Sora Takenouchi

Sora Takenouchi (武之内 空) is a in the  and  series Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02. She is a DigiDestined, partnered with, and the bearer of the Crest of Love.

Appearance
In 1995, Sora is a small girl with lightly-tanned skin, chin-length orange hair, and maroon eyes. She wears a green pajama shirt with long yellow sleeves and a white collar.

By 1999, Sora is a preteen girl, much taller than she was four years before. Her hair is now at shoulder-length and fans out at the back, with a tuft of her hair in the front, which is usually left sticking outside of her headgear and covers her forehead. She wears a yellow sleeveless turtlenecked shirt with a white collar and a white triangle on it and white ruff on the bottom. She also wears red gloves, blue jeans, and a pink belt with a pink pouch, a black buckle, and a gold button, where she keeps her, dark gray sneakers with red highlights and red lightning bolts on the soles, and a blue hat with a cyan border and cyan straps. The hat is depicted as both stiff like a helmet during the battle with, and soft like fabric on August 3, 1999. Her underwear is a yellow camisole with light blue straps and panties of undetermined color.

She has two soccer uniforms; one is a red T-shirt with a white collar, white lines on the sleeves and a white "11" on the back, white shorts with a vertical red line on each side, white socks with red borders, and black and red football boots with white marks on them. The other is a blue T-shirt with a white collar, purple lines on the sleeves, white shorts with a vertical red line on each side and red waist, white socks with purple borders, and black and red football boots with white marks on them. After an injury, she also wears a white bandage on her left leg.

After taking a bath on 's illusionary mansion, she wears a pink bath robe over her underwear, which is later revealed to be an illusion.

When escaping from the shower in 's cruise ship, Sora has a white towel wrapped around her body.

On March 4, 2000, she wears a pink and purple striped shirt with long sleeves, partially tucked inside blue jeans with a pocket on each side and a brown belt. She also wears a cream-colored hat with with straps and a dark green zigzag mark on it. After receiving Tai's e-mail, she removes her hat to put on the hair clip she received from him, which has an orange and red flower-shaped ornament.

On May 2000, when Gennai summons her back to the, she wears a light blue top with pink polka dots, and cream colored pants.

On October 2000, she wears a blue sweater, gray pants, and a blue and dark blue hat.

By 2002, Sora is a teenager, and now wears her bangs combed to the right. She usually wears the Odaiba Middle School uniform; a green sailor uniform with a blue scarf, white stockings, and blue shoes with white soles.

Her tennis uniform consists of a white T-shirt with blue vertical lines on the front and back, a blue line on the border of the collar, and a yellow triangle on the left side of the chest, light gray wristbands on her hands, a short white skirt, striped panties of undetermined color, white socks, and white sneakers with light blue and light pink lines on them.

During summer, she wears a pink T-shirt with a yellow oval with light purple borders with two pointy tips, and the word "circle" in the chest. She also wears a wine-colored skirt, white socks, and gray and cerulean sneakers.

In the day she's abducted by, she wears a blue T-shirt with a wine-colored oval with pink borders with two pointy tips, and a yellow rectangle in the chest, and a light blue skirt.

When Kokomon reverts her age to 8, she wears a green and gray striped sleeveless dress.

When Kokomon reverts her age to 4, she wears a green sleeveless dress.

During winter, she wears a yellow sweater under a blue hooded coat with a white ruff in the hood, two pockets and three dark blue buttons, a pink scarf, turquoise gloves, a purple skirt, brown stockings, and turquoise boots with white soils.

During a date with Matt, she wears a yellow turtlenecked shirt with long sleeves and a gray and green hat.

On March 2003, she wears a purple shirt under a yellow buttoned shirt with long sleeves, with only the top button done. She also wears a blue skirt, pink and yellow striped stockings, and white boots.

By 2027, Sora is an adult. She wears a green turtlenecked shirt with long sleeves, and blue pants. At work, she wears a green with a white and light green granular pattern, and a yellow ohashori.

In the cover art of Digimon Adventure: Character Song + Mini Drama 3, Sora wears a blue with a yellow ohashori, and a blue hairclip.

In the cover art of Digimon Girls Festival, the eleven-year old Sora wears a light purple kimono with a dark green ohashori, white, and light purple with hot pink straps.

Description
Sora is a very kind and responsible person. She is very caring and protective, with her first instinct being to try and help others in any way she can. When she feels someone needs her help, she will not turn them down, even at the cost of her own well-being. As a preteen, she is a bit tomboyish, from the way she dresses to her hobbies. She starts out low self esteem, believing herself to be unloved and criticizing herself for not being able to help her friends. Throughout her adventures in the Digital World, she realizes she is very much loved, and her friends make her realize how appreciated she is. As a teenager, she embraces her femininity, and is much more confident and laid back.

Sora's father, Haruhiko Takenouchi, works away from home at, so she is primarily raised by her mother, Toshiko Takenouchi. The two initially didn't have a very good relationship, but it improves once Sora realizes Toshiko cares deeply for her.

Sora's oldest friend is Tai Kamiya, who attended the same class at the same school as her in Highton View Terrace and plays in the soccer club with her.

Etymologies
Name used in the Japanese version of Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02, and related materials. Officially romanized in the Digimon Adventure: Official Encyclopedia II. Also used in multiple dubs, including the American English.
 * Sora Takenouchi (武之内 空)
 * Ja: Takenochi (武之内). Japanese surname that means "within the warrior".
 * Ja: Sora (空). Japanese name that means "sky", likely a reference to . Along with Mimi, it may also be a pun on "soramimi" (空耳).

Anime
Sora is the daughter of Haruhiko and Toshiko Takenouchi.

In 1995, Sora lived in Highton View Terrace. One night, she witnessed the battle between and. This event led her to be chosen to become a new. The destruction created by the battle caused it to be labeled a terrorist attack, and the Takenouchi family moved away from the area.

A few years later, Sora played in an all girl soccer team. Her mother wanted her to leave soccer to learn the art of. At some point she injured her leg in a game, and her mother forbade her from playing. Sora tried to go to her team's game, but when she arrived, they had already lost, as she was their ace striker. After this, she couldn't face them, and joined the boys' soccer team with her old friend Tai instead.

When she is transported to the Digital World, Sora is often the voice of reason, and mediates between Tai and Matt's different attitudes. She takes care of the others, particularly of the younger T.K. and Mimi. Initially, she's not sure what to think of Biyomon's eager and clingy attitude, but she soon grows to care for her new partner.

When separates the DigiDestined, Sora and  land in a remote location, and when Sora tries to fish, she catches Joe and. Seeing he feels down, she decides to boost his spirits by letting him lead. When they arrive at Overdell Cemetary, they are captured by who want to eat them. When the Bakemon fuse into one giant Bakemon and threaten to defeat and, Joe remembers a chant he learned to give himself luck during exams, and Sora beats on her hat like a drum to give him a beat while he uses it to depower the Bakemon.

After all the DigiDestined find their Crests, Sora's Crest of Love is the last one left. A mysterious person offers to help the DigiDestined find it, but it turns out to be, who kidnaps Sora and Biyomon. While Datamon does, indeed, have Sora's Crest, he does not intend on giving it to her; instead, he creates a data copy of Sora, intending to use it to power up her Digivice and Crest and force Birdramon to Digivolve to settle a score with. Fortunately, Tai appears to save her at the last minute.

After Tai and disappear following the battle against, Sora is the first to leave the DigiDestined, hoping to find Tai. She soon meets, who tells her of the Crests' traits, and tells her that her Crest of Love will never glow because she has no concept of love. Though she is hurt by these words, she doesn't let them stop her from helping her friends from the shadows. She warns about poisonous mushrooms that DemiDevimon tries to feed to Tai and T.K., prevents DemiDevimon from causing an accident which would cause trouble to Matt and Joe, and comforts Mimi when she has second thoughts about sending Tai, Joe and Palmon to the dungeon.

Eventually, the DigiDestined reunite with Sora, and Tai, Matt and T.K. comfort her. When attacks them head on, Biyomon, who is injured, attempts to fight, but Sora is reluctant to let her. When Biyomon demands to be let free to help, Sora understands that her mother's actions were because of her love - just as her mother wished for her to not be hurt while playing soccer, Sora wishes for Biyomon to not be hurt either. Upon making the decision to let go and let Biyomon fight, her Crest shines and allows Biyomon to digivolve to.

Soon, the DigiDestined return to the Real World with their Digimon, hoping to find the eighth DigiDestined before Myotismon and his army get to them. However, on August 3, Myotismon sends his Bakemon to capture everyone in Odaiba, including Sora while she's at soccer practice. While they are held at the Tokyo Big Site convention center, Sora and Mimi reunite, and with the help of Tai and Mimi's parents, they manage to escape. Sora and Birdramon manage to leave, though everyone else is returned to the convention center, including Sora's mother. When is destroyed and the DigiDestined leave for the Digital World again, Sora's mother comes to wish her good luck and tell her she loves her.

During the fight against the Dark Masters, Sora is consistently supportive of the others, even when the team splits up. Ultimately, however, she cannot handle the pressure, and falls into a pit of darkness while her and T.K. are looking for Matt. However, Matt and Joe arrive, and Matt uses his own experience with falling into darkness to pull her out with Joe's help.

On March 4, 2000, Sora is angry at Tai after he gave her a hairclip for her birthday, which insulted her. Izzy tries to call her to help fight against, but she refuses to answer the phone once she realizes it's Tai's phone number calling. After Diaboromon is destroyed, Tai's apology email finally comes through, and Sora accepts his apology, even wearing her new hairclip.

In May 2000, Sora arrives in the Digital World and gives up her Crest power to free the Digimon Sovereigns. As a result, Biyomon lost the power to become [.

By October 2000, Sora's relationship with her mother improves drastically, and she begins to learn the art of flower arranging from her. She also begins to play tennis, with her mother's coaching. Eventually, she even joins the tennis club, switching over from soccer.

In 2002, when a group of new DigiDestined is chosen, Sora helps mentor them along with the other veteran DigiDestined. She becomes close with Yolei Inoue, who inherited the trait of Love, and encourages her whenever they team up.

In summer, Sora is kidnapped into another dimension and regresses in age thanks to Wendigomon. The new DigiDestined reverse this.

By December 24, Sora has developed romantic feelings for Matt. With Biyomon and Tai's encouragement, she confesses her love to Matt with an offering of homemade cookies, and they begin dating. On Christmas Day, the DigiDestined are empowered by the Harmonious One so that their Digimon can once again reach their highest forms. Sora, Yolei and their Digimon are sent to Russia, but they have no translator to help them cross the language barrier with the Russian DigiDestined. Yolei's attempts at charades eventually succeed when she uses the names of Russian foods to co-ordinate their attacks on the Flymon above the city.

Sora later aids the others in fighting the Daemon Corps and tracking down the children seeded with Dark Spores by Yukio Oikawa. When the world is engulfed by MaloMyotismon's darkness, she goes with older DigiDestined and their families to the site of the summer camp from which they were transported to the Digital World years ago. She and the older DigiDestined manage to reach the Digital World from there, and help defeat MaloMyotismon once and for all with the light of their Digivices.

On March 2003, Sora is busy with her tennis club in another town, but makes an effort to get back to Odaiba. She shows up at the end and unites with Tai and Matt after shows up.

By the year 2027, Sora becomes a famous fashion designer specializing in traditional Japanese kimonos, and works along with her Digimon partner, Biyomon. She married Matt and they have two children: a daughter, who has a Yokomon, and a son who has a Tsunomon.

PSP game
When Piedmon is revived by Apocalymon, Sora refuses to give up and tells Tai that she and Biyomon will fight him, which causes Biyomon to warp digivolve to Hououmon.

Digimon Adventure: Anode/Cathode Tamer
When Millenniummon attacks the world, Sora, along with her partner Biyomon, is captured with the rest of the DigiDestined. She is freed alongside T.K. after Ryo Akiyama clears Etemon's Palace, and she lends Biyomon to Ryo for the rest of his journey.

Digimon Tamers: Brave Tamer
Sora and Biyomon can be saved from the Meramon from Biyomon Gets Firepower. By doing so, Sora will again lend Ryo Biyomon in his fight.

Digimon Tamers: Digimon Medley
Sora is a playable character in the "Vamdemon, The Castle of Darkness" chapter, "The Dangerous Game! Pinochimon" section of the "The Four Divine Generals of the Devil's Mountain! The Dark Masters" chapter, the "A New World" chapter, and the Russia path of "Love and Borscht, The Fierce Fight!" section of the "Everyone, Move Out! Imperialdramon" chapter. She also acts in the support role during the "The Final Dark Digimon" chapter.

Digimon Digital Card Battle
In the post game of Digimon Digital Card Battle, Sora can be fought in Flame City.

Digimon World Re:Digitize
Sora is a guest character in the wireless battles and will use.

Digimon Fusion
When the Old Clock Shop Man summons the heroes of the past to the Fusion universe to help take down, Sora and Garudamon team up with in the Australian DigiQuartz.

Music
Sora has three Japanese image songs; "Ashita wa Motto" ("Tomorrow I'll Be More"), "Shiny Days", and "Sora Iro no Kaze" ("Sky-Colored Wind"), sung by Yuko Mizutani. She has an additional image song, a duet sung by Mizutani with Katori Shigematsu as, called "Futari de Habatakeba" ("If We Fly Together"). Mizutani also participates in "Bokura no Digital World" ("Our Digital World"), and in the female Digimon Adventure characters' rendition of "I Wish" in the Digimon Music 100 Title Memorial Box.

Notes and references
武之内空