Royal Knights

The Royal Knights (守護騎士「ロイヤルナイツ」) are a group of thirteen Mega-level Holy Knight Digimon that are the Digital World's sacred guardians, and are famed among Digimon as guardian deities of the Network. The group was founded by Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, and serves Yggdrasill. Because the Royal Knights are placed in the highest ranks of Network Security, it is absolutely impossible to violate security in their presence. Based on a certain "Prophecy" handed down from the ancient Digital World, it is said that the Royal Knights will assemble at the time of the Digital World's greatest crisis.

Most of the Royal Knights are Human Digimon, although there are a few with bestial forms. Like historical knights, some of the Royal Knights are the lord of other types of Digimon, although they are all subservient to Yggdrasill. Furthermore, each of the Royal Knights possesses a dogma that it believes in. Many of the Royal Knights also have alternate Modes or X-Antibody forms, which are generally still considered Royal Knights.

As of now, there are two unrevealed Royal Knights.

Fiction
The main appearances of the Royal Knights are in the movie Digital Monster X-Evolution, the anime Digimon Frontier and Digimon Data Squad, the manga Digimon Chronicle, and the manhua D-Cyber. Some of the species that are members of the Royal Knights have also appeared as partner Digimon in earlier seasons, but were not members of the Royal Knights.

Digimon Frontier
The Royal Knights who appear in Digimon Frontier (Dynasmon and Crusadermon) are servants of the ancient villain Lucemon. The two served Lucemon so that he would grant them access to the human world, which they wished to rule over. Though these two Knights are villains, Baromon explains that at one time "the Royal Knights did fight for justice."

The two Royal Knights were introduced after the defeat of Cherubimon by the Legendary Warriors. They easily defeat the Legendary Warriors, and then leave to collect the fractal code of each area of the Digital World, in order to free Lucemon from the Dark Area. Although the Warriors repeatedly attempt to stop the Knights—getting closer to victory each time—the Knights end up taking the Fractal Code from each area of the Digital World.

The Knights ultimately free Lucemon, who joins them for a brief period. Lucemon sends the pair to finish off the Warriors, but they are finally defeated by EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon. Instead of helping them, Lucemon takes advantage of their weakened state by absorbing their data so that he can digivolve to his next stage, Lucemon Chaos Mode.

Digital Monster X-Evolution
The Royal Knights are protectors of the Digital World, and initially serve the super computer Yggdrasill. When they communicate, they are represented by twelve screens; when dies, his screen disappears, to be replaced by 's when he awakens.

During the movie, Yggdrasill's forces are enacting "Project Ark", which is designed to reduce the overload of data by transplanting a small amount of Digimon to a "new Digital World", and allowing the rest to perish with the destruction of the old world. However, this plan is disrupted when some of the abandoned Digimon acquire the X-Antibody, which allows them to survive in the new Digital World. To fix this, Yggdrasill sends the Royal Knights to eliminate the interlopers. Gallantmon opposed this genocide, and is killed for it, which fosters doubt in, eventually causing him to help the mysterious , who is revealed as Alphamon, the Royal Knights' legendary leader. The pair confronts Yggdrasill, and in the end, Omnimon must save the Digital World by destroying his master.

Digimon D-Cyber
Ten thousand years before the events of the story, the "Holy Knights" defeated and sealed it away as a Digi-core. Years later, a virus infects the digital world, and only those with the X-Antibody survive. The three surviving Royal Knights make an appearance as allies of the story's DigiDestined - Omega of Power, Duke of Courage and Magna of Miracles. At the end of the story, Dorumon is revealed to be their lost leader, Alphamon.

Digimon Data Squad
In Digimon Data Squad, the Royal Knights are again King Drasil's subordinates. Digimon Data Squad also depicts the largest gathering of Royal Knights, with nine out of thirteen making an appearance.

Before the events of the series, King Drasil decides that due to humanity's crimes (most of which are in fact Akihiro Kurata's doing), it is too dangerous to be allowed to live. Though he is convinced to wait by Dr. Spencer Damon, the imminent collision of the Human and Digital Worlds prompts him to move forward with the plan, and he sends the Knights to eliminate humanity. Before they begin, the Knights encounter and defeat the DATS, but are prevented from finishing them off due to the intervention of the rogue knight (who is revealed to be Commander Richard Sampson's ).

The destruction of the human world begins immediately afterwards, starting with a battle between Gallantmon and Kentaurosmon, which ended with both being sealed in ice. and fall in battle, and  is defeated by the DATS, even though he was using King Drasil's power, showing him that his sovereign is not absolute.

Craniamon then goes to the Human World to replace, who was holding the two worlds apart. Eventually, the other Knights also decide to defy King Drasil, and join Craniamon in holding the two worlds apart. After King Drasil is defeated, they thank the humans and return to the Digital World.