The Top 11 Ben 10 Transformations (Original Series)

Written by Jacob Coad

If you were to ask my grandfather, he will tell you that in the mid 2000’s, Ben 10 was mah JAM! The idea alone was enough to get me hooked. A kid named Ben Tennyson comes across an alien watch-like device called the Omnitrix which allows him to transform into ten different alien forms, each with their own powers. This idea did allow for variety in abilities and what they can be used for certain situations. More and more aliens were unlocked and I thought I’d do this blog post to share what I think are some of the coolest transformations from the original series.

And yes, I do mean the original series. I won’t be counting any aliens from Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, or Omniverse cause those deserve a list of their own. I’ll get to those someday, but for now, let’s talk about the original transformations. :)

11. Upchuck

Species: Gourmand

Starting this list is the alien that’s on top of the galactic food chain. And I do mean that for a reason. Upchuck is able to eat things whole using multiple prehensile tongues to pull them in! He’s able to ingest solid matter, he’s got strong teeth, and his stomach is bottomless. And he can also spit exploding loogies, which makes some great projectiles.

The interesting thing about Upchuck is that there’s another design that would show up in Alien Force as a subspecies of Gourmand. It’s pretty easy to differentiate the two, so there’s some good variety here. ^^

10. Ditto

Species: Splixson

Up next is an alien that’s basically if you made Yakko into a transformation (In the sense that Rob Paulsen voices him), and that is Ditto. Ditto is able to produce clones of himself in kind of this mitosis-looking way, and these clones work in a very hive-minded sense thanks to some sensory nodes on his head, so they’re always in sinc with each other. You know this transformation is good when there’s a whole episode dedicated to it.

The cloning of Ditto can be somewhat of a hindrance though. If Ditto copies are too far away from each other, they can’t turn back into Ben, and they can be fused back together if it’s forced. Hey, if it means we get to see more him, I’ll gladly take it.

9. Stinkfly

Species: Lepidopterran

This alien stinks. Literally, Stinkfly reeks! But I’m not saying that as a bad thing. Also worth mentioning he’s the first transformation to be named onscreen. While this alien does look a little horrifying, Stinkfly is still a great transformation. For one thing, he’s insect-like, so he’s able to fly, and he’s also able to shoot green slime out of these eyestalks protruding from the side of his head as well as his mouth. I sometimes forget those even are his eyes because of the Omnitrix symbol on his face. This slime is strong enough to hold a helicopter, can ensnare enemies and is even flammable, and can work as adhesive. Who knew some alien slime can have different purposes?

Stinkfly also has great strength in proportion to his body, being able to carry heavy loads while still flying. His carrying power comes to its limit when holding something very heavy, as shown when he could keep flying while Vilgax was holding onto him.

Stinkfly still has some weaknesses. Being a big bug, if his wings get wet, he can’t fly. He also can’t swim and he’s very weak against electricity.

Stinkfly might literally stink but if you ever need an alien to get you to high places, Stinkfly’s your bug. ;)

8. Grey Matter

Species: Galvan

Here’s an important alien in the Omnitrix, as an alien of Grey Matter’s species, named Azmuth, is the one who created the watch, so Grey Matter deserves a spot here.

What Grey Matter lacks in size, he makes up for in brains. Grey Matter is able to speak techno babble and also create extremely advanced machinery from spare parts, understand the function of any device at a glance, and make sophisticated repairs to complex machines. Grey Matter might even know the inner workings of the Omnitrix better than Ben actually does! His eyes also help with microscopic vision so that’s handy.

Grey Matter's size allows him to squeeze into small spaces and he can climb walls like Spider-Man, and if you’re wondering about his frog-like appearance, you are right to assume that he is amphibious. He has gills, so he’s able to breathe underwater. I consider that to be a nice bonus.

I will mention though, this is one alien the Omnitrix likes to turn Ben into over some transformations. Hey, as long as Grey Matter can come up with a creative solution to get himself out of, he’s one smart guy to do the job.

7. Ghostfreak

Species: Ectonurite

Behold, we have the one transformation that said “F**k this s**t, I’m out!” and that is Ghostfreak. Lemme say right off the bat, when this guy is picked, the show goes into a complete mood change with eerie music, and an eerie voice that doesn’t quite help much.

With Ghostfreak being very ghost-like, Ghostfreak can make himself intangible and invisible as both a powerful defense and a way of infiltrating high-security locations. He can even turn people and objects intangible as well. Also, he’s able to possess the bodies of his enemies and control their movements, to the point where he can cause them to fly around like himself, and can even stop possessing them mid-air to let them slam into walls. He’s also not called Ghostfreak for a reason as he can expose tentacles from his chest, either by drawing back his outermost layer of skin or bursting them through his skin, and even provides a little more creep factor.

Like I said, Ghostfreak was able to escape the Omnitrix and later became a recurring villain, and also revealed his true form which is pretty freaky.

I can imagine some people still having nightmares from this guy. Regardless, Ghostfreak’s presence and status of escaping the Omnitrix is enough to get him a spot on this list.

6. Cannonbolt

Species: Arburian Pelarota

Here’s the transformation that took Ghostfreak’s spot after he escaped the watch and a good reason why sometimes you just can’t judge a book by its cover. He’s also my brother’s favorite transformation, so I had to include him somewhere. ^^

When Cannonbolt was unlocked, he did have a little trouble getting around thanks to his pillbug-like appearance, but he found out that this would be one of Ben’s more powerful transformations. He may not look it, but Cannonbolt is a powerhouse. He can curl into a ball, encasing himself in his plating. In general, the Arburian Pelarota species mostly used this maneuver for defense, like an armadillo. With this though, Ben was able to weaponize this kind of defense and turn himself into an oversized bowling ball that can move at great speed, slam into and/or run over enemies, and ricochet and bounce off surfaces like a pinball! Yeah, this guy’s on fire, and we love an alien like that. :D

The only big weakness I can name about Cannonbolt is that he’s pretty top-heavy, so his body is not made for walking. Even then, here’s an alien that really knows how to have a ball. :D

5. XLR8

Species: Kineceleran

Here is one of the Omnitrix’s fastest aliens, and his name says it all. Rocking a body like that of a Velociraptor and a visor for when he runs, XLR8 is a speedster with lightning-quick reflexes and the ability to reach speeds in excess of 500 miles per hour. He can accelerate so quickly that time appears to completely stop to him, allowing him to change the positions of things around him mid-motion, while only being able to be seen by a camera with a very high shutter speed. Even without his incredible running speed, XLR8 is capable of thinking, acting, and reacting at superhuman speed. His sharp reflexes allow him to dodge attacks with little to no effort. He can even create vortexes that are strong enough to lift someone off the ground.

I always thought if I had my own Omnitrix, XLR8 would be the one I would use if I’m in a hurry. I also think he’s one of the coolest in design thanks to the wheels on his feet and that cool blue on him. Wonder if Sonic the Hedgehog can be seen with another Kineceleran.

With a cool design and being incredibly fast, XLR8 is not too slow to be on this list. :D

4. Diamondhead

Species: Petrosapien

A fan favorite amongst Ben 10 fans, Diamondhead is one of the more humanoid-looking aliens and one of the coolest by far. :)

Being an alien made out of crystals, Diamondhead has the power of crystallokinesis, allowing him to manipulate the crystals that his species are composed of. He has the power to summon formations of these crystals to erupt from underneath any ground surface. He’s also able to transform his arms into different weapons like a diamond sword, shoot diamond shard projectiles like a gun, and even protrude a big diamond out of his back for protection. Diamondhead's crystalline body also allows him to deflect most energy beams and redirect them at targets, so that would totally be handy. :)

Diamondhead’s another design I really like, considering Ben 10 is in the superhero genre, he has a very superhero-esque look to him which I think works well for someone like him. With a diamond body and almost indestructablity, how can you not enjoy someone as cool as Diamondhead? :D

3. Heatblast

Species: Pyronite

Here is the first alien Ben turned into after he got the Omnitrix, and well, let’s just say he’s the hottest. And he’s a favorite of my grandparents. This is Heatblast! :D

Heatblast has a very lava-looking body, and as such, he has control over fire, and surprisingly, this is one of Ben’s more versatile transformations. Heatblast can project streams of fire from his hands and mouth, and can create fireballs he can throw or roll. He can also absorb both flames and heat, meaning that he can put out a fire just as quickly as he can start one. Additionally, Heatblast can enhance the power of his punches by coating his fists in fire, and can ignite his opponents or objects by touch or remotely.

When Ben turned into Heatblast for the first time, his first reaction is most likely what you’d expect:

“AHHHH! I’M ON FIRE! I’M ON FIRE!!”

Yeah, because of course. But thankfully, he was able to get it together and learn how an alien like this works. It also helps that Heatblast is voiced by Steve Blum in honestly one of the coolest voices I’ve heard from him. Here’s a fun fact for ya. When Ben gets sick, it affects his transformations as well, and in Heatblast’s case, his fire powers are switched with ice powers, which I will say is not only an interesting outcome, but seeing Heatblast with blue flames does make an interesting design choice. :)

What else can I say, but Heatblast can really turn up the heat. :)

2. Four Arms

Species: Tetramand

Admit it, you knew Four Arms had to be on this list somehow. Anyway, what looks like an alien relative of Goro from Mortal Kombat, Four Arms is the poster boy of Ben’s original roster and for good reason. Whenever Ben needs to smash, throw or beat up something, Four Arms is the alien of choice. This formidable four-armed alien can use his tremendous strength to dish out the punishment. Four Arms was able to go toe-to-toe with, swing around and throw a reanimated mammoth, and easily lift and swing around a massive pillar. Four Arms' sheer strength allows him to create devastating shock waves, by either simply punching something or slamming his fists on the ground. Basically, Four Arms is very much like a four-armed alien version of the Hulk, and I mean that in the best way. :D

Four Arms is also one of those aliens that kind of has a personality of his own. He talks with the gruff voice and a lot of the lines he speaks are very much in line with what a superhero would say, especially in delivery.

Also, remember when I said the Omnitrix likes to pick Grey Matter a lot? Well, Four Arms is one of those aliens that seems to be its least favorite in some cases, and even Ben doesn’t like it when he doesn’t get him. Even then, when the situation calls for it, you can count on some Four Arms to dish it out. ;)

And the Number 1 Ben 10 Alien Transformation is…Wildmutt!

Species: Vulpimancer

And here is my personal favorite transformation of all of them, the overgrown Xenomorph-like dog himself, Wildmutt. :D

One of the more unusual transformations of the original ten, Wildmutt is more animalistic in design and his powers. He doesn’t have any eyes, but is able to “see” thanks to his sense of smell, and we even see these cool infrared-style POVs. Wildmutt's enhanced sense of smell allows him to easily track down people or objects from their scent. Because of this, his sense of smell also renders any kind of visual deception useless, as he can effortlessly identify and track entities that are invisible or wearing a disguise. And thanks to his dog-like physique, Wildmutt possesses sharp teeth and a strong bite force, being able to rip wires and pieces out of Vilgax's Mechadroids, and chew through a telephone pole in seconds.

One thing to note about Wildmutt is that unlike all of the other Omnitrix aliens, he can’t talk, only being able to growl and roar as communication. Wildmutt is another alien that gets affected when Ben gets sick. In his case, the nostrils on the sides of his head are clogged with mucus, rendering him unable to see, and yeah, that’s definitely a problem.

Honorable mentions

Wildvine

Way Big

And those are my Top 11 Alien Transformation from Ben 10. Do you have a favorite transformation I didn’t talk about? Let’s talk in the comments. ^^

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