In the original card game, Digimon Hyper Colosseum, Digimon were classified into five groups based on the original five virtual pets and positioned at different sections of the Digital World.
- Nature Spirits: Reptilian, Beast, and Insectoid Digimon were placed into this group and they were located in the North.
- Wind Guardians: The Bird, Plant, and Angel Digimon were placed into this group and they were located in the East. Of the four Dark Masters, Pinochimon commanded the Wind Guardians.
- Nightmare Soldiers: The Demon, Undead, and Youkai Digimon were placed into this group and they were located in the South. Piemon of the Dark Masters commanded the Nightmare Soldiers.
- Metal Empire: The Machine, Mutant, and Knight Digimon were placed into this group and they were located in the West. Mugendramon of the Dark Masters commanded the Metal Empire.
- Deep Savers: The Aquatic Digimon were placed into this group and they lived in the Net Ocean. MetalSeadramon of the Dark Masters commanded the Deep Savers.
- Unknown: Digimon without clear distinction were placed into this group.
Later DHC introduced two new fields
- Virus Busters: Many Angel Digimon were placed into this group alongside various other holy and heroic Digimon.
- Dark Area: Many Demon Digimon were placed into this group.
With the release Digimon Card Game Alpha came an overhaul of the Digimon classification with the introduction of two new fields and the removal of the Dark Area and Unknown fields; most Digimon from these groups were folded into the Nightmare Soldiers and the Metal Empire, respectively.
- Dragon's Roar: The dinosaur and dragon Digimon were moved from the Nature Spirits and placed into this group.
- Jungle Troopers: The insect and plant Digimon were moved from the Nature Spirits and Wind Guardians respectively and placed into this group.
Deep Savers
The Deep Savers symbol is a dolphin and its associated element is water. In Digimon Next, MarinAngemon possessed the Aquan Digimemory.
- An Ice Person: Ice-themed Digimon such as Frigimon, Vikemon and Icemon are often part of this group, even if they have little to do with liquid water itself.
- Kraken and Leviathan: With all the sea monster Digimon in this club, it's no surprise that some of them, like Whamon, MetalSeadramon and Leviamon, are gobsmackingly vast.
- Making a Splash: Digimon within this field tend to have powers focused around the manipulation of water, generally in its liquid form but also as solid ice, or at least spend most of their time swimming around in it.
- One-Steve Limit: Deep Saver was the title given to Gon in Digimon V-Tamer 01 when he became guardian of the net ocean.
- Sea Monster: From the Adult/Champion level and up, Deep Savers tend to be patterned after large, powerful and frightening sea creatures — sea serpents, giant whales, giant marine mammals, monstrous cephalopods and primordial sea reptiles all feature in the Deep Saver roster.
Dragon's Roar
The Dragon Roar symbol is a dragon and its associated element is fire. In Digimon Next, VictoryGreymon possessed the Dragon DigiMemory.
- Dinosaurs Are Dragons: Unlike other animal-based Digimon, which tend to be part of either the Nature Spirits or Jungle Troopers, the vast majority of dinosaur Digimon are part of the Dragon's Roar, regardless of whether they also include traditionally draconic traits.
- One-Steve Limit: Dynasmon has an attack called "Dragon's Roar" that possess an attribute from each of the Ten Warriors.
- Our Dragons Are Different: Often from each other, as well — the Dragon's Roar includes a wide variety of creatures, from Eastern holy serpents to Western fire-breathing destroyers to ocean-dwelling sea serpents to small, cute dragon partners to dinosaurs of various sorts to giant toothed birds.
- Playing with Fire: Many Digimon of this field have power over fire, and can include it in their attacks.
Jungle Troopers
The Jungle Troopers symbol are insect horns and its associated element is lightning. In Digimon Next, AtlurKabuterimon possessed the Insect-Plant Digimemory.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: Most of the franchise's big bugs — and Digimon's biggest bugs can top a good few stories in height — are part of this group.
- Eyeless Face: By dint of this being a strongly recurring theme among insect-like Digimon and insectoid Digimon mostly falling in this field, eyeless faces are far from rare among the Jungle Troopers.
- Plant Person: The bulk of the franchise's talking, ambulatory and humanoid plants are counted among the Jungle Troopers.
- Shock and Awe: Insect-like Digimon tend to be association with electric attacks — Kabuterimon, Kuwagamon, Flymon, AncientBeetlemon and their lines all use electrogenic attacks.
- Thunder Beetle: Almost every single beetle-based Digimon can control electricity and uses is to fight.
Metal Empire
The Metal Empire symbol is a group of gears and its associated element is metal. In Digimon Next, Andromon possessed the Machine-Mutant DigiMemory.
- Hollywood Cyborg: If they're not just straight robots, Metal Empire Digimon tend to be this. Examples include MetalGreymon and Andromon.
- Mechanical Lifeforms: The majority of the Digimon in this group are this, including Hagurumon, Guardromon, Mekanorimon and Machinedramon, to name a few.
- Mechanical Monster: Several of this group's members qualify, namely Machinedramon.
Nature Spirits
The Nature Spirit symbol is a wolf's head and its associated element is earth. In Digimon Next, Z'dGarurumon possessed the Beast DigiMemory.
- Canis Major: Garurumon and Gaogamon, both huge canines, are part of this group; further, the Beast DigiMemory is held by Z'dGarurumon, a gigantic Cyborg wolf, in Digimon Next.
- Elemental Embodiment: Digimon which physically embody an element of some sort, such as the icy Frigimon, the fiery Meramon and Lynxmon and the rocky Gotsumon, are almost always part of the Nature Spirits.
Nightmare Solders
The Nightmare Soldiers symbol is a skeleton and the associated element is darkness. In Digimon Next, Barbamon possessed the Dark DigiMemory.
- Our Demons Are Different: Demonic and devilish Digimon are typically part of the Nightmare Soldiers.
- The Undead: Undead Digimon such as Vamdemon, Mummymon, Bakemon, Soulmon, SkullGreymon, SkullSatamon and Raremon belong to the Nightmare Soldiers.
Virus Busters
The Virus Busters symbol is a cross and its associated element is light. In Digimon Next, Piccolomon possessed the Holy DigiMemory.
- Holy Hand Grenade: This group features holy or angelic Digimon almost exclusively.
- Knight in Shining Armor: Several of the Digimon in this category are these, like Seraphimon.
- Light 'em Up: Many Virus Busters have light powers.
- Our Angels Are Different: Angelic Digimon are typically part of the Virus Busters.
Wind Guardians
The Wind Guardians symbol is a bird and its associated element is wind. In Digimon Next, Ravmon possessed the Bird DigiMemory.
- Giant Flyer: Upper-tier Wind Guardians are often very large indeed, and enormous, terrifying birds such as Hououmon, Ornismon, Ceresmon and Valdurmon are a common archetype for Ultimate/Mega-level members of the group.
- One-Steve Limit: Wind Guardian is one of AeroV-Dramon's defensive techniques.
