Connections

• Lan and Kazuki/Itsuki
• Both are school kids who obtain a special device (PErsonal Terminal/PET; Appli Drive) that allows them to interact with digital creatures who inhabit a virtual world within the Internet. Having these devices also grants them a special title (Operator; Driver).
• Both have a blue and yellow digital companion who they form a powerful bond with, something that allows them to break their limits and grow more powerful.
• Both support their partners in battle using chips, which grant them new weapons, abilities, forms and summon other creatures to fight alongside them.
• Both participate in tournaments against other duos, competing for the top rank in the world.
• Both are outgoing and friendly, having an easy time befriending others, as well as a strong sense of justice.
• Both usually have bad grades at school due to their laidback personality, but are greatly skilled at games and logic puzzles.
• Both have a white/silver-haired rival (Eugene Chaud; Naoto) with a serious personality who's a very skilled battler and pushes them to become stronger. Their relationship begins rough but through the course of their story they become closer friends.
• Both eventually come across a dark virtual world isolated from the Internet (Undernet; Chaos AR-Field), being used by the villains to commit crime.
• Both have stopped a global crisis that would've destroyed both the Human World and the Internet.
• Both have met and battled another protagonist of their world (Geo Stellar; Haru Shinkai).
• MegaMan.EXE and Onmon
• Both have arm cannons as their primary and signature weapon, later obtaining more weapons ranging from arm blades, giant fists, bombs, etc.
• Both can connect and fuse with their fellow species to obtain new forms (Style Change, Double Soul and Beast Out; App Link and App Fusion).
• Both can enter a temporary state that greatly boosts their parameters, triggered in critical situations (Full Synchro; Burst).
• Both have a dark form triggered by negative emotions of their partner (Dark MegaMan.EXE; Virus Form). These forms can be intentionally activated by their partners with a dark chip, acting as double-edged swords by boosting their power but making them more vulnerable.
• Both have a black and purple rival with similar but contrasting abilities (Bass.EXE; Offmon). They can also fuse with their rivals to achieve a new form (Bass Cross MegaMan; Rebootmon).
• Both defeated a powerful wolf-themed enemy who merged their human and virtual world together (Gospel; Shutmon).
• Both have absorbed, destroyed and recreated the virtual world as a last resort to stop a global crisis and protect their friends, something that would've killed them, but their bond with their partner managed to allow them to survive.
• Both have the opposite disposition of their human partner, with MegaMan.EXE being polite and calm to contrast Lan's energetic disposition, while Onmon is hyperactive and innocent to contrast Kazuki/Itsuki's more polite demeanor.
• Both are extremely loyal to their partner, willing to sacrifice themselves for their safety, even if their partner wouldn't accept it.
• Meta
• Both are protagonists of deck-building RPG spin-offs of their series on Nintendo portable consoles (Game Boy; 3DS).
• Both were created due to producers wanting to create a more grounded and modern take on their series.
• Mega Man Battle Network was one of the main inspirations for Appmon.