Merukimon Time Stranger is bad

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is out now and offers another lavish, narrative adventure in the digital world. Like its predecessors, Digimon Story: Time Stranger combines turn-based combat with the long, epic narrative of a sci-fi RPG, though it's defined by its vast selection of collectible creatures, more than 450 in this latest entry.

This dizzying army Pokemon-esque creature is as charming as ever and features a number of classics carrying much of the franchise's history. One Digimon Story: Time Stranger Cast member Merukimon in particular has gained a lot of attention over the years, causing a lot of confusion about his name: he's actually supposed to be called Mercurymon, a moniker that has a lot of meaning to his personality, story, and abilities. So it's worth asking why this incredibly powerful and iconic Digimon is called Merukimon instead, which feels more like a jumbled assortment of random syllables than an homage to the great Roman god.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger: Why isn't Merukimon named Mercurymon?

Mercurymon is named after the Roman god of communication, intellect and commerce

Digimon is full of references to various real-world mythological frameworks, but one of the franchise's most obvious parallels to ancient spiritual lore is the group of Olympos XII, or the 12 gods of Olympus. These dozen Shaman Digimon are incredibly powerful, so it's only fitting that they correlate with the noble, revered gods of ancient Rome. Some examples of these parallels include:

Apollomon: inspired by Apollo, the God of Music
Dianamon: inspired by Diana, goddess of the hunt
Marsmon: inspired by Mars, God of War

These inspirations often go deeper than the etymological level. In the case of Mercurymon, this manifests itself in a penchant for speed, travel and communication. Mercurymon is known as the fastest Digimon in the Digital World and his weapon, Aztec, can cut holes in space-time. It is notoriously difficult to pin down because it never stays in one place for long. He also displayed strong leadership qualities, making smart decisions for the sake of long-term peace between Digimon and humanity, such as when he saves the heroes Digimon Data Squad.

These qualities are clear extrapolations of Mercury, especially speed, communication, travel and cunning. Mercury is also often considered one of the more peaceful and level-headed Roman gods, although he has a penchant for mischief and mischief. Merukimon is one of the more intelligent members of Olympos XII and his leadership and movement skills are clear. So why isn't he named Mercurymon in games like Digimon Story: Time Stranger?

Mercury is commonly accepted as a romanization of the Greek god Hermes, which is why the above description may sound familiar Hades and God of War fans.

Merukimon was not mistranslated — Mercuremon was

It is generally believed that “Merukimon” is the result of a translation error, and this is true, but in a roundabout way. Before Merukimon was introduced in 2007 Digimon Data SquadA Digimon named Mercuremon debuted in 2002 on the show Digimon Frontier. Characterized by its strength over steel, this Digimon was translated to “Mercurymon” by the English localization team, either by mistake or because it simply sounded similar to Mercuremon. So when it came time to localize Mercurymon for the English versions Digimon Data Squad (his debut), the name has already been taken.

It's not clear why Merukimon was chosen over something else (even Mercuremon would have been better, though it might have been a bit confusing). It's a shame because this contradiction sets Merukimon apart from the other members of Olympos XII and leads to a less poetic synergy between his character and his name. But after so many years, this naming fiasco is unlikely to be reversed.