In the world of anime, no series has a monopoly on iconic transformations the same way that Dragon Ball does. From the earliest days of the series, transformations have played a massive role in the story, to the point where the most iconic forms in the industry’s history have come from this franchise alone.
As such, the main characters of Dragon Ball have come a long way, and their strength since the early days has gone up drastically due to the various transformations they have undergone, with Goku’s Ultra Instinct standing as the pinnacle of this trend. However, as strong as it is, there are some anime transformations that match it, so let’s take a look at which these are.
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5
Gear 5 Allows Luffy To Manipulate Reality
Series: One Piece
Image via Toei Animation
Image via Toei Animation
Image by Toei AnimationUndoubtedly a controversial pick, Gear 5 is the strongest that Luffy has ever been in the series. By undergoing a Devil Fruit Awakening, Luffy is able to imbue external objects with his rubber powers, which gives him the ability to alter and manipulate reality itself to a minor degree, as was shown throughout the various uses of the state.
In reality, a hypothetical battle between Gear 5 Luffy and Ultra Instinct Goku would be an incredibly easy win for the Saiyan, but the full extent of Luffy’s insane power-up could pose a threat. By bringing his imagination into existence and changing the laws of the universe on a whim, Gear 5 could theoretically be unstoppable.
4
Ichigo’s True Bankai + Horn Of Salvation Is Overpowered
Series: Bleach
Image via Studio Pierrot
Over the course of Bleach, the protagonist, Ichigo, has undergone a fair number of powerful transformations. However, none even come close in strength to his True Bankai and Horn of Salvation state, which merges his Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy powers into a single, all-powerful package that had enough Spiritual Pressure to defeat Yhwach.
Many would argue the strength of this form against Ultra Instinct, but Ichigo’s immense might allows him to use an exponential amount of power. He used this to stop Yhwach, who was merging three realms together. This insane firepower cleaved the villain in half, showing that he would theoretically have what it takes to battle against Goku’s strongest state.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)
Medium (7)
Hard (10)
Start
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)Start
3
Cosmic Garou Matched Saitama For A Time
Series: One Punch Man
Image via Shueisha
The entire concept of the One Punch Man series revolves around a superhero so powerful that he can defeat any foe with a single punch, and none in the series have ever been able to come close to him in strength. However, the Monster Association arc changed this, as it introduced fans to Garou’s most powerful transformation; the Cosmic Garou form.
In this state, Garou’s incredible strength was further bolstered by a brief power-up from God, which allowed him to match Saitama in a fight that leveled Jupiter and its moon, Io. Because of the insane strength, speed, and cosmic abilities that allowed Cosmic Garou to match Saitama, most fans believe that he could also give Ultra Instinct Goku a run for his money.
2
Jinwoo’s Shadow Monarch State Makes Him A Cosmic Nightmare
Series: Solo Leveling
Image created by the author Rei Penber using official Solo Leveling assets.
Many have called Solo Leveling the quintessential spiritual successor to Dragon Ball, and this is pretty clear to see with the emphasis that the series places on combat and the need to get stronger. The protagonist, Sung Jinwoo, is the embodiment of working hard in order to grow, which he did through The System to eventually awaken his Shadow Monarch form.
One of the hottest new debates within the anime community often pits Goku’s Ultra Instinct form against Jinwoo’s Shadow Monarch state. With his vast array of shadow soldiers and control over darkness and shadows, Jinwoo’s strength is absolute in the Solo Leveling universe, making him one of the best matches to put up against Goku and his strongest form.
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1
Vegeta Reignited The Rivalry With Ultra Ego
Series: Dragon Ball
Across the entire anime industry, the rivalry shared by Goku and Vegeta is, by far, the most iconic of all time. Despite this, the Tournament of Power arc showed the former leaving Vegeta in the dust by awakening Ultra Instinct, which proved to be a transformation that the Prince really struggled to get for himself. However, he found a way to surpass his limits in his own way.
By realizing the strength of the Destroyer Gods, Vegeta awakened Ultra Ego, which is a state that works directly opposite from Ultra Instinct. Because of this, Vegeta’s offensive strength in an unmastered form was even greater than Goku’s own against Granolah, which proves that these two rivals are finally on the same level of strength once again.
All these series can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
