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Do you know what GLOW-UP means? Well, if you don’t, then let me tell you. Glow-Up means when a person transforms into a completely different individual. Most of the time, glow-up is a physical change that someone can get through hard work, exercise, or training, and sometimes as time passes, you can see changes in yourself that happen in the age of adolescence.
In simple language, glow-up means when a person becomes more attractive appearance-wise or physically. In anime, many characters start as ugly or not-so-attractive individuals. Still, after working on themselves, they become more attractive, and the center of attraction they get their significant glow-up.
So, today we will talk about 15+ Characters With Shocking Glow-Ups. Anime glow-ups are always satisfying because people who don’t get validation or attention finally get it and inspire others to work on themselves.
This blog will be so interesting; let’s not wait anymore and get into it.
#16 Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck
Anime: Bleach
Glow-up Meter: 64/100
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck or Nel Tu is a former member of Espada. Why is she on the list? Well, Nel Tu can take the form of a child with brown eyes and green hair. Honestly, she is such an adorable individual who loves playing and eating sweets.
Now the real question is, how does she get her glow-up? During fights, Nel Tu can become a beautiful grown-up girl with similar features as her child, and she can do that more often. And believe in her true form.
Nelliel is probably the most beautiful girl you’ll ever see. Hazel eyes, green hair, and a desirable shapely body can make anyone fall for her. The reason behind this transformation is that Nel Tu can’t keep her original form for a long time because her spiritual energy leaks from the cranium.
She can take her adult form and fight enemies in an emergency, but this form won’t last long.
#15 Gon Freecss
Anime: Hunter X Hunter
Glow-up Meter: 66/100
Gon Freecss is one of the kindest and pure-hearted anime characters. We all loved him so much, right? But we all know how things changed after Kite’s death. During Chimera Ant Arc, we all saw Gon’s rage and hatred.
During episode 131, Anger X And X Light, we saw how devastated he was, and at that point, Gon’s anger and hatred towards Pitou made him go through a transformation. In this transformation, we could see Gon in an adult form with long black hair and a muscular body, and he was almost 6’3 feet tall.
Not just did his physical appearance change, but Gon’s power level also increased. This was a one-time transformation. He even killed Pitou and avenged Kite. However, this form came with consequences.
Gon almost died, his whole body was similar to a skeleton, and he even lost his Nen. Still, from his child-like form to a monstrous form, it was quite a glow-up, even though it was not for a long time.
#14 Sasuke Uchiha
Anime: Naruto and Naruto Shippuden
Glow-up Meter: 67/100
Sasuke Uchiha, aka The Last Uchiha, had quite a glow-up not just physically or appearance-wise but also character-wise. We all know Sasuke was always popular among girls because of his looks Black hair with front bangs and black eyes.
He had such a killer look. But when he grew up and saw him in Naruto Shippuden, Everyone drooled over Sasuke. His hair grew longer, and he became taller and colder.
Sasuke glowed up, his clothing also changed throughout the series, and with each look, he became more alluring. There are a lot of characters in Naruto with good looks, but Sauke is probably the most handsome among all.
I do not forget about Kakashi, Itachi, or Minato. It’s just a personal opinion. As a character, Sasuke started understanding the value of relationships and friendship, and that’s why by the end of Naruto Shippuden, he became the guardian of Hidden Leaf Village.
#13 Asta
Anime: Black Clover
Glow-up Meter: 69/100
Asta is the Naruto of the new generation. We all agree that these characters have a lot in common, whether it’s their dream or how they act and express their feelings. Asta is an orphan who was raised in a church.
This world was never in his favor because he was born without any mana, which was essential for using magic. However, things changed when Asta got the 5-leaf Grimoire. Even though physically he might look short, his strength is immeasurable, and that’s because, due to the lack of magic power, Asta trained physically every day.
Asta became even more muscular after training in the Heart Kingdom for 6 months. Now he is a bit taller and even more athletic. You can see his overall glow-up, and to be honest, everyone was shocked when they saw Asta after his 6-month training. This little fellow came a long way and did not intend to stop.
#12 Palm Siberia
Anime: Hunter X Hunter
Glow-up Meter: 71/100
Palm Siberia is the definition of don’t judge a book by its cover. When we all first saw her didn’t like her personality and appearance. Both were unlikeable. I mean undone curly hair, sticky skin, a weird smell, and a dark aura.
Who would like it? But when Palm and Gon decided to go on a date, we saw her with a completely different look. I mean, we all were unable to differentiate. Even Killua got confused. She dressed well, combed her hair, they were brown, and her skin was fair with a pink shade.
Palm we saw first, and Palm that went on a date both seemed like they were completely different people. This was due to an Instant glow hidden beneath an ugly self. This was not when Chimera Ant Arc Palm became a Chimera, and her power increased; that’s also a glow-up in terms of ability.
#11 Hinata Hyuga
Anime: Naruto
Glow-up Meter: 72/100
Hinata Hyuga is an example of a perfect waifu. Please don’t hate me. I’m not saying she didn’t look good in OG Naruto. We all love Hinata, and she’s always been the cutest character in the Naruto Series.
Looking back in time, Hinata was a shy individual with short blue hair and big white eyes, which shows she was from the Hyuga clan. But in the first episode of Naruto Shippuden, we saw Hinata in an entirely new look.
Now she had long blue hair with front bags, she grew taller, her body developed a lot, and her overall appearance became more attractive. But still, she was polite and always respectful towards everyone, and she loved Naruto.
Girls like Hinata are impossible to find. If I ever find a girl like her, I will keep her no matter what.
#10 Simon
Anime: Gurren Lagann
Glow-up Meter: 74/100
Simon had the best glow-up in the whole Gurren Lagann series. This person turned from a little brat kid to a muscular, mature guy. Earlier his appearance was as similar as any other 14-year-old. Simon was short in height, about 5 feet tall.
He had quite an attitude, indigo-colored eyes, dark blue hair, and, yes baby-like face. But in part 3, we saw him in a completely different look. Now our little boy has grown. He is 21 years old, 6’2 feet tall, with a sharp jawline and muscular build, and Simon doesn’t act like a brat anymore; he has matured a lot.
In terms of powers and abilities, he hit the jackpot. His glow-up was just crazy. After 20 years skipped when he turned 40, his hair became short, and Simon had grey hair and wrinkles on his face, but this was natural aging that couldn’t be stopped.
#9 Koby
Anime: One Piece
Glow-up Meter: 76/100
Koby started as a part of Alvida Pirates, which was by mistake. Later he trained under Admirable Garp. And now he is a Marine Captain. This was his dream. At the beginning of the series, we see Koby as a chubby guy with no physical power, short height, and pink hair who worked for Alvida Pirates.
Cleaning the ship and bringing stuff was his job. When he started training under Garp, Koby went through quite a transformation. His height increased, and he became more muscular, all thanks to Garp’s training, but this was still not it before becoming a captain.
When he was done with the training, Koby was almost as tall as the vice admiral, had long wavy pink hair, and quite attractive facial and body features. This guy made his dream come true and had one of the best glow-ups in One Piece.
#8 Shinichi Izumi
Anime: Parasyte
Glow-up Meter: 78/100
Shinichi Izumi is one of those characters with more power/ability to glow-up than the look/appearance. Shinichi was just a regular 17-year-old high school student with an average look, brown eyes, and hair.
However, things changed when an alien known as Parasyte infected and started living as a part of his right hand. Shinichi gained superhuman strength and power to the point where he could easily defeat other aliens.
Shinichi’s looks also changed. He used to wear glasses, but Shinichi didn’t need them anymore. His hair became spiky, and his overall body became muscular. He liked all these changes, but Shinichi felt like something was missing inside him, and that was his humanity. He felt like this alien was making him a monster that he was not.
#7 Akira Fudo
Anime: Devilman Crybaby
Glow-up Meter: 79/100
Akira Fudo the Devilman. It takes time for them to grow up like people do training, or in adolescence, they become attractive. But Akira Fudo had a huge glow-up just in one day. He went to a party with his friend Ryo Asuka and Akira got possessed by the devil Amon.
Even though a devil was inside him, his heart was so pure that he gained control over this devil and became the first-ever Devilman. Now, Akira has the power of a devil. Earlier, he was 5’8, but now he is 6’1.
His athletic abilities increased, he became more powerful, and obviously, Akira became popular in no time. When needed, his body can take the complete form of Devil Amon while remaining conscious of his human self. A guy with a pure heart but the devil’s body shocked everyone and things didn’t end well for him.
#6 Prompto Argentum
Anime: Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV
Glow-up Meter: 83/100
Prompto Argentum worked hard for the way he looks now. He started as a fat guy with a nerd look and got no attention from people around him. However, he wanted to change the way he was and was determined.
Prompto started training every day, eating healthy, exercising properly, running miles daily, and yes, no excuses and no days off. Finally, after a few months, he gained a muscular physique. Prompto already had good features like blond hair and blue eyes, but after losing weight and gaining an athletic build, his features were more noticeable and attractive.
We all should take inspiration from him; if we want to change how we look, we need to work on it. No magic will happen because we live in the real world, not in any fantasy.
#5 Masamune Makabe
Anime: Masamune-Kun’s Revenge
Glow-up Meter: 85/100
Masamune Makabe is the definition of from zero to hero. Masamune-Kun’s Revenge is one of the best anime to watch, where a guy will take Revenge on a girl who hurt him when he was just a kid. Masamune was a chubby and quite ugly-looking individual, so he was often bullied and made fun of by people. Aki Adagaki once hurt Masamune and insulted them in front of people, but they were just kids then.
But now they are grown, and our boy has turned into a reasonably handsome guy with a muscular build, and yes, girls are crazy for him now. Masamune has come a long way, but his Revenge is not yet fulfilled. This handsome guy can’t omit the humiliation and trauma side that he endured as a kid, and to be honest, everyone wants him to get his Revenge.
#4 Kae Serinuma
Anime: Kiss him, not me
Glow-up Meter: 88/100
Kae Serinuma is a second-year student, but people know her because she is overweight. Nowadays, being overweight is a curse. People make fun of you and call you weird names, which was the same in Kae’s case.
People used to make fun of her, but things changed completely. She is an otaku, and after the death of her favorite character Kae didn’t eat anything or come out of the room for many days, but Kae was a completely different person when she finally came out.
Earlier she was overweight and used to wear circular glasses, but now she is a slim girl with good features, and without glasses, her beautiful big green eyes are visible. When Kae went back to school after many days, people couldn’t remember her, and all the guys were head over heels for her.
Other girls became jealous of Kae, and she became the center of attraction. This is what we call a significant character to glow-up. Even though she had such a glow-up, Kae was still down to earth.
#3 Yuri Katsuki
Anime: Yuri on Ice
Glow-up Meter: 94/100
Yuri Katsuki is a person who can easily steal your guy. You heard me, not your girl but your GUY. He is a competitive ice skater and works hard. However, Yuri can gain weight quickly and hide that weight, and he wears multiple layers of clothing.
Still, people find it out and make fun of him. But believe me, no one can beat him when this guy is in his proper form. Yuri has quite a muscular body with black hair, brown eyes, and a soft face. During preference, he keeps his hair backward and removes his glasses, which gives him an even more killer look.
Yuri is also engaged to Victor Nikiforov, a good-looking competitive ice skater. Look, it’s straightforward why Yuri is on the list. Even though he already has good physique and facial features, sometimes he gains weight, affecting his performance.
And to overcome this, Yuri trains hard and gets back into shape. It is the Glow-Up that he needs to maintain. Believe it or not, it’s not easy always being in shape.
#2 Eren Yeager
Anime: Attack on Titan
Glow-up Meter: 96/100
When we talked about Glow-Ups, Eren had the best glow-up. This guy suffered a lot, but he made real-life girls go crazy for him just from his looks. In the first season of Attack on Titan, we saw Eren as a kid, and as a teenager, he was a polite-looking individual with hatred for titans in his heart.
In season one, Eren was 15 years old, but in Season four, he was 19. These 4 years of the time skip changed him completely, not just appearance-wise but as a character. Eren grew his hair long and tied them and had front bangs. His eyes became more attractive, and his overall body became muscular as his height increased. But that polite kid we knew had lost somewhere. It’s more like that kid doesn’t even exist anymore.
Eren has killed over a billion people, which means 80% of the population. He did have a tremendous physical glow-up that made girls fall for him, but as a character, he is shown to be evil.
#1 Ken Kaneki
Anime: Tokyo Ghoul
Glow-up Meter: 100/100
It’s obvious why Ken Kaneki is at the top of this list. Ken came a long way from being a loner and introverted nerd to a handsome ghoul slayer. Before becoming a hybrid ghoul, Ken was a decent-looking guy with a shy nature who preferred reading books and was not interested in athletics.
But after an incident, his organs got replaced with a ghoul, and his body underwent some changes. Even though he was a hybrid, not much of a difference was visible. It was just his eye that changed.
But after Yamori tortured Ken, his authentic self as a ghoul came out, and that’s when we can see his real glow. White hair, black nails, and more physical physic made him look like a completely different but attractive/handsome individual.
This guy was on another level after his glow-up being a ruthless ghoul killer, but Ken never lost his humanity. He had control over himself.
Honorable Mention
- Alvida
FAQs
Which Character Had the Best Glow-Up in Anime?
Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul and Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan probably had the best glow-ups in anime history.
What Does Glow-Up Mean in Anime?
In simple language, glow-up means when the most unnoticeable person turns out as the most noticeable person because of their appearance. And other people start regretting things they did to that person who had to glow-up.
Who Had the Best Glow-Up in One Piece?
People will tell you popular characters like Nami and Robi had the best glow-up, but Koby had the best glow-up in One Piece.
With that, we’ve come to the end of this article. Speaking of Glow-Ups, our site has got one recently, and we are quite proud of it. Let us know your thoughts on the shift, and keep visiting averagebeing.com for more awesome anime content.