Taichi "Tai" Kamiya

Taichi "Tai" Kamiya (八神 太一), is a fictional character from the first two seasons of the anime and manga Digimon Adventure, and Digimon Adventure 02.

He is characterized as a happy-go-lucky, adventurous, but naïve character who wears a set of goggles, a characteristic that would eventually become shared among the leaders of the various DigiDestined in Digimon. He is the older brother of Kari Kamiya and can be very protective of her, just as Yamato "Matt" Ishida is with Takeru "T.K." Takaishi

As a brash person, he often acts on impulse without realizing the consequences of his actions. This leads him to moments of friction and guilt between his best friend and rival Matt, his oldest friend Sora Takenouchi, as well as his Digimon partner Agumon. As a true leader, however, he manages to do whatever is necessary to rectify the situation, and in times of need, save friends and family from certain doom. He is the bearer of the Crest of Courage.

Another character, similar in design, is also named Taichi Yagami and is the human star of the Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 manga.

Personality
Tai is a very caring and considerate person, even if his actions may cause some people to think otherwise. Unfortunately, this caring personality is often hidden by his rash actions brought upon by that desire to help people. It takes time for him to learn how to be a leader, but he does blossom as a person to someone who knows what he has to do and will do it. He learns to look farther ahead and also to mellow out a little and not act brashly, which is exemplified by how calmly he takes in situations when mentoring the younger DigiDestined.

Digimon Adventure (movie)
Tai and Kari receive a Digi-Egg, which eventually hatches into Botamon. Botamon digivolves quickly to Koromon, becoming their first experience with Digimon. Both Tai and Kari becomes friends with Koromon before he digivolves to Agumon and takes Kari on a ride, while Tai desperately follows. Agumon digivolves to Greymon to protect them from Parrotmon at Highton View Terrace, though he is beaten. Using Kari's whistle, Tai manages to revive Greymon long enough for both him and Parrotmon to destroy each other. This event leads to Tai being chosen as one of the DigiDestined, something they theorize once they return to the scene, and confirmed by a separate entity who possesses Kari..

Between Digimon Adventure (movie) and Digimon Adventure
When Kari is four or five years old, she gets pneumonia, and Tai, not realizing the severity of her illness, takes her outside to play. Yuuko Kamiya, his mother, gets upset and slaps his face. Tai relives these painful memories when Kari gets sick once more while facing the Dark Masters.

Digimon Adventure
The adventurous leader of the group, Tai is always the first to jump into action, though it often throws him into the path of danger. His ideas often conflict to Matt's, resulting in a fight. When attending summer camp, it begins to snow and Tai, along with Yamato "Matt" Ishida, Sora Takenouchi, Koushiro "Izzy" Izumi, Mimi Tachikawa, Joe Kido, and Takeru "T.K." Takaishi, find devices, which they would later find to be called Digivices, after they come hurtling out of the sky. All seven are then swept into the Digital World.

Tai awakens to find Koromon sitting on him. Not remembering his previous encounter with a Koromon, he freaks out but eventually comes to trust Koromon, and the two become friends and partners. After meeting up with Izzy, Tai goes up a tree to get their bearings but finds that he doesn't know where they are. Joining his fellow campers, each of whom have their own partners, they are attacked by Kuwagamon and their Digimon digivolve to Rookie, his Koromon to Agumon. Their efforts, however, result in them being thrown off a cliff, though Gomamon saves them. When Shellmon attacks as they rest at a beach, only Agumon's attacks work as he is the only one to eat, and he isn't doing well. In order to help, Tai decides to provide a distraction. He is caught while doing so, and the rush of anger and protectiveness that Agumon feels spurs his Digivolution into the Champion form Greymon, who defeats Shellmon.

Tai continues to lead the group on their journey, getting into fights but generally blazing the trail. After the group gets separated by Devimon, Tai manages to befriend Frigimon, who takes them to another island, where he and Agumon find Matt and Gabumon. Tai gets into an argument with Matt about their next option; Matt wants to search for the others while Tai wants to head straight to Infinity Mountain. Their words come to blows, only broken up by Mojyamon.

Tai and Matt return to Primary Village in time to protect T.K., Matt's little brother, from Leomon. They subsequently defeat Devimon and are told by Gennai to head to the Server Continent. Along the way, they find the Tags to their Crests but are attacked by Etemon on the Continent itself. The DigiDestined manage to escape into a tunnel, where Tai finds his Crest of Courage. This brings him arrogance, however, as well as the ambition to get Agumon to digivolve into Ultimate. His reckless measures get him into trouble by first overfeeding Agumon and then walking deliberately into trouble, knowing that danger is what causes their partners to digivolve. His actions cause Agumon to dark digivolve to SkullGreymon, who causes disaster by rampaging around and taking out Garurumon, Birdramon and Kabuterimon before regressing into an exhausted Koromon. As a result, both of them lose their confidence until Piximon arrives and forces them to face their doubts. Tai is reminded of the time when he tried to learn how to ride a bike, and realizes that despite all the hardship, all of the pain, he needs to come back after suffering defeat.

Returning to his cocky attitude, this is only bolstered when Izzy announces that they are in the Digital World, possibly leaving their bodies behind. Due to this, Tai throws caution to the wind and acts as reckless as he did before, believing that he can't really be harmed. Right before he walks through an electrified fence, Izzy snaps him out of it, telling him that dying in the Digital World still means real death and causing Tai to suddenly start to fear. His hesitation costs him; Etemon attacks and prevents him from rescuing Sora and Biyomon, held captive by Datamon. When the DigiDestined mount another assault on Etemon's base to rescue Sora, however, Tai learns to get over his fears, to walk forward anyway in the face of danger to save his friend, and in doing so truly learns what Courage is about. He successfully manages to save Sora and when faced with Etemon fused with his Dark Network, Tai walks forward with Greymon at his side to fight. His unflinching courage causes his Crest to shine and lets Greymon digivolve to MetalGreymon. MetalGreymon defeats Etemon, but Etemon's massive energy causes a dimensional rift to open, which Tai and MetalGreymon are sucked into.

The warp leads back to the Real World. Tai returns home and relaxes for a bit while taking care of Kari, but he realizes that not only has little time passed but also that his friends haven't returned. Digimon then begin appear, though only he and his sister can see them. He receives a message from Izzy, who warns him not to come back to the Digital World, but Tai knows that he must get back to fix the balance. When Tai sees an Ogremon, Koromon digivolves into Agumon and a dimensional warp opens. Agumon knows he must return, and Tai, torn between his sister and his duty, tells Kari that he must go despite Kari's pleas. He willingly enters the rift back to the Digital World.

Upon his re-entry, Tai finds the group in severe disarray. Time moves much quicker, and months have passed in the Digital World though only hours have in the Real World. The entire team has broken up, mainly to look for him, and are moving their separate ways. Tai first locates T.K., who has been left alone by the rest of the group, and manages to convince him to reconcile with his partner, Patamon, rather than be manipulated by DemiDevimon. With T.K. and their partners, Tai leads them to a diner, where they find Matt and Joe, rescuing them from Digitamamon. He joins Joe in looking and finds Mimi, managing to convince her to leave her princess life with the Otamamon and Gekomon.

By now, Myotismon has emerged as the next great threat, and he is in search of the eighth DigiDestined child. The DigiDestined pursue him to the Real World through Myotismon's special gate. Though Myotismon uses a spell, Izzy manages to use his knowledge of Digimon as well as of the ten cards Gennai gives them to figure out which of the nine slots eight of the cards should go. At the last moment, Tai chooses the correct card by sheer luck, and they return to the Real World. Throughout this time, Tai manages to hide Agumon from his family, though when Gatomon, at first an enemy, reveals that she is Kari's partner, and that Kari is the eighth DigiDestined they've been searching for, Tai is shocked. When Gatomon is captured and Myotismon stages an all out attack to round up all the children to force Gatomon to find her partner, he and Greymon whisk Kari to safety, though he is unable to save his parents. Entrusting Kari to Matt, Tai attempts to rescue the trapped citizens, though he only manages to make it in time to regroup with the DigiDestined in a final assault on Myotismon.

After Myotismon is first defeated due to Wizardmon's sacrifice, Myotismon instead digivolves to VenomMyotismon. The Digidestined believe that the key to defeating VenomMyotismon is to have Angemon and Angewomon shoot Tai and Matt with arrows of hope and light. Both of them agree, and Agumon and Gabumon warp digivolve into WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon, Mega Digimon who, with help, manage to defeat VenomMyotismon. Thinking that it is finally over, the DigiDestined are shocked to see the Digital World appear in the sky. Though they are finally home, the DigiDestined decide to go back to protect both worlds they love. All eight of them open another warp and go back to the Digital World to restore the balance.

The Dark Masters emerge as the major enemy, and it is revealed that they were the ones who warped and rebuilt the Digital World. Tai believes that they are strong, but each of the Dark Masters prove themselves even stronger, with their leader, Piedmon, effortlessly defeating WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon. As Piximon whisks them to safety, he tells them that they must become strong, right before he sacrifices himself to buy them time to flee. Tai takes this to mean that they must become physically strong, and he orders the group to defeat a Shellmon, whom they previously needed to digivolve to beat. In his quest for strength, he loses sight of his friends, and when Whamon sacrifices himself to allow WarGreymon to defeat the Dark Master MetalSeadramon, Tai doesn't allow himself to mourn, preferring instead to move forward. His actions strain Matt's trust in him, and Matt's doubts allow Cherrymon to successfully play on his fears and turn Matt against him. It culminates in Tai and Matt getting into a fistfight, as their Digimon clash in the skies. Their battle ultimately causes a rift in the friends. Matt leaves to reevaluate his place in the group, while Mimi can't deal with the drama and the fighting and strikes off on her own, while Joe goes with her to make sure she is safe. The group are attacked by Puppetmon and his RedVeggiemon army, but they manage to drive him off.

While split, Kari falls ill, and Tai frantically searches for a cure for his sister. Leaving Kari in Sora and T.K.'s care, he heads to a city with Izzy, not knowing that it is the Dark Master Machinedramon's domain. When they are thwarted time and time against by Machinedramon, Tai grows ever more impatient and finally snaps at Izzy. He then calms down and recounts a time when he forced a sick Kari to play outside with him, worsening her sickness and causing his mother to reprimand him. Realizing that panic would not help, Tai instead focuses on doing right.

After defeating Machinedramon and about to fight Piedmon, Tai, with all of his personal growth in the series, acts with true knowledge of a leader. While looking at the big picture, he refuses to let Agumon digivolve to WarGreymon to fight Piedmon's bodyguard LadyDevimon, instead allowing MegaKabuterimon and Angewomon take care of it while stating that Agumon needs to save his strength for Piedmon. He also sends Sora and T.K. to look for Matt, knowing that the presence of all the DigiDestined would be needed for the final battle. Tai and WarGreymon manage to hold the line against Piedmon until Matt returns, and the two reconcile, with Matt's Crest of Friendship healing WarGreymon's wounds. Unfortunately, Piedmon proves to be too strong and captures him, Matt, and their partners by turning them into keychains. MagnaAngemon, Patamon's Ultimate form, saves them, and they manage to defeat Piedmon, only for Apocalymon to appear.

Apocalymon turns out to be a formidable foe, destroying their Crests and managing to turn them into free-floating data. With encouragement from their partners, however, Tai remembers the incredible odds they overcame and the strength within them, and he finds that the power of Courage lies within him. It gives him the strength to return to normal and lead the charge against Apocalymon, who they manage to defeat after finding their conviction.

Unfortunately, the solar eclipse marks the rebirth of the Digital World. In the English version, it is thought that the gate would never reopen, stranding the DigiDestined in the Digital World, while the Japanese version has the reasoning that the Digital World might see them as foreign elements as it tries to recover and might delete them. Either way, the DigiDestined must leave their partners. Tai and Agumon reminisce at the spot where they fought Seadramon, joking and ribbing at each other.

At that point, Tai, along with the other DigiDestined, say goodbye to their partners as they take a trolley back home.

Digimon Adventure: Anode/Cathode Tamer
During the December after their adventures, the DigiDestined and their partners are captured by Millenniummon and held hostage. Only Agumon is spared, and it is he who brings Ryo Akiyama to the Digital World to held. Tai is the last DigiDestined to be rescued, only being saved when Ryo finally defeats Millenniummon in his Lair. Tai reunites with Agumon and thanks Ryo for his help before returning to the Real World.

Digimon Adventure: Our War Game!
An email Tai was sending to Sora to apologize for a gift becomes blocked because of a mysterious Digimon on the internet. Izzy comes over to Tai's house to help. They contact Gennai, who sends Agumon and Tentomon into the Internet to battle the rapidly digivolving Digimon. Despite the fact that communications are disrupted and that most DigiDestined are busy, Tai manages to contact Matt and T.K., who aid them in battle by sending Patamon and Gabumon to help against the Digimon, who has digivolved into Infermon and defeated Greymon and Kabuterimon while they attempted to digivolve into MetalGreymon and MegaKabuterimon.

During this, Infermon infects the Pentagon's missile systems and launches two nuclear missiles, commanding them to strike Colorado and Tai's house in an attempt to kill him. Tentomon and Patamon are knocked out of the battle, and Agumon and Gabumon warp digivolve into WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon, but they are slowed by the many emails kids from around the world send in encouragement. In frustration, Tai smacks the computer screen and causes the connection to crash. After rebooting, Tai finds a near comatose WarGreymon, with Infermon nowhere to be seen. With more encouragement, however, they set out toward Infermon, who has now digivolved into Diaboromon and is multiplying to mask his original body. The emails from around the world still slow WarGreymon, and Tai, feeling for his partner's broken state, somehow manages to transport himself into the Internet along with Matt. Between their power and the strength of the world's children, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon DNA digivolve into Omnimon, and, with the aid of the very same emails which slowed his Digimon, manage to defeat Diaboromon in time to stop the nuclear missile from detonating. Tai and Izzy nearly collapse from exhaustion as Sora, who finally gets Tai's apology email, forgives him.

Digimon Adventure 02: Tag Tamers
Not long after the events of Our War Game!, Ryo is called to the Digital World to take care of the last remaining Diaboromon clone. It is all a ruse by Millenniummon to call Ryo back, however, and Millenniummon cleaves the Digital World into two, petrifying Tai and Agumon in the process. Once Millenniummon in his final Moon=Millenniummon is defeated, Tai and Agumon are released.

Digimon Adventure 02: D-1 Tamers
Shortly after Tag Tamers, Ryo is recalled to the Digital World to participate in the D-1 Tournament. Tai is the master of Grade 1, wielding WarGreymon, Triceramon, and Cyclomon. After Ryo defeats Tai, he reveals that the entire tournament was organized by the Harmonious Ones in order to train Ryo to defeat Millenniummon, who has revived once more. Tai asks Ryo to forgive them for the deception, despite the fact that he didn't know of the lie in the first place, and to not blame the Harmonious Ones. He only recieves stony silence in response, and he leaves with the other DigiDestined.

Digimon Adventure 02
After these events, Gennai calls Tai and the rest of the DigiDestined to the Digital World in order to give up his Crest power to fully revitalize the Digital World with a protective barrier. As a result, Agumon loses the ability to become MetalGreymon and WarGreymon.

When he senses that Agumon is in trouble, he mysteriously enters the Digital World and tries to help him out. Along with Patamon and Gatomon, he finds a cave that has a Digi-Egg with the Crest of Courage on it. He tries to lift it up (and fails), which causes three points of light to rise and fly off. They are the three Digivices that Davis Motomiya, Cody Hida, and Yolei Inoue receive. After the battle with Monochromon, Tai also gives Davis his goggles, since Davis broke his square goggles in the battle.

Tai, along with the other older DigiDestined, act as mentors to the younger generation, but they're not above giving a helping hand to their younger generation. When Agumon is enslaved by the Digimon Emperor, who by this point has been revealed as Ken Ichijouji, Tai joins the younger DigiDestined in their efforts to free him. Thanks to Wormmon, Agumon is freed and has a reunion with Tai, only for Agumon to be stolen away once more through the agency of the Dark Spiral. After Tai and Matt get into their customary fist-fight, which knocks Tai to his senses, he joins the group as they find the Digi-Egg of Friendship. Despite the fact that the Digimon Emperor now uses MetalGreymon against them, Tai tells the younger DigiDestined to remove the Evil Spiral. Davis doesn't understand how he could see his partner be hurt, but Tai and Matt teach Davis the important lesson that sometimes he has to hurt a friend in order to help them, as they are doing with MetalGreymon.

All of the DigiDestined meet for the anniversary of Myotismon's defeat. There, they hear the prophecy that Wizardmon's ghost leaves. The younger DigiDestined decide to remain in the Digital World in order to find Ken's base. Tai, Matt, Izzy, and Matt's dad Hiroaki go on a camping trip to cover the time they spend away while joining Izzy in his role as the group's mission control.

As Christmas approaches, Tai and the rest of the DigiDestined go to one of Matt's concerts but are interrupted by a full scale invasion on the Real World. The DigiDestined are then empowered by the Harmonious One Azulongmon so that their Digimon can once again reach their highest forms. Tai, T.K., Agumon, and Patamon go to France where they meet fellow DigiDestined Catherine and her Floramon partner; together they take care of Mamemon, BigMamemon, MetalMamemon, and Giromon as well as the Control Spire and are rewarded with a kiss from Catherine.

As the Dark Spore children are harvested by Yukio Oikawa, Tai and the rest of the older DigiDestined in Japan return to the summer camp where they first began their journey, remaining Dark Spore children and families in tow. When the lights of the world's DigiDestined begin to shine, a portal opens up, and Tai and the rest take the wave back to the Digital World and the final battle site, where they stand witness as MaloMyotismon is defeated once and for all.

Digimon Adventure 02: Hurricane Touchdown/Supreme Evolution! The Golden Digimentals
Tai is captured along with the other older DigiDestined and sent to another dimension. Tai regressed in age during his captivity within Wendigomon.

Digimon Adventure 02: Revenge of Diaboromon
By this point, Tai seems to assume the role of leader for all the DigiDestined. Izzy, however, has more of an understanding of what's going on. So when Tai hears the news of how Diaboromon survived, he is ready to go in the Internet and take him down once and for all.

Tai and Matt go into the Internet to fight Diaboromon. Their Digimon DNA digivolve into Omnimon, and they beat him with the help of T.K., Angemon, Kari, and Angewomon. After their victory on the Internet, the war in the real world begins as a huge number of Kuramon break out of the internet and merge into Armageddemon. Thanks to Angewomon, Omnimon blasts his way out of the Internet, yet his attack misses the creature by mere inches. Tai and Matt fall off their Digimon's shoulders. When they get up, they can't believe what a monster they are going be fighting. Omnimon is ready and attacks, but even he is not powerful enough and is defeated.

Tai loses hope as he stares at his defeated Digimon, who is the strongest Digimon they have. He and Matt stand motionless after a powerful blast from their opponent. It is only after Sora shakes them out of it that Tai starts to try and give his confidence and hope to Imperialdramon, the second most powerful Digimon after Omnimon.

However, Imperialdramon is defeated even more quickly. Through everyone's hopes, however, the Omni Blade is given and Imperialdramon Paladin Mode defeats Armageddemon. This releases a Kuramon swarm, and Tai is one of many who use their Digivices to return the Kuramon back to the net.

Epilogue


In the year 2027, Tai has become a United Nations diplomat for the Digital World. He has a son, whose partner is a Koromon.

Video Games

 * In Digimon Tamers: Brave Tamer, Ryo has the choice to save either Tai and Agumon or Davis and Veemon. If Ryo saves Tai from Etemon, he recruits Agumon for his battle party.
 * Tai appears as the partner to Agumon in the fighting games Digimon Battle Spirit, Digimon Tamers: Battle Spirit Ver. 1.5, and Digimon Rumble Arena.
 * After beating A in Digimon Digital Card Battle, the player can proceed to battle Tai in Beginner City. He gives the protagonist his second partner's second Digi-Egg after his defeat.
 * Tai is playable in the following chapters of Digimon Tamers: Digimon Medley with Agumon as his partner: "Hyouryuu? Bouken no Shima!", "Yami no Shisha Devimon", "Meikyuu no Nanomon", both versions of "Fukkatsu! Maou VenomVamdemon", the sections "Araburu Umi no Ou! MetalSeadramon", "Bakugeki Shirei! Mugendramon", and Jigoku no Doukeshi Piemon" of the "Ma no Yama no Shitennou! Dark Masters" chapter, "Saigo no Ankoku Digimon", and the Paris path of the "Sango to Versailles Dairansen!" section of the "Zen'in Shutsudou! Imperialdramon" chapter.
 * Tai is a legendary General in Digimon X Arena, where his partner is WarGreymon.

Trivia

 * Tai has three Japanese image songs, "Yuuki o Tsubasa ni Shite", "Atarashii Taiyou", and "Towa ni Tsuzuke!!". He also has theme song with Agumon, "Team".
 * Tai's parents, Susumu (father) and Yuuko (mother), have the same names as their Japanese voice actors: Susumu Chiba voices Susumu Kamiya; Yuuko Mizutani voices Yuuko Kamiya.
 * Joshua Seth retired from voice acting before Revenge of Diaboromon was dubbed. Instead, the role of Tai went to Jason Spisak.

Notes and References
八神太一