Anime transformations area staple of the genre.They’re one of the best ways of signaling that a character has undergone a physical, mental, or spiritual transformation, telling the audience that a whole new version of them is set to hit the scene. Some of the best transformations are power-ups, giving a character the strength they need to take down an otherwise unbeatable enemy. While there has been hundreds of anime transformations over the years, only some of them are good enough to change the entire industry.
Some series, likeDragon Ball Z,are known for their transformations.DBZhas dozens of different forms and power boosts, but that doesn’t necessarily make them good enough to change the industry at large.Only a few transformations in anime are so powerfulthat they’ve changed the way people look at transformations as a whole.
Dandadanexploded in popularity when the anime was released. It’s a fresh, hilarious, lighthearted series about two charactersuncovering phenomenal supernatural powersand the power of friendship at the same time. While Momo gets great psychic powers early in the first season, the real treasure of the show comes from Okarun’s transformation. Before meeting Momo and Turbo Granny, he was a quiet, reserved character who didn’t speak up for himself. After his transformation, he’s almost too cool to be recognized.
Okarun gets the Turbo Granny power-up andgivesDandadanthe uniqueness it needsto stand out from other anime series. Okarun’s transformation from a socially awkward young man into a force to be reckoned with gave transformations as a whole a revitalization. With Turbo Granny’s powers, Okarun flies through the battlefield, takes on the scariest enemies imaginable, and even calls Ayasa-san Momo-chan like they’ve been friends for years.
Berserk
Berserkis an anime defined by its main character, Guts. He’sone of anime and manga’s deadliest one-man-armieswho fights more viciously than any other character in the series. While he’s undergone a few transformations as a character, none were quite as pivotal as when Guts finally acquired the titular Berserker Armor. It’s an armor unlike any other in that it doesn’t actually protect Guts from damage. Instead, it makes himstop caring about painand breaks his body in an attempt to cause insane damage to his enemies.
When Guts finally gets the Berserker Armor,Berserkreally catches its stride. It was always a great series for manga readers, but the Berserker Armor really set the stage for the Black Swordsman tofinally be the beast he truly is. It also defined his character as a man focused on revenge, sacrificing his body and sanity if it means slaying the God Hand who terrorized him so thoroughly.
Chainsaw Manisone of the best new anime seriesof the last decade. It stars Denji as the titular Chainsaw Man in a world filled with Devils, people trying to stop them, and so much more. Denji was an outcast of society who found a friend in Pochita, the Chainsaw Devil. When Pochita sacrificed himself so that Denji could live, Denji’s life finally got the meaning he was looking for. He was able to transform into the Chainsaw Man and take down his enemies with a crazy amount of ferocity.
Chainsaw Man’s 10 Coolest Devil Designs That Prove Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Genius
Chainsaw Man features some of the most chaotic action in modern Shonen, and the devils that Denji fights showcase their creator’s genius.
Denji’s transformation is equal partsfunny and heartbreaking.It’s a reminder of what it cost Denji to reach this point, but it’s still pretty funny to see several chainsaws protrude out of a man’s face and limbs. His transformation in a unique one in the industry and certainly made the industry at large better for it.
After over 1,000 episodes, it’s incredible to think thatOne Pieceis still as excitingas the day it came out, if not even more exciting now. The animation quality has improved immeasurably, the characters are still as lovable as ever, and somehow, Luffy is still getting stronger. Luffy has had a decent number of power-ups and transformations in the series, but none are quite as pivotal asLuffy’s transformation into Gear 5during his fight against Kaido in Wano.
Luffy’s Gear 5 form isn’t just monumental because of how cool it was, it proved thatOne Pieceand Eiichiro Oda still have plenty of story to tell. Most anime series have a hard time getting through a single 12-episode season -One Piecedoes not.1,000 episodes later, it’s still just as captivating to see Luffy fight as it was during episode 100. His Gear 5 transformation is heart-pounding, jaw-dropping, and ferocious all at the same time.
Deku is one of the new modern heroes of shōnen. He’s a brave, strong young man who uses the powers given to him about as well as anyone could in his position. As a Quirk-less person in a society that values Quirks above all else,Deku was left severely disadvantaged until he got One-For-All, the second-strongest Quirk in the series. The only downside to using One-For-All was that Deku’s body couldn’t handle the force that it was put through when using the Quirk.
When Deku discovered how to use Full Cowl, however, that all changed. He figured out a way to channel the Quirk throughout his entire body so that he could distribute the strain placed on him. Through this transformation,My Hero Academiachanged from a show about someone who could be powerful into a show about someone who finally is. After using Full Cowl, Deku was finally able to take his Quirk to the heights that it deserved.
Dragon Ballis a franchise known for its transformations. Goku has been part of nearly all of them, including a Great Ape form, Kaio-ken used to double his attack power, and the legendary Super Saiyan form as well. WhenDragon Ball Supercame out, it seemed likeDragon Ballas a franchise would just be reusing the same old tricks in an attempt to bring their series back to life. While that might be the case, Goku achieving Ultra Instinctrevitalized the series like only a Saiyan could.
TheUltra Instinct form broke Crunchyroll’s serverswhen it was first revealed during the Tournament of Power in a fight against Jiren. It’s a form that allows Goku to fight at an entirely different level, and even the Destroyer Gods watching the Tournament couldn’t help but get on their feet in awe. Just like Luffy’s Gear 5 transformation inOne Piece,Ultra Instinct proved thatDragon Ballwas far from finished.
4Gon using Limitation Transformation
Hunter x Hunter
Gon’s Limitation Transformation during the Chimera Ant Arc ofHunter x Hunterwasjust as much mental as it was physical.Throughout the series, Gon has always been a light-hearted, caring boy filled with curiosity. When he saw Kite die, however, something inside of him changed permanently. He gained a much darker side that came out in his fight against Pitou when he decided to trade his entire future in order to gain the strength needed to kill the Chimera Ant.
Gon used a Limitation Transformation to sacrifice his potential to draw it all to the current moment, growing significantly in size. While Pitou is one of the strongest villains inHunter x Hunter,she didn’t hold a candle to the newly changed Gon.Hunter x Hunteris no stranger to dark moments, butnone were darker than this one.Gon couldn’t care less if he died right after the fight, so long as he could take Pitou with him.
Narutois another shōnen series withplenty of transformations.Narutohimself has multiple tailed beast forms, a form where he shares his power with Kurama, and another form that comes directly from the Sage of Six Paths himself. His base Sage Form is different from all of them though, as it’s the only form that Naruto actually earned by himself. Every other form was either given to him or is derived from someone else’s power.
Every Naruto Form Ranked From Weakest To Strongest
From being the weakest to not being in control of his abilities to becoming the strongest shinobi, Naruo has truly proven himself.
Naruto himself had to go to Mount Myoboku to acquire this form to get the strength needed to finally defeat Pain and protect his village from the Akatsuki once and for all. This form is significant for that reason, as it adds another layer of depth to Naruto’s character. While he’s never been weak in spirit, working for this form showed thateven Naruto can work hardto achieve the results he’s looking for.
Attack on Titanisone of the most titanic anime seriesof the last decade and some change. It features Eren Yeager and his friends as they look to survive the horrors of the titans and discover the world that lies beyond them. At first, the Titans were seen as a mythical force that could hardly be understood. As time went on in the series, however, the main cast of characters got to learn the truth behind their enemies. Titans aren’t just random beasts, but people transformed using Titan serum.
Even worse, some people are capable of transformingintoTitans, like the Colossal and Armored Titans that broke down the Walls and killed Eren’s mother. It wasa jaw-dropping realizationwhen it first hit screens back in the mid 2010s, and it changed the industry forever. Anime transformations used to be fun, exciting moments. After the Titans, they finally had the potential to be frightening.
Goku’s first transformation into the legendary Super Saiyan form inDragon Ball Zis just that - legendary. It’sthe biggest transformation in animebecause of what it means for the anime industry as a whole. Most series feature their main characters with their backs against the wall, looking for some way to surpass their limit and beat unbeatable odds. None had done it quite as well asDragon Ball Z,showcasing their main character in hues of gold and yellow.
Dragon Ball: All 21 Canon Super Saiyan Transformations
Most Dragon Ball fans have heard of the Super Saiyan transformation, but there are most versions of this power-up than it may first appear.
Goku’s transformation was clear as day.His hair became gold, his muscles ripped through his shirt, and his demeanor became much more serious. It’s the top transformation in anime because of how well it shows off Goku’s intention as a warrior and both his physical and mental transformation during his fight with Frieza. His speech is also one of the best in anime, proclaiming that he is the “hope of the universe” and the person to finally end Frieza’s reign.
