From the glittery sequence, the magical outfits, and the extra stylish hair, nothing beats the glamor of a classic magical girl transformation. The genre itself is enchanting, vivid, and downright charming, and the delightful tropes and transformations into beautiful superhero-like characters will never get old.
Anime like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura laid the foundation of the timeless genre, and several successful modern magical girl anime followed suit. To the fans’ satisfaction, the transformation sequences have only gotten better - and even prettier.
10 Karin Miyoshi (Yuki Yuna is a Hero)
The plot of Yuki Yona is a Hero is pretty straightforward, and filled with all the classic magical girl clichés. A middle school’s Hero Club is bestowed with magical powers from a deity through a strange app, and Yuuki Yuuna, along with her friends, must protect the Earth against destructive forces.
Among all the transformations, Karin Miyoshi’s fiery sequence stands out. Karin is an experienced hero, and she uses a pair of katanas as weapons. Her red and white drapey yet chic dress and petal-infested moves with her katanas make for a fantastic magical girl transformation.
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9 Neptune (Hyperdimension Neptunia)
In a futuristic world where powerful beings called Goddesses rule the world, Neptune tries to live her life to the fullest. However, she can’t escape her destiny as the human form of the CPU Purple Heart, and this gives her the ability to transform into a fighter with formidable power.
Purple Heart is the goddess form of Neptune, which is a much more mature-looking version of herself. Purple Heart’s transformation into a sultry-looking fighter with a skintight leotard, obnoxiously long twin-braided hair, and lilac mechanical wings is one of the best in the whole series.
8 Vivid Blue (Vividred Operation)
Vividred Operation might be the least known magical girl anime compared to the rest of this list, but it has all the classic elements of a visually stunning mech-girl transformation. The series also features a dystopian future where an invention called the Manifestation Engine protects the Earth. However, when the planet is threatened, it’s up to a group of girls to save the world.
Even though there are several individual and combined transformations, the prettiest is Vivid Blue. This is when Aoi Futuba and Isshiki Akane combine their Vivid Systems to transform into a more womanly fighter. The sequence infuses their powers to form a sexy blue mechanical, one-piece armor with increased power.
7 Cure Twinkle (Go! Princess Precure)
Precure is one of the longest-running magical anime series, with a whopping 800 episodes. Go! Princess Precure is the twelfth installment in the Pretty Cure universe. The anime is wholeheartedly devoted to glamorizing the genre’s most celebrated tropes and featuring magical transformations any chance it gets.
Among a sea of transformation sequences, Kirara Amanogawa’s Cure Twinkle is a treat to watch. The star-inspired transformation sequence features a parade of prettiness from which emerges a princess-like dress, a beautiful tiara, and stunning golden hair with a cute style. Cure Twinkle’s moves and creative sequence are the best as she transforms into a completely different and powerful magical girl.
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6 Shirabe Tsukuyomi (Symphogear)
Symphogear stands out because of its take on several subgenres simultaneously. It’s a hybrid anime that features mecha magical girls who are also idols. The girls use mechanical armors called Symphogear to fight off an alien race.
Apart from its unique plot, the standout is the glitzy transformation sequences that are some of the best in the genre. Each sequence is pure fan service, especially Shirabe’s, whose SG-i01 armor is a flashy unitard and a skirt accompanied by her pink Armed Gear that attaches itself to parts of her body as disc blades. The entire transformation is a creative action sequence as each move ends in a beautiful mechanical process that forms her unique armor, including the over-the-top hair accessory and chest crest.
5 Cure Felice (Witchy Pretty Cure!)
Witchy Pretty Cure is the thirteenth installment in the franchise and features sorcery as its main element. While the transformation sequences of all characters are spectacular, Cure Felice steals the spotlight with her earthy yet glittery transformation.
The detail in her sequence is stunning, from the moment she activates her powers down to the earrings that appear. It’s a flower-themed sequence where magical vines wrap around Hanami, and the energy surge that follows transforms them into a pretty puffy dress, matching long pink hair, and flowery accessories.
4 Yachiyo (Magia Record)
Unlike most magical girl anime, Magia Record does not follow the saving-the-world trope exclusively. In this anime, the heroines are required to become magical girls and fight off creatures called Witches in exchange for having a wish fulfilled.
Yachiyo is a powerful aqua-type Puella Magi who has a calm yet intense personality that’s also highlighted in her transformation sequence, which focuses on her “water” elements and powerful moves. As the magical water engulfs her, Yachiyo bursts out with a warrior-princess outfit and an impressive spear weapon.
3 Cure Milky (Star Twinkle Precure)
Star Twinkle Precure is the sixteenth entry in the Precure franchise and features some of the dreamiest magical transformations of all time. The best of them is, hands down, Lala’s Pretty Cure of the Milky Way transformation.
The entire sequence is a cosmic and starry treat in which Lala dances around the stars as they cover parts of her body to materialize her outfit. She uses her device to literally draw the magical outfit onto her body, followed by a dramatic change to her hair and antennas. The blend of her cosmos-inspired dress and bubbly personality is perfectly executed in her sequence, which makes it all the more enjoyable.
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2 Ichigo Momomiya (Tokyo Mew Mew)
Tokyo Mew Mew is a cult classic magical girl anime that recently received a highly anticipated remake. The anime received a major upgrade in its animation quality, meaning that the audience got a sharper and more detailed transformation sequence.
Ichigo Momomiya is a lively high school girl, but her life changes when she learns that she can transform into a magical girl. Ichigo’s transformation into the Iriomote leopard cat is iconic for its classical pink sequence. The details in her fluffy pink dress are far more pronounced, but the best part is the way sections of her dress pop up via pink energy, which is a magical girl genre staple.
1 Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)
Sailor Moon is the undisputed winner of the best magical girl anime of all time. The anime introduced fans to the real magic of a modern-styled magical girl transformation. All the sequences in the anime are iconic, but Usagi’s Sailor Moon evolution will forever define the genre. It was the first of its kind, and served as the inspiration for several other magical girl anime series.
As Usagi’s sleek body is covered in a magical aura, the iconic pink energy morphs into the beloved classic white sailor dress, boots and ponytails. The sequence is extravagant, and has lives in the hearts of fans for generations.
