Heroes are normally altruistic and friendly. It's how they get characters to trust them with important tasks. It's also why audiences can easily root for them. Unfortunately, not all of them remain wholesome.
Certain gaming heroes have gained dark transformations at some point. This move is mostly a symptom of the 2000s when creators sought to make characters edgier and "cooler." Several developers factor that trend into gameplay. As a result, players get new forms for their favorite protagonists. These forms not only look meaner but grant increased power for a short time. While these transformations are undoubtedly products of the time, they're also undeniably slick and savagely fun.
6 Jak - Jak & Dexter
This is emblematic of the series' shift in tone. After the debut entry, Naughty Dog moved the Jak & Daxter sequels from a lighthearted fantasy realm to an oppressive, industrialized future. Within that setting, Jak suffers imprisonment and horrific experimentation at the hands of Baron Praxis and his regime. The goal is to create a superpowered warrior by injecting him with the malevolent substance known as "Dark Eco." In short, they succeeded.
During Jak 2 and 3, the hero sports a truly fearsome form. His claws and speed help him plow right through enemies. In addition, he channels Dark Eco into devastating energy attacks, clearing an entire room in seconds. He may no longer have the "pure gift," but Dark Jak more than makes up for it by sheer might.
5 Sonic - Sonic The Hedgehog
The hedgehog already has plenty of attitude. He's endlessly cocky as he runs circles around enemies, but that's not intense enough for the folks at Sega. In Sonic Unleashed, a routine battle with Dr. Eggman goes wrong when the mad doctor awakens Dark Gaia: a godlike being who can rip the world asunder. The resulting clash imbues Sonic with the deity's essence.
This creates a feral version of himself: Sonic the Werehog. He subsists not on speed, but combat. Fans control this monstrosity during the slower platforming sections with tons of enemies. Rather than use the midair spin attack, the werehog lashes out with his claws in rapid melee combos. His limbs stretch out several feet to reach assailants from all over the arena. His style is less Sonic and more God of War. On the upside, it helps dispatch legions of Eggman's robotic troops, so one can't argue with the results.
4 Dante - Devil May Cry
Unlike most examples, this Devil May Cry hero was born with a dark form. Dante is the son of a demon knight and a human woman. This imbues him with supernatural powers and superhuman physicality.
The zenith of that mixture is Devil Trigger. This form covers Dante in jagged, hellish armor. Not only does it amplify the strength of his melee attacks, but it boosts the rate of fire for ranged weapons. Now, his little pistols act as dual machine guns. These power-ups cut through enemies like tissue paper. Even the most imposing demons fall before this form. The human half must give it that extra punch. Incidentally, it makes a killer song in DMC 5.
3 Sora - Kingdom Hearts
Bizarrely, fans never get an explanation for this one. Sora is the goofy star of the Kingdom Hearts series. Using the mythical Keyblade, he vanquishes the hordes of darkness across various Disney worlds. It seems like nothing can dampen his enthusiasm, and he grows more powerful as a result.
To convey this, Kingdom Hearts 2 gives him a collection of Drive Forms: transformations boosting his attack and magic, as well as gifting him additional Keyblades for a short time. Unfortunately, overusing these forms turns Sora into a shadowy creature who ditches Keyblades altogether. This "Anti Form" fights with his bare hands, delivering a series of swipes too fast for the naked eye. One assumes it's connected to the Drive Forms, but that theory goes out the window in Kingdom Hearts 3.
This entry gets rid of the Drive Gauge, yet it gives Sora a transformation called "Rage Form." It's eerily similar to Anti Form, but it keeps the Keyblade. That said, the ferocity remains intact. Maybe Kingdom Hearts 4 will explain why such a happy hero has such violent turns.
2 Spider-Man - Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows
This comes straight from the comics. After unintentionally bonding with an alien symbiote, Spider-Man gains a snazzy new suit. It boosts his strength and agility, but it also amplifies his aggression. That's why he eventually gets rid of it. Nevertheless, the black suit's popularity endured.
It's shown up as an alternate costume in numerous Spider-Man games, but the most striking example is in Web of Shadows. Here, players can swap between the red and black suits at will. The latter, though, makes the Incredible Hulk blush. When wearing it, the webhead can toss cars, slam enemies into the ground, and cause untold levels of destruction. Enhancing his melee attacks are the bladed tendrils, which sweep across the battlefield in deadly ranged combos. Best of all, he doesn't have to worry about injuring innocent bystanders. The black suit grants Spider-Man even greater power with no responsibility.
1 Spyro - The Legend Of Spyro
Mirroring the earlier Sonic example, Spyro is a cocksure hero given an edgy makeover. In the Legend of Spyro reboot trilogy, the lucky lizard is a prophesied purple dragon, meaning he can channel various elements through his breath. Unbeknownst to all, this special status also comes with a new form.
After falling into the Well of Souls, Spyro adopts a shadowy color and glowing eyes. More importantly, he emits an unstoppable Aether energy, letting him vaporize anyone in his path. This appears to be a one-time instance, but he seems to revert to it in emotionally trying moments, such as when his mentor dies. More recently, he uses it to give Crash Bandicoot a hard time in the mobile title, On The Run. It's not wise to wake a sleeping dragon.