Matt is a
secretive loner whose Digimon partner is Gabumon. His younger brother is T.K.
Takaishi whom he cares for very much. In the English-language adaptation, the
two were half-brothers instead of full brothers. Matt's parents are divorced,
and he and his father moved to Odaiba, where his father works at the Fuji TV
Network, Inc. building. He is the bearer of the Crest of Friendship.Matt served the role of a rival to Tai throughout the first season, which led to a large internal conflict at the end of the season as to whether or not Tai was a better older brother to T.K. than he was. He is the holder of the Crest of Friendship, which activated when Joe Kido had risked his life to save T.K. from a Veggiemon and was then being strangled by it. Matt remembered how he had treated Joe earlier for constantly making mistakes and keeping them both stuck working in a diner to pay off the bill for a meal, especially his accusation that Joe was making these mistakes on purpose. Realizing that, he also realized that he could not win his battles alone (a revelation that was finalized in his mind much later in the series) and needed the help of everyone, including Joe. Matt lived with his father, who divorced his mother a long time ago, separating him and his brother as well. He has one encounter with his mother which doesn't go well. Although T.K. was ecstatic to have his whole family together (if only for a minute), Matt refused to say much more than "Hi Mom," to her. This encounter unearths some lingering resentments in him that linger even after he returns to the Digital World.