Close Menu
Three main shapeshifters in anime who are universally recognized
Three main shapeshifters who are universally recognised (Image via GamesHorizon)

9 Best Shapeshifters in Anime

Stuart RayBy Updated:10 Mins Read Anime

Have you ever watched shapeshifters in anime and wished that you were in their place? Perhaps you watched Eren transform the first time, or Mirajane from Fairy Tail shift into her demonic forms. Shapeshifting is a recurrent power not only in anime but across all forms of pop culture, but it does not end there. Shapeshifters have been common across all the myths of the world, highlighting how the desire to become something other than human… something more than human, is a desire that traverses space and time.

While watching shapeshifters in anime is pretty cool, some series undoubtedly execute it better than others. Shapeshifting involves the power to transform from one’s original form to any other creature, monster, robot, spirit or even an elemental being. That being said, here are the top 9 shapeshifters in anime series.

Eren Yeager and 8 other iconic shapeshifters in anime 

1. Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan

Eren Yeager, the main character of Attack on Titan, realises he has the capacity to manage to transform into a shifting Titan, colossal monsters that threaten humanity. Injury causes his metamorphosis, which he generally achieves by drawing blood via biting savagely into his own hand. Of course, the more the series progresses, it becomes clear that Eren isn’t as special as he appears at first. All Titans are of uniquely human origin, however only Shifters may transform back into humans, whereas Pure Titans cannot. Among all the shapeshifters in anime, this is the one which perhaps invokes the horror angle the most. 

Eren absorbed the powers of the time-travelling Attack Titan and the overpowered Frieda Reiss’ Founding Titan after swallowing his father, Grisha Yeager. He had been afraid of the Titans almost his entire life, only to discover that he was one of them. Attack Titan is regarded as the most powerful Titan of all time; with the Founding’s powers, it can control a large swarm of Titans simply by shouting.

He later assaulted attacked Lara Tybur, who turned out to be the War Hammer Titan. Then he devoured Lara and absorbed the War Hammer Titans’ abilities. Eren can only morph uniquely and the latest season shows his ultimate transformation; he becomes a skeletal form, loosing his humanity and skin, making him one of the most well-received shapeshifters in anime and manga whose transformation sequence is closely related with the theme of the story.

Also Read: Top 10 anime series to watch with your family

2. Tony Tony Chopper from One Piece

Tony Tony Chopper, the Straw Hat Pirates’ doctor in One Piece, was previously a regular, albeit blue-nosed, outcast reindeer right until he ate the Hito Hito no Mi (human human) Devil Fruit, which transformed him into a variety of humanoid, hybrid forms. If the question arises regarding who the most popular shapeshifters in anime are, this kawaii reindeer is sure to make ninety percent of those lists.

His numerous transformations are commonly referred to as Points such as Walk Point (his basic reindeer form), the intelligent Brain Point (his chibi-esque default shape that gave his kawaii persona), Heavy Point (his de facto human form), Guard Point (where he transforms into a ball of fur), and the enormous Monster Point, among others.

Chopper may unleash his combat talents after transforming into a human by knocking out of his opponents with his massive arms and legs, as Dosun the fishman and the CP-9 agent Kumadori found out the hard way. Chopper’s human transition also played a significant influence in his becoming a doctor.

Also Read: All anime TV series releasing in July 2023

3. Mirajane from Fairy Tail

On this list, Mirajane is the only woman among all the shapeshifters in anime, attesting to Hiro Mashima’s ability to write shonen with nuanced women. Mirajane had given up on combat for a long time after coping with the trauma of seemingly having lost her sister when her brother went into his rampaging mode. However, she soon realised – after her sister is revealed to be alive – that this was a huge mistake, because more than ever, the members of Fairy Tail would be requiring her power to face the dangers of the dark guilds and various enemies inland and overseas.

Mirajane can become a demon in a process called take-over magic. This ability allows her to possess multiple forms that she takes over from demons in hell, and as such she can use these abilities before reverting to her original mode. Mirajane Strauss is one of the strongest members of Fairy Tail and has been known to defeat powerful enemies like Racer with little to no effort after going into her demonic form. In this form, she can harness great amounts of magical power while her personality becomes harsher and more sadistic as opposed to her regular wholesome nature.

4. Ditto from Pokemon

Ditto is a Pokémon that has no known evolutions, although it can transform into anything other than its original shape, from objects to human beings to even other Pokémon. As a result, it can breed with all other Pokémon. This is useful because they are known to be very territorial with one another. What else Ditto duplicates with each transformation, including stats and moves, as well as any limits it faces, differs depending on the version of the series. In the anime, especially the first series of Kanto Journey ffor example, it’s a running gag that Ditto has trouble changing their visage even when transformed.

Ditto’s shape-shifting talents are widely explored in any medium where it is given the limelight. This little blob’s strength is always entertaining to witness, from the anime episode “Ditto’s Mysterious Mansion,” in which Team Rocket attempts to take a trainer’s Ditto, to the film with Ryan Reynolds, aka Detective Pikachu, in which the villain’s lieutenant is revealed to be a Ditto taking human form. As such, Ditto has become one of the most popular shapeshifters in anime and in fact, across all media.

5. Tamaki Amajiki from My Hero Academia

Many of My Hero Academia’s strongest Quirks entail the possessor acquiring animalistic form or altering their own body, but among them, only a few of them involve directly transforming shape-shifting. Amajiki gains the ability to momentarily alter his body into almost anything he consumes, disregarding the object’s edibility, which he has used so creatively that he is one of U.A. Hero school’s top students.

Amajiki maintains a range of munchies on his utility belt to give himself any kind of supreme boost that he needs in the field, right from claws to powerful wings for flight to tentacles for extended combat. What’s more and makes him unique among shapeshifters in anime, he’s not limited to only one morph at a time. He also meticulously plans his normal meals to provide him with the qualities that keep him robust and agile.

6. Naruto from Naruto

Shapeshifters in anime are common, with the protagonist himself assuming many physical forms as a visual manifestation of power-ups. Naruto was unaware that he was the spirit-holder or to be more technical, the Jinchuriki of Nine-Tailed fox/Kurama, which is why the people of Konoha saw him as a demon. The Chakra of the Tailed Beast began leaking after Uzumaki’s Five Elements Seal right on Naruto weakened, causing Naruto to behave like the Nine-Tailed fox.

Naruto was finally able to enter the 2nd Version form after losing control, which made him look like a fox demon. Naruto later befriended Kurama and got access to the Tailed Beast Mode. Naruto’s Tailed Beast Mode is unique among Jinchurikis. This is because, in addition to entirely transforming right into a Tailed Beast, somehow he also wears a golden-colored cloak formed of the chakra of the huge Nine-Tailed fox.

7. Goku from Dragon Ball

Even as a young child early on in the Dragon Ball storyline, the first part of the  franchise, Goku possessed the ability to transform into a strong Giant Ape. It appears to be a characteristic of Saiyans. a tail and some radiation, typically in the strange form of moonlight, are required to start the transition, as well. No matter the age or type of the changed Saiyan, it has been demonstrated that Great Apes typically have the same size. 

They ultimately resemble a hybrid of the Monkey King or Son Wukong, King Kong from Western media that partially inspired it, and a werewolf via the theme of nighttime transformation using moonlight. Their physical makeup incorporates characteristics from other primates, including the face of a baboon.

Later in the story, Goku was unable to morph due to a number of causes, including Kami permanently taking away his tail. The Great Ape transformations essentially disappeared in favour of becoming a Super Saiyan because the latter offered the characters more power as opposed to becoming archetypal shapeshifters in anime.

8. Rimuru Tempest from That Time I got reincarnated as a Slime

Although Rimuru’s natural shape is a translucent ball of slime, he has the power of mimicry, which allows him to assume any appearance, making him an overpowered shapeshifter in anime. He must consume them entire before he may change into someone. Rimuru’s ability is constrained because he can transform into anything he consumes. He can, however, create huge wings for flying and summon armour to shield his body from harm.

Rimuru is genderless, although he still refers to himself as a man because it was his previous gender. He came to this new world after dying in a traditional isekai accident, however where other isekai protagonists have to battle slimes on their journey, this series inverted that by making him an overpowered one and an unique shapeshifter in anime that comes out seasonally. Rimuru’s true nature is slime, hence he doesn’t need to breathe or urinate. He lacks reproductive organs even after becoming a human, to add to that.

9. Envy from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Envy is revealed to be one of the seven deadly sins that appear towards the end in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and a member of the Homunculi. Envy, which is the physical representation of the original sin, exists solely to cause human suffering and enjoys causing psychological harm. Envy has the power to transform into anybody or anything he chooses. He cannot, however, change into a form that is larger than his true form. Envy can pass for a regular person by changing his appearance, and because of his amazing impersonation abilities, no one can ever figure out who he really is. 

He is one of the most iconic shapeshifters in anime. The true manifestation of envy is a gigantic, hideous lizard. He has the ability to transform his limbs into weapons when in his regular form. He instantly goes on the defensive when his tactic of becoming loved ones fails, yelling angrily about what sort of person would do something like that when they manage to try it on someone who often has no qualms about even attacking a phoney (like Roy Mustang), though.

Share.

Stuart loves anime, writing, and writing about anime. Someday, he hopes to illustrate his own manga from his novel!