Digimon, the inventive, resilient collectible monster franchise, has enough love and merchandising that it could even give Pokemon a run for its money. Ever since its inception in 1997, Bandai’s monumental property has found itself shifting from electronic pets, to card and video games, all the way to anime. Through all of these mutations, Digimon has always retained its core values of these digital monsters coming from a Digital World, with there being a group of DigiDestined who are meant to protect and work alongside them. The franchise is still going strong with this year seeing the release of the anniversary series of films, Digimon Adventure Tri, as well as a new anime, Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters.

Digimon might gain a lot of fanfare over how cuddly and ridiculously cute some of its creatures are, with countless animated gifs of Agumon, Patamon, Gatomon, and Terriermon all vying to prove why they’re the most adorable. But while cuteness might run amok in the Digital World, there are also plenty of digital monsters who are behemoths of power or beyond-intimidating entities of destruction. Breaking down the cuddly beasts might be fun, but Here Are the 16 Most Powerful Digimon Ever!

16. UltimateKhaosmon

UltimateKhaosmon deserves special recognition for the mere fact that his existence threatens the Digital World with extinction. Even though this Digimon is bottoming out the list, he’s still a collection of extreme powers. Born out of the fusion of the already powerful Darkdramon, Varodurumon, BanchoLeomon, and Kentaurosmon, UltimateKhaosmon is just oozing energy at all times. While the bulk of his strength is concentrated into his arms (hence their ungodly size), the Digimon is physically able to suppress his energy levels and is exuding so much energy that Rookie Digimon can’t even come near to the beast. UltimateKhaosmon is basically what you get when you crank up the power and then break off the safety switch. The Mega Digimon’s only downfall is that due to him being an incomplete DNA digivolution, his DigiCores are not properly fused together and stored internally, resulting in the weak spots being exposed on UltimateKhaosmon’s exterior and quite vulnerable. That is, if you can get close to the guy.

15. Arkadimon (Super Ultimate)

Much like with UltimateKhaosmon, Arkadimon’s existence alone poses a threat to the future of the Digital World’s survival. Introduced in the manga, Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01, Arkadimon’s origins see him being artificially created using the data of other Digimon. Arkadimon steadily evolves as he progressively absorbs the data of other Digimon, and as such, his creation leaves the Digital World in tremendous jeopardy. He’s even known as “the grotesque, ultimate deleter,” and that’s even before reaching his Super Ultimate form.

The Digimon Trading Card Game refers to Arkadimon’s Super Ultimate form as “Having fused with a wicked God, it is the ultimate destroyer who invites disaster!” Any of those elements would be a big deal on their own, but Arkadimon is an amalgamation of destruction. Perhaps Arkadimon’s most destructive demonstration of his power is in his “God Matrix” move which reduces everything in his path into 0’s and 1’s of raw data. Basically, the guy can wipe out entire armies and stretches of land with a single attack. He had to go and fuse with an evil God now, didn’t he?

14. MegaDarknessBagramon

Rearing its villainous, overpowered head in Digimon Fusion, MegaDarknessBagramon is the souped-up, fused version of AxeKnightmon and Bagramon. Hell, even regular Bagramon is no slouch, having rebelled against God, using half of the sacred Server Tree for his body, and becoming known as “The Sage of Death.” This is a Digimon that not only is capable of intensifying the darkness in the hearts of Digimon and people alike, but then also absorbs that darkness for his own gain. That means he’s capable of controlling all evil, with his goal being to essentially eliminate all good so the world is a dark place primed for his manipulation.

MegaDarknessBagramon, manages to be the biggest of baddies from out of Digimon Fusion, being equipped with a number of stupidly powerful attacks. His “Bale-fire Eyes” move transforms everything around him into nothingness, with “Eternal Darkmare” seeing similar results as it instantly destroys the enemy’s data. Meanwhile, other moves like “Terra Infusion” see MegaDarknessBagramon absorbing the land around him into new energy and power for himself, allowing him nearly unlimited strength in every department. His “God of Death Snatcher” technique also literally tears out his opponent’s soul, so this guy certainly isn’t playing around.

13. Fanglongmon

What? Holy Dragons aren’t very intimidating? Well good luck making a dent on Fanglongmon due to the Huanglong Ore scales that cover his body. It’s a material that’s so hard that it’s actually impossible to inflict any damage on it. Think of it as the Digital World’s Vibranium. Oh, and DigiCores? Yeah, he’s got twelve on his back.

Fanglongmon carries a lot of clout as he’s actually considered the “God” of the Digital World that’s depicted in Digimon Fusion. He wields the extremely powerful attack, “Taikyoku,” which not only disassembles everything in the Digital World, but also through all eternity, meaning it’s a permanent, clean sweep. This move helps further sort out the good and the evil of the Digital World, which is sort of Fanglongmon’s purpose, but it’s done in a super destructive fashion. In spite of his emperor status and being enshrined as the guardian of the Center, the beast is still not without its faults. For instance, Lucemon is able to banish Fanglongmon underground and relatively contain the threat that he poses. Once this guy is unleashed, his offensive and defensive are out of control, which is all the more reason to keep this Digimon locked away somewhere.

12. Galacticmon

Galacticmon is certainly a contentious Digimon, making his debut in the PlayStation RPG, Digimon World 3, where he’s the main antagonist and final villain of the title. This is what happens when an evil Digimon fuses with a weapon of mass destruction, more or less. Galacticmon immediately gets points for essentially being a giant spacecraft hovering above the Earth’s atmosphere. For some perspective, Galacticmon’s tail alone is more massive than all of Azulongmon! The Digimon’s design and original Japanese name (Ragnamon) even pull from Ragnarok as its inspiration. Clearly someone whose model is a mythological super-being is going to be packing some considerable punch.

Galacticmon holds the lofty goal of trying to become the ultimate, omnipotent being, Gaiamon, an act which is done by absorbing the entire Digital World. Galacticmon is only one of two Digimon to ever get so close to this goal, and in spite of Galacticmon nearly pulling off the destructive maneuver, he falls short. However, even in death Galacticmon poses a tremendous threat, as his defeated self takes the form of a meteor shower that plummets towards Earth. Few Digimon are able to become a potentially dangerous, celestial event simply by dying.

 11. Quartzmon

Interestingly enough, Quartzmon’s agenda ends up playing a lot like Galacticmon, only with Quartzmon corresponding to Digimon Fusion rather than the original series. The Digimon is a giant globe that just goes around assimilating data and absorbing more power. His Gyupoto Particles are so devastating that even slightly making contact with them will result in the complete deletion of the person. Digimon like this are bent on acquiring more and taking over the Digital World in the process. Quartzmon actually manages to convert practically all of the Digital World and its inhabitants into raw data, which it then absorbs to further bolster its own power.

Since Digimon Fusion introduces the fusion concept to sort of override digivolutions, it’s a little unclear if the concept of Gaiamon still applies here. Quartzmon, much like Galacticmon, is set on absorbing everything in the Digital World to become an ultimate being. Due to Quartzmon being defeated moments before completely absorbing everything, it remains unseen if pulling this off would have resulted in him actually becoming Gaiamon, or just a stronger form of Quartzmon (Quartzmon World). Even without Gyupoto Particles, taking on this Digimon is like fighting the accumulative power of the universe.

10. Shakamon

While “powerful” so often can equate to “evil,” Shakamon is a pleasant exception to the rule, acting as the ultimate “good” Digimon who might even qualify as the holiest Digimon of the lot. A few Digimon “Gods” have been addressed here, but Shakamon protects the eastern Digital World and is said to be the closest equivalent to Yggdrasill in the Digital World. Many of the powerful Digimon looked at here feature attacks that decimate everything in sight, yet Shakamon operates as a deity of love that’s even more difficult to defeat.

Shakamon’s “Light of the Sider’s Thread” move basically extinguishes and purifies any evil that is in its opponent, making it helpless. If that somehow doesn’t work though, “Pilgrimage of Enlightment Palm” is a real dirty trick of a technique. The attack sees Shakamon’s opponent locked in an eternal battle with an illusion in order to highlight how pointless fighting is. This illusion lasts until the enemy’s mind and body are both exhausted, meaning that it’s practically impossible to actually fight the real Shakamon.

9. Apocalymon

The perfect yin to Shakamon’s yang, Apocalymon is the furthest thing from a benevolent God of love. Apocalymon is a demon that was born out of the hatred and jealousy of deceased Digimon. His existence itself injects chaos into the Digital World and leads to the creation of the Dark Masters and basically all of the issues that the DigiDestined must deal with in the original series. He comes from a world of darkness and accordingly wants to put the Digital World and actual world under his control.

This Digimon continues to be a frustrating wild card due to his ability to consistently distort time and space in the Digital World, which in many ways can be more debilitating that simply destroying it. Attacks like “Darkness Zone,” which deletes his opponents, or “Reverse Digivolve,” which forces Digimon back into their base forms, are also super dangerous. On top of all of this, Apocalymon is also capable of straight-up destroying multiple dimensions (including the real world) with its Total Annihilation attack, it only comes with the tremendous caveat that he must sacrifice himself in order to achieve this. It finally takes six Ultimates and two Megas to bring him down.

8. Susanoomon

Digimon Frontier gets some flak for the ways in which it complicates Digimon’s narrative. Frontier introduces the idea of “spirit evolving,” digivolutions having both a Human and Beast mode, as well as the lore of the ten Legendary Warriors. Susanoomon is very much the culmination of the ideas brought up in Digimon Frontier with the powerful Digimon actually being the fusion of all twenty spirits of the Legendary Warriors. It’s the strongest form that the DigiDestined are capable of achieving within Frontier. This ultra-entity is resorted to when its power is needed to take down Frontier’s primary threat, Lucemon. Susanoomon is seen as a cleansing prophecy that will arise when the Digital World sees too much chaos. His express purpose is to destroy everything in the Digital World, only so he can recreate it and start anew. Susanoomon even briefly resurfaces in Digimon Fusion to hand his power over to help in the battle against Quartzmon.

Susanoomon also wields the ZERO-ARMS: Orochi, a gigantic sword of light, which is as cool looking as it is powerful. The weapon’s “Celestial Blade” attack is described as “slicing and stabbing everything in the world.” It’s hard to get more powerful than that!

7. Lucemon ShadowLord Mode

Born into existence in the ancient Digital World, Lucemon saw a world in chaos and set out to instill order. This power goes to Lucemon’s head and soon the savior turns into a megalomaniacal tyrant who believes the Digital World is meant for him to rule. The Ten Legendary Warriors lock Lucemon away, with the Celestial Digimon more or less replacing his purpose. Still bitter and power hungry, Lucemon slowly acquires power and releases the Royal Knights to continually conquer and absorb data for him. Lucemon’s power and absorption of data hit such an apex, that not only does he easily defeat MagnaGarurumon and EmperorGreymon, but he sends the DigiDestined to the moon to get rid of them.

As a testament to his resilience, Lucemon ends up having several digivolutions, each with their own slant and characteristics. Once Lucemon ShadowLord Mode, a giant dragon, sets its sights on taking over the real world too, it takes the DigiDestined assembling Susanoomon and defeating Lucemon Larva Mode with the ZERO-ARMS: Orochi to finally defeat him for good. Few Digimon have such a rich, conflicted back story as this one.

6. Ogudomon

Just looking at Ogudomon makes it pretty clear that this is one evil, powerful Digimon. Seen as the Super Demon Lord of Atonement, the Digimon gets his arachnid-like design from the First Beast of Revelation and a heavy influence from the Seven Deadly Sins, too. Ogudomon is sort of ridiculous in the sense that he’s a Digimon that’s a manifestation of all the sins and evil from out of the Digital World. Accordingly, any attack used on him that has any malicious intentions is totally neutralized, giving him an incredibly powerful defensive mode. It’s technically impossible to defeat Ogudomon since trying to hurt him is only going to tap into his reservoir of sin and give him more energy. That being said, Ogudomon may have an impenetrable defense and an undying reservoir of power, but he doesn’t exactly have any attacks that are going to cut the world in half or anything. Somebody get this guy a ZERO-ARMS or something!

5. Shoutmon X7 Superior Mode

Shoutmon X7 Superior Mode (there’s a mouthful) might be the strongest “good” Digimon that the Digital World has ever seen. However, with the franchise slowly growing in vast ways that complicate the mythology and even add new “multiverses” into the mix, SX7SM falls down in the rankings a little bit when considering all of the Digimon that command control over the multiverse rather than just a singular world.

Shoutmon X7 Superior Mode is also another of those last-ditch apocalypse scenarios where all (or at least most; there’s a bit of debate over this) of the Digimon in the Digital World fuse together to form this goliath who is capable of taking down Digimon Fusion’s threat. In fact, SX7SM’s fused body becomes so massive from all of the Digimon that it’s absorbing that a number of “runoff Digimon” are left orbiting its body like a satellite would to a planet. Other amalgamated Digimon have been looked at here, but when bringing simple facts into the mix, SX7SM has taken down MegaDarknessBagramon, UltimateKhaosmon, and Fanglongmon, which are no small feats and explain his placement here.

4. Imperialdramon Paladin Mode

Imperialdramon has a rather fabled history in the ancient Digimon World, and with most of the records of history from that time being lost, a mysterious lore accompanies the strongest of the ancient dragon Digimon. What is known is that Imperialdramon is responsible for founding the Holy Knights, as well as restoring order to the ancient world. Imperialdramon Dragon Mode is a beast on its own, but this Digimon accesses even more strength when digivolving into Imperialdramon Fighter Mode. Then, once dipping into Omnimon’s power, he turns into Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and becomes the legendary Holy Knight that prophecies have spoken about (yeah, there are prophecies about Imperialdramon Paladin Mode). In this final form of his, he also possesses the incredible Omni Blade which is capable of cutting anyone in two, while also resetting and clearing their data. This guy is pulling out the big digi-guns. Imperialdramon Paladin Mode’s tremendous strength is put into practice when defeating Armageddemon with his Omni Blade. This is all the big showpiece that concludes the Revenge of Diaboromon feature film, so clearly some huge power had to be debuted.

3. Omnimon X

Of course the Digimon that’s the fusion of War Greymon and Metal Garurumon (two Megas) is going to be one super strong digital monster. When Omnimon gets the X-Antibody added to the equation, he in turn grows stronger, almost to an impossible degree. Picture Omnimon on steroids, basically. Omnimon’s Digicore acquires the Omega inForce, an intuition of sorts where Omnimon can instantly read ahead to what attacks are going to be done and act accordingly. It’s nearly impossible to even make contact with him.

Omnimon X also gets a lot of attention due to his “All Delete” attack, which many people consider to be the strongest attack in the series. While this might be exaggerated, it’s still a hell of a move that sees the true potential of Omnimon’s Grey Sword getting unlocked. With “All Delete” the Grey Sword doesn’t just cut through something, but rather it irrevocably deletes it. It pulled such a move on Yggdrasill’s core, and by proxy the Digital World, so it’s got a bit of a reputation. Killing the digi-Creator is a big, big deal.

2. ZeedMillenniummon

ZeedMillenniummon is the big, bad digi-boogeyman hiding at the end of Digimon Fusion. ZeedMillenniummon basically passes freely between all worlds across space and time, intending to rule them all. Forget about world domination, this is total domination on an insurmountable scale. ZeedMillenniummon’s design has him bound in a series of digital bands, which supposedly dilute his power. Legends say that if said binds are released that it will result in unfathomable destruction upon the Digital World. After the digifusion of Millenniummon and DarkKnightmon, ZeedMillenniummon, a two-headed dragon, is created and immediately begins absorbing and assimilating data. All attacks are completely useless against ZeedMillenniummon until the DigiDestined go inside of his Digicore to undo the fusion, destroying ZeedMillenniummon in the process. Some mere attack doesn’t take this guy down, but rather the act of literally going inside of this monster and re-assembling his Digital Code.

ZeedMillenniummon also has a particularly vicious move called “Time Destroyer” where he banishes his opponent to a Phantom Zone-like void between space and time. If that purgatory weren’t bad enough, no one has returned from being sent to such a place by him, showing that it’s a banishment tantamount to death

1. Gaiamon

Gaiamon has been mentioned in passing a few times before on this list; he’s the result of the entire Digital World fusing together into one true Digimon. This Digimon is spoken about almost like a cautionary tale or some pipe dream for scheming, villainous Digimon to aspire towards. Galacticmon and (arguably) Quartzmon are the two Digimon that get the closest to achieving the glory that is Gaiamon, but neither are ultimately capable of pulling it off. Accordingly, Gaiamon has never technically appeared, yet in theory would still qualify as the most powerful Digimon of them all. How could it not be? It’s literally every other Digimon combined together. Who could be stronger than that? ZeedMillenniummon might end up technically being the most powerful Digimon that exists, but the dream of Gaiamon is alive and well and just waiting to be achieved. Only doing so would mean the extinction of the entire Digital World in the process.

Are there any Digimon that demand recognition here that we missed? You think Lucemon is stronger than Ogudomon? The comments below are your place to be digi-heard, so sound off!