Over the course of several story arcs in One Piece, protagonist Monkey D. Luffy has trained hard to enhance his self-taught Gears fighting style, with Gear 4 being powerful enough to defeat villains like Charlotte Katakuri and Donquixote Doflamingo. However, Gear 4 failed Luffy at Onigashima Island while fighting Kaido the Emperor, and all seemed lost until Luffy awakened Gear 5, his best form yet. Most likely, this will be Luffy’s final form in One Piece, with Luffy being the incarnation of Joy Boy and Nika, the sun god of liberation.

The concept of a “final form” traces back to the days of Dragon Ball Z, when Son Goku went Super Saiyan to defeat Frieza’s various forms, and now, the idea is well-entrenched in shonen manga and anime. Already, Luffy has defeated Kaido’s draconic final form with the power of Gear 5, and fans want to see him fight other final form as well to see what would happen. Most likely, Luffy could use Gear 5 to defeat any final form that relies on physical power, since Luffy has few defenses against lofty powers like reality manipulation or mind control. But in a fight of strength vs strength, Luffy’s final form is tough to beat.

10Re-Destro’s Giant Form Can’t Stand Up to Gear 5

My Hero Academia (2016)

TV-14
Action
Adventure

Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life—a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That’s right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered “quirk,” Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that’s not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world’s most prestigious hero academies.

Release DateMay 5, 2018
CastDaiki Yamashita , Justin Briner , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Ayane Sakura
Main GenreAnime
Seasons6
Production CompanyBones
Number of Episodes145

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Re-Destro’s Powers/Skills/Weapons:

Stress Quirk

A variety of villain Quirks appeared in My Hero Academia, but only a few of them could create a final form for the user. Quirks like Decay and Transform didn’t work like that, but Re-Destro’s Stress Quirk did. As fans saw in the My Villain Academia arc, Re-Destro could use his Quirk to get bigger and stronger according to how much stress he felt.

Re-Destro showed the true potential of his Stress Quirk when he fought the supervillain Tomura Shigaraki, and it took Tomura’s awakened Quirk to defeat Re-Destro’s huge final form. However, the Stress Quirk has no special tricks or abilities, so it’s easy to imagine Luffy’s Gear 5 defeating this final form, putting Luffy on par with any top-ranked pro hero.

9Gyokko’s Final Form Couldn’t Even Stand Up to Muichiro Tokito

Demon Slayer

TV-MA
Anime
Action
Adventure

When Tanjiro Kamado returns home to find his family was attacked and killed by demons, he discovers his younger sister Nezuko was the only survivor. As Nezuko slowly becomes a demon, Tanjiro sets out to find a cure for her and become a demon slayer so he can avenge his family.

Release DateApril 6, 2019
CastNatsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Main GenreAnime
Seasons3
Studioufotable

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Gyokko’s Powers/Skills/Weapons:

Flesh manipulation
Porcelain vase spells

It takes sunlight or decapitation from a Nichirin sword to permanently kill a demon, and Luffy wouldn’t ever have access to a Nichirin sword. If Luffy were to tangle with the Upper Moon 5, Gyokko, he would need Gear 5’s unique power to survive that scuffle until the sun’s rays arrived. Gyokko’s final form, meanwhile, would keep Luffy busy with its hard skin and sharp claws, but that won’t take Gear 5 Luffy down.

Near sunrise, Luffy could defeat Gyokko simply by restraining the Upper Moon 5 and keep him in place as the sun rose, allowing Luffy to score a total victory. Few demon slayers in Demon Slayer can hold off a demon long enough for sunrise, but none of them have the unique power of Gear 5, which can put even the nine elite Hashira to shame.

8Benimaru’s Kijin Form is Powerful, But Can’t Defeat Gear 5

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

TV-PG
Action-Adventure

Average 37-year-old Minami Satoru dies and is reincarnated as the most unremarkable creature imaginable-a slime.

Release DateOctober 2, 2018
CreatorFuse
CastMiho Okasaki , Megumi Toyoguchi , Mao Ichimichi , Makoto Furukawa
Main GenreAnime
Seasons2
StudioEight Bit
SequelThe Slime Diaries
Number of Episodes48

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Benimaru’s Powers/Skills/Weapons:

Swordsmanship
Mystic Flame Arts

Interestingly, most of the monsters in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime spend most of the anime in their final forms, so anime fans are more used to those enhanced forms than the original, more primitive monster forms. The same is true for the six ogres, led by a red-haired prince who clashed with protagonist Rimuru Tempest until they came to an understanding.

Once Rimuru gave the ogre prince a name, Benimaru, the ogre prince evolved into a kijin. That made him somewhat more human in appearance and far more powerful, earning him a place among Rimuru’s most powerful and trusted allies of all. Benimaru’s fellow ogres got the same treatment, allowing princess Shuna, Shion, and the others to revel in their mighty kijin forms. Notably, not just any being in the Tensura world could have given powerful ogres names like that, but Rimuru had what it took. But while Rimuru might survive Gear 5’s power, Benimaru couldn’t, kijin or otherwise.

7Ken Kaneki’s Kakuja Kagune Wouldn’t Last Long Against Gear 5

Tokyo Ghoul

TV-MA
Action
Horror

A Tokyo college student is attacked by a ghoul, a superpowered human who feeds on human flesh. He survives, but has become part ghoul and becomes a fugitive on the run.

Release DateJuly 4, 2014
CastNatsuki Hanae , Sora Amamiya , Rie Kugimiya
StudioPierrot

Ken Kaneki’s Powers/Skills/Weapons:

Rinkaku kakuja

Most ghouls in the seinen Tokyo Ghoul world merely use their kagune as a fleshy weapon, an extra appendage with which to attack their enemies or defend themselves. Kagune might take the form of wings or tentacles, for example, but if a ghoul cannibalizes their own kind, they might gather enough power to form a kakuja, a more evolved form of their kagune that serves as both body armor and a weapon.

By the end of Tokyo Ghoul, protagonist Ken Kaneki had a kakuja kagune, which had a clear centipede theme. That made him one of the strongest fighters in the final battle, but Kisho Arima still defeated him, suggesting that even a ghoul’s final form has its limits. Most likely, Luffy could do the same with Gear 5, pummeling Ken senseless and forcing him to retreat from an impossible battle.

6Reiner Braun’s Armored Titan Form Will Lose to Gear 5

Attack On Titan

TV-MA
Action
Adventure

Original title: Shingeki no Kyojin.
After his hometown is destroyed and his mother is killed, young Eren Jaeger vows to cleanse the earth of the giant humanoid Titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction in Attack on Titan.

Release DateSeptember 28, 2013
CreatorHajime Isayama
CastBryce Papenbrook , Yûki Kaji , Marina Inoue , Hiro Shimono , Takehito Koyasu , Jessie James Grelle
Main GenreAnimation
Seasons4 Seasons
StudioWit Studios, MAPPA
Number of Episodes98 Episodes

Reiner Braun’s Powers/Skills/Weapons:

Martial arts training
Armored Titan

In Attack on Titan‘s grim world, most Eldians are simply turned into pure Titans with no special powers aside from flesh regeneration, but the nine Titan Shifters are different. Certain people from Paradis Island and the Marley Empire can assume special Titan forms and retain their own thoughts, turning them into peerless warriors. One of them is Reiner Braun, who has the power of the Armored Titan.

Reiner may rank among Attack on Titan‘s more capable fighters, but his Titan form is far from foolproof. Its armor can be broken with enough force. If Eren Yeager can use his Attack Titan to defeat Reiner’s Armored Titan, then the unprecedented cartoon physics of Luffy’s Gear 5 form could make a fool of Reiner, too.

5Carnage Kabuto’s Final Form Is Huge But Can’t Endure Strong Punches

One-Punch Man

TV-PG
Animation
Action
Comedy

The story of Saitama, a hero that does it just for fun & can defeat his enemies with a single punch.

Release DateOctober 5, 2015
CreatorOne
CastMakoto Furukawa , Kaito Ishikawa , Zach Aguilar , Robbie Daymond
Main GenreAnime
Seasons2
StudioMadhouse

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Carnage Kabuto’s Powers/Skills/Weapons:

Shell
Carnage Mode
Breath

Carnage Kabuto was one of many villains in One-Punch Man who could have seriously threatened the Hero Association, only to lose to Saitama before showing their true power. Carnage Kabuto was the ultimate creation of the House of Evolution, a huge warrior designed from the bottom up as a titanic beast with no equal. Carnage Kabuto could even assume a colorful final form and go on a rampage for a solid week.

For comedy’s sake, Saitama defeated Carnage Kabuto’s final form with one punch, realizing at the last second that he was going to miss a weekend sale. In a more serious and honest fight, Carnage Kabuto’s final form would certainly thrash many members of the Hero Association, but he would have no answer for Luffy’s own final form and the power of cartoons. If Luffy can take down a beast like Kaido, then Carnage Kabuto won’t fare any better against One Piece‘s hero.

4Envy’s Giant Form Isn’t as Strong as it Looks

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

TV-14
Action
Adventure

Two brothers search for a Philosopher’s Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.

Release DateApril 5, 2009
CastRomi Park , Rie Kugimiya , Vic Mignogna , Maxey Whitehead
Main GenreAnime
Seasons1

Envy’s Powers/Skills/Weapons:

Rapid regeneration
Tail slap
Shapeshifting

The power levers of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are somewhat lower than those of other shonen anime, since the series is about philosophy and science, not just shonen action. Still, a few FMA villains have truly impressive final forms, mainly the homunculi. Envy, for example, can shapeshift into people and animals, or unleash his massive, lizard-like true form.

Envy’s final form is highly durable and can heal its flesh with the Philosopher’s Stone, and he has six legs and a tail for melee attacks as well. Envy can outlast most foes thanks to his Stone, but even he has his limits, as Roy Mustang demonstrated on the Promised Day. Given the chance, Luffy would do the same with Gear 5, and show Envy that humanity is always stronger than a monster born from a Philosopher’s Stone.

3Dio Brando’s Vampire Form is No Match For Cartoon Attacks

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

TV-14
Animation
Action
Adcenture

The story of the Joestar family, who are possessed with intense psychic strength, and the adventures each member encounters throughout their lives.

Release DateOctober 4, 2012
CreatorHirohiko Araki
CastDavid Vincent , Matthew Mercer , Daisuke Ono , Unshô Ishizuka , Tôru Ohkawa
Main GenreAnimation
Seasons5

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Dio Brando’s Powers/Skills/Weapons:

Regeneration
Hypnosis
Vaporization freezing technique
Flesh manipulation

For a brief time, Dio Brando was perfectly human in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, but then he famously abandoned his humanity and used the stone mask’s power to become a vampire. Dio gained a variety of powers that way, from superhuman strength and speed to an ice technique and even flesh manipulation. That made him a dire threat to Jonathan Joestar, but Luffy wouldn’t be too concerned.

Luffy could easily survive any of Dio Brando’s attacks during a nighttime battle and keep Dio at bay until the sun was ready to rise. It would be easy for Luffy to seize an exhausted Dio and hold him in place as the morning sun rose, turning the arrogant vampire into ash and sparing the Joestar family a lot of grief down the road.

2Kimimaro Kaguya’s Final Form Hits Hard But Can’t Beat the Sun God

Naruto

TV-PG
Action
Adventure

Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the village’s leader and strongest ninja.

Release DateSeptember 10, 2002
CreatorMasashi Kishimoto
CastJunko Takeuchi , Maile Flanagan , Kate Higgins
Main GenreAnime
Seasons1
Production CompanyPierrot, Staralis Film Company
Number of Episodes220

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Kimimaro Kaguya’s Powers/Skills/Weapons:

Cursed Seal of Earth
Regeneration
Taijutsu

In the Naruto anime, most ninjas rely on ninjutsu or special weapons to fight, and they don’t often assume new forms, though there are some exceptions. For example, most users of Orochimaru’s curse seals can use stage 1 to get stronger, then use stage 2 to become stronger still, complete with bodily mutations, such as horns. The Sound Four all did that, and then Kimimaro Kaguya followed suit.

Protagonist Naruto Uzumaki didn’t have what it took to defeat Kimimaro’s fearsome final form, and for that matter, neither did Rock Lee or Gaara. None of their jutsu or martial arts could vanquish Kimimaro, but it’s easy to imagine Luffy’s own taijutsu turning the tables on Kimimaro once Gear 5 gets involved. Kimimaro may be tough, but there’s no way he’s tougher than Kaido, who soundly lost to Gear 5’s powers.

1Aaroniero Arruruerie’s Released Form Will Never Top Gear 5

Bleach

TV-14
Action
Adventure
Fantasy

Bleach revolves around Kurosaki Ichigo, a regular always-grouchy high-schooler who for some strange reason is able to see the souls of the dead around him.

Release DateOctober 5, 2004
CreatorTite Kubo
CastMasakazu Morita , Fumiko Orikasa , Hiroki Yasumoto , Yuki Matsuoka , Noriaki Sugiyama , Kentarô Itô , Shinichirô Miki , Hisayoshi Suganuma
Main GenreAnime
Seasons17 Seasons
Production CompanyTV Tokyo, Dentsu, Pierrot
Number of Episodes366 Episodes

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Aaroniero Arruruerie’s Powers/Skills/Weapons:

Glotoneria
Nejibana

In the Bleach anime series, the black-robed Soul Reapers release their zanpakuto to create new weapons, while the Arrancars release their own zanpakuto to use their original Hollow forms in battle. While Luffy would face certain doom if he fought Barragan Luisenbairn’s released form, Arrogante, Espada #9 is a different matter. Aaroniero Arruruerie’s final form is a massive creature with many tentacles, mouths, and eyes, none of which are a real threat to Gear 5.

Aaroniero is a brute-force monster in his final form, and Luffy could vanquish that form even with Gear 4, let alone Gear 5. Aaroniero also had the power of Kaien Shiba’s shikai, but that would get him no closer to winning against Luffy. It’s not clear if Gear 5 could outright kill an undead spirit like Aaroniero, but Aaroniero’s final form is still solid, and he would flee Gear 5’s wrath if possible.