There are dozens of new anime series that come out every year, but One-Punch Man is a recent title that’s quickly gained traction and turned into one of the more exciting recent titles. One-Punch Man features a protagonist with powers that are so extreme that it verges on parody and the series effectively pays tribute to the shonen genre and superhero traditions, but also lovingly lampoons them.
The sheer strength of Saitama, the anime’s titular One-Punch Man, leads to some extremely creative battle sequences. However, the anime is full of unusual characters that add even more to the reckless fights that break out. Combat is a constant in One-Punch Man, but there are some fights that stand out more than others.
10 Saitama’s Fight Against Crablante Establishes His Absurd Strength
Crablante is not a villain that typically gets much attention and even Saitama very quickly breezes past him without complication. The reason that Crablante is significant is that he’s the first fight in the anime that showcases just how strong Saitama is. The Crablante fight sets the tone for everything that follows and it’s a glorious introduction to this universe. The fact that Crablante is also some put-upon villain who only turned into a monster because he ate a lot of crabs is also the perfect origin story for this early villain.
9 Genos And Garou Are Evenly Matched In Their Ruthless Battle
A serious highlight from the second season of the One-Punch Man anime is when Genos courageously takes on Garou in battle. Up until this point Garou has dominated everyone that he’s faced and so it’s exciting to see these two constantly surprise each other and turn the tables in battle. They both land some devastating blows and Genos in particular makes creative uses of his rockets and detaches his arm in a brilliant play that nearly works against Garou. Their battle gets interrupted, but it’s still very satisfying.
8 Carnage Kabuto Is The House Of Evolution Greatest Monster, But Still Can’t Beat Saitama
The House of Evolution is one of the hubs of evil that Saitama and Genos investigate during their work to keep the city safe. Dr. Genus has created several dangerous monsters and performed volatile experiments, but Carnage Kabuto is his greatest and most deadly achievement.
Carnage Kabuto still drastically pales in comparison to Saitama's strength, but he gets a boost of power and goes berserk, which leads to some stunning seems of chaos. Genos and Saitama still prevail, but it's one of the more chaotic fights that the two are involved in early on.
7 Elder Centipede Terrorizes The Entire City Until King And Saitama Intervene
Season two of One-Punch Man frequently sidelines Saitama and allows other characters like Genos and King to do a lot of the heavy lifting until he shows up at the final moment. Elder Centipede is an enormous-sized problem that dwarfs the city and takes Genos, Bang, and Bomb out of commission. King is able to hold his own against the monster for a while, but it’s ultimately Saitama who disintegrates the creature with one of his blows, even if he vanishes afterward and King receives the credit for the major elimination.
6 Garou Conquers A Whole Group Of Class A/B Class Heroes
The second season of One-Punch Man establishes Garou as a highly competent and versatile new villain for the heroes to take on. Garou gets several occasions to prove to everyone just how strong he is, but an especially suspenseful encounter is when eight Class A/B heroes ambush him while he attempts to recover from a previous attack. Garou still holds his own against the group of heroes, even though he’s not even at full strength. The heroes execute a smart strategy that would have worked against any other villain, but it proves just how much Garou can handle.
5 Genos Tests Saitama’s Strength In A Thrilling Ice Breaker For The Duo
Both Saitama and Genos become a fantastic team throughout One-Punch Man and there's nobody who reveres Saitama more than Genos does. However, the two of them engage in a friendly match early on in the series so that Genos can properly determine how strong Saitama really is.
This becomes a thrilling battle that has Saitama dodging and being evasive to Genos' extreme blasts of energy. It's an entertaining change of pace that has both characters at their best. The conclusion where Saitama destroys several mountains with the velocity of one of his punches is also a great finish to the explosive battle.
4 Metal Bat Gives Garou Genuine Pause
Something that One-Punch Man handles incredibly well is how some of the most powerful heroes are individuals with ridiculous names and seemingly weak gimmicks linked to their powers. Metal Bat is a hero that swings a metal baseball bat around, but he’s someone who gets stronger the more damage that he takes in battle. Garou underestimates Metal Bat and because of this, he’s able to actually give the villain a challenge. Garou still manages to win, but he shows a shred of mercy towards Metal Bat as he flees. Metal Bat still does an incredible job against him.
3 Garou’s Attack On Lord Orochi Pits Two Powerful Villains Against Each Other
Garou asserts dominance against most of the heroes that he faces, but he throws himself into the Monster Association and ultimately comes up against their leader, Lord Orochi. Finally, Garou gets humbled when he faces against the massive Orochi and his many deadly tentacles. Garou pushes Orochi to reveal his true form, which contains many dragon heads, and Orochi defeats Garou by copying his own techniques and using them against them. It’s surprising to see Garou get defeated and it also reveals more about the mysterious Lord Orochi.
2 Saitama Causes Lord Orochi To Feel Terror For The First Time
Saitama has gotten involved with many climactic battles, but his fight against Lord Orochi is absolutely one of his greatest accomplishments. Orochi has been growing and establishing his reign of terror for years, but Saitama casually dismantles the threat. Saitama extinguishes Orochi’s many dragon heads one at a time and then concludes the fight by bursting through his chest, but merely with a normal, everyday punch. Orochi is astounded to be bested in this manner and his final moments are filled with fear, an emotion that’s been foreign to the monster up until this point.
1 Saitama’s Showdown With Boros Brings Out The Absolute Best In The Anime Series
Boros is the first real significant threat that Saitama faces in the series and although most of the villains are incredibly arrogant, Boros actually earns his “Dominator of the Universe” title. Boros doesn’t just withstand Saitama’s punches, but he forces him to turn things up and attack him with a higher echelon of his power. There’s a lot in common with this fight and Saitama’s battle with Orochi, but Boros’ defeat benefits from having been beautifully animated in the anime and one of the most stunning segments of the series, which makes it hard to top.