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 A rare male example
Before the Ordinary High School Student (or a hidden Bad Guy) can access their secret powers, there must be a powerup. This usually involves a change of form or at least costume, although the precise mechanisms usually vary by type.
A Magical Girl's Transformation Sequence is usually triggered by a key phrase and special gestures, and sometimes requires a magical token of some sort. It normally includes a long, symbolic light show, and can strip its subject naked for at least a few seconds before the new uniform starts forming out of ribbons, energy, feathers, or whatever the dominant paradigm of the character demands. Although this nudity is typically fodder for fanservice, it also has its own significance, in that the character is symbolically discarding her "mundane" identity and taking on a magical one.
The character is lifted into the air, spun around and can undergo a number of contortions which they probably would not normally make of their own free will; they are then deposited back on the ground in their empowered form, at which point most of them feel compelled to give a short speech identifying themselves to anyone who hasn't already figured it out.
There are few "magical boys" and even fewer undergo a true Transformation Sequence; those that do don't seem to need quite as much frippery as the girls. Their outfits are usually more uniform- or armor-like. However, sentai-esque series such as Ronin Warriors will often have them.
A Demonic or pseudo-Demonic Transformation Sequence usually involves ripping skin, gouts of blood, screams of pain and other unpleasantries, depicted either in silhouette, or in excruciating close-up detail. Clothing is shredded and abandoned; replacements are optional and depend on the motif of the resultant demonic form. (See also Magic Pants.) If the transformation is voluntary, it's triggered by a simple act of will. (See Generator Gawl, Guyver, or any horror/sci-fi bishounen anime for samples of this variety.) This variant is also common for alien, mutant, or otherwise monstrous transformations. See also Transformation Trauma, Painful Transformation.
Another variant is the "assisted" transformation sequence, which can happen in a To The Bat Pole moment.
Transformation Sequences are good for a show's budget because they provide a large amount of Stock Footage that can be (and often must be) reused each episode. They also provide nice filler for the writers. If a particular transformation sequence occurs multiple times in one episode, a shortened version will often be used after the first time (hopefully).
The shots and angles used in a Transformation Sequence owe a great deal to the Lock And Load Montage.
Humongous Mecha that can transform and/or merge often do so in this manner, especially in old-school mecha shows of the " giant metal super hero" vein.
Rarely is there a special-effects sequence for changing back.
It seems to be an unwritten rule that evil characters almost never get a Stock Footage transformation sequence, instead opting for a special-effects-assisted "insta-transformation". This is a good way to spot the Sixth Column or a Noble Demon looking to make a Heel Face Turn somewhere down the line.
Note that many transformation sequences are actually just for the viewer's benefit (and to eat up air time), and the actual change as experienced by the character is instantaneous — or at least very brief. This might explain why bad guys (almost) never attack a hero during his transformation sequence, although the Dangerously Genre Savvy usually will not let the opportunity slip by.
Compare Take Off Every Zig.
Examples
Anime
Comic Books
- The Clown from Spawn becoming the terrifying devil Violator. The detailed transformation in the movie is particularly disturbing.
Film
- American Werewolf In London, and The Howling both have werewolf transformation sequences of the most painful and not to mention terrifying kind you can imagine.
- Several other horror films with Vampires and/or Werewolves:
- Underworld and Under World Evolution, with static Vampires (except for the main vamp boss with the somewhat typical beastly demon-form) but human-werewolf transformations, and their werewolves have
inverted knees digitigrade legs.
- Not much outright transformation was shown in the first movie, the most notable sequence being one shot where two lycans change back, as well as one sequence where a character had an aborted change. The second film had some decent shots of man-to-wolf changes, but they went quick because they were mooks.
- Van Helsing has werewolves, Including Van Helsing himself near the end, for an awesome battle royale with Dracula, and all the Vampires have a demon-form for flying.
- Fright Night had something like this with Evil Ed turning back into a human from being a wolf, and the vampires have 3 stages of transformation.
- The 80s remake of The Fly. However those kinds of creepy transformations are just plain terrifying.
- Ghostbusters has the scene where Dana and Louis turn into Terror dogs; it's quite a disturbing process, though.
- Also, the sequence where a ghost librarian turns into a hideous ghoul.
- The 90's remake of the Nutty Professor had some surprisingly gruesome ones with plenty of Body Horror.
- Videodrome is just plain weird in general but the transformation parts are even weirder.
- Steven Chow's God of Cookery takes this to absurdity with Magical Chef Transformation Scenes. A character (not the lead) takes a power pose, his clothes fly off in all directions and underneath he is already dressed as a chef, all that is required is that he put the trademark hat on.
- Gremlins has a very important rule: "Don't feed them after midnight." If you do, the Mogwai goes into a slimy cocoon and mutates into a hideous monster. Unfortunately in the movie somebody makes that mistake as well as getting them wet (causing them to multiply, which looks incredibly painful). There are several gruesome gremlin-related transformations in the sequel, including those involving a bat, spider, fruit, electricity, and even a woman!
- Witches Of Eastwick has the final scene in which the three witches mix up the body parts of a voodoo doll that resembles the main antagonist Daryl (Jack Nicholson) who at first turns into a giant, but then turns into a worm-like thing.
- The Jekyll and Hyde transformations from The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen. We agreed to put this on here on the grounds that the film never happened.
- In Mary Reilly, John Malkovich undergoes one of the most gruesome and spectacular Jeckyll / Hyde transformations ever committed to screen. Then, afterwards, he looks exactly the same.
- The A Nightmare On Elm Street series has quite a few of these. For instance, in Dream Master, fitness girl Debbie is turned into a cockroach and then trapped in a roach motel by Freddy Krueger.
Literature
- Animorphs: Characters who morphed had to wear tight clothing or risk becoming naked when they remorphed. The latter only occurred once. The books made it quite clear that morphing almost never happened the same way twice, and was usually highly disgusting unless the morpher had an unusual talent for it (as did Cassie).
Live Action TV
- The many and varied Ultraman series usually involve a man-to-giant-alien-robot-thing transformation.
- Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (2003-2004) showcased several different transformations managed via digital effects. The results ranged from Moon's clumsy and cringeworthy transform (the first created by the production team) to Dark Mercury's showstopper (the final transform created, after the team had gained months of experience with their tools).
- As with its animated counterpart, we see only one or two instances of de-transformation, and these also appear to be simple acts of will.
- Additionally, we get to see one transformation — Minako to Venus — from the "outside", as an eyewitness on the scene would. Instead of all the fancy effects, it's an instantaneous, blink-and-you'll-miss-it change that she performs while running, thus validating years of fan speculation.
- A later sequence, however, has Ami transforming. Unlike Minako, however, she gets a blue glowy thing.
- They also fondly parodied the trope in one of the supplemental shorts: Mamoru becomes "Tuxedo Mask" just by putting on a tuxedo, top hat and mask, but the one time he does it on camera, it gets all the same fancy shots, edits, and sound effects as the girls' magical transformations.
- Many, many, many Kamen Rider characters had this. Even the enemies had transformation sequences, even if they amounted to little more than the camera zooming in on them, blurring a bit, and revealing the monster from its disguise.
- In several early Kamen Riders, the enemies sometimes stopped the henshin gestures by attacking during the middle of the gesture, or setting traps that would halt them.
- The "transformation chivalry" was humorously acknowledged in the first Kamen Rider Den-O movie: the Big Bad's minions attack Ryotaro as he attempts to transform, causing Momotaros to angrily shout "Bastards! You're not allowed to interrupt the transformation sequence!"
- An earlier Filmation production of Shazam! from the 1970s had the magic-word-and-lightning transformation between Billy Batson and Captain Marvel. It was usually paired with a similar show, Isis, which had its own transformation sequence
 .
- In a case of typical Filmation cheapness, the detransform from Captain Marvel back to Billy was handled by simply running the transform footage backwards, even though that meant the sequence ended with a lightning bolt unstriking Billy.
- The 1970s Wonder Woman series actually had two different Tranformation Sequences. In the first season it was essentially a slow-motion montage of Lynda Carter spinning in place in different stages of the change. Starting in the second season, though, a much shorter and more dramatic sequence was used where Carter would spin, there would be an optical of an explosion over her, and then she would appear in costume. The latter has become subject to much parody. (As well as an homage in an episode of Justice League Unlimited)
- Power Rangers: In the earlier seasons, the usage of Stock Footage became quickly grating, as the rangers would look the same at the beginning of the sequence, regardless of what clothes they'd been wearing beforehand or changes in their hairstyle. In later seasons, it became standard to use clever tricks to downplay this: in Power Rangers Ninja Storm, Power Rangers SPD, Power Rangers Mystic Force, and Power Rangers Operation Overdrive, the rangers are always wearing uniforms before the (full) sequence begins (in Ninja Storm, this is achieved using Flung Clothing). When Mystic Force does a direct from street clothes transformation they follow the next point down. In several other seasons, the sequence is cut such that their pre-transformation clothing is hidden during the sequence using close-ups and visual effects.
- Occasionally, a shorter Stock Footage-free Transformation Sequence was used instead (sometimes called "on-the-fly" morphing), which, with a very few exceptions, used a much blander and more generic special effect. As seen in Countdown to Destruction as well as several other times throughout the various series, the actual transformation is in fact instantaneous and consists of nothing more than a small explosion masking the shift — the drawn-out sequence is purely for the audience's amusement.
- The MMPR Transformation sequences weren't very elaborate... so in "Once a Ranger" a new, snazzier sequence was made for Adam (the second MMPR Black Ranger) so he wouldn't be the only one without.
- That, and Disney trashed it when they liquidated MMPR productions.
- Then there's Justin's transformations in Power Rangers Turbo where he grows to the same height as the other rangers.
- Like everything else in Power Rangers, nothing is safe from lampshading by RPM. Not even morph sequences.
- The Twilight Zone pulled off an impressive transformation scene despite limited special effects in The Howling Man. A man walks down a pillar-lined hallway as the camera follows alongside him. As he passes behind each pillar, he gets gets more and more demonic (ending with a cliche horns and tail Satan). It's cut so that it appears to be one long take, but there's no effects on screen at any point.
- This technique is also used for the Wolf Man transformation in the 1935 film Werewolf of London.
- Masters of low-budget kid shows, Sid and Marty Krofft had a few of these. "Activate Electra-Change!" turned Lori and Judy into Electra-Woman and Dyna-Girl, and a magic horn turned the junky Schlep Car into Wonderbug.
- The Mystic Knights Of Tir Na Nog, the ancient Irish Power Rangers.
- Manimal, starring Simon MacCorkindale.
- Weird Al Yankovic undergoes a transformation sequence at the start of his video "Fat" that fortunately does not strip him nude in the process.
- Similarly enough, the music video for "Right Here, Right Now" has a transformation sequence based on the theory of evolution.
- George's werewolf transformation in Being Human, heavily influenced by An American Werewolf In London.
Video Games
- Sonic The Hedgehog regularly delves into this trope with the titular character's EleventhHourSuperPowers. The most notable are Super Sonic and most related transformations, and Excalibur Sonic (Both of which are not actually spoilers, mind you).
- Subverted in Disgaea, when Etna shoots two Sentai members during a transformation sequence because, hey, they were wide open during it.
- Parodied in Silent Hill 3 (Of all places...) when Heather equips her ridiculous Princess Heart outfit, triggering a lengthy transformation.
- The early Mario and Castlevania games actually pause the action around the player character while he's transforming.
- The SRX from Super Robot Wars has an impressive combinations transformnation which has its own theme called "Variable Formation".
- The Breath Of Fire series is the king of this trope for video games, since the main character of each game (all named Ryu) can transform into a dragon, with a more elaborate sequence in each game. Furthermore, in the first and third games, a second character has a transformation sequence (Karn in Bo F 1, and his Fusions; Rei in Bo F 3, and his Weretiger transformation), and the fourth game's antagonist, Fou-Lu, is playable and can also transform into a dragon in a sequence largely identical to Ryuu's.
- SaGa Frontier: Red had one but nobody could see it because he needed to maintain his Secret Identity. But a good Secret Identity Change Trick (Power Outage, Mecs only in party, Characters stunned/blinded) allows him to go Alkaiser no problem.
- The Legend Of Dragoon has individual anime-like transformations for every single playable character in the game, as they turn into their Dragoon forms. One villain also gets a mid-battle transformation into a Dragoon with his own sequence. Dart, the main character, gets a second Dragoon form late in the game with an even more over-the-top sequence.
- Saiyuki: The Journey West features characters who can transform into monsters. Each one has an elaborate transformation sequence and an equally elaborate reversion sequence. Furthermore, there's two more sequences for transformation and reversion used in cutscenes (even though they otherwise use the same sprites!)
- More minor transformation sequences are used in Final Fantasy VII (Vincent's Limit Break) and Wild ARMs 2 (Ashley's transformation into Knight Blazer). These pretty much are of the "original character fades out, new form fades in" variety rather than the flashy sequences mentioned above, though.
- This trope is arguably the entire point of Final Fantasy X-2. Luckily, there's an option to shorten or turn off the transformation sequences after the first time the girls have changed into their new Dresspheres.
- The character of MOMO in Xeno Saga gets powerups that can be used once per fight that include transformation sequences.
- "Model X! Model Z! Megamerge!" Vent and Grey both get transformation sequences just as long as the girls'.
- Not quite. Aile's transformation in ZX Advent is about thirty seconds longer (it's quite noticeable in the game) because she has an extra part where she dances or plays with Z and X as glowy balls of light. Vent just transforms.
- Never mind every single villain and hero in the Star Force games, though admittedly usually everyone except for Geo gets theirs shortened to a quick fade to white and back.
- The Tekken series has quite a few. Including Devil Jin's ending from the fifth game and Ogre's transformation into True Ogre in Tekken 3.
- Transformation sequences were an oft-requested feature in City Of Heroes, and a small set of four costume-change emotes are now available as part of the Magic Booster Pack (released in Spring 2009). Another half-dozen or so will become available when Issue 15 goes live.
- Kheldians and Nictus, the game's resident bodystealing shapeshifting aliens, follow this trope to a T. Switching into their forms involves a moment of concentration and a big, screen-shaking flash of Kheldian/Nictus energy, whereas switching back just makes the human pop into existence where the alien used to be.
- Super Smash Bros. Melee has a relatively quick transformation sequence between Zelda and Sheik. This is lengthened in Brawl because of loading, and Pokémon Trainer goes through a similar "transformation" when switching Pokémon, but the character transforming cannot be damaged or intercepted from the time the sequence starts to when it ends. There is still a lag period at the end, though.
- Altered Beast has a momentary pause before buffing up when one of the magical floating steroid balls is collected, followed after a third time by a transformation sequence to make you into a werewolf, dragon, or giant cuddly bear with halitosis. The werewolf one◊ is particularly detailed.
- The Japan- and Europe-only PS 2 game Project Altered Beast has horrifying transformations. The player takes the role of a "Genome Cyborg" investigating a town that has been overrun with "Genome Mist" transforming all its inhabitants into horrifying monstrosities. The main character appears as a human but has the ability to take various forms. No matter which form is chosen, it is accompanied by a gruesome CGI video detailing every aspect of the transformation as limbs blow up and regrow and various organs are mutilated and reshaped, with no limit on the amount of gore.
- Diablo 2: In the cutscene before Act IV narrated by Marius, he has the misfortune to witness The Wanderer's horrific transformation into Diablo. Spikes burst out from his back, his face distorts horribly, and it ends with Diablo casting aside what's left of his human shell like a dirty rag.
Webcomics
Western Animation
- W.I.T.C.H.
- Winx Club
- The Centurions — About a 15-second sequence, as all the various parts of the chosen weapons system would beam in and attach to the heroes' exo-frame, ending with the helmet rudely clamping on to the head. Often showed all three back-to-back, and had the same trigger phrase: Power Xtreme! (Later episodes of the show usually skipped the stock footage, and just showed the pieces appearing and attaching all at once. The two extra characters added later never even got the stock footage versions).
- He Man And The Masters Of The Universe, when it was a Filmation production, got maximum mileage out of Prince Adam's transformation into He-Man with lots of digital pyrotechnics for very little physical change. (He-Man looked identical to Adam except for a tan and a deeper voice; how nobody put two and two together is baffling.) If Cringer was present, his transformation into Battle Cat would further pad the scene.
- He-Man's twin sister She-Ra had a similar sequence, but it was actually longer (and more sparkly). Like Cringer becoming Battle-Cat, She-Ra also had Spirit/Swiftwind, a talking horse that became a winged unicorn.
- In contrast, in the more recent 2004 series, He-Man's transformation takes mere seconds and he looks almost nothing like Prince Adam, though it retains its predecessor's Stock Footage ability to be used time and time again.
- Spoofed in an episode of Invader Zim. Gir begins a Transformation Sequence, complete with music, lights, and midair spinning... and then simply steps into his dog costume and zips it up.
- Curiously, the original appearance of the Transformers in the West did not include overt transformation sequences. The characters would make the switch between robot and vehicle/device forms wherever they were standing in complete continuity with the scene (although they always transformed the exact same way). This is more cultural than cost; newer series such as the shows of the Unicron Trilogy, which were actual anime, frequently featured such scenes, and the Japanese Alternate Continuity third season of Generation 1 featured transformation sequences for new characters only (old ones kept scene continuity). Transformers Animated is generally in-scene but faster than G1, unless the bot in question is about to do something important(i.e. Megatron transforming for the first time after being rebuilt and telling the Decepticons to "Transform and Rise Up").
- 'Transformers Animated also had the Autobots using Japan-esque transformers sequences in the final episode, mostly for dramatic effect.
- Ben 10 has ten unique, albeit recycled, sequences. There's one for each alien creature Ben has the ability to change into (though Grey Matter's didn't actually get used until season two). Two more are added in season two, but one was lost after the events of "Ghostfreaked Out". Some are longer and more detailed than others, but all follow the same pattern of showing the change progressing outward from his wrist. Sometimes a simple green flash of light is substituted for the transformation, and red light is always used for Ben changing back. Seasons three and four added more new aliens, but no new sequences, oddly enough. Future-Ben supposedly had ten thousand alien forms but we didn't (obviously) didn't see all of them.
- And one-shot villain Doctor Viktor gets his own Transformation Sequence, going from oversized scientist into frankensteinish monster. It's only used once, though.
- Ben 10 Alien Force also has the sequences, and he's gained an irritating tendency to say the name of each creature he's turned into when he's done. The changes are actually instantaneous, as he's shown an ability to simply switch between forms in seconds when needed. It also regularly shows him changing back. Both of the latter use the same "glowing green dots" effect.
- One particularly humorous moment has Ben's parents (who have forbidden him from using the Omnitrix) managing to catch him in the act during one of his (around 10-second) sequences, in episode 20 of Alien Force.
- The old Spider-Woman cartoon series features a transformation sequence for Jessica Drew to change into the titular heroine.
- In Avatar The Last Airbender the Avatar State has this happen with a pause that is clearly in real time, with most people just too scared to react when they see it. Azula commits a dire breach of anime etiquette when she takes advantage of Aang's Transformation Sequence to shoot him from behind with a lightning bolt.
- The DVD Commentary actually mentions that is a vulnerable opening and part of mastering the Avatar State is not doing that.
- It should be noted that Aang did try and protect himself, as he made himself a little cocoon out of crystals to cover himself. Wait a minute, that means We Could Have Avoided All This if it weren't for Power Floats!
- He learned from that event, though, and by the time the Avatar state kick in again, it's instantaneous.
- An animated adaption of Shazam! featured Billy, Mary, and Freddy, and a drawn-out transformation sequence. Unlike most, they had sequences for transforming back to normal as well, and a variety of different stock sequences for various combinations of the main characters, transforming singly, in pairs, or all three at once. (Interestingly, the comic version is specifically stated to be instantaneous. In the 1970s it was furthermore stated that, between the speed of transformation and the blinding flash, most people don't know that Billy is Captain Marvel, even when he transforms right in front of them, though that hasn't carried over to post-crisis versions of the character)
- In fact, Filmation in general. In addition to the ones mentioned above (He-Man, She-Ra, Shazam), there was also Web Woman, Super Strech and Microwoman, Fantastic Voyage, The Ghostbusters (the 1986 cartoon), and Bravestarr (30-30 had transformation sequences when he went from bipedal to quadrupedal and back), just to name a few.
- A late 1970's version of The Thing (from the Fantastic Four) by Hanna-Barbera featured him as a teenager (implied in one episode to be due to a "cure" gone wrong), but he could become the Thing by touching his rings together and announcing "Thing Ring, Do Your Thing". This also had a reverse transformation sequence, without a required phrase.
- The series was mostly humorous in intention, and it even spoofed itself. At least one episode had the hero retreat to a nearby doorway to transform, only to be interrupted by an old woman exiting the door. She stopped long enough to give him a lecture.
- Like Filmation, Hanna-Barbera were also good at filling time with these sequences. In addition to the Thing, there was also the Mighty Mightor (with a sequence very similar to He-Man, but predating it by twenty years), Arabian Knights, The Impossibles, the Super Globetrotters, Super Friends (in the Wonder Twins' segments), Wonder Wheels, Mighty Man and Yukk, The Drak Pack, and even SWAT Kats. (And I'm sure I forgot some)
- Pretty good list, though. Samson and Goliath/Young Samson was one of this troper's childhood favorites.
- Hanna-Barbera also spoofed this trope with one version of Captain Caveman. On The Flintstones Comedy Show, he worked as a copy boy named Chester at a stone-age newspaper, disguising himself with a pair of glasses and his cape folded into a bowtie. Despite the minimal disguise, he still required a coat rack and an elaborate transformation sequence (which included heroic music, explosions, lightning bolts, rockets, fireworks, and stars, and was loud enough so that the entire city of Bedrock could hear it) to become Captain Caveman. See it here, at 3:00
- In Bananaman it's triggered whenever Eric eats a banana. Its most famous form is in the Opening Credits, in which Eric sprouts muscles and grows two feet.
- Freakazoid!
- Subvert a bit, with Jerrica "Jem" Benton of Jem And The Holograms, which is only a "Showtime, Synergy" to summon Jem hologram and a "Show's Over, Synergy" to remove the Jem hologram — the answer is usually a pink light and very quick.
- The Powerpuff Girls: In the episode "Super Zeroes," the girls each try to change their look to be more like the super hero in their favorite comic books, complete with such elaborate transformations that, by the time they're done, the monster has left town.
- In Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Spider-Man's amazing friends could do it, to his envy.
- In the short lived and mostly forgotten 1999 animated series Spider-Man Unlimited (nothing to do with the comic with the same name) he finally got one via nanotech.
- The 90's cartoon King Arthur and the Knights of Justice had a transformation sequence for each of the knights as they put on their battle armor. Sometimes it was further padded by transforming their horses.
- Subverted somewhat in Danny Phantom, as the transfomation sequence there is refreshingly simple and short, while still being rather stylish with a chance to play around with it and not use Stock Footage. Whenever the titular character wants to transform into the titular alter-ego he simply focuses for a few seconds, a ring of blue white light appears, bisects and travels over him, leaving one superhero in place. Easy, done.
- "MBC, poooooooower up!!"
- Mummies Alive had this.
- Most of the time after the first few episodes this happened in Static Shock.
- The Nickelodeon TV movie Groove Squad, which was about three cheerleaders who could transform into, you guessed it, superpowered cheerleaders by drinking a magical red juice. After they drank said juice, the girls went through a rather overdone transfomation sequence to change into their superheroine forms.
- Mumm-Ra, lead villain of Thunder Cats, had a stock transformation sequence, complete with a power-up chant. Incidentally, he also became a lot less clothed in the transformation.
- Mon-Star, main villain of Silver Hawks, had a very similar transformation sequence to Mumm-Ra. One interesting note is that he grows metal spikes from various parts of his body, which is animated in a way that looks fairly painful, but no mention of pain is made.
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