Warning: Contains spoilers for One Punch Man chapter # 166.
There’s one thing that One-Punch Man fans have been waiting for more than anything: Saitama got serious, and it finally happened. The whole concept of the bald protagonist of the manga is that he is so strong that he is completely detached from everything that happens around him and never gets serious because he never needs to use all his strength. However, a tragic event in his last battle causes Saitama not only to become serious, but also to get angry, forever changing the Vanpanchman’s worldview.
The reason why “Wanpanchman” stands out so much against the background of the senen manga is that it reverses the stereotypes of the genre. The main character does not need to train, fight and survive in harsh battles to become stronger, he is already the strongest of the existing ones. However, there is a price to pay for Saitama’s unsurpassed strength: he is incredibly bored. He has lost interest in everything that happens around him, except for such trivial things as video games or reading manga. The only thing that drives him is the desire to find a real challenge, but he is always disappointed when even the strongest opponents are defeated with one blow. However, One-Punch Man has just changed this formula, forcing Saitama to become serious for the saddest possible reason.
By topic: Vanpanchman’s New Name for Saitama Hints at the Origin of his Power
Chapter # 166 of the digital manga, drawn by Yusuke Murata with the story One, departed from the plot of the original webcomic One-Punch Man. A former hero hunter, Garou has reached the peak of his evolution by accepting the power offered to him by God, a mysterious villain who manipulates events and people behind the scenes. Garu’s enormous strength even managed to temporarily push Saitama back, and the only S-class hero who can resist him is the Explosion. However, Genos, Saitama’s self-proclaimed disciple, intervenes in the battle and ruthlessly kills Garu, who wants to provoke Saitama to force him to show his true strength. Saitama returns just in time to witness this violent scene, which causes him to snap for the first time in the series.
This is the first time Saitama has shown strong emotions in a serious situation. It is significant that his usual forgetfulness and equanimity are actually broken not by the strength of the enemy, as he had long desired, but by the tragic death of his best friend. Genos, in fact, was the only one who was able to break through the shell of his master. Throughout the manga, several glimpses of Saitama’s emotions have been linked to Genos, so it actually makes sense that his death is what makes him finally get serious. This is a complete turnaround from Saitama’s usual worldview and behavior, and it’s likely to have implications for the future of the entire series.
It’s unlikely that Saitama will hold back against Garo after what he just did. This means that fans will finally see what they’ve been craving since the manga debuted: Saitama fighting at full strength. It is simply impossible to imagine or predict what this really means: Saitama can destroy the planet with one blow, or maybe Garu has really surpassed him and he will experience his first defeat, forcing him to evolve for the first time. One thing is for sure: Saitama is finally getting serious, and it changes Vanpanchmen forever.
