Son Goku is known for his powerful transformations, and one of his strongest yet is Ultra Instinct—one that cuts the consciousness from the body and is even believed to be more powerful than his Super Saiyan Blue form. While angels are believed to have a similar technique, their version doesn't involve a transformation. However, the gods seem to recognize this state, suggesting that Goku might not be the only person—or the first—to unlock this form.

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Character transformations are a staple of anime—also known as a henshin hero—but even heroes who usually transform to get the job done usually have an even more powerful form they can use when the situation requires it.

10 Sailor Moon: Usagi Is The Most Powerful As Neo-Queen Serenity

Neo Queen Serenity

Usagi usually transforms into Princess Serenity—or even Neo-Queen Serenity, her future form—during the final battle against a story arc's main villain.

As a queen, Usagi seems to be at her most powerful. She even no longer needs to transform into Sailor Moon. Depending on the continuity, she used this form to take down Wiseman and Queen Nehelennia and restoring the Earth after the fight with Pharoah 90—seemingly immune to the laws of time and space. The only form possibly more powerful is Sailor Cosmos, but Neo Queen Serenity has a larger winning streak given that she fled her timeline.

9 Bleach: Bankai Can Increase Power By Ten-Fold

Bleach Manga panel of Sōsuke Aizen releasing his  Zanpakutō Kyōka Suigetsu in his Soul Society Attire

In the Bleach universe, Bankai refers to the final form of a Shinigami's Zanpakuto and is said to be a Shinigami's ultimate technique. That said, it's scarce for a shinigami to obtain this power. What power Bankai grants vary from user to user. Generally, this form comes with training and the subjugation of the Zanpakuto.

Normally creating a large effect, it can increase a user's power ten-fold. There are a few caveats: the power is lost if the user is on the verge of death—and once broken, it can never be fully reformed.

8 Princess Tutu: Winged Tutu Is Hope Personified

Princess Tutu from Princess Tutu anime

Before Ahiru took on the mantle, it's implied that Princess Tutu was already a popular fairy tale character in the series. She's once seen in an illustration slightly different from Ahiru when transformed, notably having wings for arms. While this initially seems to be a reference to Tutu looking like a giant swan to the other characters, the final battle with the Raven suggests this is Tutu's ultimate form, with Ahiru reaching it despite losing her power to become human.

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Ahiru finally breaks the Raven's hold over the town in this form and allows the other characters to defeat the Raven, stopping Drosselmeyer's machinations once and for all, essentially breaking the story from the inside out.

7 Pretear: The Legendary White Pretear Can Revive The Dead

White Pretear

By fusing with the seven Leafe Knights, Himeno can individually gain control of one of seven elements—wind, sound, fire, light, ice, water, and plants. However, Himeno is eventually shown to have an even more powerful form she can take by herself: the Legendary White Pretear.

In this form, Himeno is not only able to vanquish the Great Tree of Fenrir. She is even able to revive the dead, such as when healing Sasame.

6 Fairy Tail: In Its Full Power, Dragon Force Makes The User A Dragon

Anime Power Up Transformation Natsu Dragon Force Fairy Tail

In this series, Dragon Slayers have the Dragon Force, which gives them the dragons' power. It can be obtained through training or with magic.

Even in its basic form, the user essentially becomes a humanoid dragon. When fully realized, the Dragon Force power can transform a user into full, literal dragons. Similarly, when fully realized, a user's magic power seems to take on a destructive and corporeal form.

5 One Piece: Luffy Is Barely Recognizable At Gear Four

luffy is using tankman stuffed version form in gear 4

Luffy's Devil Fruit power, which comes from the Gomu Gomu no Mi fruit, already essentially turns him into living rubber. But he's been shown to hone his abilities with specialized techniques, as seen by him reaching a second and third gear.

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By Gear Four, he has three main forms: Boundman, which turns him into a living ball and concentrates his power into defense; Tankman, which turns him into a living weapon. And Snakeman, which powers his offensive abilities.

4 Hunter X Hunter: Gon Has All The Powers He'll Ever Have With Limitation Transformation

Gon Transformation Hunter X Hunter

With a Vow, Gon could access the Limitation Transformation, which unlocks all the power he will ever have, including physically aging his body to maturity. With increased strength, abilities, and enhanced aura, he acquires powers that would have taken decades to master.

The form does come at a price, including a compressed life, bodily decay, and a loss of consciousness, but it isn't impossible to recover from these issues.

3 Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Kars Can Become The Ultimate Being

Jojos Kars Become The Ultimate Life Form shining brightly

Kars can become the Ultimate Being, which enhances his shapeshifting powers, unlocking all of the Earth's life forms. This ability makes his previous powers obsolete.

As the Ultimate Life Form, he's effectively immortal, ageless, can fly, and has enhanced intelligence and senses. While he can still technically be wounded, he can regenerate in a little amount of time. In this form, he can only be outwitted to be taken down.

2 Naruto: Naruto Combines Also His Transformations With Six Paths Sage Mode

Naruto With His Truth-Seeking Orbs Prepared To Fight Madara

Naruto's been shown using multiple powerful forms such as Sage Mode—which increases strength and energy, with a time limit Naruto somehow managed to break—and Nine-Tailed Fox Mode—which helps him achieve great power by drawing out the power of Kurama.

He even can fuse them into the Six Paths Sage Mode which gives him the ability to levitate and the ability to create Truth-Seeking Balls.

1 Akira: Akira Becomes An Energy Being And Effectively A God

Tetsuo Gets Consumed By Akiras Power

Akira's title character is a powerful psychic and a former member of the Espers; he essentially can warp reality to his will, as shown when he destroys Tokyo. It was eventually explained that the government created him, but they lost control of him as he grew more powerful.

He eventually ascends into an energy form, and it's more or less implied he becomes the god of another dimension.

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