Top 20 Disgusting Anime Transformations
#20: At a Snail’s Pace
“JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean” (2021-22)
Anybody have any salt? You’re going to need it. This Weather Report calls for snails, and a whole lot of them. Anyone exposed to the stand’s power begins to excrete mollusks from all over their body. Before you ask, yes, it looks as gross as it sounds. The only mercy is that the victims don’t have to suffer for too long, because soon enough, they become mollusks themselves. Although, at a certain point, they stop looking like snails, either. Instead, they became full-on deformed monstrosities, with all the slime and tentacles to go with it. Yeah, remind us never to get on Weather’s bad side again.
#19: Rabbit Reanimated
“Juni Taisen: Zodiac War” (2017)
You’re going to need more than a lucky rabbit’s foot to keep this Zodiac down. Maybe Rabbit himself can loan you some. He’s got a few limbs to spare. See, when he died and came back to life, Rabbit got a few notable upgrades. Namely, a disfigured transformation compiled from all of his past victims. It doesn’t shirk on the body horror vibes, that’s for sure. And yet, seeing Rabbit’s new form in action is a whole other level of disturbing. It has a certain uncanny movement that just underlies the fact that this transformation isn’t natural. Although, given what it looks like, we didn’t need much convincing on that part, anyways.
#18: Cat Got Your Tongue
“Fruits Basket” (2001)
Kyo spent most of his life utterly terrified of revealing his true form. And, after seeing it for ourselves, we totally get why. In place of a cuddly, orange cat, Kyo’s real transformation is something that can only be described as a demonic dinosaur. The shape and color of his body just doesn’t look right. The same can be said for his face, too, which features a set of pearly whites that could probably shred through bone. Kyo’s true form allegedly smells like rotting flesh, and ironically, that’s the vibe his appearance gives, too. If Tohru can love Kyo like this, maybe they really can get through anything.
#17: Idle Disfiguration
“Jujutsu Kaisen” (2020-)
Even in a show with its fair share of revolting creatures, this is probably the most cursed scene in all of “Jujutsu Kaisen.” Particularly because it happens to poor Junpei. He had no idea what siding with Mahito entailed, and for his trouble, he got turned into a vile monster-frog of sorts. Junpei’s new look isn’t exactly easy on the eyes. But, the worst part is that he spends every waking second in agonizing pain. The scene is so heartbreaking to watch, it’s almost a relief when he finally melts away for good. It may not help the gross factor, but at the very least, Itadori gave Mahito his due recompense.
#16: Dawn of the Dead
“Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead” (2023-)
Akira’s boss wasn’t exactly a looker in the first place, and yet, the zombie outbreak made it so, so much worse. Rather than your classic, decaying body, this guy is a bonafide walking blob of flesh. Even worse, he transforms right before Akira’s eyes, and the animator’s spare absolutely no expense. We’re talking about contorting facial features, squirting juices, and enough grotesque detail to make you lose your lunch. Keep in mind, most of the other zombies infesting the world look pretty standard. That means Akira’s boss isn’t just ugly, he’s especially ugly. So, it’s safe to say no one missed him when he became a splatter-mark on the sidewalk.
#15: Holy Cow
“You're Being Summoned, Azazel” (2010-14)
When you mess with the demon Moloch, you get the horns. Literally. Rinko’s curry offering failed to impress him, so he turned her into a cow. One with hooves and horns and a snout - you get the picture. The image of a grown woman heeling over into a bull is hard to forget. Not to mention, the camera lingers on her, ahem, “udders” a bit longer than they should. Then, to really hammer the discomfort home, Moloch and his lackeys start singing “Old McDonald Had a Farm.” It’s saying something when their off-pitch boy band isn’t even the most haunting part of this scene.
#14: A Rare Breed of Chimera
“Fullmetal Alchemist” (2003-04)
In a world of alchemy, deceit, and corruption, Nina Tucker was kind to a fault. Her only mistake was being born into the wrong family. When Shou Tucker ran out of test subjects for his experiments, he decided to fuse his own daughter with their dog. Thankfully, “Fullmetal Alchemist” doesn’t show the actual scene. But still, the implication alone is enough to make anyone sick to their stomach. You know it’s really bad when even someone as vengeful as Scar realizes she’s better off dead. We just wish we could say the same for Shou. He gets beat to a pulp, and it still doesn’t feel like justice for what he did to Nina.
#13: Creepy, Crawly Kaneki
“Tokyo Ghoul” (2014-15)
What could possibly make a half-human, half-ghoul even scarier? Centipedes. The answer is centipedes. If you can’t tell already, this is not the transformation for anyone with a fear of bugs. Once Kaneki activates his almighty Kakuja power-up, several slimy, worm-like appendages burst from his back. They aren’t just for show, though. He knows how to use them to devastating effect. Kaneki also grows a terrifying mask, too. You know, just for good measure. Oh, and did we mention that to trigger this upgrade, Kaneki has to eat other, powerful ghouls? AKA, cannibalism. Honestly, it’s kind of impressive that every single step of this bloody makeover is more repulsive than the last.
#12: Level Zero
“Hellsing Ultimate” (2006-12)
Alucard’s six levels of strength don’t tap out at a measly one. With his master’s permission, he can go all the way down to zero. At least, so we’ve heard. If this scene is any indication, there aren’t many survivors who can verify the story. To explain, part of Level Zero includes Alucard releasing millions of bloodthirsty familiars into the world. In the midst, Alucard also ends up exposing himself as Vlad the Impaler. You may know him better by the character he helped inspire: Count Dracula. But, if that name doesn’t send shivers down your spine, Alucard’s shadowy new look definitely will. Compared to him, we’ll take the familiars any day.
#11: Third Time’s the Charm
“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)
Frieza claims that no one has ever seen his third form. Considering what it looks like, that’s pure charity. The Z-Fighters aren’t so lucky, though. Instead, they get a front row seat to a walking, talking horror movie come to life. Half of the nightmares come from the transition itself. Watching Frieza’s face stretch and bend isn’t something we ever thought we’d have to see. And, now that we have, we never want to again. While “Dragon Ball” has no shortage of memorable transformation scenes, this one leaves a long lasting impression for all the wrong reasons. Thankfully, Frieza spares our eyes by moving on to his final form shortly after.
#10: Stabbing Solves Everything
“Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic” (2012-13)
Why is it that when it comes to dark rituals there’s always someone getting impaled? Well in this instance the candidate is the beautiful yet psychotic Dunya, who seeks to turn herself into a Dark Djinn by forcing a Dark Metal Vessel through her body. She must have some serious upper body strength and commitment, because the dainty member of Al-Thamen manages to skewered herself like a kebab, paving the way for her body to twist into a gleeful monster that you’d expect to find skulking around the bottom of a typical fantasy dungeon.
#9: Surprise! Cthulu!
“Bungo Stray Dogs” (2016-19)
Lovecraft is already an unsettling individual, even by Guild standards, however that all gets turned up to eleven when he activates his ability and, much like his namesake, becomes a creature of eldritch proportions, complete with all the tentacles and horrifying features you could imagine. He may have turned into a giant target for Chuuya’s Corruption by the end of it, but there’s no denying the sheer stature and menace Lovecraft exudes when he decides to let his inner horror out the bag. That mug is the stuff of nightmares.
#8: Koda Has Issues
“Devilman Crybaby” (2018)
Losing the love of your life while trying to keep your sexuality hidden is bound to cause some stress. Of course, when it comes to this track star, his sorrow ended up taking a more violent turn when he was turned into a demon hybrid, causing him to transform into a rampaging, boar monster with a nasty habit for goring people to death. Doesn’t help that this sudden shift comes at the most in opportune of moments, and while the rest of the innocents on that track field had it rough, you somehow have to feel sorry for Koda as well.
#7: Say Hello to My Little Friend
“Bleach” (2004-12)
Just when you thought that Aaroniero couldn’t get any uglier, he managed to pull off something like this. After his true form is exposed by Rukia, the ninth Espada decides to go all in and reveal his Ressureccion, which in this instance happens to be a giant mass of purple sludge and flesh, complete with an oh so creepy smile just to really sprinkle on the revulsion. While it didn’t end up amounting to much, it’s still the most off-putting release form out of the entire Arrancar race.
#6: Faceless
“Attack on Titan” (2013-)
Good to know that despite being a pathetic worm of a man, a horrific excuse for a father and general waste of life, Rod Reiss was at least able to give us a memorable moment when he lapped up some Titan serum and turned himself into the largest one to date. Gargantuan in size, what puts this above the rest of the abnormals that the Survey Corp have encountered is the fact that Rod ends up losing his face and most of his torso in the process, looking like a sentient, mangled corpse that towers over everything else.
#5: Envy is Always Ugly
“Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood” (2009-10)
You would have thought being able to regenerate and shapeshift into anyone he chooses would be enough, but as it happens this Homonculus has one final trump card under his bandana, and that’s the handy ability to turn himself into a giant, green lizard adorned with numerous screaming faces. It’s a hideous form to behold, and one that would normally mean death for anyone caught in that gross maw of his. Unless you’re the Flame Alchemist that is, in which case it’s open season!
#4: You Deserved It!
“Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works” (2014-15)
Ever wondered what it means to become the vessel for the Holy Grail? The answer is that you get your stomach busted open, a heart forcibly shoved inside, and as a result you’re entire being morphs into a shapeless blob of flesh that only continues to expand, while you yourself write in unbearable anguish. The fact this happened to Shinji of all people is pure karma, and while we’re more than happy to put it on loop, it’s not hard to be sickened by his eventual fate. The grail is messed up…
#3: Every Guy’s Worst Nightmare
“Call Me Tonight” (1986)
Unlucky in love and life, Ryo has found himself with zero romantic prospects other than trying his luck with the ladies of the Madonna organisation. It’s not that he’s lacking in charm or anything, it’s just that he has the terrible tendency to transform into a monster whenever he gets a little too hot under the collar. Like here, when he freaked out and turned into something that can only be described as Junji Ito’s creative leftovers. Well, he’s not going to be able to return to that café anytime soon.
#2: The Curse of the Abyss
“Made in Abyss” (2017)
One of the most heart-breaking and inhume acts to ever be displayed through Anime, the way in which Mitty goes from optimistic orphan to a bloody collection of mentally broken flesh does not make for a pleasant viewing experience. Exposed to the lowest level of the abyss, all Mitty can do is wail for her friend while her skin melts off and she writhes in absolute agony for waaaaay too long. By the time the hell-ride is over, all that’s left is the groaning blob we’ve all come to adore, who we now know was deconstructed in the most painful way imaginable.
#1: Tetsuo’s End
“Akira” (1988)
While they’re will likely be plenty more gory and graphic transformations down the line, none can ever hope to capture the sheer artistry of watching Tetsuo’s body start to warp and expand into something truly terrifying. As his telekinetic abilities start to go haywire, Tetsuo quickly loses his human form, rapidly bloating into an all-encompassing mound of flesh, technology and death. Not sure what’s more shocking; his final form or the way he ended up crushing his love interest between his psychic fat flaps! This was certainly not a fun time for anyone involved.