Not all anime heroes are lucky enough to keep their humanity. Anime protagonists successfully face numerous dangers while working to protect the world and their closest allies. However, there are times when evil is powerful enough to threaten a hero’s very identity. Dealing in forces beyond human comprehension sometimes carries a price that few heroes willingly pay.
Anime heroes don’t always have the opportunity of returning to their human lives. A single encounter carries the potential of irrevocably altering a protagonist’s interactions with the world. When change occurs, anime heroes struggle to reconcile their new identities with the human lives they once had.
WARNING: Demon Slayer manga spoilers in entry 7.
10 Alphonse Elric Lost His Physical Body (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist loses his human body after failing to bring his mother back from the dead. To save Alphonse’s life, Alphonse’s brother Edward used dangerous alchemy to seal Alphonse’s soul into a suit of armor. In his metal form, Alphonse retains his human personality yet loses the ability to feel.
As Alphonse lacks a physical form underneath the armor, Alphonse is indestructible unless the Blood Rune that binds his soul to the armor is removed. Throughout the series, Alphonse utilizes his enhanced physical capabilities to help search for a way to restore his human body.
9 Ken Kaneki Becomes A Half-Ghoul (Tokyo Ghoul)
Kaneki Ken from Tokyo Ghoul loses his humanity after an organ from the ghoul Rize is transplanted into his body, which turns him into an artificial half-ghoul. As a ghoul, Kaneki needs to eat humans and other ghouls to survive and prevent bodily deterioration. His human appearance retains itself aside from a single red eye that responds to heightened emotions.
Kaneki’s altered biology gives him a muscular appendage called a kagune that functions as a versatile weapon. Kaneki also acquires supernatural strength and senses and becomes significantly harder to injure. As a half-ghoul, Kaneki balances between humanity and a much darker force.
8 Kite Reincarnates As A Chimera Ant (Hunter X Hunter)
Kite from Hunter X Hunter reincarnates into a Chimera Ant after the Royal Guard Neferpitou decapitates and reanimates his original body. Kite awakens in the body of a young girl who ages quicker and gradually remembers his past life. Since Chimera Ants possess the genes of multiple species, Kite grows a rat tail that he occasionally tucks into clothing.
After his reincarnation, Kite maintains a connection with his human friends and gains Chimera Ant companions after being raised by the Chimera Ant Colt. Although his physical features differ drastically from his human form, Kite holds little ill will towards his fate.
7 Tanjiro Kamado Transforms Into A Demon (Demon Slayer)
Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer hunts demons for a living, yet he temporarily transforms into a demon himself after Muzan Kibutsuji poisons him with his blood. As a demon, Tanjiro acquires sharp fangs, slit irises, and fire-like scar markings, along with regenerative abilities. Demon Tanjiro attacks anyone who crosses his path with mindless hostility, aside from his sister Nezuko.
Tanjiro uses his exceptional willpower to eventually restore his humanity, though several side effects of his transformation remain. Tanjiro loses sight in his right eye and partial use of his left arm due to his lost ability to heal injuries.
6 Palm Siberia Becomes Part Of A Chimera Ant Experiment (Hunter X Hunter)
Palm Siberia from awakens as a Chimera Ant after the Royal Guard captures her and uses her in an experiment to create the perfect Chimera Ant soldier. As part of the experiment, Palm loses the ability to connect her emotions to her memories and becomes hostile, yet regains the ability with Killua’s help.
Due to Palm’s transformation, Palm’s trademark crystal ball fuses to her forehead, and scales grow across her arms and legs. Although Palm retains her personality, she becomes emotionally distressed by the Chimera Ant King’s death due to his status within her new species.
5 Sakura Minamoto Turns Into A Zombie (Zombie Land Saga)
Sakura Minamoto from Zombie Land Saga dies after being hit by a truck until Kotaro Tatsumi resurrects her as a zombie to lead the girl idol group Franchouchou. Sakura initially doubts her leadership capabilities and grows disheartened by her terrible luck. Sakura struggles to recall her human life, yet takes her idol work very seriously.
As a zombie, Sakura attains grayish-blue skin, red eyes, and lingering injuries from her death, which she covers with makeup in order to appear human to her audiences. She also gains the ability to detach her limbs at will and permanent resistance to injury.
4 Mikaela Hyakuya Unwillingly Turns Into A Vampire (Seraph Of The End)
Mikaela Hyakuya from Seraph of the End sacrifices himself to save his family from subjugation at the hands of vampires, yet transforms into a vampire himself after the vampire Krul Tepes forcibly turns him. Mikaela loses the capacity to feel emotions and struggles to contain his bloodlust, as he continues to hate vampires after joining them.
Mikaela avoids the company of vampires as often as possible and focuses on protecting his childhood friend Yu, who exists as the last connection to his human life. As a result of humans experimenting on Yu, Mikaela holds distrust for both humans and vampires.
3 Naruto Uzumaki Harnesses The Power Of A Fox Demon (Naruto)
Naruto Uzumaki lives with a nine-tailed fox demon within him and harnesses the beast’s chakra to transform his body and acquire superhuman strength and reflexes. Naruto needs to maintain strong willpower to prevent the fox demon from asserting control through its will. His appearance takes on various characteristics of the demon in this state, including slit pupils, sharp fingernails, and demon tails.
As the fox demon becomes harder to control when Naruto is enraged, Naruto occasionally submits to anger and loses control. In these instances, Naruto loses all or most traces of his humanity and attacks anyone within range.
2 Akira Fudo Acquires Demonic Powers (Devilman Crybaby)
Akira Fudo from Devilman Crybaby begins life as a human, yet gains the powers and appearance of a demon after his friend Ryo Asuka convinces him to merge with the demon Amon. Akira retains his human soul and uses his new skills, including flight and teleportation, to protect humanity from demonic hordes. He switches between his human and demonic forms at will depending on the given situation.
Akira undergoes personality changes after his transformation and exhibits greater courageousness and aggressiveness, in contrast to his previous cowardice. He actively fights against the Anti-Demon Corp’s senseless persecution of innocent lives.
1 Eren Yeager Transforms Into A Titan (Attack On Titan)
Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan joins the Survey Corps to battle the creatures known as Titans after watching a Titan devour his mother. Armed with bladed maneuvering equipment, Eren protects his city’s inhabitants from the hordes of Titans that threaten it. However, Eren gains the power to transform into various Titans after his father injects him with a special serum.
Eren controls when he transforms and uses his Tiran forms’ varying strengths to more effectively battle formidable opponents. As a Titan, Eren possesses higher intelligence than average yet risks losing control and turning on the humans around him.
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