History Characters / DigimonTamersTamers

* ButtMonkey: In the dub, Kenta is constantly getting made fun of, making an affronted "Hey!" almost his CatchPhrase.

-->''"I always felt that I had to hold back, that fighting was wrong. But this is different, this is a battle that means something."''

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see biomerged form]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/121px_saintgalgomon.gif[[/labelnote]]]]

->Voiced by: Creator/MayumiYamaguchi (JP), Creator/DaveWittenberg ([=MegaGargomon=] ''([=SaintGalgomon=])'' Shared with Creator/MonaMarshall)
(EN), Gádor Martín (Spain), Rodolfo Cuevas (Latin America)

* TheHero: Takato. At first he's a wimp but he grows into it. The last of the main trio to get a Digimon, and to get to the Champion level subverting ProtagonistPowerUpPrivileges at the beginning.

* HeelFaceTurn: Sometime between Impmon witnessing them tearing a teddy bear in half and his search to find them at their grandmother's house, Ai and Makoto have learned to share, which they attribute to guilt after he abandoning them.

* TenMinuteRetirement: In episode 10 she quits being a Tamer after the events from the episode leaves her traumatized. She gets over it by the end of episode 12.

* BrokenBird: She has a rather cold and aloof personality and it is shown she has trouble getting along with her mother, but in the end she is a subversion since she still has a rather healthy family life and her issues with her mother are not truly that bad aside from a contrast in interests. [[LampshadeHanging She notices this herself when comparing her life]] [[StepfordSmiler to Jeri's.]]

* DefrostingIceQueen: She's rude, cold, and distant to everyone, but warms up over time; she buys Renamon a gift, tutors Jeri in the card game, and during the big Beelzebumon fight is openly scared for Takato's life.

* MyGreatestFailure: Rika spends a moment with her thoughts alone after hearing about Jeri's very serious emotional/mental problems, which lead to her becoming the D-reaper's power source, thinking about how badly she failed to notice that Jeri has inner demons of her own and did not help when she had the chance.

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Early on, she saw Digimon as just data, including her own partner, and not as thinking, feeling beings. She grew out of it soon enough. Ironically, Renamon ''is'' of the data type.

* HeroesWantRedheads: Has a major crush on Jeri, and is occasionally {{Ship Tease}}d with Rika.

** As a redheaded ShortTank with emotional difficulties driven by MommyIssues (of the FeminineMotherTomboyishDaughter variety), Rika is also a fairly overt duplicate of [[Anime/DigimonAdventure Sora]] (and of trope-codifying ShortTank [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Misty]] by extension).

* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: In contrast to [[Anime/DigimonAdventure02 Davis]], who was a HotBlooded BoisterousBruiser, Takato is a FragileFlower or MellowFellow (with some severe depressive tendencies to judge from the first Japanese ending) whose moments of anger are very rare but potentially terrifying when they occur.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: One of Takato's flaws is his RuleOfCool mentality when designing Guilmon and his evolutionary line, specifically Growlmon. Making Guilmon strong is one thing, but making him taller than Agumon makes it difficult for Guilmon to walk around without being noticed by humans. One of Growlmon's scrapped designs include him having various natural weapons attached to his body, which would make it impossible for Takato to ride on him. He still ends up being difficult to ride on. In the end, although Growlmon is about [=ExVeemon's=] size rather than Greymon's, designing Growlmon with such a large body that won't fit in any house makes it very difficult to hide him, despite Takato's being aware that his Digimon is supposed to be a secret. What's more, making his partner a Virus Digimon is probably one of the reasons why Guilmon is often feral and aggressive in the first place.

* DubPersonalityChange: In the original, Takato starts as a low-key [[FragileFlower delicate sort]], while in the dub he's an easygoing MellowFellow.

* HellishPupils: His pupils dilate in such a manner when becomes enraged enough to make Guilmon digivolve into Megidramon. Fans have used this and Guilmon's inexplicable connection to the Digital Hazard to mean something...more.

* HiddenDepths: While in the original Japanese version indicates Takato is a FragileFlower, the first ending and certain image songs indicate he has depressive tendencies.

* HorsebackHeroism: [[spoiler:Gallantmon with Grani. Even Takato's Dad seems to think so.]]

* TheKidWithTheRemoteControl: His relationship with Guilmon is one of the best deconstructions of this trope. Its darker consequences are displayed in episode 34 [[spoiler:when Takato '''orders''' Guilmon to digivolve and eat Beelzemon. This action makes him realize that he had, and could at any time use his Guilmon as a puppet. Fortunately he isn't tempted by the power offered and makes the final decision of becoming Guilmon's partner.]]

** Takato's personal connection to Guilmon becomes a major factor during the fights against Mihiramon and Vikaralamon, causing Takato to feel his partner's injuries and allowing him to empower Guilmon with his own strength when [[HeroicResolve sufficiently motivated]]. It's also very likely a factor leading to his UnstoppableRage [[spoiler: creating Megidramon]], as Growlmon was technically the first one to go berserk.

* BadassNormal: First Digimon anime human to take a Hangyomon barehanded and win. Points for doing it ''underwater''.

* IKnowKarate: Early on he is shown practicing Tai Chi with his master, and since the Mega level is a merger, it also allows him to kick butt when he runs out of ammo with some very loud {{Kiai}}s.

* ActionGirl: Unquestionably the best one of the anime franchise.
* AloneInACrowd: Shown to be this early in the series before CharacterDevelopment kicks in. Emphasised by [[HeadphonesEqualIsolation her MP3/CD player]]

* BadassNormal: She's just a little girl but a very tough one at that.

* CatchPhrase: In the Dub, she's fond of variants of telling her opponents that she/Renamon/her friends are going to "Walk all over" you.
* CharacterDevelopment: At first, Rika's only concern was maintaining and protecting her title as Digimon Queen, stomping out every Digimon she and Renamon came across so the latter can absorb their data and become stronger. But as the season's story progresses, especially after her encounter with Icedevimon in episode 10, she learns that there's more to Digimon than just simply fighting each other in order to stay on top of some competition.
** This development is fully established when Rika's mother gifts her a shirt with a full heart rather than the broken one she usually wore in episode 42.
* CoolBigSis: They're the same age, but Rika takes Jeri under her wing early on, teaching her to use her cards and holding her hand through the digital field.

* LettingHerHairDown: Rika wears her hair down both times she wears the dress her mother wanted her to wear; she also loses her ponytail whenever she and Renamon both become Sakuyamon.

* MindControlEyes: Her eyes go dull and emotionless in the sixth movie when under control.

* TomboyishPonytail: Some describe it as a samurai cut.

%%* WhenSheSmiles: Whenever she actually smiles, it's cute to see. (Trope is not supposed to be about audience reactions)

* ArcWords: 'Destiny'. Jeri seems to have an obsession with the idea that the things that happen to her are 'destiny', at first feeling like she isn't special enough to become a tamer but then becoming ''elated'' when she becomes partnered with Leomon, seeing it as fate. This gets bolstered with Leomon's own declaration that 'everyone has their own destiny'. Unfortunately, this [[spoiler: heads down a tragic path when Leomon is suddenly killed, which, combined with the fact that Jeri lost her biological mother at a young age, leads Jeri to believe that she's destined to be alone. Eventually however, Jeri realizes that people make their own destinies and with the help of her friends, pulls herself out of her depression]].

* {{Deuteragonist}}: If Takato, Rika, and Henry, along with their partners are to be taken together as a collective protagonist, Jeri, along with Impmon, are the deuteragonists, with Jeri being the child recieving the most character development and plot relevance next to the main three kids.

* {{Foil}}: Her characterization and arc run roughly parallel to Impmon's. Both of them are lonely individuals, but Jeri desperately seeks connection with others while Impmon desperately tries to pretend he doesn't need it. This gets exemplified in how Jeri crazily chased Digimon around hoping to be their partner while Impmon rejected and ran away from his would-be-partners. Both of them go through a period where they believe it's better to be alone, with Impmon deciding to destroy everything around him, and Jeri deciding it would be better if she just disappeared. Jeri ends up sparing his life unexpectedly, while he fails to save hers when she's in danger. Impmon ends up learning how to find strength in his friends, while Jeri learns how to find strength in herself. They both also break the usual digimon human-partner conventions, with Jeri being the only human [[spoiler: to lose their digimon without revival during the series]] and Impmon being the only digimon [[spoiler: with ''two'' partners]].

* IJustWantToBeSpecial: And she gets her wish! [[spoiler:[[BreakTheCutie For a little while, anyway]].]]

* TookALevelInBadass: Double Subverted. Good lord the girl ''tries so hard.'' She wants to toughen up to be worthy of Leomon and it slowly happens. Then it all goes to hell in a hand basket.[[spoiler: It FINALLY ends up working for her in the end when she stands up to the D-Reaper on her own ''without Leomon OR Takato there'' and choses to ScrewDestiny and make her own fate. Of course, she and Culumon still need to be rescued in the end... but so does everyone else]].

* WhatTheHellHero: Jeri delivers this to Takato after Guilmon dark digivolves into Megidramon. Even though it was mostly out of revenge for her sake, Jeri is devestated to see what Takato's rage did to a sweet creature like Guilmon.

* CombatPragmatist: Despite his meek nature, and having a partner suited toward support and healing, Kenta proves to be a surprisingly efficient fighter. Managing to clear out several D-Reaper agents and save Takato from one through nothing more than a series of [[IntheBack sneak attacks from behind.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Much like Kazu, Kenta went to the digital world to find a partner digimon that he could have adventures with. Beelzemon nearly killing everyone destroys the rosy picture he'd had of those adventures. Kenta completely stops looking for a partner digimon after that, only becoming a Tamer because ''Marineangemon'' wanted to be Kenta's partner. Rather fittingly, Marineangemon is explicitly a support/healer digimon and not a fighter.

* AmbiguousSituation: Is this Ryo an AlternateSelf of the protagonist of the ''VideoGame/DigimonWonderswanSeries'' or is he the same person? Seki Hiromi, the producer for ''Tamers'', [[WordOfStPaul has stated]] that ''Tamers''-Ryo ''is'' the Wonderswan series hero, but head writer Chiaki J. Konaka's notes strongly suggest that he is not.

* CanonImmigrant: While the protagonist of the VideoGame/DigimonWonderswanSeries was TheCameo in ''Recap/DigimonAdventureMovieOurWarGame'' and became a GuestStar in ''Manga/DigimonVTamer01'', ''Tamers'' has the first version of Ryo to be a regular cast member in his own right.

* ContinuitySnarl: One results from Seki Hiromi's claim that the Ryo of ''Tamers'' is the same character as the Wonderswan Ryo. ''Tamers'' gives its version of Ryo a game-incompatible backstory that creates snarls like how Ryo has parents in the ''Tamers'' world when the Wonderswan Ryo and his family are originally from the world of ''Anime/DigimonAdventure''.

* FlatCharacter: Unlike Takato, Henry, Rika , and Jeri, Ryo has no character arc--he starts at IdealHero and stays there through the whole series. He does basically two things throughout the show--rescue people and annoy Rika (sometimes ''by'' rescuing her).

* InformedAbility: Multiple characters insist that Ryo is an excellent Tamer and a master of the card game; he certainly has very powerful cards, at least.

* RememberTheNewGuy: Despite the fact that Ryo had always been planned to be a character in the third series, he is only belatedly debuts during the digital world arc; multiple characters nonetheless immediately recognize him and Kazu and Kenta start talking him up like he's super hot stuff.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Like all the other members of her family, this is in full effect because of AlternateCharacterReading. The characters in her name are read using the onyomi reading ("Shiuchon") whereas if put into pinyin, it would be read as "Xiaochun" in Mandarin Chinese. The dubbers more or less gave up the internal debate about what it was and went with Suzie instead. Fandom sometimes adds to this by calling her 'Shuchun', because the Japanese [=VAs=] pronounce her name that way sometimes. The German dub goes with "shuichon" half the dub and when she joins the others she says she would rather be called "Suzie", while the Spaniard dub opted to pronounce her name more or less as "Sue Chong".

* HeelFaceTurn: Sometime between Impmon witnessing them tearing a teddy bear in half and his search to find them at their grandmother's house Ai and Makoto have learned to share, which they attribute to guilt following him abandoning them.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: "Mako" (or "Mako-chan") is Impmon's term of endearment for Makoto, but in the english dub, everyone, whether they know Mako personally or not, calls him "Mako". Impmon even introduces him as "Mako" to Takato and the gang.

* SpoiledBrat: Due to their parents showering them with toys that they don't know how to share. They get better, though.

* ParentalNeglect: An interesting case with her father, who is neglectful not out of malice but because he himself doesn't know how to handle the family problems. And he [[PapaWolf really, REALLY shows how much he loves Jeri by the end]].

* ThreeAmigos: By the end of it. Takato is the main character of his trio, Henry is the same-gender friend, and Rika opposite gender friend.

* CombatPragmatist: Despite his meek nature, and having a partner suited toward support and healing, Kenta proves to be a surprisingly efficient fighter. Managing to clear out several D-Reaper agents and save Takato from one through nothing more than a series [[IntheBack sneak attacks from behind.]]

* AdaptationPersonalityChange: In the original, Takato starts as a low-key [[FragileFlower delicate sort]], while in the dub he's an easygoing MellowFellow.

* AsianAndNerdy: [[LogicBomb Technically, everyone in the show is Asian]], but Henry deserves a special mention for being a smart half-Chinese kid proficient with computers and video games.

* AdaptationPersonalityChange: While still an introverted IceQueen, the American dub's take on Rika is much snarkier. This is naturally helped by the dub's WorldOfSnark.

* DistressedDamsel: [[spoiler: Jeri gets captured by the D-Reaper and used to fuel its rampage around the world. At first Jeri is largely left unharmed in a bubble and completely indifferent to what's going on, still suffering from a HeroicBSOD from losing Leomon. When she snaps out of it and starts fighting back though, the D-Reaper actively starts restraining her. Much of the final third of the season is dedicated to saving her]].

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see biomerged form]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/131px_dukemon.gif[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see second biomerged form]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/139px_dukemon_crimson_1.gif[[/labelnote]]]]

* BreakTheCutie: The second half of the show pretty much does everything in its power to make Jeri soul-crushingly ''miserable''.

* EnergyWeapon: He can project [[WhipItGood an energy whip]] from his Digivice to discipline Cyberdramon.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: To Henry.

* KnightKnaveAndSquire: Downplayed. At the start of the series, Henry is an idealist trying to avoid violence, Ruki is proud of her ability to slay enemy digimon, and Takato is trying desperately to keep up.

* LastNameBasis: In the Japanese version, he always addresses Juri as "Katou-san," despite or maybe even because she is his main LoveInterest.

* MagneticHero: Takato originally formed the center of the team, being the middle ground between [[SuicidalPacifism Jian]] and [[BloodKnight Ruki]], and the initial expedition team is the main trio plus three of Takato's friends and classmates. It was later downplayed with the introductions of Xiaochun, Ryo, Ai, and Mako as tamers, none of whom have any direct connections to him.

* PuppyLove: Takato has a whopper of a crush on Juri, and even confesses during the final arc [[spoiler:to her evil clone on accident]].

* DemotedToExtra: When it comes to series merchandise, Jian takes a definite backseat to Takato and Ruki. See the d-ark toys--Jian's "version 1.5" d-ark is merely a slight variation on Takato's own d-ark version 1.0, and he was completely passed over for the 20th anniversary toys (which come in Takato and Ruki variants only).

* BodyHorror: During ''Runaway Digimon Express''. Ruki's in the middle of a hypnosis-induced rampage and trying to kill Takato, but Guilmon ignores them both to shoot fireballs at something nasty he smells elsewhere in the car. [[spoiler: When the smoke clears, we see this freakish ''bug-thing'' with dozens of spare legs and tentacles enshrouding her attached to her back, apparently controlling her through invasive physical contact]].
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: In ''Runaway Digimon Express'', Ruki is briefly subjected to MindControl by the BigBad. She spends the duration trying to murder Takato, first with a wrench and then [[MakesSenseInContext with laser beams]].
* BrokenBird: She has a rather cold and aloof personality and it is shown she has trouble getting along with her mother, but in the end she is a subversion since she still has a rather healthy family life and her issues with her mother are not truly that bad aside from a contrast in interests. [[LampshadeHanging She notices this herself when comparing her life]] [[StepfordSmiler to Juri's.]]

* CostumeEvolution: For half of the series, Ruki wears a t-shirt with a broken heart. Then, her mother gives a similar t-shirt, but with a ''whole'' heart.

* DefrostingIceQueen: She's rude, cold, and distant to everyone, but warms up over time; she buys Renamon a gift, tutors Juri in the card game, and during the big Beelzebumon fight is openly scared for Takato's life.
* DisappearedDad: According to his character notes, Chiaki Konaka didn't focus on this element of her back story because he didn't want to give the impression that not having her father around was responsible for Ruki's attitude, but he appreciated the way ''Runaway Digimon Express'' dug into her character and found the psychological approach true to the style of the series. It isn't difficult to imagine that Ruki being a little melancholic about her father and her previous attitude are still related, even if one is not necessarily the cause of the other.

* DudeMagnet: A couple of young men Ruki passes by on the streets compliment her good looks, she has some ShipTease with Takato, and Ryo is strongly hinted to have a crush on her.

* FeminineMotherTomboyishDaughter: Ruki starts as a tough and harsh tomboy who rails against her supermodel fashionista mother's attempts to make her more feminine. After they make peace, Ruki loses the rebellious streak and starts wearing the full-hearted shirt to match her mother's. (As some ''Tamers'' storybook merch would have it, Ruki secretly likes dressing up but finds it embarassing).

** Inverted during ''Runaway Digimon Express'', which opens on Ruki wringing answers out of Takato.

* LettingHerHairDown: Ruki wears her hair down both times she wears the dress her mother wanted her to wear; she also loses her ponytail whenever she and Renamon both become Sakuyamon.

* LittleMissSnarker: Downplayed in the original Japanese; Ruki isn't completely averse to making the odd joke, though she puts so much deadpan into being a DeadpanSnarker that it can be hard to tell when she is joking--Takato originally thinks her suggestion that he's come to confess his love for her is an accusation. The English dub's Rika, however, with an AdaptationPersonalityChange as part of the WorldOfSnark, is quite sassy and much likelier to taunt people.

* PurpleIsPowerful: Ruki's eyes are colored purple, and she has the reputation of being the "Digimon Queen" because she won the card game tournament.

** That said, Ruki also has significant emotional moments with Takato, especially in the final arc.
*** Ruki repeatedly frets about Takato before and during the big fight with Beelzebumon.
*** Ruki does a textbook flip from [[{{Tsundere}} tsun to dere]] when she learns he wrote a reassuring note to her family on her behalf. She flips back when Takato fails to deny that he added hearts to it.
*** Ruki provokes a TwiceShy moment between her and Takato when she notices him noticing her new shirt with its unbroken heart.

** For most of the series, Rika is seen wearing a broken hearted t-shirt, symbolizing her as a BrokenBird {{jerkass}} with issues regarding opening up. After [[CharacterDevelopment maturing]] significantly, she receives and wears a new shirt with a complete heart after reconciling with her mother (who has a PaletteSwap of the new shirt for herself to match). In a flashback to her life from before she met Renamon, Ruki is shown wearing a much darker skull-and-crossbones design.
** More subtly, Ruki also wears different coats with her shirts. She's introduced wearing a trenchcoat over the broken heart, briefly wears a light blue windbreaker after transitioning to the full heart, and wore a black leather jacket over the skull and crossbones.
** In ''Runaway Digimon Express'', Ruki's vision of her young childhood self shows the latter wearing [[UsedToBeASweetKid an innocent blouse and jumper]].

* TheStoic: Ruki pretends to be aloof in order to keep others at a distance, but she's really a DefrostingIceQueen.
* {{Tomboy}}: Ruki is brash, rough, and enjoys fighting, with a notable lack of femininity compared to other female characters. In one episode, Ruki is depicted as a UnwillinglyGirlyTomboy, where she agrees to wear a girly dress for a photoshoot for her mother and later decides to run off when the camera flashes scare her. The series later establishes her as a TomboyWithAGirlyStreak; a picture book shows her being visibly upset at being seen in a dress but only because she is embarrassed and refuses to admit that she secretly likes to dress up.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: She is the {{Tomboy}} to both Jeri's and her mother's Girly Girl. The show implies that the reason Ruki leans so hard into the Tomboy role is to reject her mother's attempts to make her more girly.

* TookALevelInKindness: Ruki gradually becomes more open and nice to the other Tamers and Renamon.

* {{Tsundere}}: Ruki is a type A and tends to act brash.

* WorldsBestCharacter: FamedInStory as the "Digimon Queen", Ruki is the WorldsBestWarrior (at the CollectibleCardGame tournament, that is). Belatedly {{subverted}} partway through the Digital World RescueArc--Ryo Akiyama beat her the year before she won, so for Ruki there's been AlwaysSomeoneBetter.

* DontYouDarePityMe: On at least two occasions, Juri succumbs to a broken heart and snaps at people who approach and try to comfort her, demanding to be left alone.

* MeaningfulName: She shares her name with a friend of [[Anime/SerialExperimentsLain Lain Iwakura]], who goes through just about the same level of mental trauma as this Juri. Both are characters created by Chiaki Konaka so this was very intentional.

* TheAce: Ryo is lauded as the "Digimon King", the kid who beat Ruki a year ago.
* AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul: Downplayed; Ryo's flirting with Ruki is much more overt in the dub.

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Mostly where Ruki is concerned; he and his Digimon are introduced trouncing the Megadramon that was on the brink of loading Kyuubimon, he's the guy who beat Ruki in the card game a year ago, he's perfectly polite and charming and the idol of local Digimon while Ruki is busy being bitter and grumbling to herself.

* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Ryo inserts himself into Ruki's business a couple of times during the final act ostensibly to protect her, chasing her down into the pit with the D-Reaper and effectively cutting in line by insisting that he and Cyberdramon be the ones to go rescue Ruki and Kyuubimon when the Ark is departing after Terriermon and Jian come up with the idea.

* FlatCharacter: Unlike Takato, Jianliang, Ruki, and Juri, Ryo has no character arc--he starts at IdealHero and stays there through the whole series. He does basically two things throughout the show--rescue people and annoy Ruki (sometimes ''by'' rescuing her).

* IdealHero: When Ryo is introduced, he's charming, composed, accompanied with a very powerful digimon, and unironically regrets that Ruki doesn't like him very much. His lack of flaws appears to annoy Rika even more.

* JumpedAtTheCall: ''Message in a Packet'' reveals Ryo immediately accepted Cyberdramon's invitation to come to the digital world the night he beat Ruki at the tournament, without a thought for his family.