One Punch Man: ONE’s take on Saitama Puts the Cape Baldy vs. Goku Comparisons to Rest

Despite Dragon Ball’s Son Goku being a widely recognized and powerful anime character, there is one individual who has challenged his position at the top for years – One Punch Man’s Saitama. As any fan of anime would be aware, Goku is a household name, known for his strength and iconic status. However, the introduction of the One Punch Man series altered this perception.

Despite Saitama’s impressive achievements, many fans started comparing his strength to that of Son Goku, arguing that the Caped Baldy was superior to the Saiyan. However, there were still a number of fans who firmly believed that Goku was stronger than Saitama, regardless of any feat the Caped Baldy could accomplish.

Thankfully, those supporters have ultimately been acknowledged as ONE, the original creator of One Punch Man, has finally put an end to the debates surrounding power-scaling.

ONE’s Label for One Punch Man’s Saitama Ends Caped Baldy vs. Son Goku Comparisons

The author has stated that Saitama is a gag character. byu/HeadAtmosphere8288 inOnePunchMan

During a recent interview, the creator of the original webcomic One Punch Man, ONE, referred to Saitama as a “gag”character.

According to ONE, One Punch Man is a distinctive series that takes place in a serious world, exploring the consequences of a monster invasion and the introduction of a comically powerful character, Saitama.

One Punch Man creator ONE’s explanation for the series confirmed that Saitama’s existence and his strength were both based on gags.

Saitama as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

In the animanga industry, gag characters are known for lacking a defined personality and having no purpose other than providing comic relief. These characters often defy the laws of physics in order to create humorous situations, making their excessive strength ultimately serve as a source of comedic relief.

All fans of animanga would concur that power-scaling discussions cannot include such characters, as their strength solely serves for comedic purposes. Unlike other anime characters who develop their strength through rigorous training and serious plot points, gag characters are seldom depicted undergoing any training.

Saitama and Garou as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Despite being from Saitama, his strength was achieved through regular physical training, which seemed impossible given the incredible feats he demonstrated in the series. These included sneezing and destroying parts of Jupiter, as well as traveling at high speeds thanks to a fart.

This served as a clear indication that Saitama was a gag character, and his power should not be compared to that of Son Goku and other protagonists in Shonen anime.

Comment byu/HeadAtmosphere8288 from discussionin OnePunchMan

It was a pleasant surprise for most One Punch Man fans when series creator ONE finally put an end to the constant speculation about Saitama’s power-scaling.

Despite being aware that the character was intended as a joke for a considerable amount of time, not all fans accepted this and would attempt to compare his strength to other popular Shonen protagonists, particularly Dragon Ball’s Son Goku. In light of ONE’s statement, fans hoped that these power-scalers would finally quiet down.

Certain fans expressed their admiration for Saitama as a gag character, hoping that he would continue to provide comedic moments throughout the series in the foreseeable future without any change.