Kari Kamiya

Hikari "Kari" Kamiya, known as Hikari Yagami (八神 ヒカリ Yagami Hikari) in Japan, is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02. She is usually called "Kari" in the English versions. Hikari means light in Japanese and she bears the Crest of Light and the Digi-egg of Light.

She is partnered to Gatomon and she is the younger sister of Tai Kamiya. Kari, by nature, is kind and sweet-hearted, always looking for the best in people, and avoids fighting them when possible. She can be serious, especially in drastic situations. She bears the Crest of Light. Lara Jill Miller provided her voice in the English dub of the series as Kae Araki did in the Japanese version.

Prelude to Digimon Adventure
Kari and Tai originally lived in Highton View Terrace when they were young. One day, they found and raised a Botamon to a Koromon. For both of them, this was their first encounter with a Digimon. When Parrotmon attacked the city, Koromon (now a gigantic Agumon) Digivolved into Greymon and battled Parrotmon in order to protect Kari and Tai. The destruction that the two Digimon caused was labeled as a terrorist attack, and Kari and Tai's family moved away. Witnessing this event would be the reason for their involvement in their first adventure in the Digital World.

During the episode "My Sisters Keeper" in Digimon Adventure, Tai reveals that Kari had pneumonia when she was much younger. He recalls one incident when Kari was sick, but he, assuming she was feeling better, took her outside anyway, and kept a watch on her as he kicked a soccer ball around. She later collapsed when he passed the ball to her; she was in the hospital for weeks and nearly died. Needless to say their mother was extremely upset with Tai and struck him across the face for his carelessness. When she came back from the hospital, she said that she was sorry that she could not play soccer correctly and mentioned Tai may never want to play with her again. This caused Tai to feel outrageous guilt because he was the reason she had gotten so sick in the first place.

Digimon Adventure
When the original seven DigiDestined entered the Digital World from summer camp, Kari was left behind, as she had been at home with the flu. She did not see any of the other DigiDestined. However, she was reunited with Tai when he was sucked into a dimensional warp following his successful victory over Etemon. He could only stay for a short while, and had to leave when he realized that the Digital World was in bad shape and needed his help.

Tai would later reunite with Kari again when he and the other DigiDestined entered the Real World to pursue Myotismon. Myotismon was seeking the eighth DigiDestined child. The other seven DigiDestined and Myotismon were specifically seeking the eighth Digivice. Gatomon, one of Myotismon's henchmen, was the first to realize that Kari was the eighth DigiDestined. Though, when she was about to kill her, Kari turned around and Gatomon lost her balance. She could never quite figure out why she couldn't kill Kari.

Wizardmon was the first one to find the eighth Digivice. He also realized that Gatomon and Kari were partners, and Gatomon remembered that she was looking for someone- looking for Kari. Wizardmon gave Kari her Crest of Light. However, when Myotismon discovered that Gatomon was the eighth DigiDestined's partner, he held her captive to try to find the eighth DigiDestined. Kari turned herself in to stop the pain his minions were inflicting. In a final showdown, Tai tossed Kari her Digivice, but DemiDevimon swiped it from her hand. Myotismon attempted to end the battle by using Grisly Wing on Kari, but Wizardmon stepped in and took the blow for her. When he died, Kari's Digivice began glowing, and DemiDevimon couldn't hold on. Tai caught the Digivice and threw it to Kari, and Gatomon Digivolved into Angewomon. All the other Digimon gave their power into one of Angewomon's attacks- Heaven's Charm. Then, she uses the power to send an arrow through the heart of Myotismon.

Kari accompanies the seven other DigiDestined when they go back to the Digital World. During this time, an odd spirit speaks and acts through Kari's body at various times. Kari appears to be the only person who can communicate with this spirit. When Tai and Matt get into a major fight, the spirit takes control of Kari's body and ends the fight. Kari is possessed once again when she is underneath Machinedramon's city and sees the enslaved Numemon. She leads a revolt, deposing WaruMonzaemon, and the Numemon call her Queen Kari.

In the final confrontation with Piedmon after everyone but T.K. and Kari have been turned into little dolls, Kari and T.K. are left in great peril, hanging but a lone rope stretching to the sky. Kari mentions her fright which gives T.K. the hope to summon Angemon as MagnaAngemon- Angemon's higher form.

Our War Game! (Digimon The Movie)
Kari is at a friend's birthday party during the whole event. Although Tai asks for her help, she cannot leave the party, as that would be rude to her friends. The English dub gives the excuse that a magician was coming to the party later. Kari was unable to leave because she had "already volunteered to be sawed in half". Tai angrily responds, telling her to get the "half with legs to run home soon".

Between Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02
In May 2000, Kari arrived in the Digital World and gave up her Crest power, along with the other DigiDestined, to free the Sovereigns. As a result, Gatomon lost the power to become Angewomon.

Digimon Adventure 02


Kari grew a lot during the two 1/2 years between Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02; becoming more mature, perkier and braver. In place of her whistle, she now has a digital camera around her neck. She likes taking pictures, and has quite a liking for playing practical jokes and teasing her friends, and she is somewhat a tomboy. Because Davis--a new Digidestined and leader- has a crush on her, Kari often teases him by flirting with T.K.--one of the old Digidestined--who saved her when she was in the Dark World. She shares a special bond with T.K. They know better than the rest of the Digidestined about the dangers of the Digital World. Davis has feelings for Kari, forcing Davis to act childish and confused, while Kari giggles at his mistakes.

While searching for Gatomon’s lost Tail Ring, Kari, Yolei, another new Digidestined, and Ken--also another new Digidestined and the new Dark Master of the Digital World, but became good later on--ended up in the Dark World. Upon finding the Dark Ocean, Kari began to lose her composure due to her last visit. She and Ken struggled under the hold of the Dark Ocean. This event was taken advantage of by a Blossomon. It took Yolei's slap and words to make the two see eye-to-eye. This gave Aquilamon and Gatomon the power to DNA Digivolve to Silphymon; it also gave Kari the heart to help Ken.

During Christmas, Kari, Izzy--another old Digidestined- and their Digimon were sent to Hong Kong to help the Asian DigiDestined, where all three of the Poi Brothers (Chinese Digi-Destined) developed a crush on her. After sending all of the Digimon back to their world and destroying all the Control Spires, she and the other DigiDestined faced the threat of Yukio Oikawa. He kidnapped Ken and planted Dark Spores into other children. Kari and the other DigiDestined didn't realize that he was being controlled by the disembodied spirit of Myotismon.

After harvesting the Dark Spores, Myotismon emerged from Oikawa, becoming MaloMyotismon. After some fighting, MaloMyotismon created a world of illusions; each DigiDestined was subjected to their true desires and wants. Kari's desire was for humans and Digimon to live side by side, making it a better world for everyone. Gatomon and Raidramon broke her free of the illusion. She then joined with the other kids, who were in the process of breaking free of their illusions. Kari used the power of the dream dimension and wished for Gatomon to become stronger; she split into Angewomon and Nefertimon and DNA Digivolved with Aquilamon to become Silphymon, all three forms appearing at the same time. After the fighting stopped, Kari saw one of her dreams come true. Both the Real World and Digital World lived in peace together.

Hurricane Touchdown/Supreme Evolution! The Golden Digimentals
When Kari and T.K. visited Mimi--another old Digidestined in New York, they encountered Willis- another Digidestined--and his Digimon, Terriermon and Wendigomon. (Willis confused Wendigomon with his rookie form, Kokomon.) While on a train for Colorado, Kari sent an e-mail to the other DigiDestined, who made their way to America to help her and T.K. But on the way, their train was hindered by Wendigomon so they had to continue on foot. They managed to join up with the others during the fight with Cherubimon. Angewomon and Angemon had to digivolve to their mega-forms to release the powers of the golden digi-eggs so Veemon--Davis's Digimon--and Terriermon could golden armour digivolve.

Michi e no Armor Shinka
Kari was kidnapped by Boltmon along with Mimi and Sora. When Pukumon entered the scene with a Control Spire, Joe was knocked into the Adventure 02 Digital World and Kari somehow ended up with Cody's D-Terminal, allowing Gatomon to Armor Digivolve to Butterflymon.

Revenge of Diaboromon
Three years after the events of 'Our War Game', the evil Digimon virus, Diaboromon, resumed his reign of terror on the Internet. The Kuramon were bio-emerging via e-mail, so while Tai, Matt, and their Digimon entered cyberspace to battle Diaboromon once more, the others had to track down the Kuramon. Yolei and Kari found the first one and caught it for Izzy to examine. While Omnimon was being overpowered by Diaboromon, Kari and T.K., with their Digimon, had gone to help their big brothers. But Kari was soon forced to watch the battle between Imperialdramon and Armageddemon.

Digimon Adventure 02 Series Finale Epilogue


In 2027 (25 years later) Kari became a kindergarten teacher and has a son, who has a Salamon as a digimon partner. Her spouse is unknown.

Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01
During one of her battles as a child, she and the other Adventure 02 DigiDestined encountered Parallelmon, who absorbed her, T.K., Yolei, and Cody, and inadvertently sent Davis into the "V-Tamer 01" world, where he met the Tai of that series. Kari and the others helped Davis from inside the monster by recreating the Digi-Egg of Miracles. With the monster destroyed, Davis and his friends returned to their continuity.

Possible Couplings

 * Davis & Kari
 * T.K. & Kari
 * Matt & Kari

Trivia

 * Hikari has three Japanese image songs, "Holy Light," "Yasashii Ame" ("Gentle Rain") and "Reflection" as well as a fourth one sung with Tailmon (Tokumitsu Yuka) called "Shining Star"
 * Kari's Japanese name "Hikari" means "light", a unique parallel with her crest's name.
 * In the English dub, Lara Jill Miller goes on to voice Takato Matsuki's teacher, Ms Nami Asaji; this is a possible reference to Kari (also voiced by Miller) becoming a teacher. Plus, both of their hairstyles are similar, and Takato resembles her son.
 * Kari's Digimon is one of very few in the Digimon continuity to be able to digivolve into a female only Mega.
 * Kari is often implied to be special amongst the DigiDestined, although it is never explaned why.
 * She and Tai are the only Digidestined to have a pet. A cat named Miko.