Transformation Gimmicks

A recurring plot device in the Ben 10 franchise is to introduce new ways for Ben Tennyson to access aliens he already has access to, typically accompanied by a boost in power or a change in abilities.
==Canon Transformation Gimmicks==
===Reboot Continuity===
			
===Classic Continuity===
		
==Non-Canon Transformation Gimmicks==
Non-Canon transformation gimmicks are almost always invented for the toy lines accompanying the various incarnations of the franchise. They provide an easy way to sell new figures of the same aliens using the same molds, making for a low-cost way to pad out the toy line and increase revenue. This method was particularly popular with the Reboot. These are by no means the only gimmicks the toy lines employed, however they are noteworthy for attempting to weave an in-universe narrative outside of the shows they accompanied.
===Reboot Toy Line===
		
		
The first two of these gimmicks were created by the Cartoon Network YouTube Channel as part of the Battle Builder series of adverts, which were animated using the toys. Both are intended as jokes to encourage imaginative play to allow Ben to turn into anything. The Vehicles that Ben turned into were Ben 10 toys, but where originally intended to be piloted by Ben rather than being him.
The Alien Worlds, Out of the Omnitrix, and Omni-Metallic toys were all recolors of existing alien toys typically featuring some blurb about the Omnitrix malfunctioning to create bizarrely-imbued aliens. The Out of the Omnitrix line also included a recolored Glitch figure, nodding to his origins within the device.
Finally, the Omni-Glitch Heroes line of figures created new 'fusion' aliens out of the bodies, heads, and limbs of other aliens haphazardly combined. They would also come with spare limbs so that the fusion could be further customized. These fusions would only consist of limbs from the most popular of Ben's aliens, as well as Ben's human head. This play pattern and design owes its origin to the Fusion Lab line of toys from the Alien Force toy line.
===Classic Toy Line===
The only toy line gimmick to feature a narrative in the classic continuity was the Haywire line, in which a glitch inside the Omnitrix created color-swapped aliens. Evolved aliens such as Ultimate Swampfire could also be uniquely affected, with Swampfire swapping colors with Diamondhead but Ultimate Swampfire swapping colors with Ultimate Spidermonkey. Whether any of the aliens' powers were affected by this or not was left to the imagination of the consumer.
==Trivia==
*The Omni-Enhanced Form is the only canon gimmick that does not include Humungousaur due to him not being in the active playlist at that time.
*Heatblast is the only alien with all 3 reboot transformation gimmicks.
**Cannonbolt is the only alien who had access to every canon gimmick at some point, except Skurd, Omni-Nauts and Fusions.
*The recalibrated prototype Omnitrix is the only Omnitrix that didn't access at least one gimmick.
*A scrapped power-up for the Omnitrix in the reboot had Ben's aliens generating shadow versions of themselves that explored negative aspects to power, such as vampiric touches. Story-wise, Ben would need to compensate for these unwanted or uncontrollable abilities.
**There were also scrapped Omnitrix power-ups that either gave Ben's aliens powers that felt too outside their natural powersets or crossover over to other aliens like the Omni-Enhanced Forms. The trouble was always making one alien in the active playlist so overpowered that the rest would not be as interesting.
==References==
===Duncan Rouleau===
Category:Transformations
Category:Aliens