One-Punch Man is one of the best superhero anime out there, with top-notch comedic relief and fast-paced action sequences. The series takes place in an alternate world where there’s an established hero system, one created to destroy the enemies of humanity, from gigantic monsters to overpowered aliens.
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In such a world, conflict and violence are almost a daily occurrence, and we get to see some truly gripping fight scenes throughout the series. Although Saitama steals the show as the strongest man to ever exist, other characters also get their time in the sun. From Garou to Genos, these are the best fight scenes One-Punch Man has to offer.
Beware of some manga spoilers below!
9
Saitama vs. Genos
After getting officially certified as heroes by the Hero Association (with unexpected results), Saitama and Genos travel to an open field and begin to duke it out. Genos, having recently been modified by Dr Kusano, wants to test his new upgrades against his master, and asks Saitama to go all out against him, to which he agrees.
Genos pulls out all the stops to try and land a single hit on Saitama but woefully fails. He shoots solar beams and even attempts to incinerate Saitama with a full-powered blast, only to miss each time. When Genos reaches the end of his rope and demands Saitama honour his end of the agreement, he does so with a single punch so powerful it hollows out the mountain behind Genos.
Garou continues his rampage against heroes, already gaining notoriety as the ‘Hero Hunter’ after defeating Tanktop Master and Golden Ball. He begins targeting Metal Bat next and encounters the hero in the city, already in the middle of fighting Elder Centipede.
Although Metal Bat doesn’t seem much at first glance, he is surprisingly resilient when clashing against Garou. Garou notes that Metal Bat gets faster and hits harder the more injured he gets. Just when you think Metal Bat is down for the count, it looks as if he was going to swing a death blow when Garou wasn’t looking. In an unexpected twist, the hero’s younger sister intervenes, saving her brother from another beatdown by Garou.
7
Genos, Bang, Bomb And Saitama vs. Elder Centipede
Elder Centipede has been menacing the civilian population in the earlier episodes of Season 2 but finally meets its end in the finale. The Elder Centipede reappears as part of the Monster Association’s plan to bring Garou back to their base and turn him into a true monster. A high-ranking monster, brothers Bang and Bomb used their ultimate move, but it only caused the monster to moult and grow a new exoskeleton.
In a beautifully animated sequence, Genos enters the fray, even detonating himself when inside the monster’s gut. But it doesn’t work, and it’s only when King distracts the monster that Saitama can take it by surprise, completely obliterating Elder Centipede with a single, overpowered punch.
6
Garou vs. Death Gatling And Allies
Garou’s victory against eight heroes while being severely injured shows why he is an absolute beast. After being utterly trounced by Watchdog Man and Saitama, Garou limps over to a seemingly abandoned shed, where he meets Tareo, a kid with a passion for heroes he’d previously encountered.
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When the heroes track him down, Garou knows he has to face them and protect Tareo from becoming collateral damage. Although it seemed as if the heroes were going to defeat him – even managing to poison him – Garou unexpectedly turned the tables against them, showing just how great the power gap was between him and the heroes. The fight also shows an uncharacteristically soft side to Garou, as he, ironically, shows a heroic aspect to him by prioritising the kid’s life.
5
Saitama vs. Boros
In the final showdown in Season One, Saitama faces off against Boros, who is responsible for leading an alien invasion on Earth. This battle is one of the most epic in the show and a taste of what’s to come. It is not only a visual masterpiece but also excels at delivering one of the show’s themes.
Essentially, Saitama clashes against the possibility of what he might become if he loses himself since Boros also faces the same problem Saitama does – of being so powerful that they’ve lost the thrill of life. Although the battle ends in Saitama’s favour, it wraps up beautifully with Boros acknowledging and even truly understanding Saitama’s dilemma, before dying like a warrior.
Having clashed before, Garou and Metal Bat is a team-up we didn’t see coming but is one that works surprisingly well. Their re-encounter wasn’t planned, and they reluctantly allied with one another since the Sage Centipede was targeting a reporter helicopter with Tareo inside (the kid Garou has a soft spot for).
Even after the helicopter has fled, the two continue working together, even dealing a simultaneous blow that cracks Sage Centipede’s exoskeleton. Although Metal Bat became too injured to continue, Garou ultimately killed Sage Centipede after splitting it in half with a powerful karate chop.
3
Tatsumaki, Genos And Heroes vs. Psykos/Orochi
Although this fight ended up being a team effort with other high-ranking heroes, Tatsumaki showed why she’s a force unto herself. Earlier she had clashed with Pskyos alone, but after Pskyos and Orochi merged their bodies, Tatsumaki faced a much stronger enemy.
We see why Tatsumaki has such a formidable reputation, as she uses her esper abilities to lift the entire Monster Association’s base to the surface. However, even Tatsumaki can’t do everything alone, as Genos and other heroes band together to pull Pskyos in different directions and overwhelm her. The battle ends in the heroes’ favour, with Tatsumaki pushing herself to the limit to decisively annihilate Orochi’s remains.
2
Saitama vs. Garou
A showdown we’ve been waiting for since Garou was introduced, Saitama and a much-changed Garou clash, though it seems to be more one-sided than not. In a battle that’s chock-full of comedic moments and high-octane action scenes, Garou is eager to fight while Saitama seems more confused than anything.
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Although the battle is certainly epic, it’s more a representation of Garou’s inner conflict. At this point, Garou has gone through a gradual Monsterisation and has declared his intention to bring about ‘Absolute Evil’ to the world. Despite this statement, the fight ends up showing Garou’s heroic side more than anything, as he inadvertently saves several trapped civilians throughout the battle.
1
Saitama vs. Awakened Garou
Following the battle in the previous entry, Garou is defeated by Saitama’s unmatched strength. At this time, the mysterious entity called God reaches through and offers Garou power. Although Garou refuses, he accidentally accepts God’s offer when he slaps its hand away and becomes Awakened Garou.
Controlled by God, Awakened Garou tears Genos’ ‘heart’ from his body, killing him. Incensed, Saitama and Garou battle it out in space, and despite Garou copying Saitama’s power and technique, Saitama’s strength continues to grow – to the point he demolishes Jupiter with a sneeze – and he overwhelms God’s power and defeats Garou, ending his rampage.
