WhileDragon BallandOne Pieceare titans in the battle manga and anime realms, their narratives diverge significantly. However, a striking similarity unites them:iconic power-up transformations. Much like Popeye’s spinach-fueled boosts, they introduce a captivating narrative concept: characters experiencing sudden, extraordinary power surges at pivotal moments, heightening tension and drama. Indeed, they enabled Goku and Luffy to achieve outstanding abilities that turned the tide of battle to help them snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against formidable foes.
AlthoughDragon Ball’s Super Saiyan pioneered the “super” full-blown transformation concept,One Piece’s Gear Five has elevated it to new heights. The striking similarities between these over-the-top power-ups pose an intriguing question: In 10 years, will manga and anime fans look back onLuffy’s Gear Fivetransformation the same way they now reflect on Super Saiyan, with both admiration and critique? In other words, will Gear Five join the ranks of legendary —albeit controversial— power-ups in manga and anime history?
Dragon Ball’s Super Saiyan Form Set The Trend That One Piece’s Gear Five Adopted
Goku’s Super Saiyan Form Was The First Move That One Piece’s Luffy Took To Another Level
Manga history is filled with unforgettable moments, butfew can compare to the first timeDragon Ball’s Goku transformed into the famed Super Saiyan. Fans were captivated by the intensity of the power-up and eagerly speculated on its future significance in the story. Similarly,One Piecefans were thrilled when Luffy unveiled his Gear Five form, sparking excitement and debate over whether it would be used again against the series' remaining Yonko and other formidable pirate commanders.
The impact of Gear Five on fanshas been undeniable, evident in the surge of cosplay performances, fan art, animations, and online discussions. Its reception echoes the public’s reaction toDragon Ball’s iconic Super Saiyan transformation. At the time, the groundbreaking Super Saiyan power-up was a breath of fresh air for both the concept of power-ups and theDragon Ballfranchise itself. It not only became a cornerstone of Dragon Ball’s narrative but also established itself as the “next big thing” in battle manga. This transformation significantly influenced the design and evolution of power-ups in manga across the industry.
TheSuper Saiyan power-up inDragon Ballrevolutionizedthe series, enabling Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, and others toovercome seemingly insurmountable odds in dramatic and visually stunning ways. A notable example from many decades later is Goku’s battle against Jiren, a formidable opponent unlike any he’d faced before. Just when all hope seemed lost, Goku unlocked the base version of Ultra Instinct, saving the day. Much like the original Super Saiyan reveal, this twist was both unpredictable and intuitively anticipated by fans.
One of the best examples of howDragon Ball’s “super power-up” concept influenced and inspired the manga and anime industry isBleach’s Bankai. This transformative ability represents the second release of aSoul Reaper’s Zanpakuto personal weapon, granting them access to its full power, potential, and unique capabilities. Much like the Super Saiyan transformation, Bankai is often unlocked in moments of crisis, providing the wielder with a dramatic surge in strength and the ability to overcome opponents far stronger than themselves.
Dragon Ball’s Super Saiyan Set The Standard But Was Eventually Surpassed
A Cornerstone of Manga and Anime That Has Become Outdated
While the concept of power-up transformations thatDragon Ballintroduced to the manga and anime world was generally a positive development, it wasn’t without its drawbacks. First, most non-Saiyan warriors and fighters became largely redundant — especially against Saiyans — since they lacked the ability to achieve the Super Saiyan transformation. Second, battles shifted from being intricately choreographed “fight dances” to mere contests of whose power-up was stronger. The third, and perhaps most problematic issue with the form, was that it became the ultimate problem-solver.
In many instances, it gave Goku and others an easy way to win fights they might otherwise have lost. Put simply,the Super Saiyan form has long since become a cliché, along with its derivates. Despite how it compares to the current super power-ups inDragon Ball, fans still look back on that first transformation with nostalgia and a significant amount of reverence, recognizing it as the beginning of what became an iconic, albeit now somewhat passé, part ofDragon Balllore.
Luffy’s epic Gear Five transformation and victory over Kaido echoes the iconic moment whenDragon Ball’s Super Saiyan debuted. However, the question remains: will this landmarkOne Piecemoment retain its significance in the narrative as a groundbreaking event or, like Super Saiyan, become just another step in Luffy’s progression toward excellence? Moreover, will the initial excitement and emotional impact of Gear Five fade, rendering it a common, expected element of Luffy’s power-ups in dire situations?
Luffy’s Gear Five Is Probably Not the Final Step
The New Iconic Transformation Will Follow Super Saiyan’s Example
Considering the abundance of One Piece characters with formidable abilities — whether innate, developed through training, granted by Devil Fruits, or a combination of these — it’s unlikely that Gear Five, despite its unprecedented power level, establishes Luffy as the most powerful pirate across the Four Seas. While it marked a pivotal moment in One Piece lore, it stops short of being legendary.
Unlike Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation, which momentarily made him the most powerful being in the universe,Gear Five places Luffy as one of many top-tier fighters in a world teeming with them. Indeed, around the same time that Luffy was fighting Kaido, elsewhere in Wano County, Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid succeeded in defeating Big Mom, further emphasizing the shared dominance among elite combatants in the series.
Accordingly, if Luffy is going to overcome the obstacles on his path to becoming the Pirate King, such as Blackbeard, or the Five Elders,he will likely need to surpass Gear Five. In fact, there is evidence suggesting thatLuffy has already moved past Gear Five. For instance, since his battle with Kaido, Luffy has demonstrated the ability to access his Nika form without requiring a full Gear Five transformation. This suggests that the powers of Nika have become an integral part of Luffy’s abilities rather than being limited to a specific gear-based state.
However, as Luffy unlocks increasingly powerful abilities, Gear Five will become even more reminiscent of Super Saiyan, marking the starting point of his full potential. When that happens, theOne Piececommunity will likely look back on Gear Five with nostalgia, just as theDragon Ballcommunity views the Super Saiyan form – a pivotal moment that awakened Luffy’s true powers.
However, as new transformations surpass Gear Five, fans may eventually consider it redundant or overused, just like someDragon Ballenthusiasts view Super Saiyan. Yet, this isn’t a negative development; it demonstrates that Gear Five, likeDragon Ball’s Super Saiyan, effectively drove theOne Piecenarrative forward.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
One Piece
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a multimedia franchise that began as a manga series and follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as led by Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate with a thirst for adventure, is afflicted by a mysterious curse that gives him various powers he uses to protect himself and his friends. The manga eventually gave way to the anime series, with the two being some of history’s longest-running anime and manga series. Along with over fifty video games made over the years, the series entered the live-action world with Netflix’s 2023 adaptation.
