Attribute

Attribute (属性 Zokusei, suffixed with 種 Shu ) refers to the type of computer file a Digimon represents. There are six different possible attributes:

The Digimon are generally separated into three different attributes "Data", "Vaccine" and "Virus", depending on the influence that they cause in the Environment. Digimon with the same name and different attributes sometimes look different and in some cases have different attacks or types as well. There are also "Free" and "Variable" attributes that are related to the Digimon known as "Ancient Species". Digimon with the Variable attribute, which at least so far means Hybrid, change attribute to match that of their opponent. Vaccine digimon are supposed to be more powerful against Virus digimon, Virus digimon are supposed to be more powerful against Data digimon, and Data digimon are supposed to be more powerful against Vaccine digimon.

In a more general sense, they can also represent personality types:

Virus digimon desire power, and can often become greedy, selfish, wild, or evil in pursuit of it.
 * Vaccine: They are created to prevent the destruction of important Data by Virus. They have a strong attack instinct against Virus, so they act combating the Virus Species and thus protecting the surrounding environment and its own territory. As a rule, Vaccine digimon are usually good, put a high emphasis on justice and morals, and fight against evil.
 * Data: They are like the e-mails that are send on computers. They do not belong to either "Vaccines" or "Virus", but they need "Vaccines" to protect themselves from "Virus". They just exist according to the already established environment and don't do much to change it. Data digimon can be good or evil, but generally value peace above all.
 * Virus: They are Digimon that devour data, recognized as evil digimon that destroy data from computers. They are a species that seeks to modify the surrounding environment according to their wishes. As a result, anomalies end up appearing in the system.

Digimon of the same attribute will generally get along well with each other. However, all of the above is not set in stone and there have been heroic Virus Digimon, as well as villainous Vaccine digimon. The Attribute system started out as a sort of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" determinator in the virtual pets. This is still, in essence, in use in most mediums (especially the Card Game), though less strongly stressed.

Vaccine is dominant over Virus. Virus is dominant over Data. Data is dominant over Vaccine. Variable is 'tied' with all other Attributes, a rather unique factor in R/P/S variants. Unknown is dominant over all other Attributes.