History Main / NextTierPowerUp

'''Goku''': And this... (Begins powering up)...'''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis IS. TO GO. EVEN. FURTHER. BEYOND!!]] AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!'''\\

* ''HeartcatchPrettyCure'': Mirage Silhouette, Mirage Orchestra, and ''finally'' the Infinity Silhouette. That last one is best described as ''PrettyCure'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann''. HCPC is one of the most Shounen-y straightly-played MagicalGirl shows ever.

* MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs gave Fate and Nanoha rebuilt forms of Bardiche and Raising Heart respectively after both were nearly destroyed in their first fight with the Wolkenritter. Aside from a general power boost, both devices have the new Belkan cartridge system.

'''Piccolo''': Has he really found a way to surpass an ascended Super Saiyan? Is that really possible?\\
'''Krillin''': He must be bluffing. What would that make him? Double ascended?\\
'''Goku''': And this... (Begins powering up) ...'''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis IS. TO GO. EVEN. FURTHER. BEYOND!!]] AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!'''\\

->'''[[TheHero Goku]]''': (Transforms) This is a Super Saiyan. And this... (Transforms ''again'') ...this is what is known as a Super Saiyan that has ascended past a Super Saiyan. Or, you could just call this a Super Saiyan 2.\\
'''[[EvilSorcerer Babidi]]''': Ho hum. [[LampshadeHanging What a useless transformation. You've changed your hair. So what?]]\\

'''[[TheStoic Piccolo]]''': Has he really found a way to surpass an ascended Super Saiyan? Is that really possible?\\
'''[[IronWoobie Krillin]]''': He must be bluffing. What would that make him? ''[[ItMakesSenseInContext Double ascended]]''?\\

* In ''{{Naruto}}'', the title character's Kyuubi tails are a form of this, as is the forming of Sasuke Uchiha's Sharingan mid-fight-scene. Choji Akimichi's special Food Pills also count. There is also Orochimaru's Curse Seal, which Kimimaro, the Sound Four, and Sasuke all have. Kankuro gains more Ninja Puppets, while Tenten gets Weapon Scrolls. Later on, there is Jiraya and [[spoiler: Naruto ''again'']] with Sage Mode. Naruto then gains [[spoiler:full access to the Kyuubi's chakra by [[ThePowerOfFriendship befriending it.]]]] And, of course, Rock Lee and Might Guy have the Eight Gates to move up through. [[CaptainObvious Naruto uses the trope a lot]].

* [[TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]]'s {{Hellfire}}, then [[DiscardAndDraw Soulfire]], then [[spoiler: [[LadyAndKnight Status as the Winter Knight]]]]. Two out of three were [[DealWithTheDevil Deals with the Devil]] (one nearly literal), making them upgrades with a great deal of trade-off, and the odd one out [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique causes temporary damage to his soul when used]]. The 'enemies of the past are too weak to be an issue' aspect of the trope doesn't come up very often, since Harry is WeakButSkilled compared to most of the entities he faces - however, consider how much trouble he had with ghouls and Red Court vampires in the earlier books compared with now. [[spoiler: Okay, he doesn't actually have ''any'' trouble with the Red Court now on account of how he killed them all, but if he ''did'' it'd be less trouble than in earlier books.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/{{Bleach}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Shonen_Upgrade_9507.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:TheHero's progression.''[[note]]And there are many more forms post-timeskip[[/note]]'']]

* In ''{{S-Cry-ed}}'', Kazuma goes out to upgrade his Alter power because it is too weak, then later gets an additional upgrade at the end of the series through willpower. Ryuho also follows this, but his first upgrade is more an IAmNotLeftHanded, in that he had it retroactively.

->'''[[TheHero Goku]]''': (Transforms into a Super Saiyan) This is a Super Saiyan. And this... (Transforms into an ascended Super Saiyan) ...this is what is known as a Super Saiyan that has ascended past a Super Saiyan. Or, you could just call this a Super Saiyan 2.\\
'''Piccolo''': Has he really found a way to surpass an ascended Super Saiyan? Is that really possible?\\
'''IronWoobie Krillin''': He must be bluffing. What would that make him? ''[[ItMakesSenseInContext Double ascended]]''?\\
'''Goku''': And this... (Begins powering up) ...'''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis IS. TO GO. EVEN. FURTHER. BEYOND!!]]'''\\

** ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion'' [[spoiler: has a dark example of this trope. The events of the anime and movie push Homura past the limits of despair and causes her to tap into ThePowerOfLove...which allows her to separate the human Madoka from her goddess self. Homura's Soul Gem then shatters and is replaced with a new item named the [[AllThereInTheManual Black Orb]], while Homura herself becomes a self-proclaimed [[SatanicArchetype demon.]]]]

* The most well known example of this trope is the various levels of Super Saiyan from ''DragonBallZ'', though early on there was a previous NextTierPowerUp in the form of the Kaioken, which increased Goku's power at the cost of [[HeroicRROD the toll it would take on his body]] [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique if he used it at too high an intensity]], as well as a later NextTierPowerUp during the Majin Buu saga in the form of Fusions.

->'''[[TheHero Goku]]''': (Transforms into a Super Saiyan) This is a Super Saiyan. And this... (Transforms into an ascended Super Saiyan) ...this is what is known as a Super Saiyan that has ascended past a Super Saiyan. Or, you could just call this a Super Saiyan two.\\
'''[[TheStoic Piccolo]]''': Has he really found a way to surpass an ascended Super Saiyan? Is that really possible?\\
'''[[IronWoobie Krillin]]''': He must be bluffing. What would that make him? ''[[ItMakesSenseInContext Double ascended]]''?\\

* The most well known example from live action TV is the conversion of the ''PowerRangers''' [[HumongousMecha Dinozords]] to the new Thunderzords.

'''Goku''': And this... (Begins powering up) ...[[PunctuatedForEmphasis IS. TO GO. EVEN. FURTHER. BEYOND!!]]\\

'''Goku''': And this... (Begins powering up) ...[[PunctuatedForEmphasis IS. TO GO. EVEN. FURTHER. BEYOND!!]]

->'''[[TheHero Goku]]''': (Transforms ino to a Super Saiyan) This is a Super Saiyan. And this... (Transforms into an ascended Super Saiyan) ...this is what is known as a Super Saiyan that has ascended past a Super Saiyan. Or, you could just call this a Super Saiyan two.\\

->'''[[TheHero Goku]]''':(Transforms ino to a Super Saiyan) This is a Super Saiyan. And this... (Transforms into an ascended Super Saiyan) ...this is what is known as a Super Saiyan that has ascended past a Super Saiyan. Or, you could just call this a Super Saiyan two.\\

[[folder: Video Games]]
* ''{{LaTale}}'' has this with it's third jobs, where you're infused with the power of the goddess Series.
* Being a tribute to all things anime, ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' [[TropeOverdosed naturally]] [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this trope by virtue of [[MemeticBadass Bang]] [[RatedMForManly Shishigami]]'s Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan technique, complete with an [[BackgroundMusicOverride overriding]] ThemeMusicPowerUp by [[JAMProject Hironobu Kageyama]] and [[PowerGlows a golden sheen]] covering his body. It is AWESOME.
--> '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic5kr4LPxXo BANG BANG BA-BAAAAANG!!! BAANING-UU TAMASHII!!! TATAKAU KOKORO KOUGETSUKU HODO NIIIII!!!]]'''
* Being the equivalent of an interactive anime (With even more references than VideoGame/BlazBlue), ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' under goes quite a few new transformations of this nature thanks to his anger. A more traditional version is [[spoiler: Asura getting the Karma Fortress Mantra Reactor implanted into him and activated by Yasha, allowing him to use his wrath without harming himself, and super charging his already immense powers at base form up to insane levels, along with gaining a new ''planet'' sized form known as Asura the Destructor, where he basically becomes a HumongousMecha.]]
* Played with in ''VideoGame/ZettaiHeroProject''. Your generic, [[HelloInsertNameHere nameless]], [[ThisLoserIsYou pathetic]] protagonist has to learn several cliche hero traits such as the PowerOfLove in order to upgrade from [[HenshinHero Unlosing Ranger]] to ''True'' Unlosing Ranger. [[spoiler:When the WHAMEpisode reveals that the protagonist has a backstory and is actually an IronWoobie {{Determinator}}, the parody you've been expecting turns out to be genuinely [[MomentOfAwesome awesome]].]]
[[/folder]]

* Played with in ''ZettaiHeroProject''. Your generic, [[HelloInsertNameHere nameless]], [[ThisLoserIsYou pathetic]] protagonist has to learn several cliche hero traits such as the PowerOfLove in order to upgrade from [[HenshinHero Unlosing Ranger]] to ''True'' Unlosing Ranger. [[spoiler:When the WHAMEpisode reveals that the protagonist has a backstory and is actually an IronWoobie {{Determinator}}, the parody you've been expecting turns out to be a genuine CrowningMomentOfAwesome.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:TheHero's progression.''[[note]]And there are much more forms post-timeskip[[/note]]'']]

[[caption-width-right:350:TheHero's progression.]]

The NextTierPowerUp usually doesn't involve "just" training, no matter how [[TrainingFromHell hellish]] it may be; there's always some exterior source for the power, like a magic weapon, an [[LifeEnergy infusion]] of ''[[KiAttacks ki]]'', or a TransformationRay. Many of the more powerful {{Shonen Upgrade}}s have some sort of [[PowerAtAPrice downside]] attached, such as risk of a HeroicRROD ([[DeadlyUpgrade if]] [[PowerDegeneration not]] [[TheCorruption worse]]) if used too much, or a risk of [[SuperpoweredEvilSide losing yourself]] to TheDarkSide.

** The Fishman Island arc has had the crew reveal even MORE upgrades. Though these are completely justified, seeing as they spent 2 whole years specifically to gain shonen upgrades.

* ''BoboboBoBoBobo'' 's Shonen Upgrades are direct parodies of ''Dragonball Z'''s Super Saiyan and Fusions.

* ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn'' has this, especially when the various rings start kicking in. Especially with [[TheHero Tsuna]], who gets glove and Box power-ups like nobody's business. [[spoiler: This comes back to bite him when fighting his father. Reborn tells Tsuna that he relied too much on his Shonen Upgrades and not enough on his strength which he needs to defeat Iemitsu. He doesn't, but he does better after Reborn's motivational speech.]]

The ShonenUpgrade usually doesn't involve "just" training, no matter how [[TrainingFromHell hellish]] it may be; there's always some exterior source for the power, like a magic weapon, an [[LifeEnergy infusion]] of ''[[KiAttacks ki]]'', or a TransformationRay. Many of the more powerful {{Shonen Upgrade}}s have some sort of [[PowerAtAPrice downside]] attached, such as risk of a HeroicRROD ([[DeadlyUpgrade if]] [[PowerDegeneration not]] [[TheCorruption worse]]) if used too much, or a risk of [[SuperpoweredEvilSide losing yourself]] to TheDarkSide.

* The most well known example of this trope is the various levels of Super Saiyan from ''DragonBallZ'', though early on there was a previous ShonenUpgrade in the form of the Kaioken, which increased Goku's power at the cost of [[HeroicRROD the toll it would take on his body]] [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique if he used it at too high an intensity]], as well as a later ShonenUpgrade during the Majin Buu saga in the form of Fusions.

* Shinigami in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' have 3 forms to their Zanpakuto, "Unreleased", "Shikai", and "Bankai". Ichigo starts unreleased, loses his powers, skips straight to Shikai upon regaining his powers, and later gains Bankai through a pure ShonenUpgrade moment. In addition, Ichigo's Hollow powers are a similar example, powers acquired, not through training, but by dramatic need, usually after being [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbed]].

* In ''SaintSeiya'', the Sacred Cloths of Athena change into sleeker, more impressive new forms whenever they're destroyed and have to be rebuilt (especially the Bronze Cloths, which are broken at least once per series.) Works as a non-sexual form of {{Fanservice}} as the Constellation form of the Cloths [[CostumePorn becomes more and more intricately detailed with each iteration]] -- the original Pegasus and Cygnus Cloths required a LOT of imagination to resemble a winged horse or a swan, but by the time they became [[spoiler:Divine Cloths through [[ShonenUpgrade Athena's blood]]]] they were near-perfect reproductions -- and they cover more and more of their Saint's body at the same time.

* In ''SoulEater'', the main duo's driving goal is to obtain their ShonenUpgrade by turning Soul into a Death Scythe. [[spoiler: They eventually succeed.]] Black*Star and Tsubaki also get the katana upgrade.

** At one point, she gains a ShonenUpgrade by taking another more powerful character's arm and [[AppendageAssimilation attaching it to her own body]]. Especially interesting because the other character gave up the arm willingly as a "parting gift," and even cut it off herself.

** The sequel, ''Inazuma Eleven GO'' ramps it UpToEleven with the avaliabilty of [[Manga/SaintSeiya power armors]], [[DragonBall transformations]], and [[BlueDragon shadow avatars]]. Arguably almost every possible ShonenUpgrade is in this one show.

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/{{Bleach}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Shonen_Upgrade_9507.png]]]]

ShonenUpgrade is an item, power, or transformation gained by a main character to drastically increase their abilities. Most commonly it's some sort of "special ability" or "new move," like a SuperMode. It sometimes appears as an EleventhHourSuperpower, a DangerousForbiddenTechnique, or, rarely, IAmNotLeftHanded.