Super Saiyan itself had basically evolved to become part of a greater overall icon than just being a transformation. It felt as though it both made and broke the ceiling for anime as a whole and became intrinsically linked to the culture and even beyond that.

I love how Mob's percentage counter goes up like it's leading to something dangerous and then you have "???" which makes you question what will happen next. Is he stronger? Is he a different person? Why kind if person is he now? Is he gonna be okay? It's the mysterious side of his transformation that makes you wonder what really is his true potential and not only that but you also end up worrying about his change in character since you aren't sure if this is the Mob that you originally knew.

Super Saiyan is so iconic that it extends into mainstream media

Bankai is just a badass transformation in general. Nothing feels as suspenseful and simple as someone saying "bankai"

Kudos on Garnt for not acting like Dragonball is somehow beneath him for once

I knew SSJ was gonna be pretty high up there, but seeing UI there was a bit surprising. Not because UI is a bad form, but because the best showing of UI (the Moro arc version of it) hasn't even been animated yet. Goku's use of MUI in the moro arc legitimately was one of the best scenes I have seen in Dragon Ball since Gohan going Super Saiyan 2 against Cell. Can't wait to see it animated.

Literally just showed up to see where he placed Super Saiyan found myself looking at a respectable list. Right on my guy.

Gear5 is meant to make people smile in the world of One Piece, and the fact that it also makes us readers feel the same way is something truly special.

While yes, Gon’s adult transformation was just a “one time” thing, all it was was Gon at his full potential. Therefore, Gon can and probably will reach that same level in the future, making him one of the potentially strongest characters in hxh (if we ever see him again 💀)

I love how Garnt talks about the law of equivalent exchange when he hasn't even watched FMA

Bleach's transformations are a work of visual art and Bankai is already part of popular culture.

Ichigo screaming "Bankai!" still gives me the chills every time.

One thing I'd like to note about Gear 2 that wasn't mentioned is how its explanation is so down to earth and easy to understand. You accelerate the rate at which your blood flows, thus resulting in pink skin and steam shooting out of your body. This makes for a very believable power up that also looks very cool.

super saiyan and Ultra instinct kind of did everything a transformation is supposed to do. Super saiyan was built up the entrie time on namek when goku arrived it set the foundations for how to build up a transformation and then the pay off. Ultra instinct was also built up long before the ToP and it makes sense as being the flow state for martial artists. The idea of doing and not thinking is a trope you see constantly in martial arts.

i really liked the Naruto Kyubi modes before he and Kurama became buddies. It fits really nice into the story as well. The reason why Naruto was a shit ninja in the begining was the Kyubi that pulled him down as a handycap and he had to work extra hard to keep up with everyone else. But when the Kyubi came through it kinda showed his true potential with Kurama. He even learned to control the Kyubi Chackra bit by bit, wich made it hit even harder when he lost controll again, because everytime that happened, he would slipp even closer to the edge of total loss of control and you really felt that danger. For example, when he went 4-Tails against Orochimaru, where he not only hurt his friends, but the transformation was so intense that his whole skin got burned up under all that chakra. And instead of just relying on the Kyubi Chacra, (Like the shield HEro for example) Naruto always tried to work on his own Power. The moment when he developed the Rasen Churiken for example was one of the most hyped in the series, and the Sage mode is the peak of that. That was just pure Naruto training so hard, in his own way, that he surpassed everyone else

"A Power Up shouldn't be a send off" The 8th Gate:

Baki losing his virginity is hands down the best power up ever

Honestly the best “form” in black clover is probably noelle’s. The Valkyrie armor rocks

that gon take is wild. That transformation was so important/iconic it literally removed the MC from his roll in the story. it was iconic and changed the story, as an opposite. Which is kinda the theme of Hunter Hunters deconstruction of the genre. But I digress

To be fair, I don’t think the MHA picture is of full cowling. It’s the time he used 100% full cowling, the first and technically last time that deku is able to use his maximum strength for a whole fight. Even now at the end of the series, he’s using extra quirks to imitate full power. I remember reading the chapter for the first time though, it was legitimately pretty hype. Not saying it’s good enough to make it out of C tier, but I’d put it a little higher within C tier.

I was really enjoying your explanation behind your criteria for rating these power ups and glad to see my favourite shonen power ups talked about. It grants me another perspective that helps me understand more about the show! Thank you Garnt!

Nice list. Perhaps a hot take here, I actually liked the journey to the Tailed Beast Mode and Nine-Tails Chakra mode power ups more than most others mentioned here. Felt more in-tune with that entire arc of overcoming hatred within oneselves (Dark Naruto in case of Naruto and Kurama's hatred born from other people's prejudice) which for me makes it S tier.

man, ichigo's first bankai against byakuya is my goat, the music and the hype

Everything was pretty accurate, I would definitely put sage mode Naruto a bit higher on the A tier list, but still an amazing list, super Saiyan and ultra instinct deserve to be on top, Really crazy transformation, got me yelling out my lungs when he pulled that off against Jiren, yh, this was a really good list.

Wow. One of the few times where I agree with your takes. You explained them all the way I felt about them. Loved your speech about SSJ/UI.

Another thing I dont think people give SSJ or even UI enough credit is it does tie into the themes and characters very well (at least initially with SS then it becomes a generic power-up). SS is representative of goku's inner acknowledgement of his heritage while also not throwing away his journey till that point. His nature vs nuture now coming to a cross in paths and with each in one hand that power is enough to trample the emperor of evil, His I am speech encapsulates everything perfectly, him being a saiyan but from earth one of pure heart yet awakened by rage. It's the ultimate development for goku and really besides learning one final lesson by the end of the buusaga/Z, his understanding of himself is complete hence the transition to gohan. UI also encapsulates goku's entire journey and challenges who goku is. Both the DBS anime and manga make it explicitly clear whether its all of goku's teachings or everything he's been thru up to that point allowed him to reach that state. It's the embodiment of everything he's learned and a showcase of goku's strength both physically and metaphorically. It's a state that he didnt reach just on his own but thru people he's met and learning from them is able to gain greater power. It's something the moro arc then continues and while I dont like True UI, even the granolah arc tries to continue the idea that UI ties heavily in goku's mental state and who he is as a person. Being the prime example of what a power-up should be not only thru what it means to go further beyond but also how it represents u as a person or fighter is why it will never be dethroned ever even if it's not someone's personal favorite

Enjoyed the video. One of my favourite Shounen power ups is Allen Walker’s Crown Clown from D.Gray-Man. I loved the look of the form, the moments that lead up to the transformation, as well as what it meant for the character. :) Definitely an underrated/overlooked gem of a series.

guts armor is not a strict stat boost, it just removes guts pain limiters and hold his limbs together. He also feels all the pain once he removes the armor. It's honestly the most double edged power up for him and he is still human. so IMO it;s S tier and really well done

I’m so happy finally someone gets Gear 5 as a transformation. It’s something to just have fun with and smile and laugh. It’s not supposed to be badass or serious. It came it proved why it’s one of the best and I fully agree with you

Garnt should be a scriptwriter, man convinced me G5 was S tier

Can't wait for the Magical Girl Transformation tier list

Garnt talking about DB transformation, and with the music playing the background, it made it sound like Garnt was going through a transformation himself.

Having Digimon get into S tier might become a core memory for me

Is Full Cowl a power up? The way I always took it is, Full Cowl is Dekus way of learning to control his quirk and make it a part of his being, instead of always having it be something he needs to turn on and off.

Ichigos original transformation was so good, that slight pause between ban and kai, argh, it's amazing.

Negi's magia erebea in Negima is AMAZING! The character development, the progression of the power, the consequences from using it, it all is so well realized.

Mob on chill mode is like a really strong but mostly harmless combatant. Mob on 100% is like an angry cat made out of earthquakes and hurricanes

Garnt putting the Omnimon transformation in S Tier was so based

Another shonen power up I can think of is that of Tsuna from Hitman Reborn, it was so long ago when I watched that show but I remember feeling so hyped the first time he powered up. The hype music plus the sheer coolness of his new form was just too cool

I agreed with the majority of the list, had some disagreements, but at the end of the day, it's just really fun looking back and thinking about how much I enjoyed these transformations, especially those I saw before social media or before I got interested in exploring anime discussion online. Those that were completely unspoiled as to what to look forward to hit harder.

Gon's Transformation is S tier just because it's so unique. It's something that can only be used once because it has a crazy downside to using it, voice acting was amazing, build up was amazing, it didn't contradict anything in the power system, the animation with the black and white was so menacing and it was used not to defeat the main villain but to defeat someone that gon hated.

Gigguk is literally watch more anime than anime man at this point...his knowledge is so vast its unbelievable how many anime he have watched at this point.

I agree with this list fully. Love the video man!

Gon not being on S tier is low key a crime. The transformation is so phenomenal because the entire arc has been building up to that moment and when you finally see it happening, you are worried and not hyped. In most shounen you hear super hype music when the hero transforms and you're excited to see the villain get stomped... Meanwhile when Gon transformed, you felt like witnessing a demon summoning ritual. The fact that it was a one time use with life threatening consequences just made it even more intense.

I dunno that Full Cowling counts as a powerup. It's basically just Deku turning the power on in a way that doesn't kill him. Like the basic first step to even using it.

I love Garnt's opinions on most days. But all credit goes to Mr. Editor for actually making the videos super interactive with the sfx. Love the timing during Black Clover especially

I find it funny that he puts Deku in C bc Full Cowling is a basic buff, but ignores him using 100% of AfO, which comes at the great cost shattering his body, or any of the other Quirks of AfO GER was initally in D, but it used its ability to unmake that consquence and repeated its own rating until it reached B

Goku turning super saiyan for the first time is one of those moments you never forget. It’s probably been ~15 years for me and i still vividly remember the hype of seeing Goku transform for the first time.

I'm sure a lot of people doesn't know but I will take the time to explain as short as I can 💀 The concept of Bankai is suppose to be used as a final resort move. Because a bunch of characters spammed it, a lot of people assume it has the function of a power up (Which, I do not blame anyone tbh) To be fair, it is in some ways, but it is not the initial purpose. Bankai means "Final Release". It is a move that must guarantee victory as close as it can. Which is why most of the most op bankais of the series are kido base. (...or hax to put it simpler) To put it simple, imagine the Bankai as a final trump card The majority of characters who spammed Bankai was because they weren't necessarily strong enough to fight with their Shikai alone, thus they had no other choice but to use their Bankai more often

The way I understand Gold Experience Requiem is that it indeed removes causality. Basically, it removes consequences from causes, which is the opposite of what Diavolo stands does, which is removing the causes from consequences (which is why we don't see a few characters die during the final battle, time just skips and they're dead). So, basically, nothing that is done to GER can work because it removes the consequence (for example, being hurt) to the cause (the attack). Which is why at the end Diavolo enters a state of dying endlessly. About Naruto's transformation, I'm not as critical as you about Kyubi's form, because it also represents that bond that Kurama and Naruto have formed. They start the series in an antagonistic way, but then slowly but surely, Naruto manages to gain Kurama's trust, and they become friends and staunch allies. I still agree with your criticisms, but I think that aspect is somewhat alleviated by the symbolism of Kurama giving his chakra freely when before it was always a threat that he could overwhelm Naruto and take over every time his chakra sipped through. Now Baryon Mode is pretty interesting in that it is both the ultimate transformation for Naruto, but also a one time use. It makes Naruto OP as fuck, even higher than Kyubi mode or Six Paths Sage mode, but it comes at the cost of Kyubi's life. So, is it a power-up? Still though, it ties to the symbolism of Kyubi and Naruto sharing that bond, so it is a very impactful one, emotionally speaking. Plus it just looks cool, imho. As for Super Saiyan and Ultra Instinct, hard agree on these two. The thing that hyped me so much about Super Saiyan when I was reading the manga and watching the anime in the 90's was the build-up to it. We'd heard Vegeta talk about how he was going to become a legendary super saiyan because he's the Prince of Saiyans, we'd see Frieza quake in fear every time the thought of a Super Saiyan coming to life crossed his mind to the point he blasted an entire planet to avoid it... And then Goku turns into one... And Frieza is like "huh, you changed". Like, I loved just how hyped the transformation was, how impactful the pure visual was, but I also loved just how long it took Frieza to realize what happened, and see the pure rage and anguish when he finally understands that his worst nightmare has happened. I feel like what makes Super Saiyan so great in that arc, is that Frieza doesn't immediately recognizes it. After all, it's a legend, nobody has ever seen it. It just takes a bit of time for it to dawn on him and when it does, it's just perfect. Ultra Instinct is quite literally "The Zone", even more so if I understand the meaning of the japanese name correctly, which seems to be about having perfect awareness of oneself. What I like the most about it is just how incrementally it is revealed. We don't get pure Mastered Ultra Instinct at first, we get a first step, then another... I have to say though, when he finally masters it in the manga only Moro Arc? Pure hype.

gons transformation to me will be s tier mostly because it was the first real transformation id seen but also because it was such a deep emotional transformation with gon that he was willing to give up the things he cherished most to enact revenge it just felt so raw and it is something that he could do at any point prior and it just felt devastatingly sad

Mob was not only op but we also literally see the numbers go up, a seemingly spontaneous transformation hits harder

you can say what you want about tokyo ghoul, but that transformation scene is an absolutely iconic moment in that era of anime. "ow the edge" embodied in a shounen anime power-up.

The reason I think Gon should be S tier is because it's the perfect subversion of the trope. In the context of the story, Togashi couldn't have done better. That scene is one (of many things) that makes Hunter x Hunter a masterpiece and IMHO the best shonen of all time.

You are the final Anituber that is left. Thank you Garnt.

Editor-san coming in with that fine taste in Coffee Talk background music.

"Naruto went beserk, I don't like that" "ICHIGO WENT BESERK, IT'S BETTER THAN SAGE MODE" Dude, what?......

I would've wished that Mob was a bit higher. I really enjoyed the mystery of different emotions and their effect on Mob when he goes 100%

I am gonna sleep watching this video and see what kind of powerup this gives me

Bro had me feeling things talking about Dragonball powerups at the end

I think asta fighting like a demon is (like in the veto fight) is more of an awesome "transformation" than him actually using demon form. Probably because it a game of an unstoppable force testing the immovable object to see if that object was truly immovable in the first place

That blue haired thing Deku does isn't full cowling, it's like "Full Cowling 100%" or something which is probably where the the confusion comes from. Regular full cowling he learns while training with Gran Torino and basically becomes something he just does all the time. The other form shows up at the end of the movies, but more importantly at the end of the Overhaul arc where he just goes full Ashura's Wrath on Overhaul.

Background music on point.

I pretty much agree with your list. Is good to see you being fair and giving Dragon Ball it's due.

Dragon ball z invented power ups with Super Saiyan

I cannot be happier. This is THE anime tierlist of all time

Nice ranking video!!!

Had to comeback after toriyama’s passing … RIP TO THE GOAT

With Shield Hero, the anime recently revealed that the anger power-up Naofumi occasionally has is (spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen past episode 6 of season 3) based on the sin of Wrath, and that the other heroes can have sin-based power-ups as well, like the sword hero with Greed and Gluttony.

Mushoku tensei erectile function power up #1

Sun breathing or Hinokami Kagura is basically ingrained into the Kamado family, and as explained in the movie, it's the very first breathing technique that made the other 5 original breathing forms because the original 5 demon slayers just cannot attain Sun Breathing. For him to completely just brush off Water Breathing is kinda valid, since learning Water Breathing is basically learning an IMPERFECT Sun Breathing, which became PERFECT because Tanjiro's ancestors have perfected it in the past. It simply kind of goes like this: The Kamado bloodline knows Hinokami Kagura, but Tanjiro is learning Water Breathing, that's the Level 1 that he needs to surpass in order to reach Level 2, or in this case, Hinokami Kagura, the perfected version of Water Breathing. Basically, this power-up isn't as impactful as the ones in the higher tiers, but its explanation and power-up method is one of the best examples of a power-up

Don't worry Garnt, it's not just nostalgia, Imperialdramon might be my favorite, but Omnimon transformation is still S-tier for sure

Sage mode is 100% the best, the whole method of GETTING it, USING it, and the risks of it, are awesome design for a power up. Kyuubi form is a deus ex machina half the time.

Omegamon's first Anime appearance absolutely holds up today and its probably better than what people remember it, especially the Japanese version.

Nice Nice. I checked out on twitch your live stream of something similar and it wasn't too bad at all.

For me the most unique power-ups ive seen is phos' (from land of the lustrous) slow transformation to insanity then divinity and Ctholly's (from SukaSuka) slow transformation as elk slowly replaces her entire soul with herself.

Full djinn equip and bankai are the coolest powerups

Kyubi form in Naruto is the exact reason why I think Rock Lee is the true main character. Because in the end, he did not once depend on someone else's power to get stronger and worked harder than any other character in the show to get to where they are. No one represents that Talent don't mean anything when in the face of hard work.

This is what I appreciate about Garnt. Anime can really be taken as a goofy or "for kids" media but he takes it as a show that someone - in any age can truly enjoy. Great video

You know the Omnimon digivolution deserves S-Tier when even the Fox Kids Version of the Movie made it look awesome

Might guy 8 gates transformation should be on her , its my favourite transformations in all of Naruto

All I know is Super Saiyan has to be somewhere at the top!

Someone had to do it. do one for ultimate attacks too! Domain Expansion has perhaps become my absolute favourite

Minor correction is Gear 5 DID break the internet, lol And why's Zone here? It's not even a transformation. It's just an ability.

I think reviewing Eren's Attack Titan form was a mistake. Should've been his Founding Titan form + The Rumbling instead. I have never seen a more personal, visceral, and horrifying world-ending power-up anywhere else in fiction. Like Mikasa said about Eren's Attack form, it really is the manifestation of humanity's rage.

Yeah Gon could only do that once, he literally sacrificed the years of his life he would have gained becoming stronger in an instant essentially.... He reverse biscuit... unlocked potential dragonball style but with more realistic consequences....

This whole video was way more nostalgia than i was expecting basically "im not crying!! you're crying!!" mode the whole time 😂

The emojis up there sums up my reaction to this

What I love about gear 5 is, that it couldn't be made without the anime. I mean, Oda did this because he loved this cartoony style and the possibilities that's coming with it. And gear 5 can't be shown only with manga panels. It works to it's perfection, only in the anime. Because this cartoony art is made for cartoons in the first place. And that's why I am really happy, that the One Piece anime exists.

I would put Rimuru above Final Getsuga or Gold Experience Requiem because I'm actually hyped at Rimuru's transformation.

The number of edits while explaining guts Armor I lost the count 😭😂😂😂

I was confused that garnt dropped a video twice but i watched the VOD of this a while ago😂

Shone fans: Lets gooo, power up! New form! New godly powers! CSM fans: 💀Pls no, stop it. Pls Fujimoto

Gear 5 is meant to bring the joy out in people. With it also being able to do that to the readers makes it such an incredible experience.

thanks you made me rewatch ttgl.

so many amazing anime power-ups.

Can we talk for a second about the editor using the persona soundtracks? Like I was NOT expecting it, but it fits oddly well

super sayin is the epidemy of transformation... the first time seening that that was so much hype ... you can not beat it toriyama did a masterpice moment with it

Honorary mention to Asuka's Eva Unit 2's Berserker state. That was so hype every time it happened.

For me super saiyan form was most hyped moment even more then ultra Inctsict because when that ep aired in my country every children from elementary school , high school to university everyone is talking about it,making drawing, buying stickers, toys etc and also it was dub in our local language to grab more audience which was most perfect dub at that time