Shōnen anime has always been defined by some of the best transformations in anime, and the latest generation has proven that they’ve gotten the memo. Not every shōnen series features a jaw-dropping transformation,but when a series pulls it off, it’s always for the better.
Transformations in anime are pretty simple. They feature a character who wasn’t strong enough, transforming physically and mentally into a new version of themselves, capable of surpassing whatever obstacle that initially stood in their way. Their new appearance is always amazing, showcasing the newly transformed character in an entirely different light.
Transformations are almost the most exciting aspect of a series as well. The moment a character transforms, viewers know that something big is about to happen. Transformations mark a change in both the character and the story itself, as the transformed characters are now on a different level than they were moments before.
David Martinez has one ofthe most tragic transformations in animethat falls perfectly in line with the overall theme ofCyberpunk: Edgerunners.In Night City, nothing comes for free, especially power. David’s transformation gives him the opportunity to save Lucy, but it costs him his sanity, and eventually, his life.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunnersis one ofthe best anime series that’s less than 15 episodes long. It tells an unbelievably gripping story in just 10 episodes, proving that an anime series doesn’t need a huge run time to be great.
David uses both the Sandevistan and a new Cyberskeleton he finds to turn himself into a Night City legend. He’s one of the few people in the entire series capable of wielding such power, but he can’t wield it for long. He holds off the brutal Adam Smasher for as long as he can, but even his transformation isn’t a real challenge for the behemoth.
Asta is destined to becomeone of the leaders of the newest generation of shōnen anime.He’s everything that a shōnen protagonist should be; he’s determined, loyal, brave, and headstrong enough to carry himself through the toughest battles. When he finally got his newest and most powerful form, his standing as a shōnen great was sealed.
Asta is one of the few characters inBlack Cloverto not have any magical ability whatsoever. While most people would have seen this as a negative, Asta turned it into a positive. His lack of magic also allows him to use Anti-Magic,the strongest type of Magic inBlack Clover.
Asta uses his Anti-Magic to transform himself into Black Asta. He surrounds himself with Anti-Magic to become a near untouchable character capable of muting any form of magic in front of him. It’s an absurdly strong ability that will only get stronger as Asta learns how to use it more efficiently.
Attack on Titan
Like David Martinez fromCyberpunk: Edgerunners,Eren Yeager’s final transformation inAttack on Titancauses more harm than good. Eren might have always been destined for tragedy, andhis transformation into the Founding Titan was as brutal as it got.
Eren couldn’t live with the fact that his home was a garbage pit to most of the world. The Marleyans would send their unwanted Eldians to the island of Paradis and transform them into Titans, creating an unstoppable problem for Eren and his friends. Worse yet, the Marleyans were responsible for destroying the Walls that protected Eren and his friends.
In both an act of revenge and a means of protecting his friends, Eren transformed into the monstrosity that is the Founding Titan. He enacted The Rumbling, killing 80% of the world’s population. It’s a sad and gargantuan transformation that nobody wanted and everyone suffered from.
Dandadanis one of the best anime currently airing. It’s funny, captivating, intriguing, and action-packed all at once. The two stars, Okarun and Momo Ayase, have an unbelievable level of chemistry that few protagonists in shōnen share.
Okarun started the series as a timid, introverted character who was frequently bullied by his classmates. His life changed when he met Momo. She brought the best out of him, bringing Okarun out of his shell and giving him a reason to be a better version of himself.
Okarun’s transformation inDandadanis just as physical as it is mentalwhen he gets Turbo Granny’s powers. He uses her powers to defeat various enemies, including ghosts, aliens, and everything in between. His transformation is marked by white hair, red lines running down his face, and a huge mask that looks like another layer of teeth.
Kaiju No. 8
Kaiju No. 8is one ofthe best new shōnen series around. Hibino Kafka is a lovable main character, the side characters bring a lot to the series, and the fight scenes take the anime to an entirely different level. Hibino Kafka started the series as a character with a lot of determination, but didn’t really have the power to back it up.
After gaining the powers of the titular Kaiju No. 8, Kafka was finally capable of everything that he wanted to accomplish.He’s able to transform into one of the most powerful characters in the entire series, pulling off moves other Defense Force members can only dream of.
Kafka’s new form is so powerful that nobody, Kafka included, knows how powerful it can be. He makes quick work of dominant enemies, was able to defeat the Chairman of the Defense Force fairly easily, and saved his entire Third Division from a near-nuclear explosion.
Chainsaw Man
Denji is more than just the titular Chainsaw Man, but not by much. He’s a simple character who only really wants to live an easygoing life. He wants to eat good food, sleep in a warm bed, and have a pretty lady to call his girlfriend.Unfortunately for the poor Devil-human, life isn’t so straightforward.
Denji’s life changed when he was betrayed by the yakuza he was working for. After being killed, his best friend Pochita sacrificed himself so that Denji might live. Pochita was the Chainsaw Devil, giving his life and his powers to Denji, creating the eponymous Chainsaw Man.
Denji has become so strong as the Chainsaw Man that few can take him down. Even if they’re able to seemingly kill the Devil Hunter, Denji doesn’t stay down for long. He’s a near-immortal character with a determination that matches his inability to die, and his enemies are all the worse for it.
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ballis both a new generation series and an all-time classic. Vegeta has a few exciting forms in the franchise, but two stand head and shoulders above the rest astwo of the best transformations in the latest generation of shōnen: Super Saiyan 3 and Ultra Ego.
Nobody saw Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta coming. It was always a transformation that fans wished Vegeta would have got in the canon, andDragon Ball DAIMAbrought it to life. Vegeta’s Super Saiyan 3 is aggressive, unflinching, and an even more arrogant version of Vegeta than the Prince of all Saiyans already is.
Ultra Ego is Vegeta’s strongest form to date. It’s a form that rivals the Gods themselves, and even Goku can’t surpass it.Vegeta’s Ultra Ego might not be around for long, and that’s all the more reason to celebrate the form while it’s here.
One Piece
One Pieceis one ofthe longest-running anime series of all time, and somehow, the series is as fresh as ever.One Pieceis well over 1,000 episodes long, and it’s still competing with the latest generation of shōnen series. One of the series' brightest features over the past few years isthe inclusion of Luffy’s latest transformation: Gear Five.
Luffy notably has three other major transformations in Gears Two, Three, and Four, but Five is different. Gear Five sees Luffy unlocking most, if not all, of the powers from his Devil Fruit. Luffy turns into the Warrior of Liberation, gaining white hair and an undeniably fun aura.
He flies around the battlefield with a smile on his face no matter who he’s fighting in this form. Gear Five also allows Luffy to transform his environment into nearly anything he wants. It’s an unreal transformation that proves that even after 1,000 episodes,One Piecestill has it.
