WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 22 of Digimon Adventure 2020, "The Unbeatable Blue Sagittarius," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Digimon reboot series continues rushing toward its finale. There's been no let-up on the action for several episodes now: With the group scattered between the real world, the Network and the Digital World, crucial battles are being undertaken to prevent the villainous Devimon from causing chaos on Earth and corrupting the Holy Digimon on his home turf. But just as Tai, Matt, T.K, MetalGreymon and WereGarurumon score a significant point against the villain in Episode 22, the preview for the next installment reveals that their struggles against the fallen Digimon are just getting warmed up.
The next episode of Digimon Adventure 2020 will introduce a Devimon evolution that has never been used in any Digimon anime before: NeoDevimon, his new Ultimate-level form.
As is the edgelord tradition in the franchise, Devimon's new, masked form is a lot like his Champion-level design; there's just a lot more of everything. His tattered wings are more in-tact; his pants are darker and more spiked, and his gloves and boots make Kingdom Hearts' wardrobe choices look downright realistic by comparison. He's also got a white shock of hair and a many-eyed mask, which apparently is worn as a power-represser, belying the monster's origin as an enslaved servant to an even darker evil.
NeoDevimon originates from an obscure manga series that predates the original Digimon Adventure anime, Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01. The manga, which ran between 1998-2003 in V-Jump magazine, featured an alternate version of Tai who partnered with a "V-Pet," rather than what would be considered to be a "real" Digimon. This Tai is eventually sucked into the Digital World to search for five missing Tamer Tags and defeat the insidious Digimon, Daemon -- NeoDevimon's master and would-be world-destroyer.
NeoDevimon's imminent inclusion follows a pattern that the Digimon Adventure reboot has been following thus far of pulling deep-cut characters from the deepest recesses of franchise lore. It's a tactic that has worked well to keep older fans on their toes, along with the new half-evolutions that the DigiDestined's Ultimate-level Digimon have been receiving. MetalGreymon was the first to achieve one of these upgrades -- known as Slide Evolutions -- with his Alterous Mode; transforming his once-weaponless arm into a Positron Blaster in Episode 21. This time, it's WereGarumon's turn: unveiling his crystal-winged Sagittarius Mode to help Matt and T.K successfully rescue the Angemon DigiEgg from Devimon's minion, Darknightmon -- just in time for it to hatch safely in its human companion's arms.
Since recovering T.K and the Holy Digimon, the group has hardly had a moment's rest, and it looks like Devimon isn't about to pump the brakes now. One way or another, the Fallen Angel Digimon is intent on dragging the Holy Digimon down to his depth.
