Ken Ichijouji

Ken Ichijouji (一乗寺 賢 Ichijōji Ken) is a fictional character in the Digimon Adventure 02 anime series. Ken is the final member of the 02 DigiDestined, partnered with Wormmon and holder of the Crest of Kindness. Unlike the other 02 DigiDestined, he lives in Tamachi, which is next to Odaiba. At first the devious Digimon Emperor (Digimon Kaiser in Japan), Ken tried hard to atone for his wicked acts and eventually is helped along the way by Davis and the others. Ken is voiced by Romi Paku (Japan) & Derek Stephen Prince (North America).

Between Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02
As a young child, Ken always felt that he was passed over by his parents in favor of his older brother Sam (Osamu in Japan), a child prodigy. Ken bore a grudge toward Sam as a result.

Ken was one of the kids who helped the DigiDestined in their fight with Diaboromon. Months later, while he was with Sam in his room, a Digivice came out of Sam’s computer. It was meant for Ken but neither of them knew this – Sam picked it up and put it in his drawer, telling Ken not to touch the drawer and vowed to find out what it was. Ken, in childish curiosity, touched the Digivice and was pulled through Sam’s computer into the Digital World. It was there that he met Wormmon and helped Ryo in fighting Millenniummon. However, when Millenniummon was defeated, he forced out pieces of his data in the form of Dark Spores. Ken pushed Ryo out of the way and one of the Spores struck him, sinking inside his neck.

Wormmon and Ryo tended to the boy for three weeks until he was well enough to return to the Real World, where he found that it was the same day as he had left; this is likely due to Millenniummon’s ability to warp time and space. Sam scolded Ken for breaking his trust and touching the Digivice and Ken again found himself angrily wishing that Sam would just disappear. Later, Sam died after being hit by a car. Some time after that, Ken felt guilty for making a wish that came true.

Then an e-mail from a mysterious figure (revealed later to be Yukio Oikawa) told him to use the Digivice to escape the guilt. Ken did this and was transported to the Dark Ocean. His Digivice turned dark and Ken adopted several aspects of Sam. Since then, he became a boy genius, good at everything that was either sport or intellect-related such as chess and judo. He even became star player of the Tamachi Soccer team in which he holds a record for most goals in a league season with forty five. However, as the Spore continued its work, Ken became apathetic towards society, viewing everyone around him as pathetic insects, beneath his notice. And thus he set his sights on the world which could challenge him.

Digimon Adventure 02
Ken returned to the Digital World and, through the subtle, unseen manipulations of Arukenimon, assumed the guise of the Digimon Emperor and took over the Digimon using Dark Rings with which he enslaved a number of Digimon, similar to the Black Gears that Devimon used on the Digimon in File Island. The Dark Rings gave each Digimon bloodshot eyes and made them completely obedient. Ken often used these as sport, such as having two of them fight in a Colosseum-style arena, and kept them locked in a sophisticated system of cages.

Ken made his proper introduction (as himself) during a newscast about how he won a National Computer Programming Contest with a machine that can brush people's teeth for them. The news also mentioned many of Ken's previous accomplishments as well, such as chess, Donkey Madness, soccer, and balancing the worlds largest checkbook. In the original Japanese version, it was said if Ken ever moved to America, he would be able to take any college due to his intellect.

As the Emperor, Ken had many conflicts with the new DigiDestined as he planned to rule the Digital World. Ken's dark Digivice prevented the Digimon from being able to naturally evolve, but Davis, Cody, and Yolei's Digimon were able to "Armor Digivolve" to defeat his Dark Ring-enslaved Digimon. During one battle, they discovered that the Control Spires controlled the power and also began destroying them as well.

Finally, during a soccer game in the real world, Davis (one of the DigiDestined) injured Ken's ankle in an attempt to block him from scoring a goal. During their next confrontation in the Digital World, Davis recognized the scar and Ken revealed himself. As a result, he abandoned the Real World to live in the Digital World and assumed the Emperor identity permanently. During that time, he created Dark Spirals to control Ultimate Level Digimon as well as some Champion Level Digimon like Tai's Agumon (who Ken digivolved into SkullGreymon and then MetalGreymon). His parents, with no knowledge of where he had gone, were panicked and made various televised pleas to try and find Ken.

When his creation, Kimeramon, turned on him and was subsequently defeated by Magnamon, Ken couldn’t believe that he had lost. He proclaimed he would reset the Digital World, thinking it was just a computer program. When the DigiDestined explained to him that it was a real place and that Digimon were living creatures, Ken collapsed, realizing the cruelty he had inflicted and Wormmon's death sparked the sadness he had for Sam's death. Numbly, Ken staggered off to return home.

Ken slept for days, in a pseudo-coma, where memories of his brother, the Digivice and his first trip to the Digital World returned in his mind. When he awoke, he had amnesia and could not recognize his parents. He traveled to the Digital World where, at Primary Village, he was reunited with Leafmon, the baby form of Wormmon. Since then, Ken vowed to make up for the horrible deeds he committed. As he did, he learned that he was used by Arukenimon when she took all data relating to the Control Spires from the boy's computer. With Stingmon (Wormmon's Champion form), he began the daunting task of destroying the Control Spires that he erected.

At first, upon learning that Ken was back and doing good, Davis wanted to ask Ken to join the team, but none of the other DigiDestined liked the idea, particularly Cody. They were convinced that he was still evil when Ken ordered Stingmon to destroy Thundermon in Primary Village. The DigiDestined believed that Thundermon was a real Digimon, but he was actually created from a Control Spire. Once the DigiDestined learned that in the next battle, they became more accepting.

Ken officially became a member of the team a little after ExVeemon and Stingmon DNA Digivolved to Paildramon. Despite joining the team, Ken felt uncomfortable around the others, particularly Cody, who still strongly disliked him for what he did. However, Ken helped out in all the battles against Arukenimon, Mummymon and BlackWarGreymon.

When Digimon began to appear on Christmas Day, Ken and Wormmon went to Mexico City with Matt and Gabumon to help Rosa and Gotsumon round up the wild Digimon there. Later that night, when Ken got home, he had a dream of his first time in the Digital World and the Dark Spore. The next day, Daemon and his Daemon Corps began to appear in Tokyo, wreaking havoc in search of Ken and the Dark Spore. But Arukenimon managed to convince Ken to come with her, using the children she 'kidnapped' to motivate him.

Once inside the truck, Ken met Oikawa, who revealed the nature of Dark Spore and copied its data into the other children, who had all been taken willingly. After the events that result with Daemon's banishment & Oikawa's escape, Ken finally introduced his stunned parents to Wormmon and the following day, now aware of what was going on, Ken’s father was happy to help the children look for Oikawa.

By December 30, Ken and the other DigiDestined (with Matt, Izzy and Joe) were standing watch at Hikarigota, waiting for the Dark Spore kids to arrive. When they were all congregated there, Oikawa arrived and began the process that used the Spores to convert the children’s energies into an energy he could use to enter the Digital World. Ken demanded to know why he had been chosen and what the Control Spires were for. Oikawa happily explained and opened the portal. The 02 DigiDestined followed him, only to discover that they weren’t in the Digital World at all but some bizarre other dimension. This is when the ghost of Myotismon, an enemy of the former Digidestined revealed that he was behind everything. He explained how he entered Oikawa's body not long after his defeat and used Oikawa to help him in his revenge. He also abandoned Oikawa’s body and used the power of the Spores to Digivolve into MaloMyotismon, his Mega form.

The villain subjected the kids to illusions of their greatest desires. For Ken, on some subconscious level, his desire was to see himself punished for what he did as the Digimon Emperor and to have his brother back. But "Sam" told Ken that he couldn't change the past but could ensure a future for himself. Following his "brother's" final words and angry at having been manipulated yet again, Ken released his guilt, crying out that he wasn’t the Emperor any more and that he had been punished enough. And with that, he helped in the final battle against MaloMyotismon.

Michi E No Armor Shinka
When Davis tried to assume the "Emperor" look, Ken tried to talk him out of it in vain. Ken managed to obtain the Digi-Egg of Kindness and Armor Digivolved Wormmon to Pucchiemon to stop Davis from reluctantly beating Veemon to get into character.

Digimon Adventure 02: Original story, Summer 2003
In the track Spring Sunlight, Ken reminisces about his brother, the mistakes of his past, and how happy and thankful he is now.

Diaboromon Strikes Back
Three years after the events of Our War Game, it was discovered that Diaboromon had survived his battle with Omnimon and had used the time in between to reproduce as millions of Kuramon. While Tai, Matt, T.K. and Kari went with Omnimon, Angemon and Angewomon to battle Diaboromon online, the others had to track down the Kuramon who were appearing in the Real World. Omnimon managed to defeat Diaboromon. However, Diaboromon escaped into the real world, Digivolved into Armageddemon and easily defeated Omnimon. Fortunately, ExVeemon and Stingmon managed to DNA Digivolve into Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and defeat Armageddemon.

Series finale epilogue
In the year 2027, Ken becomes a private investigator. He marries Yolei and has three children: a girl with a Poromon, a boy with a Minomon and a baby boy who has a Leafmon.