Even though there are a plethora of One-Punch Man ideas as to where Saitama’s power originates from, some are more credible than others. Since the first episode, which demonstrated Saitama’s monstrous strength, One-Punch Man fans have been clamoring for an explanation to this question from the series.
This question has remained unanswered in the two anime seasons that have so far aired, prompting fans coming up with their own solutions.
One-Punch Man: What gives Saitama his incredible strength?
There is a hypothesis that One-Punch Man isn’t really a One-Punch Man at all, but rather a monster, and that this is the source of his strength. This would explain why Saitama is constantly able to face up to the biggest creatures and difficulties that the world has to offer. If this is true, why hasn’t One-Punch Man’s major opponents, the Monster Association (MA), attempted to claim Saitama for themselves?
There is a hypothesis that One-Punch Man isn’t really a One-Punch Man at all, but rather a monster, and that this is the source of his strength. This would explain why Saitama is constantly able to face up to the biggest creatures and difficulties that the world has to offer.
If this is true, why hasn’t One-Punch Man’s major opponents, the Monster Association (MA), attempted to claim Saitama for themselves?
What is the power of dedication…?
According to another popular fan hypothesis, all of the heroes in One-Punch Man simply dedicated their lives to a non-human cause. Because of this, they have an incredible strength that makes them feel further away from mankind than they do from Gods.
While there are numerous heroes who corroborate this notion (Saitama, King, Genos, to name a few), one particularly egregious case puts the argument on its knees. Mumen Rider is praised for being one of the most dedicated heroes in all of One-Punch Man, despite the fact that he possesses little physical strength.
Because there are no other One-Punch Man heroes who are as dedicated as Mumen, his lack of superhuman power demonstrates the fundamental fault in this notion. While this is an excellent answer for individuals who possess the necessary power to match their dedication, Mumen is a concern that cannot be ignored in this context.
However, there is a speculation that explains why Saitama’s power is so exceptional in One-Punch Man.
Given the problems that have been discovered in the earlier One-Punch Man Saitama’s strength theories, this final theory is most likely the most credible. We witness Saitama fighting an extraterrestrial leader dubbed King Boros in the One-Punch Man Season 1 finale arc. In this battle, Boros proves to be an unexpected match for Saitama, taking all the latter throws at him and dishing it right back at him.
Saitama eventually prevails after putting in a significant effort, but Boros’s efforts to give him an even fight should not be overlooked as a result.
Saitama’s dream is revealed to include Boros, but the symbolism and message conveyed here may be as genuine as Saitama himself, if not more so. Perhaps ONE (the creator of the One-Punch Man manga) wishes to inform us that Boros and Saitama were a good match because they are genetically identical to each other.
That is to say, super-strong extraterrestrials who just so happened to find their way to Earth for whatever reason they did.
Despite its superficiality, this theory provides answers to many One-Punch Man questions without generating any new ones. It explains why Saitama’s modest training schedule worked wonders for him while being ridiculed by the rest of humanity despite its effectiveness.
It also provides an reason for why the Hero Association was perplexed by Saitama’s performance, hinting that even they had never seen anything like him before to this.
Regardless of what the real solution is, theorizing about it is the next best thing to knowing the answer itself.
While there are a plethora of various fan ideas, some are unquestionably more credible and plausible than others.
Perhaps one of the fan theories will turn out to be correct in the end.