Transformations

One of the most distinguishing aspects of anime is transformations. If you need reminding what transformations are, here's a prototype!

"I won't let you get away with this!!!"

The protagonists, or sometimes the antagonists undergo vast changes to bring forth something new, something exciting, something awesome! On this line, I thought, why not make a list, or countdown of the best anime transformations I’ve seen? Immediately working on the idea, and weighing the options for quite a while, and changing the list God knows how many times, I came up with the following finalists.

So.. here we go!

10.

Anime: Sonic X

Character: Sonic.

Transformation: Super sonic.

I don't have to say a lot about this one. Fusing with the chaos emeralds, the spiky haired, golden speedster gets the beginning of our list.

9.

Anime: Inazuma Eleven.

Character: Fubuki Shirou/Shawn Frost.

Transformation: Ace striker Atsuya.

Perhaps the least known character in the list. As a huge fan of soccer, I have seen a lot of sports anime. And this transformation, and dat shoot, is still one of the best things I saw. When you’re the perfect defender, suddenly turning into your devastating forward twin brother adds to your awesomeness. And it's a way to play for an entire team by yourself, and even beat the protagonist team on your own!

“Listen up carefully.. I’m the ace striker, fubuki shirou!”

8.

Anime: Yu Yu Hakusho.

Character: Yusuke.

Transformation: Mazoku/Demon form.

We all wonder about our ancestors sometimes.. And it helps if yours is a three thousand year old Demon lord who shakes countries in hunger. Things get crazy when he suddenly decides that you are not using your powers well and possesses you. Even though it may not match the immense effects of other transformations, with one of the best fighting themes, I think one of the most different, and stylish shonen protagonists has to take the spot.

“Don’t be so Sure.. your luck could run out!”

7.

Anime: Naruto Shippuden.

Character: Uzumaki naruto.

Transformation: Four tails form jinchuriki.

Perhaps a very odd choice, and a rather ignored transformation in the anime. But overall, I liked the effects, the soundtrack is amazing (yeah, akatsuki themes are the best), the buildup is great.. and it’s better than the other overpowered transformations, which are also a bit of fan service. The overall setting leaves you rooted to your chair as we get an awesome shot of kyubi, and we see the carefree, hard working, but kind naruto goes on a free monstrous rampage for the first time in shippuden.

“In my life.. I have only been that close to death twice. First was when I was peeking at some girls and tsunade beat the life out of me. And second was when I was training naruto.. and the fourth tail appeared.”

6.

Anime: Bleach.

Character: Kurosaki ichigo.

Transformation: Final Getsuga tenshou.

Ichigo is all full of confidence after the training, facing aizen, the man who singlehandedly slaughtered gotei 13. He seems to have a good reason for confidence, but aizen undergoes another transformation. As we get worried considering the general tradition of anime and transformations, ichigo reveals his trump card. Living true to his single technique fighting style, he still brings the attack to an entirely new level. "Mugetsu", or "Blackest night", The impact on the series, the soundtrack, and the overall awesomeness brings it all the way up here.

“The final getsuga tenshou is when I.. become getsuga.”

5.

Anime: Tenchi muyo!

Character: Tenchi masaki.

Transformation: (?) kami tenchi.

Say hello to the most powerful being in fiction. Well, instead of saying a lot, I’ll just say, a transformation that shakes every dimension, scares multiversal creators, and about to shatter the multiverse by accident.. has to be here.

“It’s quaking.. The hyper dimension is quaking!”

4.

Series: Power rangers.

Character: Leanbow:

Transformation: Wolf warrior.

Surprised? I was, too. Revisiting some old series, I saw that power rangers really had something in them. The cool designs, the colours, the sparks! At least once in our lifetime we have wanted to become a ranger, or go and invent it in the future. And realised that power rangers is the reason we expect a large explosion every time someone undergoes transformation, or fusion! As the only non-anime transformation on the list, Leanbow/Koragg being my favourite character in the series, and having the coolest suit, and overcome by the nostalgia, the wolf warrior made it to the list.

“Burning heart of fire, defender of truth, Wolf warrior!”

3.

Anime: gurren lagann.

Character: Simon/ Guren lagann.

Transformation: Tengen toppa Guren lagann.

Do I have to say more? This is something that relit my interest in mecha animes. Mech larger than galaxies! Galactic shurikerns! More so, it was accompanied by one of the most beautiful soundtracks of anime. It just had to be on the list!

"Don’t underestimate us! Whether it be time, space, or alternate realities, they mean nothing to us. We will pierce the path and methods you’ve chosen! That is who we are, The Dai-Gurren Brigade!"

2.

Anime: Dragon ball Z

Character: Son Gohan.

Transformation: Super saiyan 2/ Super saiyan Grade 5.

The ending pretty much says it all! With cell’s arrogance, and heroes losing, we were all looking forward to gohan snapping like he had done before. We had seen him fight raditz, nappa, frieza.. and it was about time he used his potential to the fullest. And that, he did!

"But it is because you cherish life that you must protect it. Please.. drop your restraints. Protect the life I once loved.. you have the strength, my scanners sensed it.. Just.. let it go.."

1.

Manga: Bastard!!

Character: Dark Schneider.

Transformation: Dragon Knight Lucifer.

As the sequence is quite large, a spoiler is in order:

I apologise for not cutting a few more pages, but each and every one of those panels is absolute brilliance. Be sure not to skip!

Adding few bonus pages:

Though it's almost impossible to resist posting all the volume here, I think this should be enough.

This is what we get!

While it looks like DS is going to suffer his first defeat, he turns the tables back in his favour. As if he already wasn’t epic enough, they decide to give him what is, perhaps, coolest mecha I’ve seen till date. We have heard about it throughout the series, and the first time we get to see it. And it lives upto every expectation! Sadly, there isn’t an anime counterpart, but I decided even the manga itself was too great to let this one go for such a little reason.

Hands down, the most badass character in anime world deserves this spot, if not even higher.

“My life.. you are not going to take it. Come forth! Dragon Knight Lucifer!” #Epic

That concludes our list.

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Honorable mentions:

Monkey D. Luffy- Gear second.

Alucard - Level zero.

Mitetsukami - yokai form.

Rikuo: yokai form.

And a lot others.

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First, I tried to keep it diverse, in genre, in style, in origin.

I do know that power rangers/super sentai is not an anime.

Sadly, girl transformations didn’t seem as cool to me. I know there are a lot of awesome ones, and I had a few in consideration, but they just didn't cut into the top ten.

Also, I gave the more recognized characters a little edge, as I can see it’s pretty annoying when someone makes a list and you don’t know a thing about any of the listed ones.

Being my first blog post, feel free to point out if I made some mistakes.

Lastly, If you find better print of anything listed, or upload it yourself sometime, please let me know.

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So! How did you find it?

Any intense ones I outrageously forgot about?

Anyone deserves a higher spot?

Any other details you'd like to mention?

Discuss! But do remember that it is my list, consisting of personal opinion!

-Prince Aragorn1