Anime's Best OP Transformations
Descriptions
Plenty of characters in anime are already powerful as they are, but for some characters, their natural form is not strong enough. Anime transformations are always exciting to watch, as characters push themselves to the next level and change their bodies to represent new power levels, new abilities, and maybe even a new mindset. It's a literal form of personal growth.
The idea of transformations really took off with Super Saiyan mode in the Dragon Ball Z anime, and while DBZ has many outstanding transformation sequences, so do other anime series. Heroes and villains alike might turn into giants, grim reapers, chainsaw devils, or a magical girl if it means they can win the next fight.
Some of the homunculi in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood can transform, such as Envy turning into a giant lizard-dog, while Greed hardens his skin and assumes a more demonic form. He rearranges his body's carbon atoms to create an unbreakable skin, and he also has enhanced speed and agility, in addition to claws for offense.
In this transformed state, Greed can rush across a battlefield and tear apart enemy troops, vehicles, and more with impunity. The only way to breach his defenses is to know that Greed's armor is carbon and rearrange it via alchemy to make it soft like pencil lead. That's how protagonist Edward Elric fought back during their duel.
9 100% Power (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Younger Toguro might not consider his abilities a true transformation in Yu Yu Hakusho, but he does change form as he powers up, so it's close enough. Toguro won't start a fight at full power; he will use a percentage of his potential strength, and if the opponent is worthy, he will increase the percentage one phase at a time.
Eventually, Toguro will have 100% of his power on display, which physically transforms him into a gray-skinned, demonic version of himself with bizarre proportions and even small appendages to make him look scarier. It was a miracle that protagonist Yusuke Urameshi defeated him in their duel.
8 Chainsaw Man Mode (Chainsaw Man)
In the Chainsaw Man anime universe, most humans power up by making contracts with certain devils to borrow their power, such as Himeno using the ghost devil or Aki using the fox devil's power in combat. Protagonist Denji is different, having fused with Pochita to become a devil/human hybrid.
Denji properly transforms when he uses devil power, which sets him apart from his other devil hunter allies. His head becomes demonic, featuring a chainsaw and sharp teeth, and his arms have chainsaws coming out of them, too. In that state, Denji is far tougher and faster than normal and can drink blood to heal.
7 Attack Titan Form (Attack On Titan)
Only a few humans in Attack on Titan can willingly transform into a Titan and back again. The Nine Titan Shifters are a power unlike any other in this universe, and protagonist Eren Yeager has used not one, but three of them. The Founding Titan has the potential to destroy the world. In conventional combat, however, his Attack Titan form is the strongest.
Eren can morph into this form to protect himself and deal enormous damage to his enemies, especially if he borrows moves from the likes of Annie Leonhart. True to its name, the Attack Titan is designed purely for combat, while the Armored Titan is meant for defense and the Cart Titan is devoted to transport.
6 Arrogante (Bleach)
All Arrancars in the Bleach franchise can release their zanpakuto to assume their original Hollow forms and power up. The strongest transformations belong to the Espadas, the top ten Arrancars, and some of those transformation modes are stronger than Soul Reaper Captains.
The 2nd Espada, Barragan Luisenbairn, can release his zanpakuto, Arrogante, to become a grim reaper with an ax named Gran Caida. His spiritual presence in this form is titanic, and most of all, he can rapidly age anything to make it slow down, break apart, and rot into nothing. On defense, that makes him practically invulnerable in battle, and he can make any opponent's body, weapons, or attacks crumble to dust.
5 Gear 5 (One Piece)
Recently in the One Piece manga—and even more recently in the anime—protagonist Monkey D. Luffy finally awakened his Gum-Gum Fruit in the fight against Kaido, an Emperor of the New World. Luffy's other Gears were all impressive transformations, but nothing in that universe can top the cartoony power of Gear 5.
This new Gear allows Luffy to use Looney Tunes physics to completely subvert the combat system and do practically anything he can imagine, even against Kaido. He has yet to realize Gear 5's full potential since it's so new, but so far, Luffy is on track to have one of anime's greatest transformations of all time.
4 Baryon Mode (Boruto)
Protagonist Naruto Uzumaki used a variety of fascinating transformations as a jinchuriki and Sage Mode user throughout the Naruto anime, but he wasn't done yet. Later, in the Boruto anime, Hokage Naruto Uzumaki unveiled Baryon Mode, which consumes chakra to form a new energy source.
In Baryon Mode, Naruto is nigh-untouchable, and can even take on the likes of Isshiki with relative ease. Potentially, Naruto can even drain an opponent's lifespan with a touch, since all chakra is connected. However, Baryon Mode is also risky to use, and Naruto might drain away his own lifespan if he uses this transformed mode carelessly.
3 Gold Experience Requiem (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
It's rare for people to transform in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, but their Stands can transform, such as if they're struck by the Stand Arrow. That was the case in Golden Wind when protagonist Giorno Giovanna found the Stand Arrow in Rome and saw Gold Experience transform into a new state.
Gold Experience Requiem was all Giorno needed to defeat his mighty adversary, Diavolo. GER trapped Diavolo in an infinite loop of various deaths, and no Stand in the world could save him. That makes GER one of the strongest and most terrifying transformations in not just JoJo's, but all of anime.
2 Perfected Ultra Instinct (Dragon Ball Super)
The Dragon Ball franchise is home to some of anime's best and most powerful transformations of all, such as the unforgettable classic Super Saiyan mode with its blond hair and yellow aura. Over time, this franchise kept upping the ante with newer and even stronger forms, and Perfected Ultra Instinct is the most advanced form yet.
When this transformation is complete, protagonist Son Goku can surpass even the Gods of Destruction in power levels, and that's saying a lot. This was the form Goku needed to fight on par with a fully powered-up Jiren and casually toss aside Jiren's best attacks, much to the delight of fans everywhere.
1 Moon Prism Power Make Up (Sailor Moon)
Usagi Tsukino, or Sailor Moon, has more than shojo-style flair with her trademark transformation. She uses Moon Prism Power Make Up to become an iconic magical girl, and she has the potential to become stronger than Goku himself. She can even control time, space, and reality itself with her Sailor Cosmos form.
All that is an incredible glow-up for what is normally an ordinary teenage girl living in Japan. Sailor Moon may not seem like much as Usagi Tsukino, but in her ultimate magical girl forms, Usagi can stand up to and even surpass shonen's mightiest warriors—with or without the other Sailors backing her up.
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