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Rika Nonaka (牧野 留姫 (ルキ) Makino Ruki?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Digimon Tamers. She is the Tamer of Renamon and is known as the ruthless Digimon Queen.

Appearance[]

At age 3,[2] Rika was a little girl with fair skin, purple eyes, and ginger shoulder-length hair worn up in a ponytail held by a blue hair tie. She wore a yellow shirt with long sleeves and a white button in the chest, a blue dress, bloomers of undetermined color,[3] white socks, and red shoes with white soles. Digimon Tamers: Runaway Locomon

By autumn, 2000,[4] Rika is much taller. She wears a dark green shirt with a broken skull and crossbones design in the front, a black jacket with a pocket on each side, short button-fly blue jeans, black socks, blueish gray and white steel-toed sneakers, and buckles around her waist and leg. O Partner, Where Art Thou?

In 2001, Rika is described as "beautiful" by Coco. Digital Beauty She wears a white T-shirt with short turquoise sleeves, a yellow turtleneck, and a dark blue broken heart on the front, with short button-fly blue jeans, red wrist bands, white socks, red steel-toed sneakers, and buckles around her waist and left leg. She usually wears her D-Power and a card case on her belt. When entering a Digital Field, she protects her eyes with sunglasses with blue oval-shaped lens.

Rika's school uniform is a white buttoned shirt, under a gray buttoned blazer with the Kagurazaka Girls' Academy's crest, a golden harp in a brown background, in the left side of the chest and a pocket on each side, a black skirt, black socks, and white shoes. When going to school she wears black shoes instead. O Partner, Where Art Thou?

When fighting a Lynxmon, she wears a gray coat over her clothes. Guilmon Comes Alive

When dressing up for a camera test, she takes her ponytail down and wears a pink and white frilly dress with buttons in the chest and multiple white ribbons on it, a white hat filled with flowers and two pink ribbons, white socks, and blue and gray sneakers. The dress is described as "beautiful" by Sugai. Digital Beauty In the cover of Digimon Girls Festival, she wears a light blue and light pink version of this dress.

After returning to the Real World, Rika receives a new T-shirt with a full heart on the front.

In winter, Rika wears a light blue jacket with a white ruff in the neck, over her regular clothes.

Description[]

Rika's personality has evolved throughout the series. Initially, she was a merciless tamer seeking only to make her partner Digimon as strong as possible, and had a rough relationship with her mother. She would criticize and blame Renamon for their losses, and treat every other Digimon as her enemy, including Guilmon and Terriermon. Though she often covered up her true feelings with a tough girl act, she showed how she really cared about Renamon at the first few instances of Renamon's Digivolutions. During a fateful fight against Harpymon, Rika showed that she was willing to risk her own life to protect Renamon. After this fight, Rika began opening up to Takato and Henry as well, eventually becoming friends with both of them. She still continues to throw her sarcastic remarks here and there and displays her annoyance to Kenta and Kazu's foolery, also she shows dislike towards Ryo and his attempts to win her heart. But she seems to care about Jeri, motivating and comforting her in times of need. Of all the characters in the season, Rika has arguably shown the greatest change in personality.

Development[]

Rika's earliest designs were influenced by Trinity from The Matrix as an example of a strong female lead, before later settling on the red spiky "pineapple-head" look instead.[5]

Etymologies[]

Ruki Makino (牧野 留姫)

Name used in Japanese media. Officially romanized in Digimon Tamers: Official Encyclopedia V.

  • Ja: Makino (牧野?). A Japanese surname meaning "pasture field".
  • Ja: Ruki (留姫?). A feminine Japanese name meaning "reserved princess". This name is likely intentionally ironic, considering Ruki's personality.
Rika Nonaka

Name used in the English dub of Digimon Tamers.

  • Rika. Similar to "Ruki". May also be derived from Kari, as a girl says that Rika "looks like Kari with a punk edge". To Fight or Not to Fight
  • Nonaka. A Japanese surname meaning "in the middle of the field". This surname shares the character "no" (野) with Rika's original surname, Makino.

Story[]

Anime[]

Rika was born when her mother, Rumiko, was 18-years old.[6]

In 2000, Rika was defeated by Ryo Akiyama in the Digimon Card Tournament. Blame it on Ryo In autumn[2] of the same year, she won the D-1 Grand prix without finding worthy opponents. In the same night, when she was bored, many gates to the Digital World opened in her room, and many Digimon wanted to become her Partner. However, she only wished for the strongest Digimon, and Renamon materialized in her room. O Partner, Where Art Thou? Her victory in the tournament earned her the title of "Digimon Queen".[citation needed]

In 2001, Rika encounters Tamers Takato Matsuki and Henry Wong and their partners Digimon, Guilmon and Terriermon. However, she is initially unimpressed with the two boys, as Takato is an inexperienced Tamer and Henry prefers not to let his Digimon fight. Rika, who has been fighting Digimon who bio-emerge in the Real World with Renamon and having her load their data, longs for her partner to be the strongest Digimon in the world. To Fight or Not to Fight

Rika is frustrated by Renamon's inability to get stronger and Digivolve, even though she has loaded the data of many Digimon. When Renamon saves Rika from Dokugumon and is injured, Rika is distraught, and her caring for her partner causes Renamon to Digivolve to Kyubimon. O Partner, Where Art Thou? However, she still cannot grasp that Digimon aren't just computer data. It isn't until she is kidnapped and held captive by IceDevimon, who wants to be her partner, that she realizes how cruel she had been to other Digimon. This event startles Rika, and once she is saved by Kyubimon and the other Tamers, she states that she hates Digimon and parts way with her partner. The Icemon Cometh

When Rika runs across Renamon fighting and uploading the data of three Flybeemon after their split, Rika becomes convinced that Renamon doesn't need her anymore. However, when a Harpymon bio-emerges and overpowers Renamon, Rika stabs Harpymon in the back to save her partner, as she has left her cards at home. Rika's actions cause Renamon to evolve and defeat Harpymon, but Kyubimon doesn't absorb her foe's data, no longer needing it to be stronger. Rika and Renamon's partnership resumes, stronger than ever, now that Rika realizes Renamon is not a tool, but a real friend. Divided They Stand From this point on, Rika also becomes closer to Takato and Henry, as she is now able to appreciate their bonds with their Digimon.

With Takato, Henry and their partners on vacation in Okinawa, it was up to Rika and Renamon to keep the peace in Shinjuku as Digimon continued to appear at a rapid pace. When Digimon started appearing all over the world, Omnimon appeared to transport Rika and Kyubimon, along with Henry and Gargomon, to the battle site where Takato and Growlmon were fighting the true enemy: Mephistomon. Rika was present when the battle continued into an alternate dimension where the Tamers' Digimon combined their attacks to create the "Trinity Burst" attack to defeat Gulfmon and put a halt to the chaos in the Real World. Battle of Adventurers

Rika has a rough relationship with her mother; Rumiko is bubbly and upbeat, in sharp contrast to the aloof and sarcastic Rika. Rumiko wishes for Rika to be more feminine and sweet, which Rika resents. However, as she grows closer to Renamon and forms bonds with the other Tamers, she begins to realize how much she loves her family. Before the Tamers leave for the Digital World to rescue Calumon, Rika puts on a dress to make her mother happy before she leaves. She is unable to tell her mother about her upcoming departure, but her grandmother, who discovers Renamon's existence and dubs her Rika's "guardian angel", promises Rika that she will keep her departure to the Digital World secret from Rika's mother. The Journey Begins

Shortly after arriving in the Digital World, Rika, Renamon, Kazu and Kenta are separated from the others when they are sucked into a data stream. They stay with a friendly Jijimon and Babamon for a while, then leave to find their friends. Kazu and Kenta's Excellent Adventure When they get sucked into another data stream and arrive at a strange location, they have to fend against an attacking Megadramon until Ryo Akiyama and his partner Cyberdramon arrive and save them. Kazu and Kenta are excited to meet the famous "Digimon King", and Rika becomes bitter about his presence. After being reminded that she was just Ryo's runner-up, she and Renamon part with the boys and go their separate way. Blame it on Ryo Later, Rika and Renamon find Calumon, and they reunite with the others. However, the canine Deva Caturamon captures Calumon and another data stream separates Takato, Henry and Terriermon from them until their fight with Beelzemon. The Imperfect Storm

When the Digimon Sovereigns send the Tamers to rescue Calumon, they meet Ryo and Cyberdramon again. Rika and Renamon climb down the crevice to the D-Reaper's dwelling alone, with Ryo and Cyberdramon at their heel. After retrieving Calumon, Rika and Renamon unite to stop the D-Reaper's bubbles from escaping, Biomerging into Sakuyamon in a display of true companionship and trust. Song of Sakuyamon

Later, Janyu Wong sends the Tamers an Ark that will take the children home. However, Renamon picks up Impmon's scent, and Rika and Renamon go out to search for him. They find him, worn and beaten, and bring him with them to the Ark, arriving in the nick of time. Janyu's Ark Homeward Bound

When the D-Reaper appears in the Real World, Rika is determined to save her home. Before she leaves to fight it, Rika's mother gives her daughter her blessings, and presents her with a gift: a new T-shirt, identical to her old one, with a full heart on it instead of a broken heart. From this point on, Rika wears this new T-shirt, a symbol of her mended relationship with her mother. Reunion Though initially the Tamers cannot Biomerge with their Digimon in the Real World, a mysterious girl and her Dobermon give them the ability to do so. The Messenger

During the final battle against the D-Reaper, Ryo, biomerged with Cyberdramon to form Justimon, asks Sakuyamon to lend him her energy in a bid to destroy the D-Reaper. Though she chastises him for being reckless, Rika trusts Ryo's judgement. Sakuyamon gives Justimon the last of her fighting energy to power him up; however, this plan fails. Ultimately, the D-Reaper is defeated, but the same program that pulled the D-Reaper back to the Digital World is now doing the same to the Tamers' Digimon. Rika and Renamon, now de-digivolved into Viximon, are forced to say a tearful goodbye. Such Sweet Sorrow

Rika's family and friends are planning a party for her and she is less than enthusiastic when Takato spills the beans to her, after suggesting they go cherry blossom watching together when they actually happened "later" as Rika describes. The appearance of Locomon calls her into action, along with Renamon, jumping onto one of Locomon's carriages with Takato. Taken over by a Parasimon which tricks her into attacking Takato and Renamon with memories of her father, Rika is freed when Guilmon destroys the Parasimon controlling her. She Biomerges with Renamon into Sakuyamon to help defeat the Parasimon invasion in Tokyo. Following their defeat, Rika attends her birthday party thrown by her friends, only to leave just after blowing the candles out and being asked to sing karaoke. Takato finds her watching the sunset but Renamon stops him from going to her, letting Rika be alone with the memories of her father. Runaway Locomon

6-76 Analyzer-08 JP

Rika meets the former Generals.

At some point, the Watchmaker summoned the heroes of the past to the Fusion universe to help take down Quartzmon. A Great Legendary Hero Gathering! The Digimon All-star Showdown!! While Taichi "Tai" Kamiya and Marcus Damon aid Xros Heart in their initial encounter with Quartzmon, Rika, wearing her broken heart top, and Mimi Tachikawa appear before Christopher Aonuma and Nene Amano in the DigiQuartz version of Hong Kong. Rika explains that they are not Hunters, and assures the former Generals that they are there to help with what is to come. A Golden Bug! The Mystery of MetallifeKuwagamon

Other appearances[]

Digimon Adventure 02: Revenge of Diaboromon[]

M4 DigiRef-03

During the blackout, a girl who looks like Rika is talking on the phone, telling the other person she'll meet them at Rainbow Bridge.

Digimon Frontier[]

Rika is the narrator of Digimon Frontier in the English dub until Bokomon takes over for the last eight episodes, as a result of voice actor Melissa Fahn leaving to join the cast of Wicked.

Digimon Xros Wars (manga)[]

BONUS TRACK

Digimon Masters[]

Rika was introduced as a usable Tamer on August 25, 2020.[7]

Cards[]

Rika has 120 cards. They are mainly option cards.[8]

Borrowed


Music[]

Rika has two Japanese image songs: "Moon Fighter" and "My Style", sung by Fumiko Orikasa. She has an additional image song, a duet sung by Orikasa with Yuka Imai as Renamon, called "Last Piece ~Tsuyoku Naritakute~" ("Last Piece ~We Wanted to Become Strong~"). Orikasa also sings a version of "Yuuhi no Yakusoku" ("Promise of the Setting Sun"), as well as two songs with Makoto Tsumura as Takato Matsuki and Mayumi Yamaguchi as Henry Wong, "3 Primary Colors" and "Santamon o Sagase!!" ("Search for Santamon!!"). Additionally, Orikasa participates in the female Tamers and their Digimon partners' rendition of "My Tomorrow" in the Digimon Music 100 Title Memorial Box. Rika also has a song in the English dub, Promise, sung by Melissa Fahn.

Digimon Forms[]

Sakuyamon[]

Main article: Sakuyamon (Tamers)


Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Digimon Encyclopedia: Digimon Tamers Character/Cast List
  2. 2.0 2.1 Digimon Series Memorial Book: Digimon Animation Chronicle
  3. The bloomers are only seen in uncolored lineart.
  4. The autumn season is only mentioned in the Digimon Series Memorial Book: Digimon Animation Chronicle, which describes the design as Rika from "half a year ago".
  5. Chiaki J. Konaka's Digimon Tamers Resources: Ruki Makino
  6. Unidentified publication[citation needed], Rumiko Makino: "A very young mother, she gave birth to Ruki at age 18."
  7. dmo.gameking: "New Tamers join to the Digital World!"
  8. V Jump, May 2002 issue.


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