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Anime transformations are always some of the medium's best parts, particularly in the shonen genre. Fans love to see their favorite characters gaining a new transformation that takes them to the next level, especially considering when these power-ups come with a high risk. It adds another layer of excitement about how far the character can go with this.
This has become a rather regular trope in the medium, which is why multiple anime transformations come with terrible risks. While some have had better executions than others, it is an approach that most people love in terms of potential narrative, which is why here are ten anime transformations, in no particular order, that come with high risks.
Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers for the series these anime transformations are in.
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Final Getsuga Tenshou and nine other anime transformations that come with terrible risks
1. Final Getsuga Tenshou (Bleach)
Aizen seemed unstoppable as a final boss during the Fake Karakura Town in Bleach, so the main character, Ichigo Kurosaki, had to do one of the riskiest anime transformations in the Final Getsuga Tenshou. It's not only one of author Tite Kubo's more celebrated character designs. It is also a great opportunity to analyze Ichigo's character.
A technique that belongs to the Shiba Clan, the one Ichigo's father, Isshin, belongs to, the Final Getsuga Tenshou, allows Ichigo to reach a supreme state of strength, but his Shinigami powers are going to disappear soon after. This was shown during the battle with Aizen after the latter merged with the Hogyoku, and Ichigo still made quick work of the former despite the short time he was in this form.
One of the most iconic anime transformations and Ichigo using it led directly to the following arc: the Fullbringer one or the Lost Agent one.
2. Kaio-Ken (Dragon Ball Z)
Dragon Ball is a series that popularized a lot of tropes that have become staples of the shonen genre, and anime transformations that come with many risks can be traced back to the Kaio-Ken. It is one of the main reasons it is one of the most popular transformations in the entire series since it gave some stakes to Goku's battle.
Goku learned this technique with King Kai in the afterlife and executed it against Vegeta for the first time in the Saiyan Saga. While this technique allowed Goku to increase his power several times, the more he pushed it, the more his body got hurt, which took a huge toll on his body during the battles with Vegeta and Frieza.
While Goku eventually stopped using this technique since the Super Saiyan had more upsides with no major drawbacks, the Kaio-Ken is still widely regarded as one of the most iconic anime transformations of all time.
3. The eight gates at full display (Naruto)
Madara Uchiha was making quick work of pretty much the entire Shinobi Alliance in the Fourth Great Ninja War, and it seemed that taijutsu was the only viable way to hurt him. This is when Might Guy, a fan favorite, has his most memorable moment by unlocking the Eight Gates and having an amazing battle with the legendary Uchiha leader.
Much like the Kaio-Ken in Dragon Ball Z, opening the Eight Gates gives the user great power, even to the point of facing and hurting prime Madara, but it comes with sacrificing the user's life. Guy was going to die, but Naruto saved him at the last minute.
4. Baryon Mode (Boruto)
Boruto was no longer Naruto's story, but that doesn't mean that he didn't have moments to shine, and the battle against Isshiki was arguably his best fight in the entire sequel. A huge reason for this was the Baryon Mode, which forced the character to make a huge sacrifice.
The Baryon Mode allowed Naruto to reach a higher level of power, arguably the strongest he ever was in the entire franchise, although it came with the sacrifice of Kurama. That alone made it one of the most memorable anime transformations, for better or worse, and that is something that has stuck in people's minds.
5. Shinigami Eyes (Death Note)
Death Note is not the series most people think about when discussing anime transformations, but the concept of the Shinigami Eyes fits this list perfectly. Considering that the user can see people's names over others' heads, thus making using the notebook a lot easier comes with the cost of sacrificing half of that user's lifespan.
This is something that the protagonist, Light Yagami, considered at a certain point in the story but decided not to do it because of the lifespan situation. However, there are characters like Misa Amane who did the Shinigami Eyes deal twice, which is something that affected her in the long term.
6. Berserker Armor (Berserk)
Guts never had it easy in his life, and that remains to be the case even with his power-up, the Berserker Armor. And even then, this being considered a power-up can be quite divisive because it doesn't make Guts any stronger but rather gives him an edge in combat.
The Berserker Armor works like this: Guts loses the capacity to feel pain and can fight freely no matter how he suffers in combat. However, it comes at the expense of Guts losing his mind for a short period of time and not being able to differentiate friend from foe, making him a very dangerous individual when he uses this armor.
7. Ultimate Gon (Hunter X Hunter)
Very few anime transformations reflect the topic of this list, as well as Gon's Forbidden Nen against Pitou in Hunter X Hunter. Due to his intense rage and pain because of Kite's death, Gon decides to sacrifice all the Nen he would ever have in order to punish Pitou.
This transformation is the very definition of short-term gain for long-term pain, and Gon's actions reflected it. While he became extremely powerful for a short time and managed to kill Pitou with ease, he lost all of his Nen and progress he had until that point, and he would have died if it hadn't been for Killua's sister.
8. Demon Slayer Mark (Demon Slayer)
The Demon Slayer Mark could be a very peculiar case when it comes to the several anime transformations on this list. This is because most transformations come at the expense of people sacrificing their lives for that power-up or constant body damage, but this one is extremely specific with the cost.
People who use the Demon Slayer Mark are bound to die when they turn 25 years old, which is something that makes it quite unique when compared to other transformations of this ilk. Only Yoriichi, the most powerful character in the series, managed to overcome this curse.
9. Gear 2 (One Piece)
There are very few transformations that have had the impact that Gear 2 had on the One Piece series. This was one of those moments where the series became a bit more battle-focused and gave the character of Luffy a much-needed power-up to compete with the CP9 during the Enies Lobby arc.
Much like the Kaio-Ken before it, Gear 2 improves Luffy's strength and speed, making him a lot more powerful. The downside of this ability is that it shortens the character's lifespan and weakens him, although it is worth pointing out that author Eiichiro Oda has yet to show a lot of consequences for this transformation.
10. Claymore Awakening (Claymore)
Claymore is widely regarded as one of the most underrated manga series of all time, so it makes sense that its anime transformations are underrated as well. That is something that comes with the Awakened Beings, which is a transformation that comes with huge risks.
These are former Claymores in the story who went beyond their 80% limit, and this made them mutate into bizarre creatures. Furthermore, this transformation leads them to lose a degree of their humanity and control, which is a huge risk in the series.
Final thoughts
There are a lot of anime transformations that come with terrible risks, and many of them have not been mentioned on this list. However, all of these are widely regarded as some of the best and most iconic in the entire industry while also being very influential.
