Ryo Akiyama

Ryo Akiyama (秋山 リョウ) is a fictional character in the Digimon Tamers anime series, as well as a main character in many Digimon video games. He also makes two brief appearances in Digimon Adventure 02, in Ken Ichijouji's flashbacks. Ryo is voiced by Steve Staley in the English dub and Junichi Kanemaru in the original Japanese version.

Akiyama is the only human character to span two separate continuities. He is partnered with Cyberdramon. He originates from a series of games for the Wonderswan game system, appeared in a few cameos, then was retired in Digimon Tamers.

Digimon Adventure: Our War Game!
He was one of the children who watched Diaboromon battle Omnimon.

Digimon Adventure 02
When Ken first got sucked into the Digital World, he met Wormmon and Ryo. The storyline behind it reflects the game to some extent as Ken & Ryo defeated Millenniummon. However, Ryo tended to Ken's injury from the Dark Spore before sending him back home.

Digimon Tamers
The only person to defeat Rika Nonaka in the Digimon Grand Prix, Ryo mysteriously vanished the year Rika won the card tournament. The truth was Ryo somehow ended up in the Digital World and remained to keep Cyberdramon under control.

He made his first appearance in Tamers when Kenta, Kazu and Rika were cut off from the others while in the Digital World. Later, he would help the others escape to their world, and follow them as well. While in the Real World, Cyberdramon regressed into Monodramon, and apparently was freed from the violent virus he suffered from. He later bio-merged with Cyberdramon to become Justimon, and, as Justimon, he helped out in the battle against the D-Reaper.

Ryo is the only human character to appear in both the Adventure series and in Digimon Tamers. It was decided that Ryo was to be included into Digimon Tamers because of his immense popularity at the time as the main character of many Digimon video games. The final Wonderswan game to feature Ryo, Brave Tamer, serves as link in the chain that connects him to both the Adventure Series and the Tamers Series

Digimon Tamers: Runaway Digimon Express
Ryo showed up as Justimon during the Parasimon fight, after Rika, Henry, and Takato Biomerged with their Digimon. However, there are too many Parasimon to fight off and they were losing until Gallantmon Crimson Mode destroyed the hole the Parasimon were coming out of. Afterwards, Ryo and Cyberdramon attended Rika's birthday party.

Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01
In the Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 manga, Ryo and Monodramon briefly team-ups with Taichi, Zero and Gabo, when Zero creates an interdimensional hole with one of their sneezes. A Demon's assassin, Vikemon, appears to challenge Taichi, and Ryo wants to fight with him, but Taichi stop him, and both boys starts to fight. Vikemon, whose weak point was passionate people, is defeated and Ryo and Monodramon return to its own world.

Digimon video games appearances
The games give more insight on Ryo and his battles with Millenniummon.

Digimon Adventure: Anode/Cathode Tamer


''Some events that take place in this game contribute to Ryo's apparent mental breakdown in a later game. For example, each of the evil Digimon are very clear as to what they want to do (for example, Etemon threatens to rip Ryo to shreds while Vamdemon intends to cut off his head and offer it to Millenniummon). Also, unlike the Chosen Children who were able to draw strength from each other, Ryo was alone for the most part (not including the Digimon he recruits). When he realizes during Digimon: D-1 Tamers that the Chosen Children and Sovereign/Holy Beasts were using him as a tool, lying to him in order to train him to defeat Moon-Millenniumon once and for all, he proceeds to emotionally shut himself out and refuses to speak to anyone after that. This is observed by Tai immediately after the betrayal is exposed, and later by Monodramon, who observes how cold Ryo is towards him.''

Digimon Adventure 02: D-1 Tamers


From that point on, Ryo was considered dead in the Digimon Adventure universe. Despite constant searches, he was never found and everyone but Ken gave up hope.