History(MY NOTE: This may get pretty long, but I'll admit that there's a lot of stuff I feel like putting in here. And for those that are interested, Ian Hoffman is my actual name, something I'm not afraid to mention for SSQ purposes.)
**PART ONE: Before Becoming a Quester**
The history of Ian "Digifanatic" Hoffman and his associations with the Questers is certainly an interesting one. He was born in the year 1986 AD, but it was shortly before he turned ten when an indirect encounter with potential catastrophe changed his life from then on. He and a friend from school became witness to a ravaging Internet virus named Diaboromon. Unlike most bugs, this virus was one of many different species of Digimon, a name the two were not aware of at the time. They would become more familiar with the term and the mysterious creatures' backgrounds through a female schoolmate they would meet later in their grade school lives. Conversation turned into fascination, and this interest indirectly led to his nickname that he is often referred to by fellow Questers and related beings.
A few years after the Diaboromon crisis, in 1999, Ian and his friend had their suspicions and even ambitions fulfilled, becoming forces in a worldwide group of people known as the "Digidestined," or "Chosen Children" (these are two most well-known names--other literal translations varied throughout Earth), sent to aid crises in a place known as the Digital World. Without taking much time to think, they realized that their purpose for being "drafted" into this other-worldly force of warriors was their witnessing of Diaboromon's defeat, and that their destinies would help save both the Digital World and Earth alike. The girl previously mentioned would also be asked to fight for the Digital World that same day, but with a different backstory.
**PART TWO: A Troubling First Tenure**
However, the same night he received the call for the Digital World, Ian heard of a completely different group of fighters in the Questers. The rumor goes that it wasn't through a random warp, but through a Nintendian in good cahuts with the Questers at the time, trying to go to different lands (and time periods) to recruit potential fighters. Digi decided to join the Questers instead of fighting for the Digital World, but not without taking the Digivice he received from the Digital World (as a symbol of his multiple scenarios). This entry to SSQ began during the middle of Season 1. (In the Digimon anime, this would about coincide with the beginning of the second season--think the one with the computer warps and the Digieggs if you forget which one is which.)
Everything started out well, but soon enough, tensions flared due to his behavior, considered not very proper for such a force like the Questers. After a while, it got to be too annoying for his fellow Questers to handle and Digi had no choice but to leave. Ironically, it was his mature decision idea to leave. Even worse, upon his return to Earth, he learned that all of the Digital World crises had ended, leaving Ian at an inarguable low in his life to that point. (Because it wasn't necessary after his return to Earth, he has still never learned who his Digimon partner would have been had he not sided with the Questers.)
**PART THREE: The Comeback Trail**
He had gone through the rest of his adolescence as normally as possible. In fact, he left his ex-Questership out of his mind and just concentrated with events on Earth (though he eventually went to the Digital World on occasion, which gladly accepted his presence despite Digi intitially rejecting its call). After maturing considerably since being a Quester, he felt like he wanted one chance to end his relationship with the Questers on a good note. Four years after his first tenure began, Ian returned. One mission turned into a successful second tenure, lasting nearly nine seasons.
During that second stint, he made many new friends and encountered new enemies to face, as well as having to deal with some old faces from his first stint. Around Season 9, conversation with him and fellow Quester Scott Gibson led to Digi becoming a part of the Quester musical ensemble Side Quest as a keyboard player. Nowadays, he keeps the spirits of Side Quest and Gibson's contributions alive in the same way he does with the Digital World--how else--but by using one of his keyboards to launch a sonic attack at his target.
**PART FOUR: Five Years and Counting**
After the true defeat of The Void, Digi, in a difficult decision as to whether to stay with the Questers' planet or return to Earth, stayed there. Since then, he became occupied with many things: first, he finished off intellectual studies he would have otherwised missed due to not being on Earth, keeping up with appropriate levels of knowledge as necessary. Second, he continued to stay active in the music business, both as a member of Side Quest and doing occasional solo spots. Third, he took his charisma and interest in competition to the commentary booth, often covering sports matches/races/tournaments and similar events of various forms. By managing his time, he became one of the most friendly faces in the planet's society, a trait he has kept into his third stint as a Quester.
In the most recent season, he learned that the Quester HQ's technology would allow him to visit Earth when he felt the occasion was necessary. He simply told Metal that he was fooled for five years. After making a temporary absence, Ian has since gone to his old practices of occasional communication (usually letters) to family and friends. What will come out of the veteran Quester in the future? Time will tell.
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