Digimon
It is not Pokémon – and it started as a device in your pocket, not a series.
Techbox, Thessaloniki
First the most common confusion: it is not Pokémon
They look alike from a distance – and they are two entirely different things.
Both are Japanese, and both have creatures that evolve. The similarities stop there:
Their merchandise is not interchangeable. If the gift is for a Pokémon fan, you will find those under Pokémon.
The device is the root – not the series
Few people know this, and it explains the whole category.
Digimon began in 1997 as a small electronic device – a digital pet you carried in your pocket and looked after.
The series came afterwards, out of the device – not the other way round.
And the devices never stopped: two new colour versions arrived during 2026 – one marking twenty-five years of one of the best-loved series, the other a collaboration with Godzilla.
For a gift that matters: the device is the category's most distinctive product – something no other creature franchise has.
Which generation do they know?
It is nearly thirty years old – and the eras do not share characters.
Unlike other franchises, each new Digimon series starts with new children and new creatures:
Ask where they know it from. A parent buying "the one they remember" may end up with something the child has never seen – and the other way round.
What is happening right now
The franchise is moving a great deal at the moment.
The current series has entered its final chapter – and it has already been announced that a brand-new anime arrives in 2027.
Alongside that, from October 2026 broadcasts begin again of favourite episodes from the first four series, voted for by fans – part of the thirtieth anniversary celebration.
In practice that means something useful: attention is turning back to the older series. The characters parents remember are returning to the foreground.
What to choose
- Electronic devices: the most distinctive product – and the root of the whole franchise.
- Figures: by character – mind which generation.
- Cards: the card game has its own following, independent of the anime.
- Plush: ideal for younger ages.
- Apparel & accessories: children's and adult.
- Posters: from the original series through to the current one.
The safest choice: an electronic device. It does not depend on a generation or a series – it is the idea of Digimon itself, and it works whether the recipient remembers the old series or watches the current one.
Age: every age, with no reservations. It is an adventure series for children and families – nothing to watch out for.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference from Pokémon?
- In Digimon the creatures are partners, not captured – and they change form during a battle, then change back. In Pokémon you catch and train them, and evolution is usually permanent. Their merchandise is not interchangeable.
- What is the safest gift?
- An electronic device. Digimon began in 1997 as a device, not a series – so it does not depend on a generation, and it works whether the recipient remembers the old series or watches the current one.
- Why are the characters different in each series?
- Because each new Digimon series starts from scratch, with new children and new creatures. A parent who remembers the original series knows entirely different characters from a child watching the current one. Ask where they know it from.
- What is new?
- The current series has entered its final chapter and a brand-new anime arrives in 2027. From October 2026, favourite episodes from the first four series are also being rebroadcast, for the thirtieth anniversary.
- What age is it for?
- Every age, with no reservations. It is an adventure series for children and families – and because it has existed since 1997, many parents remember it too.
