diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Catch/Objects/Drawable/DrawableCatchHitObject.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Catch/Objects/Drawable/DrawableCatchHitObject.cs
index f4218061d4..00734810b3 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Catch/Objects/Drawable/DrawableCatchHitObject.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Catch/Objects/Drawable/DrawableCatchHitObject.cs
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Catch.Objects.Drawable
 
         protected sealed override double InitialLifetimeOffset => HitObject.TimePreempt;
 
-        protected override void UpdateInitialTransforms() => this.FadeIn(200);
+        protected override void UpdateInitialTransforms() => this.FadeInFromZero(200);
 
         protected override void UpdateStateTransforms(ArmedState state)
         {
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Objects/Drawables/DrawableManiaHitObject.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Objects/Drawables/DrawableManiaHitObject.cs
index ce1484d460..e5b114ca81 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Objects/Drawables/DrawableManiaHitObject.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania/Objects/Drawables/DrawableManiaHitObject.cs
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania.Objects.Drawables
             Anchor = Origin = e.NewValue == ScrollingDirection.Up ? Anchor.TopCentre : Anchor.BottomCentre;
         }
 
-        protected override void UpdateInitialTransforms() => this.FadeIn();
-
         protected override void UpdateStateTransforms(ArmedState state)
         {
             switch (state)
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHitCircle.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHitCircle.cs
index ca124e9214..0af278f6a4 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHitCircle.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHitCircle.cs
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables
 
         private readonly HitArea hitArea;
 
+        private readonly SkinnableDrawable mainContent;
+
         public DrawableHitCircle(HitCircle h)
             : base(h)
         {
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables
                                 return true;
                             },
                         },
-                        new SkinnableDrawable("Play/osu/hitcircle", _ => new MainCirclePiece(HitObject.IndexInCurrentCombo)),
+                        mainContent = new SkinnableDrawable("Play/osu/hitcircle", _ => new MainCirclePiece(HitObject.IndexInCurrentCombo)),
                         ApproachCircle = new ApproachCircle
                         {
                             Alpha = 0,
@@ -108,6 +110,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables
         {
             base.UpdateInitialTransforms();
 
+            mainContent.FadeInFromZero(HitObject.TimeFadeIn);
+
             ApproachCircle.FadeIn(Math.Min(HitObject.TimeFadeIn * 2, HitObject.TimePreempt));
             ApproachCircle.ScaleTo(1f, HitObject.TimePreempt);
             ApproachCircle.Expire(true);
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableOsuHitObject.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableOsuHitObject.cs
index a89fb8b682..b4f5642f45 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableOsuHitObject.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableOsuHitObject.cs
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables
 
         protected sealed override double InitialLifetimeOffset => HitObject.TimePreempt;
 
-        protected override void UpdateInitialTransforms() => this.FadeIn(HitObject.TimeFadeIn);
-
         private OsuInputManager osuActionInputManager;
         internal OsuInputManager OsuActionInputManager => osuActionInputManager ?? (osuActionInputManager = GetContainingInputManager() as OsuInputManager);
 
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableSlider.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableSlider.cs
index a0626707af..1749ea1f60 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableSlider.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableSlider.cs
@@ -93,6 +93,13 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables
             }
         }
 
+        protected override void UpdateInitialTransforms()
+        {
+            base.UpdateInitialTransforms();
+
+            Body.FadeInFromZero(HitObject.TimeFadeIn);
+        }
+
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
         private void load()
         {
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableTaikoHitObject.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableTaikoHitObject.cs
index 5f3bab5b28..5424ccb4de 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableTaikoHitObject.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableTaikoHitObject.cs
@@ -78,8 +78,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects.Drawables
         public abstract bool OnPressed(TaikoAction action);
         public virtual bool OnReleased(TaikoAction action) => false;
 
-        protected override void UpdateInitialTransforms() => this.FadeIn();
-
         public override double LifetimeStart
         {
             get => base.LifetimeStart;
diff --git a/osu.Game/Rulesets/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHitObject.cs b/osu.Game/Rulesets/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHitObject.cs
index 80e70589bd..4a6f261905 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Rulesets/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHitObject.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Rulesets/Objects/Drawables/DrawableHitObject.cs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ using System.Linq;
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
 using osu.Framework.Bindables;
 using osu.Framework.Extensions.TypeExtensions;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Primitives;
 using osu.Game.Audio;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Judgements;
@@ -186,6 +187,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects.Drawables
         /// <summary>
         /// Apply (generally fade-in) transforms leading into the <see cref="HitObject"/> start time.
         /// The local drawable hierarchy is recursively delayed to <see cref="LifetimeStart"/> for convenience.
+        ///
+        /// By default this will fade in the object from zero with no duration.
         /// </summary>
         /// <remarks>
         /// This is called once before every <see cref="UpdateStateTransforms"/>. This is to ensure a good state in the case
@@ -193,6 +196,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects.Drawables
         /// </remarks>
         protected virtual void UpdateInitialTransforms()
         {
+            this.FadeInFromZero();
         }
 
         /// <summary>