One-Punch Man Has Finally Explained One Of Its Biggest Mysteries

Warning: Spoilers for redrawn version of chapter #193 (JP) of One-Punch ManSaitama has cruised along for most of One-Punch Man while possessing such disproportionately vast power that it prompts several mysteries for the series. While Caped Baldy has long enjoyed a subdued status in the Hero Association, this could soon change in light of recent revelations. One-Punch Man remains a comedy series but has a dark potential twist in future manga chapters.

Still, new threats continue to emerge as each story arc threatens to top the previous one, with mounting existential threats to humanity. In the case of One-Punch Man, the assumption was always that the next villain would inevitably be the proverbial bigger fish. However, readers may widen the scope of threats to include heroes as One-Punch Man explores one of the biggest mysteries of the series.

Saitama’s Power is Taken Seriously, but There’s a Catch

One of the Biggest Mysteries in One-Punch Man Regards How Trustworthy Saitama is

Unearthed in the redrawn One-Punch Man Chapter 193, Saitama’s recent bout with Garou reveals the truth about Caped Baldy’s power to the Hero Association. Blast reveals that Garou’s rampage was likely what the subject of the last prophecy that the seer Shibabawa left behind before her death: “Earth is in danger!”. However, while Blast and Sitch worry about Garou’s potential threat to Earth if he hadn’t lost, but their attention goes to Saitama after his fight. Saitama went head-to-head with Garou, surpassing his limitations despite Garou being considered a God-level threat.

Sitch and Blast pore over these events and realize that, while there’s no inherent malice, there’s nothing they can do to contain him if he were to turn against humanity. This also clarifies that Blast still remembers the outcome of Saitama and Garou’s battle, despite how the former rolled back time with his “zero punch”. Luckily, Saitama is infamously prone to boredom and would never stoop to darker ambitions. However, the mystery of his power is only one piece of the puzzle in One-Punch Man, with the grim realization of an important prophecy.

Long-Standing One-Punch Man Prophecy Might Finally Become Clear

Shibabawa’s Prediction May Not Concern Garou, but Rather, Saitama as the World-Ending Threat

In Chapter 28, Shibabawa laid out an ominous prophecy for the Hero Association before choking on a cough drop. With the escalating threats in One-Punch Man having moved past Demon and Dragon-level, Garou seemed to be the final and biggest danger for the planet, according to Blast, but he could be wrong. The panel showing Sitch wondering “what the hell” Caped Baldy is, right after the one with Blast confirming that “Earth was in danger” and remembering the planet-shattering clash with Garou, seems to be a hint that Saitama’s power may, indirectly, become the true peril that Shibabawa prophesized.

What’s more upsetting is, in the rewrite, the prodigious S-Class hero Genos would likely run to Saitama’s aid, or so Sitch and Blast assume, bringing Genos’ loyalty into question. Even though Blast and other top-tier heroes still outrank Genos, Saitama would remain the more significant threat. Nothing in the arc suggests Saitama will follow this path, so the prophecy being about him is far from a foregone conclusion in One-Punch Man, and for now fans can take Blast’s conclusions at face value.