If the goal is to follow only the original Digimon Adventure continuity, without mixing in the 2020 reboot or other independent series in the franchise, the main order is straightforward: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure tri., Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna, and Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning. Some older movies can be added as companion pieces, but they are not all equally necessary to understand the core storyline.
Main watch order for the Adventure continuity
- Digimon Adventure (TV series, 1999-2000)
- Digimon Adventure 02 (TV series, 2000-2001)
- Digimon Adventure tri. (six theatrical chapters, 2015-2018)
- Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna (film, 2020)
- Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning (film, 2023)
This is the clearest route for viewers who want to follow the DigiDestined story that begins with Taichi and continues with Daisuke's generation. The official tri. site places the start of that phase nearly three years after the final battle in Adventure 02. The official Kizuna site sets that film in 2010, and The Beginning takes place in 2012, with the 02 team now adults.
Where the older movies fit
The films and shorts released around the first two TV series help fill out the chronology, but they can be treated at different priority levels.
| Title | When to watch | Priority | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digimon Adventure (1999 short film) | Before the 1999 TV series | Optional, but recommended | It works as a prologue and shows an earlier encounter with Digimon. |
| Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! (2000) | After Adventure and before 02 | Recommended | It continues the first series cast and introduces a conflict that returns in Revenge of Diaboromon. |
| Digimon Adventure 02: Hurricane Touchdown!! / Transcendent Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals (2000) | During the 02 period | Optional | It is tied to the 02 cast, but it is not required to understand tri., Kizuna, or The Beginning. |
| Digimon Adventure 02: The Revenge of Diaboromon (2001) | After the end of 02 | Recommended | It directly continues the conflict from Our War Game! and brings together characters from both generations. |
A fuller marathon without leaving this continuity
If you want to include the most useful companion titles, use this sequence:
- Digimon Adventure (1999 short film)
- Digimon Adventure (TV series)
- Our War Game!
- Digimon Adventure 02
- Hurricane Touchdown!! / The Golden Digimentals as an optional 02 extra
- The Revenge of Diaboromon
- Digimon Adventure tri., chapters 1 through 6
- Last Evolution Kizuna
- Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning
For a first watch, you do not need to stop Adventure 02 midway to insert Hurricane Touchdown. Watching the full series first and treating that film as a companion piece keeps the order simple while preserving the flow of the main productions.
Why tri. comes after Adventure 02
Digimon Adventure tri. is not a reboot. Its first chapter, Reunion, states that six years have passed since Taichi's summer adventure and nearly three years since Hikari's group fought BelialVamdemon. That directly connects tri. to the events of both TV series. The production consists of six chapters: Reunion, Determination, Confession, Loss, Coexistence, and Our Future.
Kizuna comes after tri.
Last Evolution Kizuna moves the story forward to 2010. Taichi is in college, the former DigiDestined are moving into adult lives, and the relationship between humans and their Digimon partners becomes the dramatic center of the film. An official Toei communication also described Kizuna as taking place five years after the events of tri., reinforcing its position after the six chapters.
The Beginning is the next step for the Adventure 02 line
Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning takes place in 2012 and shifts the focus back to Daisuke, Ken, Miyako, Iori, and the rest of the 02 cast. The official site presents the film as a story with the adult 02 team and places it on the road toward the future shown at the end of the TV series. That is why, even though Kizuna focuses more heavily on Taichi and his friends, The Beginning works best after it in the marathon.
What about Digimon Adventure: from 2020?
Do not place the 2020 series between Kizuna and The Beginning. Toei announced Digimon Adventure:, with a colon in the title, as a completely revamped version of the original series and a new adventure set in 2020. It reuses Taichi, Agumon, and other familiar characters, but restarts the story in a different setup. It is therefore a separate line and can be watched before or after the classic continuity without changing the order above.
Do other Digimon series need to be included?
No. Digimon Tamers, Frontier, Savers/Data Squad, Xros Wars/Fusion, App Monsters, Ghost Game, and other eras are not required steps in the Adventure storyline. For the specific goal of following the original continuity, they should stay outside this marathon.
Quick summary
If you only want the essentials, follow Adventure → 02 → tri. → Kizuna → The Beginning. For a fuller version, add the 1999 short film before the series, Our War Game! between Adventure and 02, and The Revenge of Diaboromon after 02. The 2020 reboot Digimon Adventure: belongs to a separate line.
Sources
- Toei Animation: official Digimon Adventure tri. story
- Toei Animation: official Last Evolution Kizuna story
- Toei Animation: Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning introduction and story
- Toei Animation: The Revenge of Diaboromon
- Toei Animation: official announcement for the 2020 Digimon Adventure series
- Crunchyroll: Digimon franchise watch order guide
