Out of the monster-taming franchises that exist, Digimon has developed its own brand of unique creature designs by mixing them with modern elements or technological advancements. Pokémon typically have a variety of inspirations, with many being designed after everyday creatures and items, and some are depictions based on mythological spirits that exist in multiple theologies. Another interesting monster-taming take is Yokai Watch, which naturally takes inspiration from ghosts and spirits commonly whispered about in Japan’s folklore. What makes these designs stand out is not just their appearance, but also their name derivatives.
Between these three franchises, Digimon is the only one to take a common moniker and apply it to nearly all of its monsters. Agumon, Gabumon, Biyomon, Tentomon all carry the same “-mon” end cap and it doesn’t stop at just the main character’s original Digimon. This trend isn’t seen in either Pokémon or Yokai Watch, but one fan theory reminds us that Digimon has a special connection between its monster taming and the science fiction genre.
Digimon’s Unique Moniker is Meant To Represent File Extension
Within This Digital World, Everything Is Computer-Based
This fan theory has been commonly believed to be the actual reason why Digimon are named the way they are, but the franchise hasn’t actually included this in any canon depiction, at least to the fanbase’s knowledge. Digimon is short for Digital Monsters, so it only makes sense that the ending to each of their names using “-mon” is also linked to their being called monsters.
The Digital World is already meant to be representative of a program, one that is built with bugs and viruses.
With Digimon so heavily tied to technology, it’s no surprise that the digital monsters could all carry the same file end cap of ‘monster,’ similar to how one would categorize images and videos via .png, .jpeg, .gif, or .mp4. The Digital World is already meant to be representative of a program, one that is built with bugs and viruses that hinder our heroes’ progress throughout the original series. This also could explain why there are some species that aren’t referred to as Digimon since they happen to be generic animals that don’t classify as monsters within the system’s database.
Not Every Digimon Can Be Included Though
With Every Rule Comes Exceptions
It wouldn’t stand as a theory if it didn’t have some plotholes. Some Digimon exist that stand out against the file extension, though they can be explained away due to their special circumstances in the story. For example, Digimon Savers the Movie: Ultimate Power! Activate Burst Model!’s Rhythm appears to be a human girl, but she is actually a Digimon. Given that her name has no monster extension, how does she appear as a file within the program?
Another anomaly is Hinukamuy, a Champion-level Digimon who appears from Gankoomon’s body. Though he’s referred to as a Digimon, his name also doesn’t have the same tell-tale moniker. Rhythm and Hinukamuy can be considered to be alternate lifeforms unique to the programming, thus they may have a different file extension that doesn’t categorize them as monsters to the overall system.
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In a similar vein are Death-X-mon and D-Reaper, considered to be programming tasks rather than Digital monsters, although they do have the appearance of what could be considered Digimon. Given their purpose, they carry out a mission rather than embody a will as a self-sufficient file that can act on its own, both seeking to infect the Digital World.
The last exception is N.E.O., a mysterious Digimon that isn’t directly classified as a Digimon, given that it is a combination of the many properties that exist in the Digital World (the typings as it were such as Dragon, Beast, Aquan, etc.) An incredibly strong creature that can even battle Ultimate Digimon through its “Judgement,” and rewrite the very rules established in the Digital World with “Zero Genesis.” However, not much is known about N.E.O. as it remains a very mysterious addition.
This unique characteristic of its digital monsters is just another staple of what makes Digimon as beloved a franchise as it is. It’s a clever nod to its original inspiration that the Digital World is just a wide-encompassing program housing all types of files that fall under mysterious categories such as monsters, viruses, and even tasks. It’s surprising that even after all this time, there hasn’t been much if any canonical reference to this age-old theory.
The Digimon franchise, created in 1997, encompasses digital pets, anime, manga, films, video games, and a trading card game, all centering on creatures called Digimon who inhabit a parallel “Digital World.” The series typically follows young humans and their Digimon partners battling threats and evolving through various forms.
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