One Punch Man Season 3 is set to premiere this upcoming October, more than six years after the release of Season 2. Naturally, fans are more than excited to finally watch the animated continuation of this beloved action/comedy series, especially those who have read the original manga.
Season 3 will most likely cover the Monster Association Arc in its entirety, which sees most of the professional heroes from the Hero Association (and Saitama) raiding the monsters’ hideout in order to save a young boy named Waganma. Needless to say, this is a long, ambitious, and action-packed arc that's filled to the brim with many epic moments that One Punch Man fans can’t wait to finally see in animated form, with the following eight being the most anticipated ones.
Flashy Flash Vs. Gale Wind And Hellfire Flame
Flashy Flash Will Engage In Battle Against Two Powerful Opponents
- Chapters 98 and 99
Flashy Flash is one of the few S-Class heroes who still haven’t done much in the anime, with the only exception being a very brief battle against a monster in Season 2. Fortunately, this will finally change in Season 3, where he’ll play a much larger role and, most important of all, star in his very first battle against not one but two formidable opponents.
He will have to face two powerful ninja-turned-monsters called Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame (who already met Sonic back in Season 2) and their ensuing battle will most likely be a spectacle of fast-paced ninja action that will once and for all prove how skilled, speedy and strong Flashy Flash is. The most important part of this fight, however, is its impact on the narrative, because Flash’s relationship with Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame ties to the Ninjas Arc, which will be adapted in future seasons.
Child Emperor Vs. Phoenix Man (Round 2)
The Most Over-The-Top (And Confusing) Fight In The Entire Manga
- Chapters 101 to 103
Anime-only fans can’t be blamed for thinking that Isamu (better known as Child Emperor) is an odd character who only specializes in making inventions and can’t actually put up a fight by himself. Nevertheless, this misconception will be completely shattered in Season 3, when he’ll star in a one-on-one battle against Phoenix Man.
Simply put, this is one of the most over-the-top, creative and fascinating fights in the entire series, with Child Emperor deploying different inventions (including a giant mech suit!) And Phoenix Man reaching his full potential and unlocking powerful but bizarre new forms. Unfortunately, the manga version of this encounter suffered multiple redraws that made it confusing about which parts are exactly canon are which ones are not, so hopefully its animated adaptation will finally give fans a clear answer.
Zombieman’s First On-Screen Battle
Fans Will Finally See This Mysterious Hero In Action
- Chapter 104
Zombieman is definitely one of the most intriguing S-Class heroes in the series, who - despite his admittedly cool design, his unique zombie powers and his ties to the House of Evolution - still hasn’t done anything in either of the previous seasons. But, fortunately for those who want to see him in action, he’ll finally get his first major battle in the middle of Season 3.
During the raid on the Monster Association's Hideout, Zombieman encounters a Demon-Level vampire named Pureblood, which leads to a violent clash between a monster and a monster hunter. Truth be told, their battle is not very long, but that’s exactly what makes it so exciting: witnessing Zombieman dealing with a monster in a quick and effective manner will be absolutely satisfying, while it'll also establish him as an efficient fighter who'll go on to star in many more battles throughout the rest of the season.
Saitama Annihilates Orochi With Ease
Caped Baldy Does His Thing, And He Doesn’t Disappoint
- Chapter 115
As previously established in Season 2, “Monster King” Orochi is the leader of the Monster Association and the main antagonist of this arc (during its first half, at least). The story repeatedly states that he’s incredibly powerful and that almost nobody can defeat him, not even Garou. Of course, Saitama ends up finding himself in the chambers of the Monster King, and the two immediately engage in combat.
Orochi doesn’t hesitate to showcase his impressive power, with multiple disturbing transformations and destructive attacks that will look absolutely amazing in animated form. However, and as always, Saitama finishes him off with just one punch, and this running gag never gets less funny. J.C. Staff should try to adapt this encounter as faithfully as possible, because its outcome has major consequences that will affect the rest of the season.
Tatsumaki Vs. Psykos And Orochi
Tornado Of Terror Will Take Care Of The Real Big Bad Of This Arc
- Chapters 128 to 133
It’s a bit deceitful to claim that Orochi is the main antagonist of the Monster Association Arc, because he was actually being manipulated by Gyoro Gyoro, the meat puppet of an evil esper named Psykos. After the Monster King’s body is mostly destroyed by Saitama, he interacts with a mysterious otherworldly entity who gives him enough power to fuse with Psykos, who takes on a massive and intimidating new form.
This fusion between Psykos and Orochi is undoubtedly one of the most powerful beings in all of One Punch Man, but fortunately, Tatsumaki (who was already fighting Psykos) is there to put an end to this beast's reign of terror. Both espers wield fantastical psychic abilities that make this battle a cinematic feast for the eyes, and the anime adaptation is sure to be one of the best fights in the entire season, not to mention that it’ll properly establish how powerful both Tatsumaki and Psykos truly are.
Garou’s Awakening
The Hero Hunter Will Reach His Full Potential
- Chapter 129
While Saitama is obviously present in the Monster Association Arc, it’d be more truthful to say that Garou is the arc’s true protagonist, because the story focuses on him a lot and the audience gets to see him getting stronger and developing as a character. After pushing his body for many chapters and episodes, at one point he manages to break his human limiters and awakens his true strength.
Awakened Garou is a true force to be reckoned with who was able to defeat some of the Strongest Executives of the Monster Association: he swiftly pierces through Platinum Sperm’s defenses, and he even splits Sage Centipede in half. The art and action in these sequences were already excellent in the original manga, so the animation and pacing of the anime version has to be of equal quality in order to properly convey how powerful Garou has become.
God’s Introduction
The True Main Antagonist Of The Series Will Finally Make Its Debut
- Chapter 138
While One Punch Man has a vast collection of memorable minor villains, this series actually has a main overarching antagonist that has influenced the events of the story since the very beginning, and it’s a faceless entity simply known as God. Homeless Emperor obtained his powers from this mysterious being, and it can be briefly seen in his fascinating flashback sequence.
However, after Homeless Emperor is defeated by Zombieman, God appears standing on the moon and strips him of both his powers and his life. This moment is the perfect introduction to one of the creepiest characters in the entire series, and it quickly cements it as a dangerous force that’ll play a big role in the arc’s finale. Additionally, the colored panel with God standing on the moon still remains as one of the most disturbing and shocking moments in the entire manga, and it’ll surely look even better in the anime.
Saitama Vs. Cosmic Awakened Garou
The Climactic Rematch That Fans Have Been Waiting For So Long
- Chapters 160 to 168
The Monster Association Arc is a very crowded and overwhelming arc with a lot of characters and events, but at least everything leads up naturally to the final confrontation between Saitama and Garou. After briefly encountering God and being “blessed” with its power, the Hero Hunter unlocks his new Cosmic Fear Mode Form, which overpowers and weakens all the other S-Class heroes with his lethal cosmic radiation.
The only person who is able to stand up against Cosmic Awakened Garou is none other than Saitama, who had already unknowingly defeated the Hero Hunter back in Season 2. This is a battle that has to be seen to be believed, because it’s incredibly cinematic, it's perfectly choreographed, and it showcases how extremely powerful these two characters are (It even has a bizarre but fascinating time-travelling element!) Saitama vs. Garou will most likely be part of the Season 3 finale, and it has the potential to become one of the best battles in the entire anime industry, as long as it’s animated with the necessary care and attention to detail.
