4 for 4: Best Goggle Boy

by Mac McFearson

Before you proceed, understand this: the respect for all those mentioned in this article, and the ones to follow, should go without saying. And remember these are my opinions, and I stand by them whole heartedly. With that said, let's roll.

In the weeks [and possibly months] ahead yours truly will take a careful look back on the four seasons of Digimon that have been and do my best to try and select the best from the even better. I’ll go through six categories in all including the finale consisting of the dissection of all four seasons and the naming of the one I felt best represented what a great anime should be. We’ll get things started by looking at one of the most important aspects in any digimon season, the good old goggle boy.

4; Daisuke “Davis” Motomiya

Starting us off is 02’s resident goggle boy, Davis. There isn’t much that can be thrown at Davis, to knock him. So why is he four on my list of all-time goggle boys? Well somebody has to be. He could’ve easily been first, but as in all of my lists, this is a very tight race and it’s the small things that will make the difference.

True, Davis fulfilled all the usual typical goggle boy requirements. [Head]strong, brave, not too bright, but always a natural born leader. Those are all great, but it’s nothing the others on this list haven’t done. The major difference between Davis and the other goggle boys is that his circumstances weren’t quite as overwhelming. You see, while the others on this list all had to learn on the fly as to how they’re supposed to lead their Digidestined team to save two worlds, Davis had the luxury of Taichi there to teach and advise. This isn’t to say Davis didn’t accomplish a great deal, it’s just that it’s difficult to place Davis above someone who didn’t have the advantages that he had, and yet still produced similar positive results. Sorry Davis, you take fourth on a technicality.

3; Takuya Kanbara

At the thrice spot we have the newest in the line of goggle boys, Takuya. Takuya is a good solid fundamentally strong goggle boy. Courage, leadership, inclination to do the right thing, the ‘goggle boy works’. In fact a close look reveals a considerable likeness to Tai of 01. No teacher, or even example of any kind to pattern himself after. Also Takuya and his group---like the Tai and his---entered into the Digital World suddenly with little idea of what was going on. Yet immediately Takuya stepped up into leadership role and from the get go did a nice job. This is one rookie certainly deserving of some props.

The only knock against Takuya: originality. Unfortunately I believe Frontier came around too late for Takuya to be fully appreciated. All that he’s done is great, but not only have the other goggle boys done it all, they did before him. It’s a shame, if Frontier came out even just a season sooner Takuya could possibly even be number one on this list. He’s done everything a goggle boy should do, and he’s done it as good as any of them. But I wouldn’t feel right putting him in front of people of equal---or higher---merit who’ve been doing it since well before him. Aw well, rookies gotta pay they dues.

2; Takato Matsuki

And to the final duce. Takato, as Tamers’ goggle boy, resides in the number two spot on my list. And I assure you, the decision between one and two was the hardest of any. Takato has made quite a case to be called the best goggle boy throughout any series. He was by-far the most original goggle boy. Takato had a sense of realism to him. He didn’t act so much like super hero that you found his character hard to believe and relate to. That’s a great advantage he has over every other goggle boy, characterization. It’s easy to relate to Takato as a real person with real inner struggles and issues. That element is necessary as a good leader. Although a leader should exhibit strength and control, people don’t want to follow someone who never seems to show common emotions like fear, uncertainty, or excitement. They want someone who they believe understands what everyday people go through. Takato was the perfect example of this.

Takato also had no teacher, all he had was an unrealistic expectation of trying to live up to the greatness he saw in Tai and Davis in Adventure and 02. But he had no one to help understand what it took to be that, he had to grow, learn, and mature on his own to become the leader he needed to be. And when that happened, Takato showed some of the best goggle boy skills we’ve seen.

The unfortunate irony of Takato is that his strength may also be his weakness. As impressive as it was to see him grow into a premier goggle boy, in those early parts of the season he struggled. Unlike the other goggle boys who almost all jumped in right away and took over. That is indeed a small thing to throw at him, but as I said in #4 [Davis], it’s a close race and the small things will separate these guys.

1; Taichi Kamiya

And at the number one spot, a well deserving Tai who’s illustrious career spanned over both Adventure and 02. Although his role was significantly different in each season, his consistency in excellence remained unchanging. The uniform positives and negatives that were present in all goggle boys are indeed here in Tai as well. His trademark courage, headstrong, natural born leader, and often leaping before looking. And his leadership skills alone could easily be the best ever.

Another important aspect is that Tai was the original. He set the tone, and made being a goggle boy what it is. Taichi is the blueprint for all goggle boys. His courage is unmatched, and by the end of Adventure Tai was no longer just a brave leader but a smart one as well. That too is another plus for Tai, is that he had two very different, yet very effective phases to his career [as long as it lasted, that’s what it should be called]. The first was most all of Adventure, in which he was the run n’gun, go get ‘em, cocky exuberant leader. The second took place somewhat in the latter parts of Adventure, but mostly in 02. That part of Tai was a more controlled, mature existence. One in which Tai exhibited smart, experienced leadership, and teaching ability. His veteran experience and leadership was as important as anything to the entire 02 group, Davis especially. Tai has shown the best of both worlds in his headstrong youth as well as his wiser latter years. But throughout Tai has always personified what a great goggle boy should be.

Greatest Goggle Boy Of All-Time: Taichi Kamiya.

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