Hikari "Kari" Kamiya
Template:Infobox Digimon character Hikari "Kari" Kamiya, known as Hikari Yagami (八神 ヒカリ Yagami Hikari) in Japan, is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02. She is usually called "Kari" in the English versions. Hikari means light in Japanese and she bears the Crest of Light and the Digi-egg of Light.
She is partnered to Gatomon and she is the younger sister of Taichi "Tai" Kamiya. Kari, by nature, is kind and sweet-hearted, always looking for the best in people, and avoids fighting them when possible. She can be serious, especially in drastic situations. She bears the Crest of Light and her representative color is pink. Her elemental affinity is light. Lara Jill Miller provided her voice in the English dub of the series as Kae Araki did in the Japanese version.
Prelude to Digimon Adventure
Template:Spoiler Kari and her older brother Tai originally lived in Highton View Terrace when they were young. One day, they found and raised a Botamon. For both of them, this was their first encounter with a Digimon. When Parrotmon attacked the city, Botamon (now Agumon) Digivolved into Greymon and battled Parrotmon in order to protect Kari and Tai. The destruction that the two Digimon caused was labeled a terrorist attack, and Kari and Tai's family moved away. Witnessing this event would be the reason for their involvement in their first adventure in the Digital World.
During Digimon Adventure, Tai reveals that Kari was a sickly child when she was much younger. He recalls one incident when Kari was sick, but he took her outside anyway and kept a watch on her as he kicked a soccer ball around. She later collapsed when he passed the ball to her; she was in the hospital for weeks and nearly died. When she came back, she said that she was sorry that she could not play soccer, causing Tai to break down into tears because he was the reason she had gotten so sick in the first place.
Digimon Adventure
When the original seven DigiDestined entered the Digital World from summer camp, Kari was left behind, as she had been at home with the flu. She did not see any of the other DigiDestined. However, she was reunited with Tai when he was sucked into a dimensional warp following his successful victory over Etemon. He could only stay for a short while, and had to leave when he realized that the Digital World was in bad shape and needed his help.
Tai would later reunite with Kari again when he and the other DigiDestined entered the Real World to pursue Myotismon. Myotismon was seeking the eighth DigiDestined child. The other seven DigiDestined and Myotismon were specifically seeking the eighth Digivice. Gatomon, one of Myotismon's henchmen, was the first to realize that Kari was the eighth DigiDestined; however, when she was about to kill her, Kari turned around and Gatomon lost her balance. She could never quite figure out why she could not kill Kari.
Wizardmon was the first one to find the eighth Digivice. He also realized that Gatomon and Kari were partners, and Gatomon remembered that she was looking for someone - looking for Kari. Wizardmon gave Kari her Crest of Light. However, when Myotismon discovered that Gatomon was the eight DigiDestined's partner, he held her captive to try to find the eighth DigiDestined. Kari turned herself in to stop the pain his minions were inflicting. In a final showdown, Tai tossed Kari her Digivice, but DemiDevimon swiped it from her hand. Myotismon attempted to end the battle by using Grisly Wing on Kari, but Wizardmon stepped in and took the blow for her. When he died, Kari's Digivice began glowing, and DemiDevimon couldn't hold on. Tai caught the Digivice and threw it to Kari, and Gatomon Digivolved into Angewomon and defeats Myotismon.
Kari accompanies the seven other DigiDestined when they go back to the Digital World. During this time, an odd spirit speaks and acts through Kari's body at various times; Kari appears to be the only person who can communicate with this spirit. When Tai and Matt get into a major fight, the spirit takes control of Kari's body and ends the fight. Kari is possessed once again when she is underneath Machinedramon's city and sees the enslaved Numemon. She leads a revolt, deposing WaruMonzaemon, and the Numemon call her Queen Kari.
In May 2000, Kari arrived in the Digital World and gave up her Crest power, along with the other DigiDestined, to free the Sovereigns. As a result, Gatomon lost the power to become Angewomon.
Digimon Adventure: Our War Game
Kari is at a friend's birthday party during the whole event. Although Tai asks for her help, she cannot leave the party, as that would be rude to her friends (The English dub gives the excuse that a magician was coming to the party later. Kari was unable to leave because she had already volunteered to be sawed in half. Tai angrily responds to this telling her to get the half with legs to run home soon.).
Digimon Adventure 02
Kari grew a lot during the three years between Adventure 02 and Adventure, becoming more mature and less sickly. She became perkier and braver. In place of her whistle, she now has a digital camera around her neck, and has taken up photography as her main hobby. She is much slyer in this season. She has quite a liking for playing practical jokes and teasing her friends. Because Davis has a crush on her, Kari often teases him by flirting with T.K. Kari always felt safe around T.K., as he knows how she feels. He sensed her feelings for the Dark Ocean. She shares a special bond with T.K., who was a DigiDestined with her before, and they know better than the rest the dangers of the Digital World.
While searching for Gatomon’s lost power ring, Kari, Yolei and Ken ended up in the Dark World. Upon finding the Dark Ocean, Kari began to lose her composure due to her last visit. She and Ken struggled under the hold of the Dark Ocean; this event was taken advantage of by a Blossomon. It took Yolei's slap and words to make the two girls see eye-to-eye. This gave Aquilamon and Gatomon the power to DNA Digivolve to Silphymon; it also gave Kari the heart to help Ken.
During Christmas, Kari, Izzy, and their Digimon were sent to Hong Kong to help the Asian DigiDestined, where all three of the Poi Brothers (Chinese Digi-Destined) developed a crush on her. After sending all of the Digimon back to their world and destroying all the Control Spires, she and the other DigiDestined faced the threat of Yukio Oikawa. He kidnapped Ken and planted Dark Spores into other children. Kari and the other DigiDestined did not realize that he was being controlled by the disembodied spirit of Myotismon.
After harvesting the Dark Spores, Myotismon emerged from Oikawa, becoming MaloMyotismon. After some fighting, MaloMyotismon created a world of illusions; each DigiDestined was subjected to their true desires and wants. Kari's desire was for humans and Digimon to live side by side, making it a better world for everyone. Gatomon and Raidramon broke her free of the illusion. She then joined with the other kids, who were in the process of breaking free of their illusions. Kari used the power of the dream dimension and wished for Gatomon to become stronger; she split into Angewomon and Nefertimon and DNA Digivolved with Aquilamon to become Silphymon, all three forms appearing at the same time. After the fighting stopped, Kari saw one of her dreams come true. The Digital and Real Worlds both lived in peace together.
Digimon 02: Hurricane Touchdown/Golden Armor Evolution
When she and T.K. visited Mimi in New York, they encountered Willis, Terriermon and Wendigomon. While on a train for Colorado, Kari sent an e-mail to the other DigiDestined, who made their way to America to help her and T.K. But on the way, their train was hindered by Wendigomon so they had to continue on foot. They managed to join up with the others during the fight with Cherubimon.
Digimon 02: Michi E No Armor Shinka (Japanese version)
Kari was kidnapped by Boltmon along with Mimi and Sora when Boltmon had a heart problem until Pucchiemon resolved it. When Pukumon entered the scene with a Control Spire, Joe was knocked into the 02 DigiDestined and Kari ended up with Cody's D-Terminal, allowing Gatomon to Armor Digivolve to Butterflymon.
Digimon 02: Revenge of Diaboromon
Four years after the events of 'Our War Game', the evil Diaboromon resumed his reign of terror on the Internet. The Kuramon were bio-emerging via e-mail, so while Tai, Matt, and their Digimon entered cyberspace to battle Diaboromon once more, the others had to track down the Kuramon. Yolei and Kari found the first one and caught it for Izzy to examine. While Omnimon was being overpowered by Diaboromon, Kari and T.K., with their Digimon, had gone to help their big brothers. But Kari was soon forced to watch the battle between Imperialdramon and Armageddemon.
Digimon 02: Series Finale Epilogue
Kari became a kindergarten teacher and has a son (who has a Salamon as partner).
V-Tamer
During one of her battles as a child, she and the other 02 DigiDestined encountered Parallelmon, who absorbed her, T.K., Yolei, and Cody, as the monster inadvertently sent Davis into the V-Tamer continuity where he met the "Tai" of that series. Kari and the others helped Davis from inside the monster by recreating the Digi-Egg of Miracles. With the monster destroyed, Davis and his friends returned to their continuity.
Trivia
- Kari has three Japanese image songs, "Holy Light," "Yasashii Ame" ("Gentle Rain") and "Reflection" as well as a fourth one sung with Gatomon (Tokumitsu Yuka) called "Shining Star"
- Kari's Japanese name "Hikari" means "light", a unique parallel with her crest's name.