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| “ | Oh you think so, do you? Well, this is just a game to me. And I'm afraid if you can't play by my rules, I'm just going to have to disqualify you. | „ |
| ~ The Digimon Emperor |
The Digimon Emperor (Digimon Kaiser in Japan, real name: Ken Ichijoji) is the central antagonist of Digimon Adventure 02, serving as the main antagonist for its first 21 episodes.
He is the first arch-nemesis of Davis and the other new Digidestined. It is later revealed that he was the victim of brainwashing by the real antagonist, his possessed victim and his two pawns.
He returns in Digimon Adventure Tri as one of the antagonists along with Alphamon. However this is later revealed to be Dark Gennai impersonating him.
He was voiced by Romi Park in Japanese and Derek Stephen Prince in English Version. In Digimon Adventure tri., he is voiced by Todd Haberkorn.
Appearance
The Digimon Emperor looks like his older brother, Sam. He wears a cape that resembles wings and wears blue, purple, yellow, white, and a hint of black. He wears a pair of sunglasses and changes his hair so as not to be noticed as being Ken Ichijouji.
Personality
As the evil alter-ego of Ken Ichijouji, Digimon Emperor is ruthless, sadistic and abusing dictator. He created control spires for Arukenimon and Mummymon to suppressed Digimon's digivolution except Armor digivolve and DNA digivolve. He caused pain to Digimon by torturing them with his whip and using dark rings and dark spirals to brainwash Digimon as his slaves. Unlike his original self, Digimon Emperor doesn't care for Wormmon (his best friend). He willing to destroy the Digi-Destined and their Digimon partners with his created Digimon Kimeramon. He thought the Digital World was a video game and never thought he caused real suffering.
Digimon Adventures 02
Past
When Ken was a young boy, he always felt overshadowed by his older brother, Sam because he was considered to be a kid genius, which made Ken jealous. One day, a Digivice came out of Sam's computer, (as MaloMyotismon (Myotismon’s reincarnation) would be introduced later on) and he thought it belonged to Sam. When Sam told him not to touch it, Ken disobeys his brother and touches the Digivice anyway, sending Ken to the Digital World. He was a DigiDestined, and was partnered with Wormmon. After he and Wormmon defeated Millenniummon, a dark spore flew into his neck. When Ken returned from the Digital World, Sam scolded him for touching the Digivice and breaking his trust, then dismisses him from his room, stating that he would never trust him again. Feeling betrayed and fumed by those words, Ken wishes that Sam would just disappear. But unfortunately, Ken's wish eventually came true when Sam was tragically killed in a car accident. After Sam’s death, Ken felt grief-stricken for the loss of his brother, so he decided that he had to be just like his older brother to help his parents cope with the pain.
One day when he was playing with Sam's computer, a mysterious voice on an E-mail came and told him to go to the Digital World (while Yukio Oikawa would be introduced later on). He did, but instead of entering the Digital World, Ken entered the Dark Ocean. He put the Digivice in the water and it morphed into a Dark D3. When that happened, Ken became corrupted by the Dark Spore, thinking that the Digital World was a game for him to rule and the Digimon were nothing but programs and should be enslaved, and the Digimon Emperor was born.
As the Digimon Emperor
When he became the Digimon Emperor, Ken became an oppressive tyrant towards the Digimon. He also created devices, called Dark Rings, to control the Digimon. They are similar to Devimon's Black Gears in function and method of control. He later upgraded them into Dark Spirals when the DigiDestined were able to break the original model. To control the Dark Rings and Dark Spirals, he created the Control Spires. The Control Spires activate the Dark Rings and prevent others from Digivolving. The Emperor eventually created a Digimon monster called Kimeramon, created using other Digimon.
After Kimeramon was destroyed by Magnamon, Ken was begrudgingly upset over his defeat by the Digidestined. After the Digidestined talked some sense over Ken about his mistreatings with innocent Digimon, Ken finally comes to his senses, and cries over for what he has done and sheds off his emperor clothes, returning back to his normal self. He soon sees a dying Wormmon, and feels remorse for the way he treated him and reminds him of his kindness. After Wormmon forgives him, he dies in Ken's arms. Ken then sadly returns to the Real World to reunite with his parents. He then realizes that Wormmon should be reborn in the Primary Village. The other Baby Digimon were angry at Ken for his tyranny and rudely didn't welcome him. Then suddenly, Wormmon's Digi-egg hatched, reborn as Leafmon, and Ken was happy to reunite with his Digimon partner. Ken and Wormmon then redeem themselves and join the Digidestined.
Digimon Adventure tri.
See Dark Gennai
Quotes
| “ | In fact, I have Kari to thank for all of this. You're the one who was so determined to stop Homeostasis from destroying Meicoomon that you kept your brother, Tai, from acting, and that solved my biggest problem. | „ |
| “ | I could, and I am. Ken Ichijouji! | „ |
| ~ The Digimon Emperor revealing his true identity. |
| “ | I had no idea. What have i done? I thought my Dark Rings were a stroke of genius. I never realized I was causing pain. I made them work for me tirelessly, without ever giving them a break, and I was cruel to them beyond imagination! I'm a monster!! I can't believe what I've done!! | „ |
| ~ Ken realizes what a fool's he been. |
| “ | WHAT HAVE I DONE?! | „ |
| ~ Ken's last line as the Digimon Emperor |
Victims of the Dark Ring/Spiral
- Gazimon
- Gizamon
- SkullGreymon
- MetalGreymon
- Drimogemon
- Snimon
- RedVegiemon
- Mojyamon
- Tyrannomon
- Tuskmon
- Vegiemon
- Ebidramon
- Shellmon
- Roachmon
- Guardromon
- Andromon
- Deltamon
- Bakemon
- DarkTyrannomon
- Flymon
- Dragomon
- Gorillamon
- Digitamamon
- Mushroomon
- Ninjamon
- ShogunGekomon
- Airdramon
- MegaSeadramon
- Dokugumon
- Devidramon
- Woodmon
- Mekanorimon
Trivia
- Despite being the first antagonist in Digimon Adventure 02, the Digimon Emperor (aka Ken) was actually a brainwashed victim of Myotismon.
