Impmon (Tamers)

Impmon is a major character in Digimon Tamers, and the Partner Digimon of Ai and Makoto.

=Evolution=

=Profile= Initially, Impmon is a troublemaker and a bully who enjoys nothing more than harassing humans, and Digimon with Tamers. He is loudmouthed, arrogant and very opinionated, unafraid of telling others exactly what he thinks of them in a snide manner. Impmon harbors a deep dislike towards humans and thinks that no self-respecting Digimon would ever partner himself with a human. As it turned out later, his attitude towards humans came from his own bad experiences. Impmon is disgusted with his own weakness and resents the Tamers' Digimon for their ability to evolve. This is the thing that brings to his downfall.

=Appearances=

It is unknown how and why, but Impmon Realized in the Digital World and came into the ownership of four-year-old twins, Ai and Makoto. The two didn't understand the implication of being Tamers, however, and treated Impmon as a toy to be played with, fighting over him and pulling him around. After a while, Impmon had enough of this, and he ran away. Because of this bad first experience, he started disliking humans.

Impmon took to harassing humans in Shinjuku Central Park. Eventually, he met the Tamers and their Digimon, and mocked them for their partnership. He also mocked Culumon for liking humans so much. Being only a Child Digimon, he proved to be no more than a mild nuisance to the Tamers and their Digimon, who for the most part ignored his constant attempts to rile them up.

When Indramon, the horse Deva, appeared in Shinjuku, he encountered Impmon and told him he had the stench of humans on him. Enraged by the notion, Impmon went on a rampage through the ward, only to be stopped by Renamon. Though he yelled at her that he doesn't need a Tamer, he tearfully admitted to her that he once had partners and that he wanted to be able to evolve on his own more than anything. At that point, Indramon appeared, and Impmon insisted on fighting him alone. Realizing that it was important for Impmon, Renamon held the others back and prevented them from helping. However, Indramon nearly killed the small Child Digimon and knocked him away to another part of Shinjuku. The Tamers were concerned and attempted to find him, to no avail.

After several days of lying injured and weakened, Impmon managed to slip back into the Digital World. Once there, he encountered Caturamon, the dog Deva. Caturamon offered Impmon to help him evolve if Impmon agreed to destroy the group who entered the Digital World. Impmon was very reluctant, remembering the Tamers' kindness, but Caturamon pressed on his bruised ego and his desperation to evolve, which was now stronger than ever. Finally, Impmon agreed, and Caturamon used the power of Zhuqiaomon to evolve Impmon into Beelzebumon.

Beelzebumon took a while to even begin his mission, first roaming the Digital World on his new motorcycle, Behemoth, and exercising his powers on random Digimon. Prompted by Caturamon to begin, he found the Tamers and prepared to fight Taomon, but the Shaggai program created a storm in the area and Beelzebumon drove away, waiting for a better time.

That time came when Takato, Jianliang and Shaochung were separated from the other Tamers, as well as Guilmon. He began attacking them, and overpowered Rapidmon very easily. The rest of the Tamers appeared through a data stream, after Guilmon heard Takato, and though Kyubimon tried to fight Beelzebumon, she was no match either. When Leomon attempted to stop him, Beelzebumon stabbed Leomon in the stomach with his hand, killing him and absorbing his data for good. This infuriated Takato, who ordered his Digimon to evolve beyond his limit, turning him into the fearsome Megidramon, who was a proper match for Beelzebumon, though very unstable. Beelzebumon killed Makuramon and acquired data from Taomon and Rapidmon to help him defeat Megidramon, knocking him out.

However, the fight was far from over, as Takato managed to restore Megidramon's inner peace, allowing him to devolve into Guilmon. They also found a way to evolve into a Digimon as one – Matrix Evolution. The result of this evolution between human and Digimon, Dukemon, was far stronger and more stable than Megidramon, and Dukemon managed to defeat Beelzebumon after a hard battle. He almost killed Beelzebumon as well, but Juri prevented him from doing so, not wanting another Digimon to die like her own partner.

With his life spared and in a highly weakened state, Beelzebumon began to wander the Digital World. Shortly after, he devolved to Impmon when the remaining members of a pack of Chrysalimon he killed found him and siphoned his energy. With that, he lost the last of his strength and collapsed, losing his red bandanna in the process. He was saved when Ruki and Renamon found him after finding his bandanna and realizing he was in danger. Despite his previous actions, the Tamers took him with them in the Ark Lee Janyuu had created and brought him back to the Real World. Feeling guilty and ashamed, he ran away as soon as he could.

Impmon was confused at the Tamers' kindness to him, and when he received a message from his original Tamers, he decided to search for Ai and Makoto. The twins were staying at their grandmother's house in Hongo, and when he found them, they were delighted to see him. Ai and Makoto apologized profusely, telling Impmon that they understand how their behavior had hurt him, and promising never to treat him like a plaything again, but rather as a friend. Impmon forgave the twins and decided to help the Tamers in their battle against the D-Reaper. To send him off with luck, Ai gave him a kiss on the cheek and Makoto gave him a toy gun. As he went to help the Tamers defeat ADR-03, he managed to evolve into Beelzebumon, and then, with his own Tamers' toy gun, into Beelzebumon Blast Mode. Having evolved with the power of his Tamers' friendship, he now managed to destroy ADR-03.

When they found out that Juri was trapped in the D-Reaper's kernel sphere, Beelzebumon helped Culumon get into the sphere to help Juri, though the small Digimon couldn't free her. Beelzebumon failed to escape and was snatched by the D-Reaper as well. He was held outside of the kernel sphere, away from Juri and Culumon. After being unconscious for a while, he woke up and broke free, only to be thrown out of the kernel and the Gate Keeper ADR which formed around it. Now fighting with Dukemon, Beelzebumon attempted to destroy the ADR, to no avail. The D-Reaper then scanned Juri's mind and reiterated the findings to Beelzebumon, saying that he killed her partner. Beelzebumon admits to his wrongdoing, but now he is determined to do the opposite of what he did when he killed Leomon and save Juri. Using his strongest attack on the ADR failed and broke his blast gun, but when Grani's Yuggoth blaster badly damaged the ADR, Beelzebumon went to the Kernel Sphere and tried to break it apart with Leomon's Juuouken attack. Juri awakened, but her fear and confusion closed the hole he made in the kernel sphere, and the D-Reaper attacked Beelzebumon, nearly killing him and devolving him into Impmon once again.

Impmon was brought back to Ai and Makoto, who treated his injuries and begged him not to die. It was then when they finally received their D-Ark, after finally realizing what it means to be Tamers.

When the Tamers gathered in Shinjuku Central Park after the D-Reaper's defeat, Ai and Makoto came as well, bringing Impmon with them. Impmon asked for Juri's forgiveness, and she agreed, bringing Impmon's conflict with humankind to an end. However, he had to say goodbye to his Tamers, as he and the other Digimon devolved and were sent back to the Digital World, in an attempt to keep the balance between the Real World and the Digital World in check.

=Trivia=
 * EX2-044 states that Beelzebumon is a member of the Seven Great Demon Lords.

=Additional Information=