10 Best Anime Final Forms Ever (Hero Edition)

There are few traditions in anime more revered than a classic super transformation. Anytime a hero takes on a new form of power, it almost always comes with a massive spike in intense action, and depending on when and how it comes about, the hype surrounding it can make it iconic in almost an instant.

Transformations in anime almost always generate massive hype, and if there’s any type that’s the best for that, it’s when a character takes on their final form and reaches the absolute height of their power. Moments like those are almost always incredible events to behold, and a few in particular still stand out as the greatest in all of anime.

10) Ultimate Madoka (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

In the climax of Shaft’s Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Madoka finally made her wish: to have the power to prevent all magical girls in history from becoming Witches. Doing so caused Madoka to completely rewrite the laws of the universe as she transformed into Ultimate Madoka, an ethereal, godlike being who embodied the concept of the law of cycles.

As simple as Ultimate Madoka may be, not only does it perfectly capture Madoka’s new godlike state, but it also does a great job of illustrating Madoka’s purity and devotion to helping others, as well. The final Puella Magi Madoka Magica movie is coming soon, and hopefully, it will provide an even better look at what Ultimate Madoka can do.

9) Ash-Greninja (Pokémon the Series: XY)

In OLM, Inc.’s Pokémon the Series: XY, Ash and Greninja discovered that when they were perfectly in sync, they could trigger a power called the Bond Phenomenon to make Greninja take on a new form dubbed Ash-Greninja. Said form made Greninja even more powerful than before, but in exchange, Ash would feel any pain Greninja would feel in battle.

Not only did Ash-Greninja’s design somehow make the concept of combining Ash and Greninja’s design look cool, but the entire concept of it perfectly built off Ash and Greninja’s character arc and solidified them as a nigh-invincible team. The anime has seemingly tried to retcon Ash-Greninja out of existence, but that doesn’t make it any less impactful as a form.

8) Gold Experience Requiem (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

In the climax of David Production’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, after gaining control of the Arrow, Giorno promptly used it to evolve his Stand, Gold Experience, into Gold Experience Requiem. Giorno’s new Stand had the power to nullify any and all phenomena, including death, and that finally led to Diavolo’s defeat and the end of his reign of terror.

There’s an argument to be made that Gold Experience Requiem was something of a deus ex machina, but between its cool design and how cathartic it was for it to completely overpower Diavolo, that’s hardly worth complaining about. Gold Experience Requiem has been one of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s most iconic Stands for decades, and that won’t change anytime soon.

7) Alucard Level Zero (Hellsing Ultimate)

Near the end of Hellsing Ultimate, as Millennium and the Vatican threatened to overrun London, Alucard was permitted to unleash Level Zero of the Control-Restriction System. Doing so not only allowed him to unleash his full vampiric power and even stronger control over his familiars, but it also allowed him to resemble his original human form of Vlad the Impaler.

After years of build-up to Level Zero, it more than lived up to the hype through the immense amount of gore and power it showcased, the reveal of Alucard’s backstory, and the surprising amount of humanity it brought to Alucard’s character. Alucard is someone who thrives on being the strongest character around, and Level Zero captured that in every regard.

6) Final Getsuga Tensho (Bleach)

In Studio Pierrot’s Bleach, as Aizen became nigh-invincible after fusing with the Hogyoku, the only way to defeat him became for Isshin to teach Ichigo the Final Getsuga Tensho. It was a power that essentially fused Ichigo with Zangetsu and made him even stronger than Aizen, but doing so would permanently rob Ichigo of his spiritual power.

It’s one thing for the Final Getsuga Tensho to have an amazing design, especially by Bleach’s standards, but seeing Ichigo become strong enough to utterly humiliate Aizen was long overdue and nothing short of cathartic. The Final Getsuga Tensho is unlikely to ever appear again, but even then, it’s hard to argue against it being Ichigo’s strongest form in Bleach.

5) Omnimon (Digimon)

Omnimon is one of the strongest Digimon in the Digimon franchise, born from the DNA Digivolution of WarGreymon and Metal Garurumon. Omnimon first appeared in Digimon Adventure: Our War Game, when WarGreymon and Metal Garurumon fused to defeat Diaboromon, and it’s been a staple in Digimon anime and video games ever since.

Omnimon’s debut did wonders to sell it as a force unlike any other, and even though it always takes on a different role, its subsequent appearances never fail to do the same. Omnimon is easily one of the most iconic Digimon in the entire franchise, and with its great design and overall presence, it’s easy to see why.

4) Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)

In the film adaptation of Studio Trigger’s Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Team Dai-Gurren’s original final Gunmen, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, couldn’t defeat the Anti-Spiral, and they were quickly put on the ropes. Nevertheless, they refused to give up, and with help from Lordgenome, another burst of Spiral Power summoned an even larger Gunmen called Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

While Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann didn’t get much screentime, it perfectly encapsulated Gurren Lagann’s philosophy of over-the-top, escalating action, and it’s especially great that it worked as a final homage to Kamina, as well. The Gurren Lagann movies were better than the anime in many ways, and Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann was a major reason why.

3) Baryon Mode (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations)

In the climax of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations’ Kawaki Arc, while Isshiki Otsutsuki was on a time limit before his death, his overwhelming power still made it virtually impossible to stop him from capturing Kawaki. As such, Kurama helped Naruto by granting him access to Baryon Mode, a new form that surpassed Isshiki’s power at the cost of Kurama’s life.

After Naruto seemingly peaked in power in the original series, it was great to see him finally unlock a new form, especially one that both looked great and was at the center of some of Boruto’s best action to date. Baryon Mode only had a single appearance in the series, but even that did wonders to make it iconic.

2) Gear 5 (One Piece)

In Toei Animation’s One Piece, after Luffy was killed by Kaido, Luffy not only sprang back to life, but he also awakened his Devil Fruit and attained a new, pure white transformation. That was an extension of the Gum-Gum Fruit’s true form of the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika, and as Luffy’s latest form, it was quickly dubbed Gear 5.

Not only is Gear 5’s One Piece’s best Dragon Ball homage to date, but the way it essentially makes Luffy a cartoon character was perfect for bringing the series back to its roots while still being plenty menacing when necessary. Gear 5 has quickly become one of the most iconic forms in anime, and overall, it’s easy to see why.

1) Ultra Instinct (Dragon Ball Super)

During the Tournament of Power in Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball Super, as Goku was continually pushed to his limits, he repeatedly went in and out of Ultra Instinct, a new form of hyper awareness and intense power, but in his final battle with Jiren, he unlocked its full power as a form that dyed his hair a shimmering silver.

Giving Goku a new transformation would always be big, and Dragon Ball Super more than delivered on it both by making Ultra Instinct look cool and by framing it as the logical conclusion of Goku’s arc, as well. Dragon Ball helped popularize anime transformations, so it’s only fitting that it would create the greatest final form in anime, to date.

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