One era of anime that no '90s through early 2000's kid can forget is the age of the trading card and pocket monsters. This is the era that many children were introduced to series such as PokémonDigimonYu-Gi-Oh!MedabotsDuel Masters, and more. Of course, the two that many have always been compared to one another are Digimon and Pokémon.

RELATED: Digimon: 5 Pokémon Tai & Agumon Could Beat (& 5 They'd Lose To)

Fans of these two series have butted heads for years, fighting over which series does what better. Digimon is the better of the two for a good reason. The series actually does quite a few things much better than its similar brother, Pokémon. Some of these things are very obvious while others aren't as much.

10 Better Storylines: Pokémon has some great stories, but they aren't on the same level as Digimon

Better Storylines digimon

Digimon has some of the best storylines out there, in fact, many fans believe it to be one of the most well-written series out there. This is of course not only true of the great anime series but the amazing animated films of the series as well.

While Pokémon has some great stories, they aren't on the same level as Digimon for many reasons. One of those reasons is the storylines that involve fan-favorite characters. At face value, it may seem like Pokémon does this as well, but it lacks one feature that Digimon boasts...

9 Evolving Characters: we can see Digimon's characters grow into adults

digimon adult

The Digimon series has involved some of the same characters that were present in the original run of the anime in many different installments of the anime. From different anime series to films, the original cast has reappeared many times, much to the happiness of longtime fans.

While Pokémon does this as well with Ash and his endless run as the main character, Digimon makes it feel more real and relatable to longtime fans with the original characters visually growing into adults. This makes them feel even more iconic.

8 Cast Changes: Digimon brought different casts & digital monsters for the many installments it had

digimon series 2

While Digimon may bring back the original cast many times, they aren't the only leading cast of the many installments of the series.

Originally, each series of the Digimon anime presented viewers with new casts, replacing those of the previous installment. These ranged from completely new characters and digital monsters to the children of the original cast who had grown up and left the world of Digimon behind.

7 Original Designs: Digimon always unveiled exciting & original character designs

devimon

One thing that Digimon fans praise is how crazy the designs of the Digimon can get. This is something that fans of Pokémon might appreciate, as one of the more recent complaints of the series echoed is the belief that the designs are getting less exciting and original.

RELATED: Digimon: 5 Digital Monsters We Wish Existed (& 5 We're Happy That Don't) 

The Digimon series seems to be the superior series when it comes to an endless well of great designs that all feel like the maximum effort was put into them. This is also backed up by Digimon fans never really hating the designs of the series either.

6 More 'Out There' Evolution Branches: its evolution branches added a fun element & introduced some epic transformations

digimon forms

Digimon also boasts some of the craziest evolution branches in just about anything, with different Digimon being able to Digivolve into types that don't even resemble their original forms.

This means that different base form Digimon can end up evolving into the same form three forms sooner or later down the road. This adds a fun element to the series that isn't present in Pokémon. It also leads to some epic transformations.

5 Darker Storylines: many times the stakes are much higher

Darker Storylines digimon

Another thing that Digimon has that keeps older fans in love with the animated installments of the series is the darker storylines that are revealed.

In Digimon, many times the stakes are much higher, while still presenting a lot of laughs and levity moments in the series. This makes for a much more well-rounded series.

4 Better Villians: dangerous & powerful villains add some much-needed suspense

digimon villians

With better and darker storylines comes much more interesting villains headlining the different arcs.

As each season moves on, these villains get much stronger and actually are dangerous. This adds some much-needed suspense.

3 Transformations: characters can constantly change in each episode

ominimon

The Transformations in Digimon are one of the best things about the series, with characters constantly changing in each episode.

With the ability to go back to base form, these transformations always manage to show up and never lose their luster.

2 Better Written Characters: At the top of the chart is the original cast of characters

digimon grown ups

Digimon also boasts some of the best-written characters out of all the "collectible monster" anime series.

RELATED: Digimon: 10 Ways Kari Changed Between Adventure & 02 

At the top of the chart is the original cast of characters who are the poster children for how to do a growing cast of characters perfectly.

1 Better Toys: they have the added value of the many epic Digivice designs

digivice toys

One point of contention for the Pokémon vs Digimon conversation is "which series has the better toys?" While there are good points for both sides, Digimon has to be the clear winner.

Not only are the designs better and lend themselves to figures more, they also have the added value of the many epic Digivice designs. How could anyone say no to those when their competition is the Pokédex?

NEXT: Digimon Adventure: Every Digi-Destined & Their Partner's Strongest Digivolution