I feel like Digimon might be one of the most underrated anime classics from the ’90s. In my perception, it was always kind of competing with Pokémon, but fast-forward to the present day and the Pokémon games are considered mainstream while the Digimon games feel like they’re largely overlooked.
But, that hasn’t stopped the Digimon anime series from flourishing. In fact, after the classic Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02 ended back in the late ’90s and early aughts, there were a lot of sequels and unrelated spinoffs that followed, with the latest having recently ended on March 26, 2023.
Let’s dive into the storied history of this franchise as we seek to unearth the best watch order for Digimon. I’d like to formally thank Reddit users DarkMastero, The-Papa-Pun101, and flowerstage over at r/digimon for breaking things down. In any case, let’s get digitized!
Digimon Watch Order — For Those Longing for Adventure
I’d like to start with the Digimon Adventure watch order / timeline, as it’s the one most folks will recall from their childhood. Note that even if we’re including the 2020 version of Digimon Adventure, that is not included in the same timeline / universe as the others, and as such can be enjoyed whenever.
Also — it’s important to note that Digimon: The Movie is effectively a mashup of three separate films that were released separately in Japan. These films were announced to be coming to the west for the first time this summer courtesy of Discotek Media, though no date has been announced as of writing.
- Digimon Adventure (1999 short film)
- Note: This short film is one of the aforementioned three that made up the American cut of Digimon: The Movie. It covers a young Tai and Kari’s first exposure to Koromon, and the ensuing battle that made them digidestined.
- Digimon Adventure (1999 anime series)
- Note: This is the series you likely remember from Fox Kids.
- Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! (2000 short film)
- Note: This short film is the second of the aforementioned three that made up the American cut of Digimon: The Movie. It’s the segment where Tai, Izzy, and the other digidestined help fight off Diablomon / Diaboromon. It’s also directed by Mamoru Hosoda, which is a neat bit of trivia next time you’re hanging out with your friends.
- Digimon Adventure 02 (2000 anime series) — E1 through E21
- Note: If you care about watching in chronological order, stop after watching episode 21 and move on to the next entry. If you don’t, then watch Adventure 02 in its entirety.
- Digimon Adventure 02: Part 1: Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!! / Part 2: Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals (2000 short film)
- Note: I know, this title can be daunting, but this short film is the last of the aforementioned three that made up the American cut of Digimon: The Movie. It’s the final segment where the Adventure 02 team allies with Willis in America.
- Digimon Adventure 02 (2000 anime series) — E22 through E50
- Note: If you aren’t watching chronologically, ignore this entry as you’ve already seen these episodes.
- Digimon Adventure 02: Revenge of Diaboromon (2001 film)
- Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 1: Reunion (2015 film)
- Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 2: Determination (2016 film)
- Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 3: Confession (2016 film)
- Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 4: Loss (2017 film)
- Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 5: Coexistence (2017 film)
- Digimon Adventure tri. Chapter 6: Future (2018 film)
- Digimon Adventure 20th Memorial Story (2019 short OVA series)
- Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna (2020 film)
- Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning (2023 film)
- Digimon Adventure: (2020 series) — 67 episodes
- Note: As mentioned above, we are only including this series here because it’s a reboot of the Digimon Adventure series. It can be watched whenever, but we placed it here.
- Digimon Adventure 3D: Digimon Grand Prix! (2009 short film)
- Note: As with the Digimon Adventure reboot, we are including this here because it’s part of the Digimon Adventure branding, though it is not part of the main continuity.
Digimon Watch Order — For Those Seeking New Horizons
If you’re less concerned with seeing the Digimon Adventure series play out, there are several other, more unconnected series out there for your consumption.
Digimon Tamers
- Digimon Tamers (2001 anime series) — E1 through E18
- Digimon Tamers: Battle of Adventurers (2001 film)
- Note: It has been said that this film occurs after E18 of Digimon Tamers, but other fans seem to believe it takes place after E16, though it could also follow in the tradition of other anime films and be effectively non-canon with the events of the series.
- Digimon Tamers (2001 anime series) — E19 through E51
- Digimon Tamers: Runaway Locomon (2002 film)
Digimon Frontier
- Digimon Frontier (2002 anime series) — E1 through E19
- Digimon Frontier: Island of Lost Digimon (2002 short film)
- Digimon Frontier (2002 anime series) — E20 through E50
Digimon Savers / Digimon Data Squad
- Digimon Savers / Digimon Data Squad (2006 anime series) — 48 episodes
- Digimon Savers: Ultimate Power! Activate Burst Mode!! (2006 film)
- Digimon Savers 3D: The Digital World in Imminent Danger! (2006 film)
Digimon Xros Wars / Digimon Fusion
- Digimon Xros Wars / Digimon Fusion (2010 anime series) — 79 episodes
Digimon Universe: App Monsters
- Digimon Universe: App Monsters (2016 anime series) — 52 episodes
Digimon Ghost Game
- Digimon Ghost Game (2021 anime series) — 67 episodes, 1 special episode
Digital Monster X-Evolution
- Digital Monster X-Evolution (2005 film)
