Dark Masters

The Dark Masters are a fictional villain group that appear in the Digimon media franchise. The group consists of four powerful Mega-Level Digimon created by Apocalymon. They are MetalSeadramon, Puppetmon, Machinedramon, and Piedmon. A fifth unknown Mega-Level Digimon, MegaSomamon, created by Apocalymon's dreams in his period of hibernation, was unleashed in a lost issue of the manga series. Many speculate that should the TV series have continued, MegaSomamon would have become the next head villain, even taking over his evil overlord.

Appearances
The first appearance of the Dark Masters is in episode number forty of the first season entitled "Enter The Dark Masters". MetalSeadramon, Puppetmon, Machinedramon, and Piedmon create a trap to capture and destroy the DigiDestined. The DigiDestined drop into the traps set by the Dark Masters. The Dark Masters quickly defeat the DigiDestined and are about to destroy them when they are saved by Piximon who sacrifices himself so that they can escape.

Digimon Adventure
Byproducts of the chaos Apocalymon had on the Digital World, the Dark Masters were started by Piedmon, with MetalSeadramon, Machinedramon, and Puppetmon joining him when they began their reign of terror throughout the Digital World while the DigiDestined were fighting Myotismon in the Real World. Prior to the events involving the DigiDestined, the Dark Masters defeated and sealed away the four Sovereigns. When the DigiDestined returned to the Digital World, they discovered that the Digital World was warped (due to Apocalymon) and the Dark Masters used some of the land's data to form Spiral Mountain with their base of operations, Piedmon's castle, on top. The Dark Masters outmatched all eight DigiDestined. Chuumon is killed by Piedmon, and Piximon sacrificed his life to get the DigiDestined away from the Dark Masters. The DigiDestined managed to climb Spiral Mountain, and defeated each of the Dark Masters with some help from their old Digimon friends. However, the DigiDestined discovered that the Dark Masters were not the true enemy; there was a far more dangerous threat, Apocalymon.


 * Note: The four Sovereigns are not mentioned or seen in Digimon Adventure, but Azulongmon told the DigiDestined in Digimon Adventure 02 what the Dark Masters had done to them in Digimon Adventure.

Digimon Adventure 02
The Dark Masters were mentioned by Digitamamon during Yolei Inoue's problem getting him to accept their money.

Machinedramon
Machinedramon was the ruler of Digital City, which looked like a fusion of prominent cities on Earth. In his first appearance with the other Dark Masters, he unexpectedly attacked Angemon and then attacked the 7 Ultimate Level Digimon before they could attack him. When Tai and Izzy entered his city in search of medicine for Kari, Machinedramon's Hagurumon tracked them each time Izzy used his computer to plug into the network. Machinedramon sent his Metal Empire troops to hunt them down. But they gave him the slip so he retaliated with Operation Elimin-8, having Megadramon and Gigadramon bomb every building. When that did not work, he decided to handle the DigiDestined himself. When they ran into a building, he used his Giga Cannon to destroy it, sending them underground.

He would later learn they survived when WaruMonzaemon had been ejected as the slave master to the Numemon due to a revolt caused by Kari. After killing WaruMonzaemon as punishment, he found Tai and Izzy with Andromon, who were building a resistance force to stop Machinedramon. The Dark Master cornered the kids and easily defeated Andromon and the DigiDestineds' Digimon. It was then Kari's feet worshiping Numemon came. The slug Digimon tried to stop Machinedramon but were wiped out easily by the villain's "Catastrophe" attack. Kari collapsed and Agumon was hit by a beam of light, causing him to Warp-Digivolve to WarGreymon. He charged, slicing him up "like an onion" (similar to the death of Frieza in the Trunks Saga of Dragonball Z) before regressing back to Koromon. Machinedramon's city destabilized and was destroyed as a result of the death of Machinedramon.

Although he speaks quietly, Machinedramon is as ruthless and insane as Piedmon or Puppetmon. He is a monstrous sadist who loves to destroy. He is probably the most intelligent of the Dark Masters, as demonstrated by his tactic of using Izzy's computer. However he is not above mindless destruction, and will murder anyone with no remorse whatsoever. His destruction of all the Numemon makes him the most prolific murderer of the Dark Masters.

MetalSeadramon
MetalSeadramon rules the Net Ocean and his henchmen are sea-based Digimon with Scorpiomon and a group of Divermon at his disposal. It is disputed whether the Shellmon there was a minion of MetalSeadramon or not.

Puppetmon
Puppetmon rules the forests from his mansion which is located at the heart of the forest. His henchmen are various forest dwelling Digimon that include Kiwimon, Blossomon, Mushroomon, Floramon, Deramon, Cherrymon, three Garbagemon, and a small army of RedVegiemon and quite possibly the group of Woodmon that attacked Ogremon in the episode "Etemon's Comeback Tour".

Machinedramon
Machinedramon dwells in the center of his urbanized domain with the Metal Empire army at his disposal. His henchmen include at least two Hagurumon, Megadramon, Gigadramon, an army of Mekanorimon and Tankmon and WaruMonzaemon, who had enslaved a large group of Numemon under the city in order to keep the city powered.

Piedmon
The leader of the Dark Masters' who dwells in their base of operations in the middle of a wasteland on Spiral Mountain's peak. LadyDevimon serves as his bodyguard and gatekeeper and a large group of Vilemon serve as his army.

Dark Masters