Digimon Survivewill be the next installment in theDigimonvideo game franchise, and it’s going to be quite different from both of theDigimon WorldandDigimon Storyseries. For one,Digimon Survivewill boast a tactical battle system similar to that of theFire EmblemandDisgaeagames. It will also include a narrative that is driven through a visual novel style, with the player’s choices being the deciding factor among various outcomes.
This includes the life or death fate of the other human characters that tag along with the player, though it hasn’t been revealed ifDigimon can die permanently or not. Unlike similar series such asPokemon, death isn’t a taboo subject inDigimon, as it is an occurring theme in theDigimonanime.
In theDigimonanime, whenever a Digimon dies, they are typically brought back, though this isn’t always the case. InDigimon Adventures,T.K.’s partner Angemon uses up all his strengthin the fight against Devimon, and as a result, dies. This process reverts T.K.’s partner Digimon back into a Digiegg so that Angemon can start the Digivolution process over again at its earliest stage. Other Digimon are seen having died, such as Etemon and Leomon, but it is explained that they will spawn again as Digieggs in Primary Village where all Digieggs are protected.
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Leomon’s Role in the Franchise
Digimon Survivewillfeature around 100 Digimon for the player to interact with, though as the game is still in development, this could change. Still, it hasn’t been confirmed yet but Leomon has a long-standing history with the series as the “noble hero” character and would make a perfect fit inDigimon Survive. Leomon and his various forms have almost all died in just about every iteration of the anime in tragic fashion, most notably inDigimon Tamers.
Leomon was usually the helpful side character to the Digidestined, though inDigimon Tamers,Leomon was the partner to Jeri. Leomon met his fate when he took on Beelzemon and failed to stop him. This was the first time a Digidestined’s partner was killed off permanently. At this point, it’s almost a running joke with the series to kill off a form of Leomon, andDigimon Survivewould be the perfect game to include this Leomon trope.
BecauseDigimon Surviverelies heavily on its darker branching narrative,alongside its beautifully rendered visual novel artwork, it would be fitting to have the lion hero make an appearance.Digimon Survivecan tell a more impactful story much closer in line with the anime than theDigimon WorldorDigimon Storygames due to their visual direction.
How Leomon Could Improve Digimon Survive
With a game so reliant on player choice, it wouldn’t be too difficult to imagine a scenario where the player has to choose between the survival of Leomon and another, much like atypicalTelltalegame. This would be in line with how the game emphasizes surviving, which could relate to scavenging for survival materials or making life or death decisions. If a Leomon isn’t introduced as a side character, the next best thing would be the option to have a partner Digimon Digivolve into Leomon.
Then, through player choice the human character could be killed off alongside their Leomon, recreating the anime trope that will probably continue as new series come out. After all, Leomon was brutally killed inDigimon Adventure Tri, and most recently he has shown up as a character in thereboot ofDigimon Adventure, where he might meet the same fate as before, so only time will tell.
Digimon Surviveis currently in development for PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
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