One-Punch Man does a great job at rendering even the bitterest of rivalries against Saitama to become fantastic opportunities for character development, such as for Speed-o’-Sound Sonic. Thanks to the newly redrawn chapters recently released by Yusuke Murata, Sonic has continued to redeem himself as a capable warrior who can rise to the occasion even in the latest chapters. As the story verges on being more fully fleshed-out, fans might soon see the fruits of Sonic’s development in One-Punch Man.

This development is unsurprising, given that Sonic and his fellow fighter Flashy Flash hail from the same village where they were trained as ninjas, as revealed in the Ninjas Arc. What’s more crucial, though, is that Sonic has trained to match Saitama’s strength, which has put him roughly on par with an S-Class hero, Flash, and even his village’s deadly founder.

Addressed previously as only “that man” and founder of the Ninja Village, Empty Void is an existential threat, but even wielding the powers of God, it seems Sonic can repel his abilities in One-Punch Man.

Sonic Uses His Rivalry with Saitama for Good

Challenging the Strongest Has Made Sonic Grow

In the most recent redrawn chapter bridging One-Punch Man chapters #198-199, Speed-o’-Sound Sonic and Flashy Flash are finally confronted by the devious Empty Void. Given the villain’s talents for disguise, he quickly tricks Sonic into interacting with God’s mysterious cubes, a deadly ability even Saitama might not be immune to. But as shown in the original release of chapter #200, Sonic’s transported to a vision of the time he ate a monster cell in One-Punch Man chapter #76. Yet, he remains untempted, resolved to meet Flash with his unassisted strength while striving to reach Saitama’s level.

This development will likely happen in the next redrawn chapter set to release on June 12, 2024, diving into Sonic’s motivations to match his more compelling portrayal in Murata’s new releases. Sonic’s willpower allows him to snap out of the vision easily compared to Flash and knock his fellow ninja out of a similar trance by inflicting first blood on the Void, something even Flash couldn’t do. It all indicates a Vegeta-like development worthy of an antihero and more than simply a would-be rival to Saitama in One-Punch Man.

Sonic is No Longer the Butt of the Joke in One-Punch Man

Calling Sonic Saitama’s Punchline is Too On-The-Nose

As previously discussed, the redrawn chapters of One-Punch Man recontextualize the events of the Ninjas Arc, namely putting Sonic on more level ground with Flash. Instead of an inferior ninja who has fallen short of the grace of Flash’s S-Class escapades, Sonic is a fierce combatant who matches blows with his former comrade in the latest chapters. This makes the moment where he resists Void’s manipulations more believable, yet still in character in One-Punch Man, a far cry from once trying to eat a monster cell and getting diarrhea instead.

It’s doubtful Sonic will reach Saitama’s power levels, as they’re so inconceivably strong that no character has matched him yet, not even Garou. But the motivation to improve is not unlike the importance of King’s wisdom or Genos’ loyalty in One-Punch Man, definitive traits that win the readers over to these characters. It’s difficult to say how far Sonic will go in One-Punch Man, but all eyes are on him as he fights the most sinister foe yet.