Dark Masters

The Dark Masters are a fictional villain group that appear in the first season of the Digimon media franchise, Digimon Adventure. The group consists of four powerful Mega-Level Digimon created by Apocalymon. They are MetalSeadramon, Puppetmon, Machinedramon, and Piedmon.

Appearances
The first appearance of the Dark Masters is in episode number forty of the first season entitled "Enter The Dark Masters". MetalSeadramon, Puppetmon, Machinedramon, and Piedmon create a trap to capture and destroy the DigiDestined. The DigiDestined drop into the traps set by the Dark Masters. The Dark Masters quickly defeat the DigiDestined and are about to destroy them when they are saved by Piximon who sacrifices himself so that they can escape.

Digimon Adventure
Byproducts of the chaos Apocalymon had on the Digital World, the Dark Masters were started by Piedmon, with MetalSeadramon, Machinedramon, and Puppetmon joining him when they began their reign of terror throughout the Digital World while the DigiDestined were fighting Myotismon in the Real World. Prior to the events involving the DigiDestined, the Dark Masters defeated and sealed away the four Sovereigns. When the DigiDestined returned to the Digital World, they discovered that the Digital World was warped (due to Apocalymon) and the Dark Masters used some of the land's data to form Spiral Mountain with their base of operations, Piedmon's castle, on top. The Dark Masters outmatched all eight DigiDestined. Chuumon was killed by Piedmon, and Piximon sacrificed his life to distract the Dark Masters while the DigiDestined escaped. The DigiDestined managed to climb Spiral Mountain, and defeated each of the Dark Masters with some help from their old Digimon friends. However, the DigiDestined discovered that the Dark Masters were not the true enemy; there was a far more dangerous threat, Apocalymon.


 * Note: The four Sovereigns are not mentioned or seen in Digimon Adventure, but Azulongmon told the DigiDestined in Digimon Adventure 02 what the Dark Masters had done to them in Digimon Adventure.

Digimon Adventure 02
The Dark Masters do not appear at all in this season, however, they were mentioned by Digitamamon during Yolei Inoue's problem getting him to accept their money. A four-way screenshot showing their destructions is also shown when Azulongmon speaks to the DigiDestined about how they sealed up the Sovereign Digimon.

Puppetmon
Puppetmon was the smallest of the Dark Masters and the one who lasted longest fighting against the DigiDestined (four episodes). During the time the DigiDestined were fighting Myotismon in Tokyo, Puppetmon had taken to ruling over the forest portion of Sprial Mountain. He did not take the DigiDestined seriously, and played with the children using dolls he had fashioned after them to control their movements and locations in his forest as he watched them on a TV monitor in his playroom. In fact, he kidnapped T.K. and forced him into a game of war (changed to simply "hide and seek and destroy" in the English version), with Puppetmon seeking and using a gun to make the game "more fun". Fortunately T.K. managed to discourage Puppetmon by calling him "boring" and asked if he could meet some of Puppetmon's friends. Puppetmon tried to make excuses but ran off, saying he'd bring a friend back. Puppetmon then hastily created a friend of wood and junk. But when he brought it back for T.K. to see, the boy had escaped - but not before destroying Puppetmon's playroom. This had seemingly hurt the child-like side of Puppetmon's personality, as his tone seemlike that of a child who has been denied a great treat, and snarled and he would get even with T.K. for being tricked, having his "toys" stolen (T.K. had taken the dolls Puppetmon used to control them from earlier), and smashing his TV and remote. While Puppetmon attempted to get revenge on the DigiDestined for his playroom being destroyed with a trio of Garbagemon, Cherrymon managed to use the memories of Matt to convince the boy to turn on the others, particularly Tai. Cherrymon told Puppetmon that he had succeeded in getting Matt to distrust Tai and would soon cause WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon to engage in mortal combat. Hearing Matt and Tai were going to "Self Destruct" made Puppetmon all too eager to watch WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon duke it out, but Cherrymon advised caution, saying that the Digidestined had something special. Puppetmon inferred that Cherrymon meant they had something that he lacked, and was angered at Cherrymon's lack of faith in his power. Enraged, Puppetmon destroyed Cherrymon. Despite his now-deceased cohort's warning, he still intended on watching his foes turn on each other, but the presence of a mysterious being ruined that plan.

After the DigiDestined went their separate ways, Tai and his group decided to take the battle with Puppetmon to his mansion. By the time Puppetmon made it back, delayed by a battle with MetalEtemon, the DigiDestined used Puppetmon's cannon against him. Puppetmon fought the kids with some RedVegiemon, and consequently lost his "hammer", causing him to become frightened as the Chosen Digimon began to crowd around him. In a desperate move, Puppetmon used his power to bring his mansion to life in the form of a giant wooden robot, and instructed it to attack the DigiDestined long enough for him to escape. He then encountered MetalGarurumon after killing an unbeaten RedVegiemon who begged his master to take him along, despite calling the RedVegiemon "his friends" to spite T.K. earlier. He then tried unsuccessfully to use his strings to control MetalGarurumon. Matt came and explained to Puppetmon that no-one would listen to him because nobody was his friend. Hearing that made the marionette angry, and he charged at them head on. MetalGarurumon fatally blasted him at point-blank range with his Metal Wolf Claw; he was hit with such force that his entire body turned blue and froze. As he lay dying, Puppetmon heard Cherrymon's voice, and finally realized he never could have beaten the kids because he lacked what they had: true friendship. And with that, he died, which, in turn, caused the mansion to collapse upon his demise. Puppetmon's forest dissolved along side the Dark Master.

Puppetmon's personality can best be described as a combination of a six-year old child, and a violent, murderous psychopath. He loves to play with his enemies, thinking it's fun to see their confusion, but equally enjoys murder. In fact, he destroys his own minions at will. Despite this, he is very gullible, and prone to temper tantrums when he isn't winning. Puppetmon is often chosen as a favourite of the four Dark Masters, mainly for his length of time fighting the Digidestined and the plots he starts in the series.

Machinedramon
Machinedramon was the ruler of Digital City, which looked like a fusion of prominent cities on Earth. In his first appearance with the other Dark Masters, he unexpectedly attacked Angemon and then attacked the 7 Ultimate Level Digimon before they could attack him. When Tai and Izzy entered his city in search of medicine for Kari, Machinedramon's Hagurumon tracked them each time Izzy used his computer to plug into the network. Machinedramon sent his Metal Empire troops to hunt them down. But they gave him the slip so he retaliated with Operation Elimin-8, having Megadramon and Gigadramon bomb every building. When that did not work, he decided to handle the DigiDestined himself. When they ran into a building, he used his Giga Cannon to destroy it, sending them underground.

He would later learn they survived when WaruMonzaemon had been ejected as the slave master to the Numemon due to a revolt caused by Kari. After killing WaruMonzaemon as punishment, he found Tai and Izzy with Andromon, who were building a resistance force to stop Machinedramon. The Dark Master cornered the kids and easily defeated Andromon and the DigiDestineds' Digimon. It was then Kari's feet worshiping Numemon came. The slug Digimon tried to stop Machinedramon but were wiped out easily by the villain's "Catastrophe" attack. Kari collapsed and Agumon was hit by a beam of light, causing him to Warp-Digivolve to WarGreymon. He charged, slicing him up "like an onion" (similar to the death of Freeza in the Trunks Saga of Dragonball Z) before regressing back to Koromon. Machinedramon's city destabilized and was destroyed as a result of the death of Machinedramon.

Although he speaks quietly, Machinedramon is as ruthless and insane as Piedmon or Puppetmon. He is a monstrous sadist who loves to destroy. He is probably the most intelligent of the Dark Masters, as demonstrated by his tactic of using Izzy's computer. However he is not above mindless destruction, and will murder anyone with no remorse whatsoever. His destruction of all the Numemon makes him the most prolific murderer of the Dark Masters.

Piedmon
A master of deception, Piedmon was the most powerful, cruel and demonic of the four Dark Masters. Piedmon had the power to mentally control the swords on his back. He could also take on many shapes, seen in his first confrontation with the DigiDestined. He had the power to change other objects including humans and other digimon into key chains. He also appeared to have telekenesis; for instance he once remotely attacked Greymon while Tai and Izzy were being pursued by the armies of fellow Dark Master Machinedramon.

The most deadly of the Dark Masters, Piedmon was their leader and probably has the most extensive history of all the Digimon the DigiDestined faced. He was around before the DigiDestined came to the Digital World to begin with and before the DigiDestined's Digimon were born, a product of Apocalymon's influence. Piedmon knew of the plot by Gennai and his followers to bring the DigiDestined into the Digital World to save it.

With an army of Guardromon and Mekanorimon, he attempted to steal the DigiDestined's arsenal. However, he was unable to get to them. Gennai took the Digi-Eggs and flew off with them. With the exception of Gatomon's Digi-Egg and Digivice, that dropped somewhere on the Continent of Server, Gennai succeeded in taking the remaining Digi-Eggs and the seven Digivices to File Island. However, Piedmon obtained the Crests and Tags, giving them to Devimon to hide. Devimon hid the Tags in the Net Ocean while he scattered the eight Crests around the Continent of Server. While the DigiDestined were fighting Myotismon in the Real World, Piedmon and his three comrades (MetalSeadramon, Puppetmon and Machinedramon) were able to take control of the Digital World. Piedmon lived atop Spiral Mountain, where he viewed his domain, the wastelands.

After returning to the Digital World, when the DigiDestined first encountered Piedmon in the form of a clown, narrating their impending doom ("Once upon a time, there were Digidestined. Then Piedmon destroyed them all. The End.") before revealing himself. From there, he easily defeated WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon because he had far more experience. However, because he saved himself for the end, MetalGarurumon and WarGreymon were able to gain experience from their fights with the other three Dark Masters and back him into a corner. To avoid a losing-battle with them, he turned them (along with Andromon and the other DigiDestined except for Mimi, Lillymon, Kari, T.K. and Angemon) into mere key chains, something which was reversed with the help of MagnaAngemon. Despite Piedmon's efforts to counterattack with his army of Vilemon, Piedmon was blasted into MagnaAngemon's Gate of Destiny, thanks to WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon, which then sealed, thus destroying Piedmon.

MetalSeadramon
MetalSeadramon rules the Net Ocean and his henchmen are sea-based Digimon with Scorpiomon and a group of Divermon at his disposal. It is disputed whether the Shellmon there was a minion of MetalSeadramon or not.

Puppetmon
Puppetmon rules the forests from his mansion which is located at the heart of the forest. His henchmen are various forest dwelling Digimon that include Kiwimon, Blossomon, Mushroomon, Floramon, Deramon, Cherrymon, three Garbagemon, and a small army of RedVegiemon and quite possibly the group of Woodmon that attacked Ogremon in the episode "Etemon's Comeback Tour".

Machinedramon
Machinedramon dwells in the center of his urbanized domain with the Metal Empire army at his disposal. His henchmen include at least two Hagurumon, Megadramon, Gigadramon, an army of Mekanorimon and Tankmon and WaruMonzaemon, who had enslaved a large group of Numemon under the city in order to keep the city powered.

Piedmon
The leader of the Dark Masters' who dwells in their base of operations in the middle of a wasteland on Spiral Mountain's peak. LadyDevimon serves as his bodyguard and gatekeeper and a large group of Vilemon serve as his army.

=Victims of the Dark Masters=
 * Chuumon: When Piedmon threw a dagger at Mimi, Chuumon jumped in front, dying a few seconds later in Mimi's hands.


 * Piximon: He saved the DigiDestined after their first defeat by the Dark Masters. In order to hold the Dark Masters off, Piximon decided to fight them. He is hit by Piedmon's Final Spell attack, and holes are seen burning through his wings and then he explodes.


 * Whamon: After MetalSeadramon held WarGreymon in his jaws, Whamon tackled the Dark Master, allowing WarGreymon to escape. Angrily MetalSeadramon launched his River of Power at Whamon, blasting right through him and giving him a fatal wound that would ultimately kill him.


 * Mushroomon & Blossomon: During his game of hide and seek with T.K., Puppetmon asked Mushroomon and Blossomon if they had seen him. They told Puppetmon where T.K. was hiding, but when Puppetmon couldn't find him, he thought the two had lied and destroyed them (This scene was cut from the English anime).


 * Cherrymon: The closest thing Puppetmon had to a friend, Cherrymon was destroyed by the Dark Master when he warned him not to underestimate the DigiDestined.


 * RedVegiemon: After bringing his mansion alive, Puppetmon tried to escape. One of his RedVegiemon henchmen asked him if he could come with Puppetmon. Puppetmon became annoyed and destroyed him.


 * WaruMonzaemon: When Machinedramon heard from WaruMonzaemon that the DigiDestined were still alive, he "rewarded" the bear for not alerting him sooner, thus killing him (In the English anime he just shot off his arm).


 * Numemon: Having just dealt with Angemon, Birdramon, Andromon and Angewomon, Machinedramon was ready to destroy Kari. However hundreds of Numemon worshiping Kari appeared and attacked him. Not wasting any time, Machinedramon wiped them out in a single attack.

Dark Masters