Ken Ichijouji

Ken Ichijouji (一乗寺 賢) 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 neglected by his parents in favor of his older brother Sam (Osamu in Japan), who'd been a child prodigy. At times Ken got along very well his brother and even showed admiration for him, but because of the lack of attention he would also find himself jealous of Sam, sometimes wishing that he were an only child.

One day 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 until he could figure out what it was. When Sam left the room, Ken, in childish curiosity, touched the Digivice and was dragged 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.

When Sam came back into his room and found Ken holding the digivice, he scathingly berated him for breaking his trust and proceeded to kick Ken out of the room. As a result, Ken again found himself angrily wishing that Sam would just disappear.

Sometime after that, Sam died after being hit by a car. Ken was devastated following the accident, suffering from strong feelings of guilt because he felt that somehow he'd caused Sam's death and made his "wish" come 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 and sadness. Ken did this and was transported to the Dark Ocean. There, Ken began to believe that the digital world was a place for him to shape and command as his own and his Digivice turned into a dark D-3. From there, Ken adopted several aspects of Sam and very rapidly developed into a boy genius, good at virtually everything that he chose to pursue, whether it was an intellectual activity or an athletic one, such as chess and judo. He even became star player of the Tamachi Soccer team where he broke the record for scoring most goals in a league season with 45. However, as the Dark Spore developed and continued to influence him, Ken became cynical towards society, thinking himself to be above others and viewing everyone around him as pathetic insects beneath his notice. It was then that he set his sights on the world which could challenge him, a world that he felt it was his destiny to control. The Digital World.

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, glowing red eyes and made those up to and including a certain level 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 bring a new order to the Digital World. Ken's dark Digivice prevented the Digimon from being able to naturally digivolve, but Davis, Cody, and Yolei's Digimon were able to "Armor Digivolve" to free 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, had panicked and made various televised pleas to try and search for Ken.

His downfall came about when his creation, Kimeramon, turned on him and was subsequently destroyed by Magnamon, Ken refused to believe that he had lost and proclaimed he would reset the Digital World, thinking it was just a computer program or a video game that could be rewritten. When the DigiDestined explained to him that it was a real place and that Digimon were living creatures, Ken, out of shock, collapsed to his knees, realizing the merciless cruelty he had inflicted upon innocent lives. Moments after, Wormmon died, causing Ken to remember and relive the grief he experienced after his brother's death. Guilt ridden, Ken staggered off to return to the real world. By the time he returned home, he'd been missing for several months.

Ken slept for days, in a pseudo-coma, where memories of his brother, the Digivice and his first trip to the Digital World randomly surfaced in his mind. When he awoke, he had amnesia and could not recognize his parents. Ken later in a dazed state traveled to the Digital World and wandered aimlessly before finding himself in the Primary Village. There, he was forced to remember his malicious actions by the baby Digimon whom could angrily recall the abuse he'd inflicted. After crying out apologies in hysterics, realizing how truly sorry he was, Ken was reunited with Leafmon, the baby form of Wormmon reborn. He returned home, finally realizing he had those who loved him and that he had a chance to set things right.

After that, Ken vowed to atone for the horrible deeds he had committed as the emperor. 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 approved 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 understanding.

Ken became a member of the team a little after ExVeemon and Stingmon DNA Digivolved to Paildramon, but despite joining them, Ken felt uncomfortable around the others, particularly Cody, who still strongly disliked him for what he did in the past. However, Ken still took part in clean up jobs and other tasks with the others, as well as helped out in all the battles against Arukenimon, Mummymon and BlackWarGreymon. Slowly over time, he began to become more a part of the group and everyone, even Cody, became increasingly more accepting of his presence. Ken's place on the team was unconditionally cemented when he held a Christmas party and invited everyone over to his home. There he was able to truly smile and laugh for the first time in a long while.

After Digimon began to appear on Christmas Day, Ken and Wormmon went to Mexico City with Matt and Gabumon to help a Mexican DigiDestined, Rosa and her partner, Gotsumon, transport some loose Digimon back to the Digital World.

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 appeared in Tokyo, and wreaked havoc while seeking 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 was confronted by Oikawa whom he had met at his brother's funeral a few years back, 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 to the dark ocean and 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 in demented glee explained what his goals were and how Ken was involved, and proceeded to open the portal, unaware that the gate had been sealed off previously. The 02 DigiDestined followed him, only to discover that they weren’t in the Digital World at all but some bizarre other dimension as a result of the sealed gate. 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 the newly resurrected MaloMyotismon, his enhanced 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 by every digimon he enslaved for what he did as the Digimon Emperor, as well as a chance to see his brother alive again. Ken's final epiphany occurred when the illusory "Sam" told Ken that he couldn't change the past but could ensure a bright 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, that he was through with punishing himself and that he'd paid enough for his crimes. With that, he broke through the illusion and helped fight in the final battle royale against MaloMyotismon.

Ken is notable among the main 02 Digidestined for being the only "new" member in that generation to own an original Digivice that later turned into a D-3, as well as the only one to have a crest of his own. Because of this it is somewhat implied Ken was intended to be a Digidestined more similar to the original 8.

The Road to Armor Evolution
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.

Revenge of Diaboromon
Three years after the events of Our War Game and approximately several months after the final battle with MaloMyotismon, 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 survived through his millions of Kuramon, which proceeeded to flood into the real world. They reconfigured into Armageddemon and easily defeated Omnimon. Fortunately, ExVeemon and Stingmon managed to DNA Digivolve into Imperialdramon Fighter Mode but were still defeated seeing as they were weaker then Omnimon. Foruantely, Omnimon lent them his power and they were able to change into Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and defeated Armageddamon.

Series Finale Epilogue


As of the year 2027, Ken has become a private investigator (a police officer in the original Japanese). 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.

Possible Couplings

 * Ken & Yolei
 * Ken & Kari