Piedmon

"So I'm a clown? Then I'll act like one."

- Piedmon

Piedmon, known as Piemon in the Japanese version, is the secondary antagonist in Digimon Adventure 01. He is the incredibly powerful leader of the four Dark Masters. Piedmon had the power of psychokinesis, to mentally control the swords on his back. He could also take on many shapes, seen in his first confrontation with the DigiDestined. He had the power to change other objects, including humans and other Digimon, into key chains. He also appeared to have telekinesis; for instance, he once remotely attacked Greymon while Tai and Izzy were being pursued by the armies of fellow Dark Master Machinedramon.

Appearance
Piedmon is a Mega Level Virus Digimon that resembles an wicked clown with four swords that he carries on his back. He also acts like a magician.

Abilities and Powers
Piedmon can disguise himself as a normal clown, use powerful magic, turn his victims into key chains, and can toss his four swords at his opponents with high speed.

Digimon Adventure 01
The most deadly of the Dark Masters, Piedmon was their leader and probably has the most extensive history of all the Digimon the DigiDestined faced. He was around before the DigiDestined came to the Digital World to begin with and before the DigiDestined's Digimon were born, a product of Apocalymon's influence. Piedmon knew of the plot by Gennai and his followers to bring the DigiDestined into the Digital World to save it.

With an army of Guardromon and Mekanorimon, he attempted to steal the DigiDestined's arsenal. However, he was unable to get to them. Gennai charged forward and attacked Piedmon with a sword. The Dark Master in turn placed an orb into Gennai's back. Gennai took the Digi-Eggs and flew off with them in Mekanorimon. With the exception of Gatomon's Digi-Egg and Digivice, that dropped somewhere on the Continent of Server (which explained why she wasn't with the rest of the Digimon), Gennai succeeded in taking the remaining Digi-Eggs and the seven Digivices to File Island. However, Piedmon obtained the Crests and Tags, giving them to Devimon to hide. Devimon hid the Tags in the Net Ocean while he scattered the eight Crests everywhere in the Continent of Server. While the DigiDestined were fighting Myotismon in the Real World, Piedmon and his three comrades (MetalSeadramon, Puppetmon and Machinedramon) were able to take control of the Digital World. Piedmon lived atop Spiral Mountain, where he viewed his domain, which consisted of areas of the Digital World that he all turned in a lifeless wasteland.

After returning to the Digital World, when the DigiDestined first encountered Piedmon in the form of a clown, narrating their impending doom before revealing himself. From there, he easily defeated WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon because he had far more experience. Before confronting the Digidestined, he sent his servant LadyDevimon to kill them, who failed. He fought them and nearly killed WarGreymon, but Matt and Garurumon showed and healed WarGreymon. Because he saved himself for the end, MetalGarurumon and WarGreymon were able to gain experience from their fights with the other three Dark Masters and back him into a corner. To avoid a losing-battle with them, he turned them, along with Andromon (who was able to put up a good fight despite being outmatched) and the other DigiDestined (except for Mimi, Lillymon, Kari, T.K. and Angemon) into inanimate key chains. He was briefly held off by Angemon, but then sent T.K and Kari off a cliff by cutting a rope they were holding on to. However, T.K was able to Digivolve Angemon into MagnaAngemon, who easily beat Piedmon, plunging him off the cliff, and MagnaAngemon turned everyone back to normal.

Piedmon, not admitting defeat, summoned several Vilemon to attack the heroes, but Mimi and her Digimon allies showed up on time and took down the Vilemon with ease. MagnaAngemon opened up the Gate Of Destiny and the remaining Vilemon were banished and imprisoned. WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon finally defeated Piedmon by banishing him into MagnaAngemon's Gate of Destiny, which then sealed, imprisoning him permanently, putting an end to Piedmon's reign of terror for good.

Digimon Adventure Tri
Piedmon is seen again only in a flashback in Digimon Adventure Tri: Loss, where he and the other Dark Masters attacked Maki Himekawa and her Digimon partner, Megadramon. The other four Ultimate Digimon became the Four Holy Beasts and gave Megadramon their power to defeat Piedmon and the other Dark Masters.

Profile
An elusive Demon Man type Digimon who is shrouded in mystery and appeared suddenly one day. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding Demon Man types, and since Demon and Undead type Digimon are basically beings from another reality, their true forms are totally misunderstood. It is unknown as to why he appeared and for what purpose, and so far there has never been a suitable method for clarifying any theories. However, he bears strong and matchless powers, and when anyone encounters Piedmon, the only fate he might have in store for anyone is his curse. His special attack is "Trump Sword", an inescapable technique which teleports the four swords from the "Magic Box" on his back and uses them to stab the enemy.

Attacks

 * Trump Sword: Teleports its four swords, causing them to skewer the opponent in the following instant.
 * Clown Trick: Does various magical effects including transformations, disguises, or reflecting an opponent's attack back.
 * Masks Square: Creates a field in which all communications can be read by it and allows it to teleport itself and its attacks anywhere at will.
 * Ending Snipe: Unleashes electricity from both hands and electrocutes opponents.

Quotes
"How small they look from here, like ants. Strange that such little creatures could cause so much trouble."

- Piedmon

"How delightfully entertaining this is! I always get so excited before tragedy strikes!"

- Piedmon

"Well, hello there boys and girls, and welcome! Today I'm going to tell you an amazing story. Once upon a time there were eight DigiDestined. They went with their Digimon companions to try to save the world. The children and their Digimon discovered that in order for them to do it, they'd have to travel to the top of Spiral Mountain. But to their dismay, the Dark Masters beat them. So sad."

- Piedmon, telling a story he created with his own imagination, while disguised as an ordinary clown.

"Hello, my name is Izzy and I'm very smart. Although I didn't know how to stop me and my friends from being turned into keychains. Haha! I love a good puppet show!"

- Piedmon

"What's the matter? Don't want to play with uncle Piedmon anymore? Trump Sword!"

- Piedmon

"Who would like to the first to be destroyed? Oh, come now, don't tell me you have stage fright?"

- Piedmon

"In order to succeed, sometimes you have to step on people along the way."

- Piedmon

"I must quit this, it costs me a fortune in new doors."

- Piedmon

"I'm not a sicko, I'm a collector, and these new items are of such sentimental value to me."

- Piedmon, about Tai, Matt, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon, responding to Sora when she asks what kind of sicko turns people into keychains.

Piedmon's Minions

 * LadyDevimon
 * Vilemon

Piedmon's Enemies

 * Gennai
 * Tai
 * Matt
 * T.K.
 * Kari
 * Sora
 * Andromon
 * WarGreymon
 * MetalGarurumon
 * Garudamon
 * Angewomon
 * MagnaAngemon

Trivia

 * Piedmon was voiced in the English version by Derek Stephen Prince, who also voiced DemiDevimon, Impmon, Grumblemon and Beelzemon. Derek Stephen Prince also voiced Elgar and Vexen. In the Japanese version, he was voiced by the late Chikao Ohtsuka, who also voiced Apocalymon, Master Xehanort, Doctor Eggman, Professor Gerald Robotnik and Doctor Cid.
 * Piedmon has a striking similarity to Kefka in appearance, though this is largely due to both being jesters.
 * Piedmon's Ultimate form is Phantomon.
 * Piedmon can Digivolve into ChaosPiedmon.
 * Piedmon's face resembles that of another jester character, Dimentio from Super Paper Mario. Incidentally, Dimentio's face is that of a Phanto from Super Mario Bros. 2, and Piedmon's Ultimate form is Phantomon.