Gennai

Gennai (ゲンナイ) is a fictional character from the anime Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02 who serves as a guide to the. He is a member of the Agents.

Description
In Gennai's first appearance, he is shown to be an old man with a large grey mustache and a nearly bald head, aside from a small ponytail. His eyes are always shut.

In his younger form, Gennai has short, brown hair with a ponytail at the back and indigo eyes, and he wears brown and cream-colored robes with a black turtleneck. Dark Gennai has a similar appearance, but wears black robes with a purple turtleneck, and has pale blue eyes.

Etymologies
Name used in Digimon Adventure and related materials.
 * Gennai (ゲンナイ)
 * Ja: A Japanese male name. Likely a reference to.

Fiction
Gennai is a data-based humanoid being that was part of a group that created the Digimon and s for the DigiDestined. Gennai's comrades were slaughtered by, who stole the Tags and Crests, but Gennai managed to escape; however he lost the Digivice and that was supposed to belong to Kari Kamiya. After the defeat of, Gennai revealed himself via hologram to the Digidestined and asked them to head to the Server continent to defeat the powerful enemies that resided there.

He would advise the Digidestined during their battles against Etemon and give Izzy's laptop a Digimon Analyzer. Later, he would reveal the existence of the 'Eighth Child', and that was trying to gain access to the Real World in order to locate and kill them. When the DigiDestined fail to stop Myotismon from entering the Real World and are unable to follow him, Gennai guides them to his home under a lake, meeting the DigiDestined in person for the first time. He would go on to tell them how they could return to the Real World to fight Myotismon and find the Eighth Child. He also modifies Izzy's computer further, allowing Izzy to send and receive e-mail from the Digital World.

Gennai's past is revealed when Homeostasis possesses Kari during the DigiDestined's fight with the. Gennai would later reveal after the defeat of the Dark Masters that they were not the first DigiDestined to come to the Digital World, and that the first group had been summoned to defeat a powerful evil Digimon that came from behind the Wall of Fire, and that the DigiDestined were summoned to destroy a new threat, which was revealed to be. After Apocalymon's defeat, Gennai tells the DigiDestined to return home, as the portal between the Digital World and the Real World is closing.

Gennai would later appear to Izzy and Tai to warn them of a threat coming from on the Internet.

At some point afterwards, Gennai called the DigiDestined back into the Digital World to ask them to give up the power of their Crests to add another layer of protection to the Digital World, which they did.

Three years after the defeat of Apocalymon, Gennai would reappear to pass on 's DigiCores to the DigiDestined. He reveals that he and his kind have been working hard to erase evidence of the existence of the Digital World from the Real World. After the defeat of MaloMyostismon, Gennai reveals that he was in possession of 's tail ring since she lost it.

Three years after the defeat of MaloMyotismon, it is revealed that Gennai has been passing information on the Infected Digimon to the Government to aid them in combating the threat they posed.

Upon falling underground in the Digital World, Daigo Nishijima and Taichi "Tai" Kamiya discover an underground laboratory, with Gennai and the 02 Digidestined inside pods, with the machines providing them with life support. Daigo explains that the kids had gone missing, that he was forced to keep it quiet and that Maki Himekawa had collaborated with to capture them because they had found out about King Drasil's plan. Then Dark Gennai appears, turns off the 02 Digidestined's life support, and states that they can save them by sending them back to the human world but that should they do so, the lab will explode and that only one pod remains, meaning only one of them can go along with the rest of the 02 Digidestined. Already bleeding to death, Daigo tells Tai to "check out the remaining pod" to which Tai agrees, Daigo however closes the pod, sends the six of them back to the human world and then succumbs to his wounds, dying as the lab explodes.

Five years later, during the crisis, Gennai appears before Tai and Agumon, and confirms Menoa Bellucci's research about the end of the DigiDestined-Digimon partnership, but notes that that fate can be prevented if the DigiDestined somehow obtains unlimited potential.

Digimon Masters
Gennai is an NPC.

Benjamin
Benjamin (ベンジャミン) is Gennai's American counterpart. His name is likely a reference to.

Jackie
Jackie (ジャッキー) is Gennai's Chinese counterpart. His name is likely a reference to.

Hogan
Hogan (ユーカリ) is Gennai's Australian counterpart. His English name is likely a reference to, while his Japanese name, "Eucalyptus", is a reference to the genus, which dominates the tree flora of.

Jose
Jose (ホセ) is Gennai's Mexican counterpart. His name is likely a reference to. In the English dub he speaks with a Mexican accent.

In December 24, 2002, when Ken,, Matt, and have trouble trying to sneak in the Mayan Ruins in Palenque, Jose shows up and distract the guards with martial arts moves. After the group has met Rosa and, Jose meets up with them in the ruins, scaring Wormmon. In the Japanese version, as the group goes deeper into the ruins, Jose translates Rosa and Ken's conversation to the others. After, , and defeat the Minotarumon and Dokugumon attacking the ruins, Jose opens a laptop for Ken to send them back to the.

Ilya
Ilya (イリア) is Gennai's Russian counterpart. His name is likely a reference to. In the English dub he speaks with a Russian accent.

In December 24, 2002, after Sora, Yolei,, Sonya, , and their Digimon defeat a swarm of Flymon in Moscow, Ilya shows up, apologizing for the delay, and tells Sora and Yolei to go to Siberia in the English dub, and north in the Japanese version. After the herd of Mammothmon is defeated in Siberia, Ilya bring the computer to send the Digimon back to the. He then thanks for the help and leaves.

Dark Gennai
Dark Gennai (謎の男) is a man who looks like a young Gennai wearing black clothes. Needing an avatar to enter the human world, he chooses to change his form into that of Ken Ichijouji as the Digimon Emperor.

Dark Gennai, disguised as Ken, observes an attack by the infected on Primary Village. Later, at the Tsukishima General High School festival, he is spotted by Maki Himekawa, who is surprised to see "Ken". He then abducts, allowing the to identify him as "Ken", then retreats back into the Digital Dimension. When followed by, , and , he infects Leomon and sends to attack the two Rookies. After is defeated by  and, he releases Meicoomon and vanishes. Later, after the DigiDestined return to the rebooted, he watches as they reunite with their Partners. He then comments to Himekawa about how it is such "a deeply emotional reunion" and reveals his Gennai-like form to her.

During a conversation between Daigo Nishijima and, it is revealed that, at some point, had managed to capture and corrupt Gennai. "Gennai", once again disguised as the Digimon Emperor, attacks Sora, Biyomon, and Meicoomon. He reveals that the reboot was all part of King Drasil's plot to create a new world order where humans and Digimon can no longer interact with each other. He unleashes and  on the Digi-Destined, but they are defeated by, , , , and. "Gennai" later attacks Meiko Mochizuki, sending Meicoomon into a fury and causing her to digivolve once again into.

Dark Gennai is shown smiling when Taichi "Tai" Kamiya appears to die due to falling into a hole alongside Daigo Nishijima. Kari Kamiya's shock at her brothers apparent death causes to warp Dark Digivolve to  and then DNA Digivolve with  to form. Ordinemon then opens a portal to the real world.

After falling underground in the Digital World, Daigo and Tai discover an underground laboratory, with the 02 Digidestined and the real Gennai inside pods, with the machines providing them with life support. Daigo explains that the kids had gone missing, that he was forced to keep it quiet and that Maki Himekawa had collaborated with to capture them because they had found out about King Drasil's plan. Then the Mysterious Man appears, turns off the 02 Digidestined's life support and states that they can save them by sending them back to the human world but that should they do so, the lab will explode and that only one pod remains, meaning only one of them can go along with the rest of the 02 Digidestined. Already bleeding to death, Daigo tells Tai to "check out the remaining pod" to which Tai agrees, Daigo however closes the pod, sends the six of them back to the human world and then succumbs to his wounds, dying as the lab explodes. The four 02 Digidestined are then sent to a hospital as mentioned by Izzy while informing Matt by their cellphones. Dark Gennai then commands Ordinemon to attack and destroy the Real World over and over and Ordinemon defeats the Digidestined Digimon multiple times. Whilst arguing with over who would win,  fuses with the other Mega level partner Digimon to form  and kills Ordinemon.

Three months after Ordinemon's destruction at the hands of Omnimon Merciful Mode, the four 02 DigiDestined are finally recovered after being hospitalized. Dark Gennai is then seen with the shard and states that he will try again with  and, then opens a distortion and leaves.

Notes and references
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