover from Yggdrasil, in an attempt to replicate the effects of the Death-X.
Virtual Pets[edit]
Digimon Pendulum X[edit]
Digital Monster D-Cyber[edit]
D-Spirit 2[edit]
Digimon Accel Ultimate Genome[edit]
Digital Monster X[edit]
Digital Monster X Ver.2[edit]
Digital Monster X Ver.3[edit]
TCG[edit]
| Hyper Colosseum |
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Digital Monster Card Game[edit]
In the Digital Monster Card Game, cards depicting Digimon who possess the X-Antibody are identified as such by their red frame (as opposed to the blue, gold, or silver frames used by other cards). The red frame is regularly cited as a necessary criterion in cards' Evolution/Fusion/Appearance Requirements for evolution into or from X-Antibody Digimon, and in some cards' Special Abilities that target X-Antibody Digimon in some way.
Option Cards relating to the X-Antibody and the related story also have the red frame.
Digimon Card Game[edit]
In the Digimon Card Game, Digimon who possess the X-Antibody are identified as such by the listing of an "X-Antibody" property in the Digimon's Type. The X-Antibody's own card also lists this property. The property is cited as a necessary criterion in the effects of Digimon and Option Cards that in some way relate to or target X-Antibody Digimon.
Image Gallery[edit]
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| Digimon Crusader (Card) |
Digimon Profile |
