Top 20 Best Anime Makeovers

#20: Yuuri Katsuki

Yuri!!! on ICE (2016)

The best glow-up comes from within. Yuuri Katsuki goes from being one of Japans finest figure skaters to falling into a slump after a heartbreaking loss at the Grand Prix Final. As his mental health takes a hit, he starts gaining weight and questioning his own abilities. Everything changes when Victor Nikiforov walks into his life, determined to make a champion out of him. Victor, who Yuuri considers his role model, revives his love for his sport as well as his self-esteem, which directly impacts how he carries himself. Some rigorous training later, Yuuri is back in top form, ready to conquer the world with his man by his side.

#19: Izumi Miyamura

Horimiya (2021)

This isnt as much of a glow-up as it is a revelation but the shock factor definitely left us with our jaws hanging. Izumi, who is perceived as an introverted and awkward guy at school transforms into quite the rocker outside. He is tatted out and has multiple piercings, ties his usually clumsy-looking long hair in a half-up half-down hairdo, and boasts a laid-back style. In other words, the school nerd turns out to be a looker when no ones judging. While this alternative look is charming, Izumi gets even more attractive when he accepts himself as he is and isnt afraid to show it to the world.

#18: Yukari Hayasaka

Paradise Kiss (2005)

Before there was Nana, Ai Yazawa created another coming-of-age romance with a striking heroine. This was Yukari Hayasaka from Paradise Kiss, an uptight school girl who never knew a world beyond books. When she gets involved with a crew of fashion students led by Johji Koizumi, they see the potential she couldnt find in herself. A whole new dimension opens up in front of her, as she discovers her identity through her relationship with Johji. He pushes her out of her comfort zone, both in terms of her appearance and her personality, allowing her to be herself unapologetically. In the process, she inevitably glows up, embracing fearless new styles that she probably wouldnt have dreamt of trying before.

#17: Masamune Makabe

Masamune-kun's Revenge (2017)

No one likes a melodramatic misunderstanding but if it results in an epic evolution, wed certainly mind it less. Thats what happened to Masamune Makabe, who got rejected by his crush Aki Adagaki for his weight and decided to overhaul his entire appearance as revenge. The problem is that Aki always liked him, especially when he was chubby. However, a petty secondary character, Yoshino, was trying to sabotage their budding romance. She had pretended to be Aki and turned him down. This prompted him to shape up and take on a conventionally attractive look just so he could break Akis heart one day. Now, thats a strange life goal but a glow-up is a glow-up.

#16: Sunako Nakahara

The Wallflower (2006-07)

If My Fair Lady was a reverse harem anime, where instead of a flower shop girl, the female protagonist is a horror fanatic, youd get this. Sunako Nakahara is more than just quiet and reserved. She has a rich inner world with unusual interests but has retreated into a shell after a poor experience with a boy she liked. Since then, she has grown particularly averse to anything pretty and has no interest in appearing beautiful herself. Concerned, Sunakos aunt decides to enlist four unbelievably handsome boys to turn her niece into a so-called lady. As she lives with and gets to know these young men, the power of friendship and love allows Sunako to open up and reveal the loveliness she always had.

#15: Koby

One Piece (1999-)

Some anime makeovers are so drastic, they can only be chalked up to anime logic. Koby is one such character, who changed so much in such a short amount of time that the feasibility of his transformation is highly debated among fans. When we first meet Koby, he is weak, both physically and emotionally. After training under the mighty Garp, he gets ripped at an unprecedented rate, which naturally changes how he looks. Post-timeskip Koby is even more charismatic, standing tall and proud as a marine captain. Living the dream life sure looks good on the man.

#14: Ken Kaneki

Tokyo Ghoul (2014)

No one does emo better than this guy. Ken Kaneki started out as an ordinary bright-eyed university student with nothing but his good-natured personality to set him apart. However, life had other plans, and boy, were they cruel. Hes sucked into the world of ghouls after partly turning into one himself. To add to that, he is faced with immense torture, but it ultimately results in him powering up. As a side-effect, though, his hair turns white which is edgy from an aesthetic perspective, but rather tragic otherwise. Combining the new hair color with his mask, Ken looks enviably dripped out.

#13: Sumika Fujimiya

Uncle from Another World (2022-23)

Not many people would be happy about their aesthetically-challenged childhood bully turning into the prettiest girl around. Takafumi Takaoka doesnt mind, though. Sumika and he go way back and although she was an absolute menace as a kid, especially to him, he respects her as a person. In fact, he is so fond of their far-from-ideal friendship that he wouldnt dare look at her romantically, even when shes a total cutie vying for his attention. Frankly, we dont blame him. He just cant get the grimy image he has of her from their childhood out of his head but viewers know how hard hes fumbling. Innocent or ignorant, you be the judge.

#12: Eren Yeager

Attack on Titan (2013-23)

The AoT anti-heros appearance had as many plot twists as the anime itself. The most obvious transformation he undergoes is when puberty hits him like a truck. However, the cooler one is when he steps into his villain era in season four. Earlier in that season, he had a scruffy look with shoulder-length hair and an unkempt goatee. However, after the raid on Liberio, he is clean-shaven and starts doing his hair up in an effortlessly sexy man bun with a few fringes framing his face. The titan marks just add to the grunge quotient while his jacked abs amplify his aura points manifold. Without a doubt, the look fits him wonderfully as the leader of a movement.

#11: Sung Jin-woo

Solo Leveling (2024-)

You dont just become the worlds strongest hunter without a few perks. For Sung Jin-woo, great power came with great looks. Once he started moving up the hunter ranks after being chosen as the Player of the System, everything changed. He got taller, stronger, and hotter. Somehow, he also developed a better fashion sense, serving looks reminiscent of Neo from The Matrix. Even his hairstyle went from a shaggy mess to a neat two-block cut usually found on K-Pop idols. Needless to say, the glow-up was well-earned as he trained night and day to achieve his look.

#10: Tsukimi Kurashita

Princess Jellyfish (2010)

Like many artistic people, Tsukimi Kurashita - the lead protagonist of Jellyfish Princess - is a classic introvert. She also never really recovered from the death of her mother at a young age. Though Tsukimi is a sweet-natured, generous friend who would happily do a favor for anyone, social interaction is a daunting task for her. Shes also not so great at presenting herself, either. From her scruffy plaited hair to her baggy jumpers and big glasses, everything about her appearance tells you to pay her no attention. But, when Tsukimi does bother to put some effort in, people can barely take their eyes off of her. Its amazing what a little self-care can do for you!

#9: Waver Velvet

Fate Franchise (2006-)

When we first met Waver Velvet during Fate/Zeros Fourth Holy Grail War, he was just a scrawny 19-year-old full of self-doubt. Though he wasnt exactly unattractive, Wavers personality had a lot of room for improvement. His narcissistic tendencies often left him labelled as spoiled and he usually shied away from doing anything too physically-demanding out of fear. Fast-forward into the future and - surprise! - that skinny little boy has turned into a not-so-skinny man with a head of hair that reminds us of a LOreal commercial. As Lord El-Melloi II, Wavers body finally catches up with his brawny brain. Hes even a hit with the ladies too, though his precious video game collection will always be his first love.

#8: Nina Einstein

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2006-08)

Code Geass is filled with the kinds of beautiful female characters youd expect from CLAMP, but Nina Einstein doesnt count herself as one of them. In the first season, nothing about her particularly stuck out looks-wise other than her dark green hair, which, in a show where magenta and neon are normal shades, isnt that out of place. Typically, her clothes are nothing special either. In fact, the frayed edges and oversizing of them belies her shrinking personality. Come season two, however, and Ninas new found confidence makes her a whole new person. With her hair down, her glasses off and clothes that actually fit her, its no wonder she caught the eye of royalty!

#7: Raphtalia

The Rising of the Shield Hero (2019-)

To say Raphtalia had a rough childhood is an understatement. When she was just 10-years-old, her peaceful seaside town was ravaged by a wave of calamity, resulting in the deaths of her parents and her own enslavement. Its no wonder she wasnt in the best shape when Naofumi bought her. With a little TLC, however, her new owner and adventuring partner realized that the unkempt urchin hed purchased was actually a cute little demi-human. Even more surprising was her transformation later on into a fully-grown woman as her hero levels increased. Her fluffy animal ears, well-groomed hair and stylish armor is a far-cry from the dishevelled slave girl she once was.

#6: Sophie

Howls Moving Castle (2004)

Howls Moving Castle is a fairy tale about how whats on the inside affects whats on the outside, so how could we not include it here? While the titular wizard goes through some wild bodily changes as he grows in maturity and selflessness, our heroine Sophie goes through a similar journey of growth. Before she meets Howl, Sophie was an ordinary, demure hat shop girl. Then, a curse from a jealous witch and chance meeting with the rebellious mage changes her life forever. Her haggard form reflects the stunted person she let herself become, and its only through opening herself up to romance and adventure that she breaks through the curse to become the beautiful and unique woman Howl sees her as.

#5: Prompto Argentum

Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV (2016)

We all have a little puppy fat as kids, and Prompto Argentum is a prime example of this. Hes also a prime example of how much can change between our awkward teen years and our more confident adult ones. The anime spin-off from the game surprisingly reveals that the tall, slim skirt-chaser were used to seeing was once a doughy, bespectacled boy. Now, we love Prompto however he looks, but his issues with his weight were implied to be linked to the depression and isolation he felt as a kid. Befriending Noctis helped Prompto feel like he belonged, and he worked hard to condition his body into a form that he was happier in. Just dont go insulting his chocobo butt hairstyle

#4: Homura Akemi

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011)

This twisted magical girl anime gives us another example of a makeover shown in reverse. In the present day, Homura Akemi has sleek, long black hair and icy violet eyes that are meant to give you a sense of her cold and quiet demeanor right away. However, in the series tenth episode we discover that, in one alternate timeline, Homura used to look very different. When she was younger, she had to wear glasses and suffered from a heart problem so severe that she was hospitalized. Eventually, she was able to use her soul gem to get healthier and, quite literally, let her hair down. In the movie sequel, Homura got an even more dramatic wardrobe shake-up to something surprisingly racy.

#3: Sawako Kuronuma

Kimi ni Todoke (2009-11)

A lot of teen girls love having long hair, but for high school student Sawako Kuronuma, her style choices draw some unwanted opinions from her classmates. Because of her reserved personality, dark eyes and waist-length, black locks, shes constantly bullied for looking like Sadako - the terrifying female spectre from Japanese horror series, The Ring. Luckily, she finds acceptance in an unexpected place: Shta Kazehaya, the most popular boy in school. While Kazehaya loves Sawako just as she is, once she begins to return his affections, Sawako decides to put more effort into how she presents herself. Of course, Sawakos rare smiles reveal that shes never been a horror movie monster. She just needed the confidence to show off her natural beauty.

#2: Kae Serinuma

Kiss Him, Not Me (2016)

Like Prompto, Kiss Him, Not Mes main character, Kae Serinuma used to be more heavily set. Her dramatic weight loss was also down to a similar tragic backstory.... Tragedy of the made-up kind, we should add. Kae is a passionate fujoshi, which is what fans of the Boys Love genre are known as. When one of her favorite male characters is killed off, Kae becomes so beside herself that she locks herself in her bedroom and doesnt eat anything for days. Her eventual emergence is kind of like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon, and it isnt long before she has several suitors buzzing around her. Of course, we should point out that we dont endorse this kind of extreme dieting.

#1: Palm Siberia

Hunter x Hunter (2011-14)

A little makeup can go a long way, but who knew it could go this far! While some people can light up a room, Palm Siberia is surrounded by bad vibes wherever she goes. In fact, much like Sawako Kuronuma, her introduction in Hunter x Hunter is reminiscent of The Rings Sadako. Accompanying this dark cloud around her is a dark shroud of tangled hair and grey skin, making her look like the undead. But, when Palm goes on a date with Hunter x Hunters lead character, Gon, it was like she came back to life. Healthy brown hair, peach-colored skin She was unrecognizable! Palm assumed a similarly attractive form to do some political espionage around Secretary of State, Bizeff.

Glow-ups are great but whats the worst glow-down youve seen in an anime? Tell us in the comments section!