Renamon (Tamers)

Renamon is a fictional character from the Digimon franchise, the Digimon partner of Rika in the Digimon Tamers season. Unlike the other Rookie Digimon, Renamon is a mature Digimon with experience and a jaded view on life. As she shows it, there are two things she lives for: to battle her foes and to protect Rika. Renamon's Digivolution was inspired from the Kitsune and other fox spirits of Asian myth. Her name is derived from Renard, the French word for Fox, though she was originally to be named Lunamon, implying some connection to the Moon (which is an element of almost all her Digivolution sequences).

At first, Renamon's view on humans was that they were used for aiding Digimon in Digivolution. Rika thought that Digimon were just fighting machines. The two had a distant relationship. But as time passed, the two saved each other on many occasions and their friendship grew stronger. It reached its zenith when it enabled the final Bio-mergance that sparked Sakuyamon's birth.

Abilities
Renamon can warp light around her, making her able to turn invisible and even teleport. Combined with her agility and strength, she fights like a fictional ninja in some respects. Her strength is in her speed and agility, although none of her forms should be considered physically weak.

Attacks

 * Diamond Storm (Fox Leaf Arrowhead): Renamon summons a cloud of razor-sharp shards which she fires on her foe.


 * Power Paw (Wisteria Punch): Renamon's fists and feet glow in a ghostly blue light which quickly become engulfed in a raging inferno of blue flames. When her limbs are in this state, Renamon leaps into the air, kicking and slicing her foes.

Attack exclusive to Digimon Rumble Arena are:


 * Kohenkyo (Fox Change Void) - Renamon summons a whirlwind of petals and autumnal leaves around herself and an enemy which cause them to switch places, thus confusing her foe.

Gender issue
In one episode of Digimon, Renamon stated that Digimon have no gender; however, most fans decree this is not true, and go to great lengths to prove this, based upon instances in the show that they feel clearly depicts Digimon as having gender. For instance, they point out the example of the female appearance of such Digimon as Sakuyamon, Renamon's Mega stage form. This is even contradicted in the anime, as Jijimon and Babamon state they are married. Toei, however, does not seem willing to detract or even comment on this statement.

One view seen would be the concept that gender has no real importance among Digimon. Most regions treat Renamon as female, with a female voice actor. However, in the German version of Digimon Tamers produced for the channel RTLII, Renamon was voiced by a male voice actor (and Sakuyamon by a female voice actor). This is sometimes considered awkward due to the issue of the Biomerge sequence, where Rika (a young girl) fuses with Renamon.

In some fan communities, the alternate spelling "Renomon" is used to denote a specifically male Digimon of the Renamon variety, while the official spelling "Renamon" is used to denote the female variety. This is not an official distinction.

Digimon Tamers
Renamon became Rika's partner after she received her D-Power, which she got after she won her Digimon Card tournament. When she won, four lights were opened up and Digimon appeared from them. Rika says she wants the strongest and she cannot tame all of them, so the others leave and Renamon comes, but Renamon leaves a little while after. When Rika's Digivice-3 appeared, she wished she was the tamer of Renamon, and that wish came true. During her time with Rika, she battled Lynxmon, Fugamon, and Allomon before digivolving to Kyubimon to defeat Dokugumon. Renamon was Rika's companion throughout the Tamers season.

It's implied Impmon was attracted to Renamon for her appearance and power, as he flirted with her several times, only to be shot down each time as she walked off during these conversations. Later on Renamon would take a particular interest in what Impmon had to say on Digivolving and humans when she and Rika separated for a while to understand what their relationship meant-apparently by this point, Impmon began to reconsider his apparent crush on her and wound up speaking as insultingly to her as everyone else-in contrast to the relationship Terriermon and Guilmon had with their tamers. Renamon would regualry appear behind Impmon to point out his jealousy over Guimon's popularity and seemingly to tease him before leaping off when not in Rika's company. Her concern for Impmon grew when Indramon appeared and when Impmon accidentally revealed he had once had tamers after she had saved him from police gunfire, her questioning earned her a slap (or punch) to the side of her face as Impmon sobbed of how he wished he could Digivolve. When Indramon returned, Renamon barely allowed anyone else to step in when it seemed Impmon was close to death at any moment, only saving him herself before the horse Deva could issue the final crushing blow.

Renamon is quite tall for a Rookie, in or above the height of her tamer, and is quite mature and well-spoken and mannered. Her animalistic features and penetrating icy blue eyes can make her seem quite intimidating, even when she is not trying to be.

Video games
Renamon has appeared in 9 video games: Digimon World 3 (PSX), Digimon Rumble Arena (PSX), Digimon World DS (DS), five WonderSwan Color games based on Digimon Tamers—Battle Spirit (also on GBA), Battle Spirit 1.5, Brave Tamer, Digimon Meddly, Digimon D Project—and Digimon Savers: Another Mission. In almost all games where Renamon appears, she is available at the outset of the game, or in the case of Digimon World DS, digivolves from one of the starter digimon.

Digimon World DS
Renamon evolves from Tanemon, and can evolve further into Kyubimon depending on its stats.

Trivia

 * According to some cards in the trading card game, Renamon is a Nightmare Soldier, a class of digimon that usually refers Digimon of the dark element. Why this is so is never explained in the series. (Outsides the series, Nightmare Soldiers are classified as Digimon with Dark Powers. Most of Myotismon & Piedmon's Servants were of that type.) There are also many good nightmare soldiers such as Garurumon.