One Punch Man is a beloved manga series that was turned into an anime show in 2015. The first season was a smash hit, displaying some excellent and attention-grabbing action and comedy. The story shows the troubles and successes of the Hero Association, who rank heroes by strength into ranks and classes and assign them to protecting their cities. But the cities don't have names; rather, they're referred to as City A through Z.
The hero of the show, One Punch Man, doesn't really call himself that. He chooses his personal name—Saitama—as his hero's name; he also doesn't care for formalities and isn't dedicated to his calling. Rather, Saitama says he's a hero for "fun and profit" and denies any special powers, though he can destroy anything and anyone with a single punch. With two seasons done and a third coming in 2025, One Punch Man has some of the best anime episodes ever made, filled with superhero action and belly-laughing comedy. To revisit Saitama and Hero Association's story, check out the ten best episodes.
The introduction to Saitama (known to viewers as One-Punch Man) is one of the best episodes of the anime and among the best main character introductions in general. It begins with him before he becomes a superhero, as an ordinary salaryman returning home from a long day at work. When he encounters a boy with unusual facial features being bullied by a monster, he saves him and decides to train hard to become a real superhero. This introduction also shows the greatness of Saitama's power, as well as his dreams of meeting a monster who could match his strength and challenge him in a fight.
Saitama's uniform is simple—it's a yellow jumpsuit with some red rubber gloves and a makeshift cape; his suit isn't stylish, nor does it increase power or function. It's mostly just there so he can look like a hero, though the funniest bit is people reacting to him, calling him a weirdo. This also shows how heroism is often style over substance, which doesn't have any effect on the great aloof, fun-loving hero, Saitama, aka One-Punch Man, the most powerful hero in anime.
9
"The Ultimate Disciple"
Season 1, Episode 7
Image via Madhouse
Season 1, Episode 7, "The Ultimate Disciple" focuses a little more on Genos, the naive and brave young man who was hurt in a monster attack and got cyborg armor from a scientist who helped his brain stay alive. Genos proclaims Saitama as his master and teacher, so he's always with him; the two are polar opposites but get along well, and make one of the best anime duos. Heroes of the highest rank, S, are summoned to stop a meteor from hitting City Z, and Genos is one of them. Saitama, though a lower rank hero, shows up, punches the meteor, and dissolves it into smaller parts that cause damage around the city but leave no casualties.
This episode is exciting, but it also shows the hubris and pride of high-ranking heroes. They rely on their gadgets and weapons, and each time they see someone lower in rank, they act prideful, not allowing them to help. Saitama's appearance sort of debunks all these things, because he doesn't need the revelry and adoration from people to be a hero (which he says in this episode, too). This episode establishes him as even more relatable and brilliant, with the potential to be the coolest hero alive.
8
"Everyone's Dignity"
Season 2, Episode 11
Image via Madhouse
Season 2, Episode 11, "Everyone's Dignity" (somewhere known as "Varieties of Pride") follows the continued battle against season 2's biggest antagonist, Garou. Several A-Class heroes gather to defeat him; one of them, Death Gatling, says defeating Garou will show the Hero Association that there are heroes beyond S-Class who could be useful. While Garou unleashes his full power on them, Genos arrives to finish him. Saitama is at home, playing video games, but gears up to step in and help his friend when his location signal goes off.
Garou challenges the motivations of the heroes attached to the Hero Association; it's the first time someone in One Punch Man shakes up the status quo, causing them to fight amongst themselves a lot more than with him (though the heroes in S-Class literally fight about who'll strike last all the time). Establishing him as a major villain in season 2 is a storyline that will seemingly continue in season 3, according to the trailer. This episode is pretty cool because it may just show a villain that Saitama will have trouble defeating.
7
"Class S Heroes"
Season 2, Episode 7
Season 2, Episode 7, "Class S Heroes" dives deep into the dynamics and powers of One Punch Man's S-Class heroes, who are the highest class of fighters due to a perfect mental and physical test. They're also always summoned when a massive disaster occurs and don't usually deal with low-level threats. As the Monster Association decides to unleash an attack on the Hero Association, the heroes must defend their headquarters (and their cities) from getting destroyed. However, the S-Class heroes in the episode don't work together that well, nor respect heroes from other classes (most notably A, one class below theirs).
Their hubris is opposed to Saitama fighting in a martial arts tournament, where he doesn't seem to find lots of amusement against his opponents. He fights Suiryu, who tells him being a hero is weak and pointless. In this episode, Saitama again prevails over others in his quest for the perfect challenge, something S-Class heroes take for granted and rely mostly on the fame of their names to save them. There are funny moments, but this season takes the hero's responsibility to another level.
6
"Unyielding Justice"
Season 1, Episode 9
Image via Madhouse
In the continuation from the previous episode, season 1, episode 9, "Unyielding Justice" shows the fight between the heroes and the colossal Deep Sea King. Genos is fighting him and Mumen Rider, a brave and noble but not so powerful hero of the C-Class rank. Of course, when the Deep Sea King strikes him, he nearly kills him. Saitama appears to save Mumen Rider and rids the city of the threat with a single punch, surrounded by civilan prospectors. To divert attention from himself, he makes light of the situation, and people start appreciating the other participants more.
Saitama receives a letter of appreciation from Mumen Rider, and the two go for lunch after his release from the hospital. One Punch Mandepicts the bravery and honor of smaller heroes in this episode; with the S-Class heroes safely tucked inside, Genos and Mumen Rider decide to step in and help people, suffering great injuries along the way. Saitama also decides to give the heroes who worked harder than him a better chance at the public's adoration, pointing out his selfless nature.
5
"The Hunt Begins"
Season 2, Episode 3
Image via J.C. Staff
In season 2, episode 3, "The Hunt Begins," Garou's origin story is shown. He is a former student of S-Class hero Silverfang (also called Bang). It seems Garou and Bang didn't part ways amicably, and when Garou left his dojo, he worked on becoming the ultimate villain. As the heroes prepare for this upcoming threat, Saitama and Genos deal with their own problems; Saitama enlists in a martial arts tournament and buys a wig to enter the contest. Genos worriedly calls the doctor who created him, Kuseno, and asks him if he can give Saitama some hair plugs.
The funny moments of One Punch Man start to dwindle as Garou emerges. The best bits include those when Saitama isn't dealing with monster attacks or saving the city; however, this season went away from the classic season one jokes and moved into more intense action territory. This was a good call, because too much of a great thing could also be bad, and Saitama is the greatest when he is himself.
4
"The Ultimate Mentor"
Season 1, Episode 5
Image via Madhouse
Season 1, Episode 5, "The Ultimate Mentor" shows Saitama and Genos joining the hero test so they can officially become a part of the Hero Association. Through a physical and psychological test, the two get their rankings, and Genos ends up in the highest possible class, S, while Saitama gets the C-Class rank because of a poorly performed written test. Saitama continues to cause problems at the training, while Genos struggles to accept his rank is higher than his teacher's. The episode also reveals that the founder of the Hero Association has the same facial structure as the boy Saitama saved in episode 1, with Genos saying the founder created the Association inspired by the hero who saved his son.
Another hilarious and fun episode, The Ultimate Mentor, also helps to establish more heroes in the story. With Amai Mask, an A-class hero and heartthrob, appearing to talk to Genos, his intentions don't seem heroic. There's also the impatient Snakebite Snek and other self-centered heroes who make One Punch Man a great interesting story. It also shows the process of entering the Hero Association (though, to Saitama, it's just a formality). This episode helps establish One Punch Man as one of the best anime shows on Netflix.
3
"The Obsessive Scientist"
Season 1, Episode 3
Image via Madhouse
In season 1, episode 3, "The Obsessive Scientist," Saitama has joined forces with Genos and decides to chase after a mad scientist, Dr. Genus, who turns animals into anthropomorphic creatures and half-cyborgs. Genus keeps sending monsters to the cities to test their abilities, but gets irritated when he learns Saitama defeats all of them. He unleashes his strongest monster, Carnage, onto him, but Saitama intimidates him with his unique power, and Carnage pulls back.
When Dr. Genus asks how he became essentially the most powerful man alive. Saitama reveals he just did one hundred pushups, one hundred situps, one hundred squats, and ran for ten kilometers every single day for three years. Everyone's response is hilariously filled with disbelief and marks one of the show's best moments. This episode is funny because of Saitama mostly, who shows not only how little he cares about his power and defeating strong enemies, but also how much he loves doing mundane things, like catching sales and market discounts. The Obsessive Scientist is full of brilliant writing and character development.
2
"The Dominator of the Universe"
Season 1, Episode 11
Image via Madhouse
In the penultimate episode of season 1, "The Dominator of the Universe," the episode opens with Saitama wreaking havoc on the alien ship that landed above City A. The ship's master, Boros, and his disciple Geryuganshoop watch him on the screens, and Boros decides to take him on. In the meantime, a shapeshifting, fast-regenerating monster named Melzargard causes problems for the S-Class and A-Class heroes, who give it their all to defeat him. During a fight with Melzargard, Metal Bat realizes he has silver marbles within him that help him regenerate, instructing the other heroes to destroy the marbles.
Since this is now a serious threat to the Hero Association, The Dominator of the Universe is a brilliant action episode filled with the heroes' typical back-and-forth exchanges during battle, as well as some slick moves from favorite side characters like Metal Bat, Silver Fang, and the hilarious Puri Puri Prisoner. Saitama isn't completely at the center of attention, since that is reserved for the season's final and best episode.
1
"The Strongest Hero"
Season 1, Episode 12
Image via Madhouse
In the epic season 1 finale, the battle against the alien invasion in City A continues. The S-class heroes, including Silverfang, Atomic Samurai, and Tornado (Tatsumaki), all defeat the shapeshifting, regenerating Melzargard. While they rescue the people on the ground, Saitama infiltrates the alien ship led by Boros and fights him. Boros throws all of his punches and powers at Saitama, but the hero is bored by Boros' incessant talking and character introductions.
Saitama, of course, doesn't come out with a single scratch—Boros breaks a sweat while Saitama takes his punches. At one point, Boros launches Saitama on the moon, and, in One Punch Man fashion, Saitama comes back to Earth by propelling himself and making a hole in the moon. This episode shows Saitama's biggest opponent thus far, someone who was able to challenge him and push him to use more than just one punch—his signature move. The episode also establishes the potential hidden villains for the next season, like A-class hero Amai Mask and S-class hero Metal Knight. This episode is exciting, fun, and pretty funny.
One Punch Man is available to stream on Hulu in the US.
Image via Crunchyroll
Image via Madhouse
Image via Madhouse
Image via Madhouse
Image via Madhouse
Image via J.C. Staff
Image via Madhouse
Image via Madhouse
Image via Madhouse
Image via Madhouse
English (US) ·