All 13 Royal Knights and their history

The Royal Knights concept and its first three members were introduced in 2001, but the idea of thirteen members was not established until 2003, when Alphamon debuted in Digimon Chronicle. They are the 13 Holy Knight Digimon, all at Mega level except Magnamon, and they serve Yggdrasill (King Drasil) as the highest rank of Network Security. This page covers every member with English and Japanese names, how the group was founded, who leads it, and where the knights appear in 2026: in Digimon Story: Time Stranger and in two new Digimon Card Game sets.

Who Are the Royal Knights? (Quick Answer)

The Royal Knights are thirteen Holy Knight Digimon at Mega level, also called the Chivalrous XIII and the Royal Knights of the Round Table. According to Wikimon’s Royal Knights entry, they are the highest rank of Network Security and they answer to Yggdrasill (King Drasil in English), which picks every member and can create new knights whenever it chooses.

Here are all 13 canon members, with the dub name first and the Japanese name in brackets where the two differ:

1. Omnimon (Omegamon)
2. Alphamon
3. Gallantmon (Dukemon)
4. Magnamon
5. UlforceVeedramon (UlforceV-dramon)
6. Dynasmon
7. Crusadermon (LordKnightmon)
8. Leopardmon (Duftmon)
9. Kentaurosmon (Sleipmon)
10. Craniamon (Craniummon)
11. Examon
12. Gankoomon
13. Jesmon (JESmon)

On the level names: the Japanese terms Child, Adult, Perfect and Ultimate correspond to the English Rookie, Champion, Ultimate and Mega. So Japanese sources call the knights “Ultimate” Digimon, while English sources say Mega. Magnamon is the one exception, because it is an Armor Digimon. The section on the odd ones out below explains why.

All 13 Royal Knights: Master Table

The table covers the full canon roster, with levels and attributes as given in Wikimon’s profiles and Grindosaur’s Time Stranger data. Attacks use English anime or game names where those exist. The “defining appearance” column lists the appearance most fans know each knight from, not its first appearance, because several knights showed up in toys, manga and cards before they reached any anime.

English name	Japanese name	Level	Attribute	Signature attack or weapon	Defining appearance	Role in one line
Omnimon	Omegamon	Mega	Vaccine	Transcendent Sword, Supreme Cannon	Our War Game! (2000 film)	Fusion of WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon
Alphamon	Alphamon	Mega	Vaccine	Digitalize of Soul	Digital Monster X-Evolution (2005)	The knight of the “absent” seat
Gallantmon	Dukemon	Mega	Virus	Lightning Joust, Shield of the Just	Digimon Tamers (2001)	Takato and Guilmon’s Biomerge
Magnamon	Magnamon	Armor	Vaccine	Extreme Jihad	Digimon Adventure 02 (2000)	Veemon armored by the Digi-Egg of Miracles
UlforceVeedramon	UlforceV-dramon	Mega	Vaccine	Shining V Force, Ray of Victory	Digimon V-Tamer 01 (manga)	The order’s speed specialist
Dynasmon	Dynasmon	Mega	Data	Dragon’s Roar, Breath of Wyvern	Digimon Frontier (2002)	Dragon knight who served Lucemon
Crusadermon	LordKnightmon	Mega	Virus	Spiral Masquerade	Digimon Frontier (2002)	Ribbon-armored partner of Dynasmon
Leopardmon	Duftmon	Mega	Data	Leopard Mode (beast form)	Digimon Data Squad (2006)	The strategist
Kentaurosmon	Sleipmon	Mega	Vaccine	Bifrost	Digimon Data Squad (2006)	The only knight with a bestial silhouette
Craniamon	Craniummon	Mega	Vaccine	End Waltz (spear Brionac)	Digimon Data Squad (2006)	The armored defender
Examon	Examon	Mega	Data	Pendragon’s Glory (lance Ambrosius)	Digimon Xros Wars (2010-2011)	The “Dragon Emperor” with an Arthurian name
Gankoomon	Gankoomon	Mega	Data	Chabudai Gaeshi	Xros Wars: The Young Hunters (2011)	Huckmon’s stern master
Jesmon	JESmon	Mega	Data	Weltgeist, Judgement of the Blade	Digivice Ver.15th profile	Huckmon grown up; the 13th seat

Each Royal Knight Explained

Each profile gives the knight’s role, signature moves, defining appearance and notable variant forms. Evolution routes differ between the anime, each game and the card game, so the medium is named wherever it matters.

Omnimon (Omegamon)

Omnimon is the best-known Royal Knight. It formed in the 2000 film Our War Game! when Tai’s WarGreymon and Matt’s MetalGarurumon fused to stop Diaboromon. The two partners’ wills sit in its arms. The WarGreymon head on the left arm holds the Transcendent Sword (Grey Sword in Japanese), and the MetalGarurumon head on the right fires the Supreme Cannon (Garuru Cannon).

No other knight has as many variants. Digimon Chronicle gave it an X Antibody form, and Time Stranger adds Omnimon Alter-B, Omnimon Alter-S and Omnimon Zwart Defeat. All three carry the Royal Knight trait in that game even though only Omnimon holds a seat. In Time Stranger the base Omnimon sits in the Mega + generation, the tier for the game’s strongest DNA (Jogress) results.

Alphamon

Alphamon is the knight of the “absent” seat: a legendary member that stays away from the order and appears when the other knights, or the system they serve, go wrong. In the 2005 film Digital Monster X-Evolution, it is the former leader of the Royal Knights, and Omnimon commands in its absence. In Data Squad it shows up only beside the other knights in the second opening, “Hirari”, never in an episode.

Its signature technique is Digitalize of Soul. Its best-known upgrade is Alphamon: Ouryuken, where Alphamon fuses with the dragon Ouryumon and takes up its blade. The Time Stranger requirements for that fusion are in the games section below.

Gallantmon (Dukemon)

Gallantmon is the knight whose 2001 profile coined the name “Royal Knights” (the origin section covers the debate over that). In Digimon Tamers, Takato Matsuki Biomerges with Guilmon to become Gallantmon. Its lance attack is Lightning Joust (Royal Saber in Japanese), and its shield beam is Shield of the Just (Final Elysion). The shield carries the Digital Hazard mark that Guilmon wears on its chest.

In Data Squad, Wikimon notes that Dukemon is the knight that first attacks the human world, and Kentaurosmon defeats it there. Its most famous variant is Gallantmon Crimson Mode, the winged form from the end of Tamers. It also has an X Antibody form from Digimon Chronicle, which Time Stranger includes as a separate Royal Knight entry.

Magnamon

Magnamon is the one Royal Knight that is not a Mega. It is the Armor form Veemon takes with the Digi-Egg of Miracles in Digimon Adventure 02 (2000), and its attribute is Vaccine. Its signature attack, Extreme Jihad, is a burst of golden energy from its armor. Time Stranger keeps the distinction: Magnamon is the only Armor-generation entry in the game’s Royal Knight trait list, and its X Antibody form appears there too.

UlforceVeedramon (UlforceV-dramon)

UlforceVeedramon is the fastest of the knights and the end point of the Veedramon line, which is a separate species from Veemon even though the designs are related. It comes from the manga Digimon V-Tamer 01, where Zero, the partner of the manga’s own Taichi Yagami (a different character from the anime’s Tai), reaches this form. Its signature attacks are Shining V Force, fired from the V on its chest, and Ray of Victory. Time Stranger lists both UlforceVeedramon and UlforceVeedramon (X Antibody) with the Royal Knight trait.

Dynasmon

Dynasmon was the first knight shown as a villain. In the final arc of Digimon Frontier (2002), it and Crusadermon serve Lucemon and collect data to help bring about his return. Its signature attacks are Dragon’s Roar and Breath of Wyvern, both drawing on the dragon power its armor is built around.

Frontier shows the knights at their darkest: loyal, ruthless and serving the wrong master. That tension comes back in almost every continuity, where the question is whether the knights serve the Digital World or only the authority above them. Dynasmon also returns among the knights in Data Squad’s final arc.

Crusadermon (LordKnightmon)

Crusadermon is Dynasmon’s partner in Frontier and a Virus-attribute Mega, as Wikimon and Grindosaur’s Time Stranger data both list it. Its pink armor and ribbon-like belts hide one of the most aggressive fighting styles in the order, and Spiral Masquerade, a whirling ribbon attack, is its signature move. Its Japanese name LordKnightmon is common in the Card Game and is the name Time Stranger uses.

Leopardmon (Duftmon)

Leopardmon is the order’s strategist, planning the knights’ campaign in Digimon Data Squad with cold logic. Its humanoid knight form can switch into Leopard Mode, a separate beast form. That is not the same as Kentaurosmon’s bestial build: Leopardmon only becomes animal-shaped in its alternate mode. The Japanese name Duftmon is still widely used in English fandom, especially in card lists. In Time Stranger, Leopardmon is a Mega with the Royal Knight trait.

Kentaurosmon (Sleipmon)

Kentaurosmon is the only Royal Knight whose standard body is bestial. Wikimon’s Royal Knights entry singles Sleipmon out as the one member with a bestial silhouette, while every other knight is humanoid or dragon-humanoid in its base form. The Japanese name refers to Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse from Norse myth, and the English name refers to the centaur. Its crossbow attack, Bifrost, takes its name from the Norse rainbow bridge.

Its biggest anime moment is in Digimon Data Squad (Savers), where it defeats Gallantmon after Gallantmon attacks the human world. In Time Stranger it carries the Royal Knight trait as a Mega.

Craniamon (Craniummon)

Craniamon is the order’s armored wall. It is a Vaccine Mega that fights with the spear Brionac, and its signature attack, End Waltz, is a fast series of spear thrusts. In Data Squad it takes over from BanchoLeomon the job of holding the human and digital worlds apart, and after King Drasil’s defeat it returns to the Digital World with the other knights. It also has a story role in Digimon ReArise.

Time Stranger gives it a striking new form, Craniamon + Enbarrmon, in the Mega + generation alongside Omnimon and Examon. Enbarrmon is a steed named after Enbarr, the horse of Manannán in Irish myth, and the pairing gives Craniamon the mounted-knight look its theme always suggested. The base Craniamon is also in the game as a separate Royal Knight entry.

Examon

Examon is the largest Royal Knight, a huge dragon knight that also holds the title “Dragon Emperor” as the ultimate Dragon Digimon. Its lance Ambrosius refers to Ambrosius Aurelianus, and its finishing move Pendragon’s Glory refers to Uther Pendragon, King Arthur’s father. That makes it the clearest link between the order and the Round Table it is named after.

Examon’s defining anime moment comes in the Digimon Xros Wars finale (2010-2011), where it is revived and joins the formation of Shoutmon X7. Its X Antibody form belongs to the Digimon Chronicle X material. In Time Stranger, Examon sits in the Mega + generation, one of three knight forms at that tier.

Gankoomon

Gankoomon is the order’s hard-nosed teacher and a Data-attribute Mega. As Huckmon’s master, its lore says it trained Huckmon by throwing him off a mountain over and over after he climbed back up. Its special attacks are named after the things a Japanese proverb says people fear most: Jishin! (earthquake), Kaminari! (thunder), Kaji! (fire) and Oyaji! (father). It also has Chabudai Gaeshi, the “flip the dinner table” move of a furious Japanese father.

Gankoomon and Huckmon appear in Digimon Xros Wars: The Young Hunters Who Leapt Through Time, the third arc of Xros Wars. Gankoomon also has an X Antibody form. In the lore, Gankoomon (X-Antibody) passes all of its X Antibody power to Jesmon (X-Antibody), which then evolves into Jesmon GX.

Jesmon (JESmon)

Jesmon holds the thirteenth seat. Its story is covered in the lore section below. In the Digimon Story games its special attacks are Judgement of the Blade and Weltgeist, and its support skill, Aus Generics, raises Speed and Evasion by 25% once its HP drops below 25%.

Jesmon is a Data-attribute Mega with two major later forms: Jesmon (X-Antibody), which Time Stranger includes with the Royal Knight trait, and Jesmon GX, an Ace card in the Digimon Card Game’s BT20. Its line runs Huckmon, BaoHuckmon, SaviorHuckmon, Jesmon, which makes it one of the few knights with a dedicated line running all the way from Rookie to Mega.

Origin and Lore: Yggdrasill, the Founder and the Empty 13th Seat

The Royal Knights exist to guard the Network for Yggdrasill, the host computer that rules the Digital World, and current canon names Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode as their founder. This section is the reference point for the founding, the 13th seat and the two odd members. Other parts of the page link back here.

Yggdrasill picks each member and can create new knights whenever it wants. Because the knights follow its will, they turn into villains whenever Yggdrasill decides the Digital World or the human world must be “corrected”. On the wider power scale, Wikimon says only the Olympos XII rival the knights’ strength.

The order is older than Yggdrasill’s current rule. According to Wikimon’s summary of current canon, Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode founded the Royal Knights after it saved the Ancient Digital World from collapse, and today’s knights are heirs to that founding.

Two Accounts of Where the Order Began

The two accounts of the order’s beginning do not quite agree, and both are official in their own way.

Account	What it says	Source
Profile history (2001)	Dukemon’s (Gallantmon’s) profile introduced the term and named the new Dukemon plus the existing Omegamon and Magnamon as the first members	Wikimon’s Royal Knight history
Later official lore	The knights’ existence was first revealed with the birth of Omegamon	Wikimon, citing later official material

These two accounts are not as far apart as they look. The first describes when Bandai’s writers created the concept. The second describes when the knights first appeared inside the story’s own history. Later profiles added Alphamon, UlforceVeedramon, Dynasmon, Crusadermon, Leopardmon, Kentaurosmon, Craniamon, Examon and Gankoomon, which left one seat empty for years.

Why Imperialdramon Paladin Mode Isn’t One of the 13

Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode founded the order but does not hold one of the thirteen seats. It is a Vaccine Mega that first appeared in the 2001 Adventure 02 film Diaboromon Strikes Back (Revenge of Diaboromon in the dub), when Omnimon passes its power to Imperialdramon. In the lore the founder stands above the seats it created, so a roster that lists fourteen knights is counting the founder by mistake.

Gankoomon, Huckmon and the Making of Jesmon

For years, the “thirteen” knights had only twelve members. The Digivice Ver.15th profile closes that gap: Huckmon finishes Gankoomon’s training and evolves into Jesmon, which finally fills the thirteenth position. Jesmon is the only canon case of a knight being trained into a seat rather than simply appointed, which means there are two routes into the order: Yggdrasill’s choice or mentorship by an existing knight.

This history also explains the miscounts in older lists. Pages from before Jesmon show twelve knights. Some lists also leave out Alphamon, the absent knight, which brings the count down to eleven. Add Paladin Mode and you get fourteen. The canon answer is thirteen.

Odd Ones Out: Armor-Level Magnamon and Virus-Attribute Gallantmon

Magnamon and Gallantmon are the two knights that confuse new fans most. Magnamon is an Armor Digimon, not a Mega, but the Digi-Egg of Miracles gives it power equal to its fellow knights. The order judges members by power and Yggdrasill’s choice, not by level.

Gallantmon is Virus because Guilmon’s line is Virus. In Digimon, attribute describes how a Digimon’s data is built, not whether it is good or evil, so a Virus Digimon can be a holy guardian. Crusadermon is the other Virus knight, which shows the same rule from the opposite side.

Who Leads the Royal Knights, and Who Is the Strongest?

Yggdrasill (King Drasil) commands the Royal Knights in every continuity where it appears, while the field leader changes by series. Craniamon leads the knights in battle in Data Squad (Savers), and Alphamon is the former leader in X-Evolution. So if you’re asking “Omnimon or King Drasil?”, the answer is King Drasil: it gives the orders, while field command changes from series to series.

Leader by Series

Series or continuity	Leader or commander	Notes
Core canon (Bandai profiles)	Yggdrasill	Chooses and creates knights; Imperialdramon: Paladin Mode is the founder
Digimon Data Squad (Savers, 2006)	Craniamon in the field; King Drasil_7D6 above	Nine of the 13 knights appear
Digital Monster X-Evolution (2005)	Yggdrasill; Alphamon as former leader	Omnimon commands in Alphamon’s absence; knights hunt X Antibody Digimon
Digimon Frontier (2002)	Lucemon	Only Dynasmon and Crusadermon appear
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Hacker’s Memory	Yggdrasill	Knights act for Yggdrasill in the later chapters

Strongest by Official Profile

Official material gives no strict power ranking, but three signals stand out. Omnimon is the face of the order as a fusion of two heroes. Alphamon’s lore as the absent knight who returns in a crisis puts it in a special position, and its Ouryuken fusion is an explicit power-up. Time Stranger places Omnimon, Examon and Craniamon + Enbarrmon in Mega +, which is the clearest official tiering in any recent game.

Fan Power Ranking (Our Take)

This ranking is the site’s own reading of anime feats, profile claims and Time Stranger’s tiers, weighted in that order. It is not official.

1. Alphamon: Ouryuken. The absent knight’s lore plus a dragon fusion, backed by Time Stranger’s strictest knight requirements.
2. Omnimon. Mega + in Time Stranger and the deepest variant line.
3. Gallantmon Crimson Mode. Tamers’ final-arc power-up against the D-Reaper.
4. Jesmon GX. Built on Gankoomon’s full X Antibody power.
5. Examon and Craniamon + Enbarrmon. Both earn their place through Time Stranger’s Mega + tier.

Base Alphamon and base Omnimon are close. Alphamon: Ouryuken is the stronger single form, and Omnimon has the stronger anime record.

Royal Knights in the Anime and Manga

The knights appear in five major anime: Tamers, Frontier, X-Evolution, Data Squad and Xros Wars. They play a different role in each one: heroes in Tamers, Lucemon’s servants in Frontier, Yggdrasill’s purge squad in X-Evolution and Data Squad, and mentors and allies in Xros Wars.

Anime

Series	Years	Knights	Role
Digimon Tamers	2001-2002	Gallantmon, Crimson Mode	Hero’s Mega; never called a Royal Knight on screen
Digimon Frontier	2002-2003	Dynasmon, Crusadermon	Lucemon’s servants in the final arc
Digital Monster X-Evolution	2005	Omnimon, Alphamon and others	Enforcers hunting X Antibody Digimon
Digimon Data Squad (Savers)	2006-2007	Nine of 13	King Drasil_7D6’s army in the final arc
Digimon Xros Wars	2010-2011	Examon	Revived in the finale for Shoutmon X7
Xros Wars: The Young Hunters	2011-2012	Gankoomon (with Huckmon)	Mentor and apprentice

Data Squad is the main event, with the largest gathering of knights in any anime. Gallantmon attacks the human world and falls to Kentaurosmon, Craniamon takes over the job of holding the two worlds apart, and Alphamon appears only in the second opening.

Manga, Novels and Web Serials

The manga carry the most knight lore. In Digimon V-Tamer 01, Zero’s line reaches UlforceVeedramon. Digimon Chronicle and its X chapters introduced X Antibody knights such as Omegamon X and Dukemon X, along with Examon’s X Antibody form. Those forms return in the Card Game’s BT-27. Digimon D-Cyber is the other major knights manga of the 2000s.

Recent Official Stories (2023-2026)

Since 2025, most new knight story has come from games and cards rather than television. Digimon Story: Time Stranger gives the knights a full side-mission arc, with every knight fought at Central Tower and a closing “Royal Knights, Assemble” chapter. BT-27 Ignition of X then brings King Drasil into the Digimon Card Game for the first time, through a storyline its product material says is inspired by Time Stranger. Digimon ReArise also gave Craniamon its own story role, so the armored defender is no longer just an anime background figure.

Royal Knights in the Games: Cyber Sleuth to Time Stranger

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is now the main game for the Royal Knights. It launched on October 3, 2025, and Gematsu reported that its shipments and digital sales passed one million worldwide by December 2025. Before it, Cyber Sleuth and Hacker’s Memory set the template for knight-focused late-game stories.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger

In Time Stranger, the knights’ story runs through side missions. You fight every knight in the Royal Knights’ Test Match at Central Tower, and the finale, “Royal Knights, Assemble”, only opens once every Royal Knight side mission is done.

Alphamon: Ouryuken in Time Stranger is the knight evolution players ask about most. You need Agent Rank 8 or higher, an Alphamon with the Friendly personality and an Ouryumon with the Zealous personality. Most players get stuck on the personalities, not the rank.

The Royal Knight Trait: All 24 Digimon

“Royal Knight” in Time Stranger is a trait, a team-building tag, not a list of canon members. Grindosaur’s Time Stranger trait database counts 24 Digimon with it: the 13 canon knights, Craniamon’s mounted form, five related non-members and five X Antibody forms.

Digimon (Time Stranger name)	Group	Canon seat?	Why it carries the trait
Omnimon	Canon knight	Yes	Member; Mega +
Alphamon	Canon knight	Yes	Member
Gallantmon	Canon knight	Yes	Member
Magnamon	Canon knight	Yes	Member; the only Armor entry
UlforceVeedramon	Canon knight	Yes	Member
Dynasmon	Canon knight	Yes	Member
LordKnightmon (Crusadermon)	Canon knight	Yes	Member
Leopardmon	Canon knight	Yes	Member
Kentaurosmon	Canon knight	Yes	Member
Craniamon	Canon knight	Yes	Member
Examon	Canon knight	Yes	Member; Mega +
Gankoomon	Canon knight	Yes	Member
Jesmon	Canon knight	Yes	Member
Craniamon + Enbarrmon	Knight form	Yes (Craniamon)	Craniamon mounted on Enbarrmon; Mega +
CresGarurumon	Related non-member	No	Tied to Omnimon’s MetalGarurumon side
BlitzGreymon	Related non-member	No	Tied to Omnimon’s WarGreymon side
Omnimon Alter-B	Related non-member	No	Alternate Omnimon; Mega +
Omnimon Alter-S	Related non-member	No	Alternate Omnimon; Mega +
Omnimon Zwart Defeat	Related non-member	No	Corrupted Omnimon form
Omnimon (X Antibody)	X Antibody form	Variant of a member	Omnimon’s X form
Gallantmon (X Antibody)	X Antibody form	Variant of a member	Gallantmon’s X form
Magnamon (X Antibody)	X Antibody form	Variant of a member	Magnamon’s X form
UlforceVeedramon (X Antibody)	X Antibody form	Variant of a member	UlforceVeedramon’s X form
Jesmon (X Antibody)	X Antibody form	Variant of a member	Jesmon’s X form

A team built around the trait can be strong, but the tag does not tell you who holds a seat in the lore. Grindosaur gives the canon knights the Holy Knight type, while CresGarurumon is typed Beast Knight. That is a quick way to spot the outsiders.

Cyber Sleuth and Hacker’s Memory

Cyber Sleuth (2015 in Japan) and its companion Hacker’s Memory put Yggdrasill and its knights at the center of their later chapters, and the knights’ push into the human world is one of Cyber Sleuth’s biggest plot turns. Gematsu’s 2015 coverage of the game’s announcements showed the knights being revealed in waves ahead of launch. In the original Cyber Sleuth, you can only digivolve into the knights after finishing specific late-game quests, and each one unlocks between one and three of them at the DigiLab.

Knight	Prior form (Cyber Sleuth)	Story role
Omnimon	DNA of WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon	Serves Yggdrasill in the late story
Gallantmon	WarGrowlmon	Serves Yggdrasill in the late story
Craniamon	HiAndromon	Serves Yggdrasill in the late story
Dynasmon	Silphymon, Phantomon or Mistymon	Serves Yggdrasill in the late story

The Cyber Sleuth games also set much of the data older fan guides still repeat. Their in-game classification uses attributes and the ten Digimon “families” (such as Virus Busters and Dragon’s Roar), which are gameplay groupings. The franchise profiles give every knight the Holy Knight species type instead, so don’t treat a Cyber Sleuth family label as the knight’s official type.

Digimon World: Next Order, ReArise and Others

In Digimon World: Next Order you raise knights through the normal care system, not story missions, and Digimon ReArise gave Craniamon its own story role. Across these games the knights are endgame goals, and each game sets its own evolution requirements. Always use routes written for the game you’re playing.

Royal Knights in the Digimon Card Game (2026)

2026 is the biggest year yet for Royal Knights cards. EX-13 Chivalrous XIII arrived in English on October 2, 2026, and gives all thirteen knights their own deck. BT-27 Ignition of X follows on December 11, 2026, with X Antibody knights and King Drasil.

Product	Type and code	English release	What’s inside	Royal Knight focus
Chivalrous XIII	Extra Booster EX-13	October 2, 2026	12 cards per pack, $4.99 US per pack, 24 packs per box	All 13 knights; one deck per knight; low-pull-rate alternate art for each
Ignition of X	Booster BT-27	December 11, 2026	12 cards per pack, 24 packs per box; 108 card types plus alternate arts; new Dual Cards mechanic	X Antibody knights; King Drasil support
Premium Battle Set Version Royal Knights	Premium Battle Set	Late 2026 (US pre-order)	Paired with Version Seven Great Demon Lords	Royal Knights themed

EX-13 Chivalrous XIII

The official Digimon Card Game English account describes EX-13 as featuring all 13 Royal Knights “with a different approach from previous sets”. In practice that means 13 separate decks, each built around one knight, instead of a single mixed “Royal Knights” pile. Every knight also gets a low-pull-rate alternate-art card.

If you only want one knight, buy singles. Thirteen separate decks spread each knight’s key cards thinly across a 24-pack box, so opening a box to complete one deck is the expensive route.

BT-27 Ignition of X

BT-27 is built around the X Antibody. The Royal Knights get support through their X Antibody forms, King Drasil arrives as a card that backs Royal Knights decks, and the new “Dual Cards” mechanic lets you use strong Option effects while digivolving into X Antibody forms. The ST-25 Rubeusdramon and ST-26 Yukinamon starter decks are listed for December 4, 2026, each with a BT-27 pack included, a week before the booster hits stores.

The two sets are designed to work together: EX-13 gives you a base deck for one knight, and BT-27 adds its X Antibody form plus King Drasil.

Premium Battle Set Version Royal Knights

This set went up for US pre-order alongside Version Seven Great Demon Lords, so you can buy two matched decks for a ready-made two-player game. For new players who don’t want to open boosters, it is the easiest way in.

Which knight should you start with? Pick a knight that gets support in both EX-13 and BT-27, so the X Antibody cards and King Drasil add to your deck instead of replacing it. Omnimon and Gallantmon are the safest picks for anime fans, because both have long X Antibody histories going back to Digimon Chronicle. Competitive rankings will shift after BT-27, so treat early tier lists as guesses until tournament results arrive.

Royal Knights vs. Olympos XII vs. Seven Great Demon Lords

The Royal Knights are one of three major Digimon factions: the holy guards, set against the Seven Great Demon Lords (the sins) and the Olympos XII (the mythic gods). Canon says only the Olympos XII rival the knights’ power, while the Demon Lords are their moral opposites.

Faction	Members	Who they serve	Theme	Level
Royal Knights (Chivalrous XIII)	13	Yggdrasill (King Drasil)	Holy knights, Arthurian Round Table	Mega (Magnamon is Armor)
Olympos XII	12	Their own pantheon	Greek and Roman gods	Mega
Seven Great Demon Lords	7	Themselves	The seven deadly sins	Mostly Mega

The Demon Lords are Lucemon (Pride), Leviamon (Envy), Daemon (Wrath), Belphemon (Sloth), Barbamon (Greed), Beelzemon (Gluttony) and Lilithmon (Lust). Frontier links two of the factions in its story, with Dynasmon and Crusadermon serving Lucemon, and the Card Game links them on the shelf with its paired Premium Battle Sets.

What the Royal Knights Are Based On

The Royal Knights draw mainly on King Arthur’s Round Table, and the alternate name “Royal Knights of the Round Table” says so directly. Examon’s Ambrosius and Pendragon’s Glory point to Arthur’s family line. Other members bring in other myths:

• Norse: Kentaurosmon’s Japanese name (Sleipnir) and its Bifrost attack.
• Irish: Craniamon’s spear Brionac and its steed Enbarrmon.
• Crusader history: Crusadermon’s dub name.

The mix is deliberate. The knights are guardians of the Network first and Arthurian heroes second, so their designs blend medieval armor with the dragons, beasts and digital parts that run through Digimon.

Your Next Move as a Royal Knights Fan

The best next step depends on which part of the franchise you follow. Time Stranger owners should clear the Test Match and “Royal Knights, Assemble”, the most complete knights story in any game, and set Alphamon: Ouryuken as the long-term goal. Card players should pick one knight from EX-13 and plan its BT-27 X Antibody upgrade before December 11, 2026. If you’re new to the lore, Data Squad’s final arc shows the order at full strength and sets up every later story.

FAQ

How many Royal Knight Digimon are there?

There are 13 canon Royal Knights. Older sources may say 12 because the 13th seat stayed empty until Jesmon filled it. Time Stranger’s count of 24 comes from a gameplay trait that also covers variants and non-members.

Who are the 13 Royal Knights Digimon?

Omnimon (Omegamon), Alphamon, Gallantmon (Dukemon), Magnamon, UlforceVeedramon (UlforceV-dramon), Dynasmon, Crusadermon (LordKnightmon), Leopardmon (Duftmon), Kentaurosmon (Sleipmon), Craniamon (Craniummon), Examon, Gankoomon and Jesmon.

Which Digimon Royal Knight is the strongest?

No official ranking settles it. Omnimon and Alphamon are the usual top two, and Alphamon: Ouryuken is the strongest single form. In Time Stranger, Omnimon, Examon and Craniamon + Enbarrmon share the Mega + tier.

Do the Royal Knights still exist?

Yes. They star in Digimon Story: Time Stranger (2025), the EX-13 Chivalrous XIII card set (October 2026) and BT-27 Ignition of X (December 2026). In the stories, the order exists in every continuity where Yggdrasill rules, though its role changes between series.

Who is the leader of the Royal Knights?

Yggdrasill (King Drasil) commands the order. Craniamon leads the knights in battle in Data Squad, and Alphamon is the former leader in X-Evolution.

Is Imperialdramon Paladin Mode a Royal Knight?

No. Paladin Mode is the order’s founder but does not hold one of the 13 seats.

Why is Magnamon a Royal Knight if it’s an Armor Digimon?

The Digi-Egg of Miracles gives Magnamon power on par with the Mega knights, and Yggdrasill picks knights for power and loyalty, not level.

Why is Gallantmon a Virus type?

Gallantmon comes from Guilmon, which is Virus. In Digimon, attribute describes how a Digimon’s data is built, not its morality.

Is Gankoomon Vaccine or Data?

Data. Wikimon and Grindosaur’s Time Stranger data both list it as Data, as they do its student Jesmon.

Did Kentaurosmon defeat Gallantmon?

Yes, in Digimon Data Squad (Savers). Gallantmon attacks the human world in the final arc, and Kentaurosmon (Sleipmon) defeats it.

How do you get the Royal Knights in Digimon Story: Time Stranger?

You raise them through digivolution and DNA lines and meet them in side missions. Clear “An Odd Letter” to unlock the Test Match at Central Tower, then finish every knight side mission to open “Royal Knights, Assemble”.

Article notes

KM

Written by Kaito Mills

Kaito Mills writes the Digimon database, evolution line guides, anime coverage from Digimon Adventure onward and fandom history spanning the virtual pets, Western dub and their communities. He checks every entry against the Digimon Reference Book, published game data and card text, cites each source, and lists conflicting anime, game and card evolutions separately so every line stays traceable.

• Fact-checked by Noelle Fairbanks against the sources listed below before publication.
• Published November 11, 2026

Sources (8)

1. Royal Knights - Wikimon (wikimon.net)
2. Royal Knight - Wikimon (wikimon.net)
3. Royal Knights (Savers) - Wikimon (wikimon.net)
4. Dukemon - Wikimon (wikimon.net)
5. Alphamon - Wikimon (wikimon.net)
6. Omegamon (X-evolution) - Wikimon (wikimon.net)
7. Gankoomon - Wikimon (wikimon.net)
8. Jesmon - Wikimon (wikimon.net)

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