Saitama is the most powerful character and hero in the One Punch Man series. So far, no one has been able to match or even beat the strength of Saitama. In the Monster Association arc, the hero hunter, Garou, was trying to match his strength. However, in fact, it failed and even happened he who actually lost.
Even so, something surprising happened in yesterday’s chapter where there was speculation that the series just made Saitama weak. This happened after Saitama had previously evolved into a truly terrible and invincible character. After seeing the death of his student and best friend, Genos, Saitama really experiences emotional and inner turmoil.
This is what then triggers Saitama’s increase in strength, where he even turns into an extraordinary figure. Unfortunately, after what happened, he no longer had any memory of the event. And there is speculation that the series has weakened Saitama’s character.
Saitama Being Weak in One Punch Man?
The last few chapters of the series turned Saitama into an unexpected figure. We see how the other side of his character, who is usually very flat and too indifferent to anything. After he saw with his own eyes the figure of Garou dead in front of his eyes, Saitama finally felt pain and suffering for the first time since he had such great power.
Saitama realized that he couldn’t call himself a hero if he just let his friend die. This heightened emotion actually made him a much stronger, and terrifying, and even more unreasonable person. Not only was Saitama able to destroy a planet with just a sneeze, he was also able to transcend the laws of physics to go back in time and save everyone.
However, in yesterday’s chapter 169 we got clarity that Saitama doesn’t remember at all about all the moments that happened at a “other” time. After he returned to a few moments ago, and defeated Garou with his punch, his life then merged with his present form. There is no memory or recollection of what happened in the future.
Based on this, there is speculation that the extraordinary increase in Saitama’s power that occurred in chapter 168, where his ability level increased to a stage that is no longer logical, never occurred. And that also means Saitama is much “weaker” than before. Despite that, Saitama is shown to really thrive during the fight.
Genos is the only person who remembers what happened in the future. This was after he saw the core of his own reactor, which Saitama had brought with him from the future. After seeing all the memories in his own head, Genos then mentions that it was Saitama’s “no loophole heroism” that allowed him to transcend all existing laws.
Conclusion
The doubts and pain of losing his friend before his eyes made Saitama evolve and grow into a strong figure, to the point where he was able to return himself to the past. However, at the end of the fight, after he returned to the past, Saitama actually had to lose all the power-ups.
Regardless, Genos just smiled and was happy to see how Saitama was willing to do anything to save himself and the whole world. However, on the other hand, from what Genos said about Saitama’s figure, another conclusion emerges that he has become much weaker due to returning to the past. Even so, it completes his evolution as a character.
