If Saitama is One Punch Man's ultimate hero who happens to go underappreciated due to his "normal" look, then King is the exact opposite. An S-Class professional hero who is considered the Strongest Man on Earth, King is feared by villains everywhere and respected by most of his contemporaries. He is a role model for those who wish to make the world a better place while delivering swift justice to bad guys.
King is also a completely ordinary dude who has never been in a fight and has no superpowers. He just happens to have an intimidating look and, due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, became hailed as a hero. King is beloved by fans, as these art pieces show.
10 The Look of A King
Art by BenRenville.
King might not have any superpowers, but as this splendid fan art piece shows, he definitely has the look of a hero. In fact, King often manages to get out of scraps by simply terrifying assailants with a gaze. Internally, the S-Class Rank 7 hero might be on the verge of a panic attack, but King hides his fear splendidly.
King's facial expressions are so intimidating, it would not be all that surprising if One Punch Man eventually reveals that this is genuinely a superpower. That said, it would lessen the character's comedic appeal.
9 No Punch Man
Art by TheGoldenSmurf.
In a hilarious art piece, TheGoldenSmurf succeeds in distilling the appeal of King into a single frame. While he comes across as very threatening, with the King Engine presumably being in full-effect in this scene, the drawing's title undermines the character's presence. However, it can also be taken in another way. After all, King does succeed in beating his opponents without ever needing to throw a punch, even if it is by blind luck.
"No Punch Man" could make for an entertaining spin-off, especially since King would provide a completely different point of view to Saitama.
8 King Face
Art by MSA.
In contrast to Saitama's purposefully nondescript face, King's features are incredibly well-defined. This is the case in the manga and its anime adaptation, but it is taken a step further by MSA. With fantastic coloring and expert use of shadows, MSA crafted a portrait of King that is worthy of an S-Class hero.
The scars are especially terrific, as they not only make the character seem distinguished but they genuinely look like they hurt.
7 King In His Element
Art by PsyDraws.
One of the main appeals of fan art is the possibility to view beloved characters in different styles. For this drawing, PsyDraws opted for a Western aesthetic that leans into a cartoonish territory without being too over the top, and it works surprisingly well with King.
Saitama also looks good, but King's sharper features contrast well with the style's looser presentation. The colors also pop out of the screen, particularly King's shirt and hair.
6 King & Fubuki
Art by TheGoldenSmurf.
Although they do not interact much in One Punch Man, it is neat to see a fan art piece that focuses on King and Fubuki. TheGoldenSmurf stuck close to the look of the source material, specifically the manga remake, but went the extra mile to ensure the piece stands on its own. The shading is nothing short of brilliant, injecting a sense of movement to the scene.
King's stonefaced expression juxtapositions perfectly with Fubuki's glare and the controlled chaos of the background.
5 King Engine (Colored)
Art by Leylek-d-Sovura.
For this piece, Leylek-d-Sovura colored in a scene from the manga while also apparently adding what seems like a teardrop. In the source material, this moment sees a villain reacting with shock to King's face, who just stares daggers in return. The addition of color makes the panel seem slightly sadder than the original, as King appears to be hurt by the other character's remark.
It cannot be pleasant for King knowing that his face is considering so terrifying, hardened criminals are willing to give up at the mere sight of it.
4 Ready For Battle
Art by dkirbyj.
While he might not be great at the whole fighting thing, King is undefeatable when it comes to games. King and Saitama develop a friendship through gaming, although the latter cannot even hope to challenge the former in a match.
Depicting the two heroes in their element, dkirbyj's comic style is an excellent match for Saitama and King. As an added bonus, some of One Punch Man's other heroes are granted cameos along with their own video games.
3 King Has Found His Match
Art by atomiiii.
If King could be compared to anyone from the Dragon Ball universe, it would have to be Hercule. Now, unlike King, Mr. Satan is a competent martial artist and can hold his own in fights against other humans; conversely, King just kind of stumbled into his false status as a hero, while Hercule personally molded his reputation.
Atomiiii's jaw-dropping crossover almost seems to present Hercule and especially King as villains. The latter would not look out of place as an antagonist in something like Yu Yu Hakusho or Hunter x Hunter.
2 A Real King
Art by AKAScene.
Created using Photoshop, AKAScene presents a dignified version of King who almost comes across as an artist. Due to his harsh facial features, this art style suits King, although it would probably not work quite as well for characters like Saitama or Genos.
The artist's use of lightning is impressive, helping to accent every element of King's design while keeping things consistent and uniform. Perhaps King's superpower is that he can be adapted into any art style.
1 The Gang
Art by strawberry-queen1.
Anime is versatile and each genre tends to prioritize certain stylistic choices that separate it from the crowd. One Punch Man gets the design of its characters just right, but it is interesting to imagine what they might look like in a slice of life series. Strawberry-queen1 provides a glimpse at what such a property could look like.
Out of all the characters, King went through the biggest transformation. In fact, he barely resembles his original version, although the scars do give him away.