Human and Beast Digimon

In Digimon Frontier, Digimon species are often categorized as either Human Digimon (ヒューマンデジモン Hyūman dejimon/人型デジモン Nin-gata dejimon) or Beast Digimon (ビーストデジモン Bīsuto dejimon/獣型デジモン Jū-gata dejimon). These categories are presented as an almost tribal or racial affiliation, and there is a long history of conflict between the two factions.

The Human and Beast categories also apply to Hybrid Digimon. For each element, there are two Legendary Spirits: one that creates a Human Form Hybrid Digimon, and one that creats a Beast Form Hybrid Digimon.

=Overview= Within each category, Digimon tend to have certain features and body plans in common.


 * Human Digimon are strictly humanoid in build and shape. They tend to either directly resemble actual humans, or otherwise be anthropomorphic creatures.
 * Beast Digimon include all sorts of body plans, ranging from bipeds to animalistic forms like quadrupeds, avians and serpents, or even spheres. They tend to resemble animals to some extent or another.

Cherubimon's comments indicate that there is also a difference in the perspectives and needs of Human Digimon and Beast Digimon.

Hybrid Digimon

 * Main article: Hybrid

The Legendary Spirits are divided into two types based on what sort of Hybrid Digimon they produce: a Human Spirit, or Spirit H, for Human Form Hybrid Digimon; and a Beast Spirit, or Spirit B, for Beast Form Hybrid Digimon. Each of the ten elements of the Warrior Ten has two spirits, one of each of these types.

There is a pronounced difference in the abilities and aptitudes of Human Form and Beast Form Hybrids. Human Form Hybrids excel in agility, stability and intellect, but the strengths and weaknesses of the human side have a profound influence on the Digimon. Beast Form Hybrids unleash their more animalistic nature; they possess power that surpasses the Ultimate level and vitality, but they also struggle to control their savage impulses and are prone to running wild. Fusion Form Hybrid Digimon, which use both a Human Spirit and a Beast Spirit, are the result of bringing the two Forms into harmony, fusing the intellect of the Human Form with the vitality of the Beast Form.

List of Human and Beast Digimon
=Appearances=

In the ancient Digital World, the Human Digimon and Beast Digimon were at war with each other. This war was eventually halted by the appearance of Lucemon, who stopped the conflict and ushered in an era of peace before becoming a tyrant himself.

Following Lucemon's defeat by the Warrior Ten, a new ruling coalition, the Three Great Angels, took control of the Digital World. The group was comprised of two Human Digimon (Seraphimon and Ofanimon), and one Beast Digimon (Cherubimon). However, tensions arose among them along the clan divide, as Cherubimon often disagreed with the thinking of the other two and accused them of being unable to understand the perspective of the Beast Digimon. His suspicions were exacerbated by occasions when he saw them talking without him, causing him to assume they only had the interests of the Human Digimon in mind. Lucemon exploited his suspicions and animosity toward the other two, and corrupted him into an agent of his plot to escape captivity.

After being corrupted, Cherubimon claimed to want to institute a new order for the Beast Digimon. He led an army of Beast Digimon to march on the other two Great Angels at Seraphimon's Castle in Forest Terminal, resulting in the grievous wounding of Seraphimon and the capture of Ofanimon.

In the present day, the Human Digimon/Beast Digimon conflict is generally not present or discussed in any context except discussions of the history of the Digital World.

The contrast between Human Form Hybrid Digimon and Beast Form Hybrid Digimon is significant early in the Chosen Children's adventure. Beast Form Hybrids are so much more powerful than Human Form Hybrids that defeating them is impossible without another Beast Form Hybrid, so when the Evil Warriors appear and use Beast Spirits, the Chosen Children are motivated to seek out Beast Spirits of their own so that they can stand any chance at all against them. Additionally, unlike their Human Spirits, some of the Chosen Children struggle to control their Beast Form Hybrid forms at all, as do Ranamon and Shamamon.

There are two settlements on the Wandering Island: a European-style city inhabited by Human Digimon, ruled by Darcmon; and a lake village inhabited by Beast Digimon, ruled by Hippogriffomon. Due to the machinations of Murmukusmon (who is the true identity of both Darcmon and Hippogriffomon), the two communities are at war with each other: each side has been manipulated into believing that the other is an existential threat to them which must be obliterated, and that they themselves are acting out of justice and vengeance for their kin who have been killed by the other side.

Despite the deep-rooted nature of the conflict, there is a group of friends comprised of young Digimon from both sides, led by Kotemon of the Human Digimon and Bearmon of the Beast Digimon, who do not want war between their clans.

When the Chosen Children run aground on the Wandering Island, they are split into two groups who end up on different sides: Kanbara Takuya, Shibayama Junpei, Himi Tomoki, Bokomon and Neamon are rescued by Kotemon in the Human Digimon city, while Minamoto Kouji and Orimoto Izumi are rescued by Bearmon in the Beast Digimon village. Each group witnesses an attack on the city by the opposite clan and at first take what they see at face value, and when they are reunited, they squabble with each other about which side is in the right until Bearmon and Kotemon convince them not to fight.

The conflict between the Human and Beast Digimon culminates in a massive pitched battle at the site of the Wandering Island's ruins. The resulting death and destruction is sufficient to fulfill Murmukusmon's scheme and revive Ornismon, and the entire conflict is exposed as a scam upon both the Human and Beast Digimon. The two clans set aside their differences and join forces to assist the Chosen Children in stopping Murmukusmon and Ornismon.

Following Ornismon's defeat, the surviving leaders of the clans, Dinohumon and Gryzmon, apologize for having been fooled, and become allies.

=Additional Information=