Kurata Akihiro
| Kurata Akihiro | |
|---|---|
| Full Title | Professor Akihiro Kurata |
| Kanji/Kana | 倉田 明宏 (倉田明宏 博士) |
| Dub Name | |
| Organization | Digital World Exploration Party |
| Digimon Used | Gizmon, Gizmon: AT, Gizmon: XT, controls and fuses with Belphemon |
| Digivice | Bright Purple Dark Digivice |
| Voice Actor | |
Kurata Akihiro is one of the main antagonists of Digimon Savers.
Profile[edit]
Kurata Akihiro is a notorious professor and one of the main antagonists in Digimon Savers (arguably the main one as he can be considered responsible for the Royal Knight's attack against humanity following his disappearance). He was one of the people who went on the exploration to the Digital World, along with Satsuma Rentarou and Daimon Suguru. Although a genius, he's extremely bitter, despicable and cowardly, seeing Digimon as a menace and seeks to destroy them mercilessly, and prefers to use coward tactics like blackmail and manipulations to further his goals. His end goal is to awaken Belphemon as a vessel he uses to rule over both the human and the Digital worlds, an action that became his undoing as it put him into a situation where he becomes vulnerable to brute force.
Throughout the series, he uses several English phrases such as "It's Showtime!" 「イッツ・ショウタイム! Ittsu Shoutaimu!」 amongst others.
Evolution[edit]
Card Game Evolution[edit]
- Agnimon[3]
- Any Digimon that also Evolves from non-White Tamers from the Digimon Card Game[N 1]
- Duskmon[4]
- Kaiser Greymon[5]
- Kaiser Leomon[6]
- Löwemon[7]
- Magna Garurumon[8]
- Raihimon[9]
- Susanoomon[10]
- Velgrmon[11]
Appearances[edit]
Anime[edit]
Digimon Savers[edit]
He first appeared in person near the end of "Great Panic in the Human World, The Digimon Army Advances", activating a large Digital Gate overhead the city in order to stop the Digimon Army sent by Saber Leomon.
In "The Heartless Past Revealed! Gizmon: AT", it's revealed that Kurata, who was a member of the Digital World Exploration Party, while in the Digital World searching for Ikuto, Kurata tried shooting at Lynxmon and Ikkakumon out of fear, a fact that he was chastised for by Daimon Suguru, who was his superior. When referring to his past professional relationship with Suguru and their interactions in the Digital World, he often uses a spiteful and/or contemptuous tone as well as when generally speaking of him and/or Masaru. The group was attacked at Infinite Ice Palace by Saber Leomon, who chased them to an area there. Frightened, Kurata used a space-time oscillation bomb to create a Digital Gate through which he escaped; as did the rest of the team use it to return to the Human World while Suguru held Saber Leomon and Mercurymon off.
His experiences in the Digital World had left a crucial effect on Kurata on his future actions - he envisioned Digimon being a menace and threat to humanity. So, while Suguru was on his quest in search for Yggdrasill, Kurata worked to invade the Digital World, resulting in the creation of his own artificial Digimon, Gizmon. Yukidarumon was killed as a result of the Gizmons' action. However, Mercurymon later intervened, believing Suguru and the humans had betrayed him after their long negotiation. Afraid of Mercurymon's stature and power, he manages to avoid annihilation using a space-time oscillation bomb to escape back to the Human world.
In "Defeat the Ultimate! Surging Saber Leomon", Kurata revealed himself to the members of DATS at their HQ, attempting to pass himself off as an ally. When Saber Leomon came to the Human World, Kurata used one of his Gizmon: AT to weaken him and after his defeat, his Digitama was permanently deleted. After this, Kurata went with Masaru and the others to the Digital World at Infinite Ice Ridge to negotiate matters with Mercurymon. Mercurymon was the one who revealed that Kurata was the one responsible for the Digimon massacre years ago. He secretly uses Gizmon: AT to fire a laser directly through Mercurymon's chest, which left him fatally wounded.
In "Smash Kurata's Ambition, Yatagaramon takes Flight", the group fought back against Kurata, in order to defeat Masaru and the others, he secretly had possession of a Digivice-like device and used an artificial Digisoul on Gizmon: AT enabling it to pseudo-evolve to Gizmon: XT. With Mercurymon's last ounces of strength, he managed to inflict damage on Gizmon: XT, but it retaliated and caused Mecurimon to be permanently deleted even faster. Yatagaramon eliminated Gizmon: XT, by Ikuto's response to Kurata's action. Kurata escaped yet again, revealing that he had kept a Belphemon Sleep Mode in his laboratory.
In "Masaru's Memory is Erased, The Lost Bond", Masaru and the others returned to the Human World, Kurata tricked Director Hashiba into thinking that Masaru and the other members of DATS were traitors. Through this, he had most of the group's memories erased, and had Ikuto, Satsuma, and all other members of the DATS branch were put under statutory arrest. However, thanks to their partners, Masaru, Thoma H. Norstein and Fujieda Yoshino regained their memories, just as Kurata sent a Gizmon AT to attack them.
In "Pursue Kurata, The Digimon Extermination Scheme Begins!", Kurata blew up the DATS HQ building, and whilst riding a Gizmon: XT, he used a space-time oscillation bomb and escaped to the Digital World via the Digital Gate. In answer to Masaru and the others' pursued efforts in attempt to stop his plans, he sent his henchmen, Kouki, Nanami and Ivan to deal with them. It is revealed in "Evolution is Impossible! Digivice Breakdown" that he is collecting Digimon life energy, an essential component which makes up a Digimon. He has modified the Gizmon: XT so that the laser is integrated as a rifle attached to it to destroy Digimon and collect Digimon life energy.
After tracking down Masaru and the others' whereabouts in "Imprisoned Masaru, The Holy Capital's Trap" at the Holy Capital/El Doradimon, he decides to plan an invasion. Concurrently, Kurata gave his henchmen Bio Hybrid upgrades in order to defeat Masaru. It is also revealed why Kouki, Nanami and Ivan are able to transform into Digimon - he somehow managed to infuse Digimon data with human DNA, giving them their superhuman abilities. It is also shown that he is using the Digimon life energy to revive Belphemon Sleep Mode.
In "The Fierce Attack of Kurata's Army Corps, Protect the Holy Capital", he planted space-time oscillation bombs near the Holy Capital and detonated them with a device he had at a base nearby, that brought El Doradimon to the Human World. In "Final Decisive Battle! Kouki, Ultimate Evolution", the government pledges full support to Kurata in order to get rid of the potential threat, El Doradimon. He commences the DHS (Digital Hazard System) to immobilize El Doradimon. He then has a massive missile, supported by choppers, raised over El Doradimon and released a large group of Gizmon: XT; these attached themselves to the missile, henceforth becoming the Gizmon Javelin. Synchronizing their laser beams, they destroyed El Doradimon and absorbed its life energy.
In "The Day of Parting, The Strongest Enemy - Thoma!" and "Destructive Power, Shine Greymon Runs Wild", Kurata persuades Thoma's father Franz to join forces with him, promising that he will cure his ill daughter, Relena Norstein (It was later known that Relena had a bomb attached to her neck, leaving Thoma no choice but to side with Kurata). He later revealed to Thoma the Digimon, Belphemon Sleep Mode and how he found his Digitama and was using the life energy to revive him. He plans to use the Demon Lord not only to subjugate the other Digimon and the Digital World, but for his bid for dominating the real world too.
In "Demon Lord Belphemon is Revived", When Belphemon is revived, he asks Thoma to produce a device to maintain full control of Belphemon, who is now remote controlled by Kurata to destroy the world. When Hashiba discovers about what Kurata's intentions are, he uses military force to silence him, which failed as Belphemon is completely impervious to attacks. The situation changes when Relena's bomb collar was surgically removed and Thoma throws it into the device, destroying it so that Belphemon would remain immobile and that he could no longer control it. Angered by Thoma's sudden betrayal, he enters a chamber, in which he digitizes himself and his data is projected towards Belphemon Sleep Mode's clock via a satellite dish on top of a vehicle, and merges with it, transforming it into Belphemon: Rage Mode, which he controls for the final phases of his plan.
In "Awake, Agumon - Defeat Belphemon!" and "Burst Mode - The Power that Surpasses Ultimate", While merged with Belphemon, he went onto a violent rampage destroying buildings. Belphemon briefly regained control from Kurata, but he quickly regained controlled again, with his face now appearing on Belphemon's chest. While in that form, Belphemon swallows space-time oscillation bombs and fires beams and slashes through the air forming rifts in the space-time dimension. This proves to be his undoing, as Shine Greymon evolved into Shine Greymon: Burst Mode and easily defeats Belphemon: Rage Mode, separating Kurata from it.
He presses a trigger, which detonates a space-time oscillation bomb floating in the air, a massive explosion ensues and everything turns into a theoretical Digital Gate, as a result of significantly weakening the inter-dimensional barrier between both worlds. Kurata is completely shocked when he sees what happens and begs to be saved saying he can still do something, but he gets caught in a secondary explosion and disappears.
His actions led to Yggdrasill and the Royal Knights deeming humanity as threats courtesy of his mistreatment against Digimon, prompting them to launch a full-blown invasion against the human world.
Video Games[edit]
Digimon Masters[edit]
Professor Kurata is an NPC and gives out certain quests to the players.
Appearances in other franchises[edit]
In the novel for DokiDoki! PreCure, released in September 2024, a doctor/scientist named Kurata Akihiro is the main antagonist. His appearance is described identical as this Kurata. He creates his own lifeform (Anti-Jikochuu Drones), turns them into a javelin (just like with the Gizmon), and in his final confrontation turns into a demonic monster that looks similar to Belphemon in which his face appears on its body in the same way as Savers. When Aida Mana defeats him, she says the same thing Masaru said when he defeated Kurata: that power isn't something borrowed or given, it's something you combine. The novel was written by Yamaguchi Ryouta, and the Pretty Cure series is owned by Toei Animation. Yamaguchi confirmed on Twitter it is the same Kurata, and that he had been defeated by both Masaru and Maia.[12]
TCG[edit]
| Digimon Card Game |
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Image Gallery[edit]
| Digimon Savers Lineart Book | Digimon Savers Lineart Book | Digimon Savers Lineart Book |
Additional Information[edit]
| References | Notes |
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