Digimonhas always been a franchise that distinguishes itself for how dark it can get. Despite its main audience being young children, the anime has never been afraid of depicting horrifying moments, even during its early days. For many fans, it isthis predilection for messed-up scenesthat makes the franchise so beloved.
Nonetheless, several moments have left quite a mark on viewers’ minds for how graphic they were. Such is the case ofGhost Game’s Archnemon, the main villain of episode #21 of the series. Her method of killing her victims was something that no fan expected to ever be depicted in theDigimonfranchise, as it was far more gruesome than anything seen in the past.
Archnemon’s Episode Is Nightmare Inducing
Fans Still Fear This Digimon
Archnemon, better known as Arukenimon in the West, is a Perfect Level humanoid beast with a lower half that resembles a spider and an upper half that resembles a monstrous woman. While her first appearance in the series, during theDigimon Adventure 02anime, made her seem like a powerful yet clumsy enemy, her later contributions to the franchise have been terrifying. In episode #21 ofthe 2022 underratedGhost Gameanime, she acted as the main antagonist. The story of this entry focused on humans who were abducted only to be found dead without a brain.
The episode revealed that Archnemon, looking for a way to achieve her Ultimate form, decided to hunt intelligent humans, capture them, and devour their brains to become smarter. The premise alone is already horrific, but the way her actions were depicted only makes it worse. ThisDigimonepisode took inspiration from stories of Yokai, Japanese spirits that torment and kill mortals. To better transmit this idea,the team decided to give her an unsettling laugh and guttural sounds anytime her jaws opened. Seeing her was truly scarring for some fans, who still remember how scary this episode was.
Archnemon’s Death Was Also Quite Unsettling
GulusGammamon Was More Brutal Than Necessary
After the protagonists of theDigimon Ghost Gameanime were captured by Archnemon’s almost unbreakable webs, their predicament was looking dire. The main hero and his partner Digimon, Hiro and Gammamon, were seconds away from being eaten by the monster, who saw them as the key to her understanding of evolution. When all seemed lost, the dark side of the benevolent Digimon awakened, forcing him to evolve into the cruel and terrifying GulusGammamon. The creature mockingly told Archnemon to try and eat him, smiling darkly as he did.
GulusGammamon might not have been one of the strongest Digimon in the franchise, but his behavior during this scene left a bigger mark than most other characters.
When the humanoid spider attempted to consume GulusGammamon, he used his entire arm to lodge her throat, making her choke and struggle to breathe. Not satisfied with torturing his opponent, the cruel Digimon used his most powerful attack, Death Demona,to burn her alive from the inside. GulusGammamon might not have beenone of the strongest Digimon in the franchise, but his behavior during this scene left a bigger mark than most other characters. Not even a creature as despicable as Archnemon deserved such a slow and painful death.
Ghost Game Is an Underrated Gem
Archnemon Is Just the Tip of This Terrifying Iceberg
Although many fans were disappointed with the overall performance of theDigimon Ghost Gameanime, despite it being one of the best contemporary shows in the franchise, it is still remembered for its frightening episodes. The series took a step back from the usual episodic battle style of previous entries and decided to become a paranormal mystery. Each episode saw the heroes investigate a crime or murder committed by a non-human entity, often a Digimon, to try and keep their community safe.
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The idea behind the series was a perfect excuse for the team to include as many terrifying moments as possible, some of which still haunt fans to this day. A perfect example of this phenomenon is the introduction of ZeedMilleniumon,one of the most badass creatures inDigimon. This monster was born from the grief of a man who could not accept the death of his wife. The Digimon fed from his dark emotionswhile pretending to be the woman, effectively puppeteering her corpse.This revelation was quite traumatic for many viewers.
