Like a younger sibling, Digital Monsters (Digimon) have been in the shadow of Pocket Monsters (Pokémon) since their release, and despite the differences between the two, the media constantly compares them.  From themes to the franchise’s names, fans have torn Digimon apart to call it a carbon copy of Pokémon. However, the facts show that is not the case.

    In February of 1996, Nintendo released the first-ever Pokémon games for the Game Boy, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, with Pokémon Blue releasing in October later that same year. In June 1997, Digimon was released in Japan as a digital pet, serving as a masculine counterpart to the popular pocket pet toy, Tamegotchi, which had been released the previous year.

 Digital Monster Version S: Digimon Tamers, the first video game, was released for the Sega Saturn in 1998, and an anime release in March 1999, with Pokémon releasing an anime in 1997; this caused some backlash. Sparking the debate: Is Digimon a copy of Pokémon?

   Fans have noticed the similarities between the two franchises: the focus on human-monster relationships, evolution, and the use of the suffix ‘mon’ for monsters. Though due to Pokémon’s rising popularity and having been released first, the media tends to favor Pokémon over Digimon. 

    In Digimon’s 29 years of release, it is known for its more complex story, taking on heavier themes in both the games and the anime series, with the premise of the anime having the digidestined children ‘deleting’ enemy digimon. While in Pokémon, it is known for some of its lighter themes, friendship, and courage, with some dark themes sprinkled throughout.

  Is Digimon a rip-off of Pokémon? Looking into Digimon’s history, inspiration comes more from Tamagotchi, with the show, specifically Digimon Tamers, taking inspiration from the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion from 1995.

   So, despite what the public and media want to accuse, Digimon, in fact, is not a copy of Pokémon, and is its own unique franchise. Taking inspiration from Tamegotchi and Neon Genesis Evangelion, and not copying Pokémon.