Ryo Akiyama

Ryo Akiyama (秋山 リョウ Akiyama Ryō) is a fictional character in the Digimon Tamers anime and manga series, as well as a main character in many Digimon video games. He also makes a brief appearance in Digimon Adventure 02. Ryo is voiced by Steve Staley

The only human character to span two continuities, Ryo is the human partner of Cyberdramon. His exploits seem to be from the video games in which he first appeared in prior to his anime debut.

Digimon Adventure: Our War Game
He was among the kids who had indirectly helped the DigiDestined out in their fight with Diaboromon.

Digimon 02
He made a cameo appearance to explain Ken's first adventure in the Digital World.

Digimon Tamers
Known as the Legendary Tamer, Ryo is considered to be the greatest Digimon Tamer in the world, but he disappeared a year ago, and had been in the Digital World ever since. He revealed himself to Rika Nonaka (Ruki Makino in Japan) and her group when they were being attacked by a Megadramon. He came and went as he was needed.

It turned out Ryo was the only person who ever defeated Rika in a Card Tournament, previous to the one where she won. He has a positive attitude.

Digimon Tamers: Runaway Digimon Express
Ryo showed up as Justimon during the Parasimon fight, after Rika, Henry Wong (Jenrya Lee or Li Jian-liang in Japan), and Takato Matsuki (Takato Matsuda in Japan) Biomerged with their Digimon. However, there are too many Parasimon to fight off and they were losing until Gallantmon Crimson Mode destroyed the hole the Parasimon were coming out of. Afterwards, Ryo and Cyberdramon attended Rika's birthday party.

Many fanfiction writers ship Ryo with Rika, although this is not canonical. Others include Ryo with Ken, Ryo with Osamu, Ryo with Millenniumon, and Ryo with Cyberdramon.

Digimon Video Games
The games give more insight on Ryo and his battles with Millenniummon.

Digimon: Cathode/Anode Tamer
Ryo is a boy roughly the same age as the older Chosen Children (i.e. Digidestined), which is about 11. He lives with his parents in a comfortable two-story house (hinting that Ryo's family is at least well-off due to high house prices in much of Japan and the fact that Ryo got a laptop for Christmas). On December 31, 1999, while chatting online a blackout occurs and Ryo's mother asks him to check the fusebox. Before he can do so, however, a voice calls out to him from his computer, which is displaying a machine he's never seen before. The voice pleads to him to touch the device, which Ryo (rather naively) does.

The next thing he knows, he's suddenly in the middle of a forest and confronted by Agumon, Tai's Digimon partner. After Agumon explains that Ryo was summoned because a powerful evil Digimon called Millenniumon ambushed and captured the DigiDestined, then warped the very essence of time and resummoned previously defeated evil Digimon such as Devimon and Myotismon, Ryo quite understandably finds it all hard to believe and thinks he's having a nightmare from too many video games.

He quickly realises he has no choice but to help, however, and thus begins his quest to rescue the DigiDestined and defeat Millenniumon. Along the way, he befriends a number of Digimon allied to the DigiDestined, including Leomon, Andromon, Piximon and many others. He also encounters villains previously defeated by the Chosen Children beginning with Devimon, then Etemon, Myotismon and the Dark Master Piedmon before confronting Milleniumon. (Depending on which game, he takes on the form of one of his two components, either Machinedramon or Kimeramon). After a fierce battle, Ryo and his Digimon comrades are able to vanquish the villain and rescue Tai, the last of the DigiDestined being held prisoner. His task done, Ryo bids his new friends a tearful farewell and returns home, where his parents note he seems to have grown up a bit.

''Some events that take place in this game contribute to Ryo's apparent mental breakdown in a later game. For example, each of the evil Digimon are very clear as to what they want to do (for example, Etemon threatens to rip Ryo to shreds while Vamdemon intends to cut off his head and offer it to Millenniummon). Also, unlike the Chosen Children who were able to draw strength from each other, Ryo was alone for the most part (not including the Digimon he recruits). When he realizes during Digimon: D-1 Tamers that the Chosen Children and Soverigns were using him as a tool, lying to him in order to train him to defeat MoonMillenniumon once and for all, he proceeds to emotionally shut himself out and refuses to speak to anyone after that. This is observed by Tai immediately after the betrayal is exposed and later Monodramon, who observes how cold Ryo is towards him.''

Digimon: Tag Tamers
After witnessing Diaboromon's defeat by Omnimon on the Internet, Ryo and Ken were taken into the Digital World where they met up with their partners: Wormmon and Veemon (at a later point in time to be Davis's Veemon). Separated from each other, Ryo and Ken searched the Digital World for each other before teaming up to take down a resurrected Millenniumon. The DNA Digivolution of Veemon and Wormmon to Paildramon helped stop Millenniumon but Ken was infected with a Dark Spore after his defeat. The two of them returned to the Real World, leaving their partners behind, shortly after.

Digimon: D-1 Tamers
Ryo continued to look after Ken after Millenniumon infected him with a Dark Spore. Ryo received an e-mail from Gennai and was taken into the Digital World to compete in a tournament held by the Digimon Sovereigns, three of whom had been corrupted. Ryo fought against the DigiDestined of the world such as Tai, Willis and Izzy. After winning, Ryo learns the entire tournament was a lie - in fact, it was just a training exercise put on by the Chosen Children and Soverigns to make Ryo capable of defeating MoonMillenniumon. This realization causes Ryo to cease speaking for the rest of the game, as well as the next game. Regardless of the treachery, Ryo teamed up with the uncorrupted Soverigns to stop Millenniummon. However, before victory was claimed, MoonMillenniumon opened a time portal and thrust himself into the future while hurtling Ryo into the Digital World's past.

Digimon: Brave Tamer
In the past, Ryo met his new partner Monodramon. He then discovered that Millenniummon is in fact his true partner. Monodramon forces a jogress between himself and Millenniummon, resulting in Cyberdramon.