Pokémon stands above all of its contemporaries and imitators over the years and has become one of the biggest franchises in the world. Digimon also has decent popularity, but could never usurp Pokémon as the best "mon" series. There were many factors in Pokémon's success, some of which are ideas that Digimon could have done better, but never explored.
Admittedly, Pokémon was in the right place at the right time. It had the right backing, technology, and broadcast date to become a phenomenon from the very start. Pokémon became a franchise about community and reaching new heights with others. Digimon has its own strong points, but it ultimately can't measure up to Pokémon's success.
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10 The Early Pokémon Games Were More Accessible Than Early Digimon Games
Since the 90s, Pokémon has come out with games consistently every few years. The early titles were essentially short JRPGs with monster collections like Shin Megami Tensei. The format was easy to get into, and players could live out their dream of being a Pokémon Master.
The Digimon games, on the other hand, were an extension of Tamagotchis. Players would take care of their Digimon as they battled with them, including tasks like feeding and cleaning up after them — Pokémon trainers only have to worry about leveling up.
9 Pokémon Has Run On TV Continuously For Decades
The Pokémon anime has kept on going every week in Japan since the 90s, and its consistency has helped the series maintain a constant global presence. Digimon, on the other hand, has had a few breaks in between seasons in the 2000s and 2010s. The time away from the airwaves hurt the popularity of Digimon, especially in the West.
Having an unwavering presence for decades means that Pokémon has been around for some fans' entire lives. Pokémon built brand recognition over time not just with the quality of its content, but in the steadiness of its releases — the franchise never fully left the public eye. Pokémon soon became a household name, and Digimon simply couldn't compete with that level of brand recognition.
8 Pokémon Rewards Achievement
The Pokémon franchise has always been about catching them all. The game rewards players' hard work with Gym Badges and other perks. Even in the anime, Ash strives to be the very best. Digimon, on the other hand, is more about telling a story.
While Digimon stories are enjoyable and gratifying, Pokémon gives fans a sense of accomplishment when they catch a Pokémon or win a battle, and that kind of dopamine hit keeps fans coming back. It's the reason why Fortnite and other battle royale titles have a more widespread appeal than RPGs like Final Fantasy XVI.
7 Pokémon Has A Better And More Consistent Mascot
Pikachu has been the mascot for Pokémon since the very beginning. The electric mouse is the perfect mix of cute and cool, while most Digimon are either one or the other. Agumon is the closest to a consistent mascot for the Digimon franchise, but there was a period of time when he wasn't present in the franchise's marketing materials.
Pikachu is such a good mascot that it has copycats in its own franchise. Pokémon such as Pachirisu and Togedemaru exist specifically to be the next Pikachu, but Pikachu reigns supreme. The lack of a consistent Digimon mascot has hurt the franchise in the long run, as Digimon sometimes doesn't know what it wants to be.
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6 Pokémon Encourages Playing With The Community
Throughout the history of Pokémon, there have been several features that have encouraged players to interact with each other. The first is trading, as certain Pokémon could only be obtained or evolved through trades. Battling through link cables or online is another great way to connect with others in Pokémon, and of course, there are the cards from the classic Pokémon TCG.
The games have so many other ways that players can interact. These include raids, the Masuda method, and even the ability to roam the world with friends in Scarlet and Violet. One of the best ways in recent years to enjoy Pokémon with friends is Pokémon GO. Digimon had its own card game and multiplayer video games, for example, but Digimon's main concept is far less conducive to cooperative and competitive gameplay.
5 Pokémon Piggybacked Off The Success Of The Game Boy
The Nintendo Game Boy was the first of its kind: a handheld gaming device to play on the go. With the mobile nature of the device and the link cables, the Game Boy was the perfect console for Pokémon. The link cables allowed for easy battling and trading before online gaming took off.
The Game Boy was wildly successful because it was a pioneer. It was the first system to perfect portable gaming. Pokémon was meant to be played in bursts, a little at a time, and handheld systems like the Game Boy support that style of game quite well.
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4 Pokémon Go Made Playing The Game Even More Accessible
In the summer of 2016, Pokémon Go released for iOS and Android. It was one of the first mobile games for the franchise, and it brought in tons of players. Gamers could walk around the neighborhood and catch a Pidgey or two.
Pokémon Go broke away from the JRPG format and morphed into something more accessible. All players had to do was tap the screen a few times, and they could catch a Pokémon. The fact that it was on mobile devices also meant it was easy to connect with other players.
3 Pokémon Had A Consistent Protagonist For 25 Years
Alongside Pikachu, Ash Ketchum has been the face of Pokémon for most of its existence. The pair is instantly recognizable by even non-anime fans. Digimon keeps changing it up with its main characters, which seemed like a blessing at first, but it ultimately hurt the franchise's marketability.
Ash may be considered a bad trainer at times, but he's the face of Pokémon. Viewers lived vicariously through Ash to battle and raise Pokémon. With Ash now leaving the anime, there's a big gaping hole that the new protagonists must fill.
2 Pokémon Had The Backing Of Nintendo
Nintendo had become a household name thanks to its NES and SNES consoles — Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda began their legendary franchises on these Nintendo platforms. With Nintendo backing it, Pokémon had all the tools for success.
Digimon began as Tamagotchi-style toys before Toei Animation decided to create the first anime in 1999. Toei Animation was not well known in the West at this time, but Nintendo was. Pokémon was able to benefit from Nintendo's established gaming history to reach all sorts of people across the world.
1 The Pokémon Anime Aired First
Pokémon first aired in Japan in 1997 and started airing in other countries (like the United States) a year later. Digimon would not air on Japanese TV until 1999. Pokémon striking first was all it took for the monster collection genre to explode.
Pokémon did not invent the monster collection genre of games and anime, but it did start a phenomenon that had numerous imitators. Digimon, Medabots, Monster Rancher, and Mon Colle Knights all formed out of the initial Pokémon craze. The adventures of Ash and the gang were the first to hit many homes and were therefore seen as the creator of the "mon" trend.