107 replies to this topic

[Mild Fracas]

I believe that Saitama became as strong as he did because he actually transformed into a Mysterious Being. The only sign of his transformation however is the loss of his hair. At least 2 of the Mysterious Beings encountered already were previously humans, but their transformations were much more drastic. As to why he and others have become Mysterious Beings......... it's something in the water. >_>

[Ludo]

Do you think these

Spoiler

Spoiler

might be related to this?

Spoiler

[Joker]

He obviously ate the OP OP no Mi....

[OnePunchManFan]

I like the mysterious being theory too but then you'll have to to wonder if the other S-class hero's are also mysterious beings. For the psychic sisters, it is said that they had those powers naturally but what about the rest? :eyes the doggy hero and zombie guy:

@ Ludo
Seems interesting but the thing about the crows is that they automatically changed upon consuming the beast king. I think that has more to do with the beast king being a genetic modification of an animal. If Saitama also consumed a mysterious being, wouldn't it have affected him a long time ago? ...Speaking of which - he's eaten Kombu-dude (well, his "hair" at least) and I don't think it's done anything to him. :<

[Ludo]

He did! He did actually eat those things... hmm... yeah I knew that theory wasn't going anywhere. Their genes were a mess of a pool anyway, no wonder they gave arms and forks to the hungry birds (no pun intended).

What about this.... (even sketchier theory)

Spoiler

"I wanted to become a super hero that blows away stereotypical villains like you..."

He became a mysterious being that atracts other mysterious beings that can only be destroyed by a single punch. It's his urge to test himself that keeps sending to his area (moreso than other towns as previously stated) stronger mysterious beings. This is nuts I know lol but it's also a cool coincidence that the fan machine that initially got destroyed by something other than a single punch happened to regenerate itself and guess what happened next...

[Ralan]

He did! He did actually eat those things... hmm... yeah I knew that theory wasn't going anywhere. Their genes were a mess of a pool anyway, no wonder they gave arms and forks to the hungry birds (no pun intended). What about this.... (even sketchier theory)

Spoiler

"I wanted to become a super hero that blows away stereotypical villains like you..." He became a mysterious being that atracts other mysterious beings that can only be destroyed by a single punch. It's his urge to test himself that keeps sending to his area (moreso than other towns as previously stated) stronger mysterious beings. This is nuts I know lol but it's also a cool coincidence that the fan machine that initially got destroyed by something other than a single punch happened to regenerate itself and guess what happened next...

If that was true then those beings would have been destroyed by others with one punch. Let's also not forget what he did to HammerHead's armor. One punch and it's gone. Honestly maybe Saitama's strength is just a mystery that know one will ever know....and I like it that way. I mean he did state that we are only able to improve if we keep moving forward. Course he is still bored as hell being unstoppable.

[Mild Fracas]

As far as the "monsters he defeats with one punch come" theory goes, i know for a fact that's not gonna fly cause he eventually does punch something and it gets back up(i don't think it was hurt either, but i can't read Japanese so i couldn't tell). Will take a long time for this manga version to catch up to the original comic strip, so don't expect it for a long time.

[Moloch]

Eh ... to me it seems far more likely that there actually is nothing more to his strength than what Saitama himself said. Even more so after I came across this page. Seeing how the mangaka is apparently a fan of Hunter x Hunter methinks that he was simply inspired by Netero’s back story which also consists of an abnormal* acquisition of power through an insane training regiment (cf. this chapter). Meryem, the ultimate being in the Hunter x Hunter universe, put it nicely in his fight against Netero:

“But there’s no use questioning how he came to be a better weapon than I. There’s no logical explanation as to how he could reach this place. He must have just abandoned himself to some sort of madness. For five or even ten years. He is simply immersed in it.” [Hunter x Hunter, chapter 292]

Sounds familiar? It should because Saitama also dropped some similar lines when describing his training plus it fits what we else we know about it so far. Note that he calls that procedure illogical (which is also what the characters in One-Punch Man notice) A bit later he says:

“That is just the result of you having polished your skills for a very long time. In other words, you are just a rare example of one who has trained himself to the utmost limits.”

Oh and Netero also shares Saitama’s desire for a fight in which he can go all out**. One might interpret this as another piece of evidence supporting the theory of Hunter x Hunter being the mangaka’s source of inspiration. Netero actually wants it that badly (probably because he had to live decades without any equal opponents) that he essentially ends up committing suicide.

Anyway, just my two cents.

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*In terms of offensive power Netero was the strongest character in the Hunter x Hunter universe before Meryem transformed.

**

Spoiler

“When did it start ...? When did I start waiting for my opponent to attack? When on earth did it start? When did I begin responding without pause when those I defeated bowed their heads and held out their hands to me?
That’s not how it should be!! What I long for is the perfect battle. To face a formidable opponent, the odds against me, and give it everything I’ve got!!” [Hunter x Hunter, chapter 291]

Edited by Moloch, 18 March 2013 - 07:17 PM.

[Joshua Del Prado]

I agree with Moloch's theory completely. The evidence presented supports this as not only do the characters themselves make mention of it but the reference to the chapter cover page with saitama reading hunter x hunter showing great interest in it. Good job on bringing this theory to fruition.

[chashek]

there's a problem with moloch's theory, though... wasn't saitama's training regime actually kind of weak?

[zetina]

It wasn't weak because he never gave himself a single day of rest amidst it all. Not a single day.
Rest is usally important to training but he just went and broke down his limits or smth. Pretty sure he could have died from over-exertion.

[Wraithraiser]

Moloch's theory says it pretty nicely. Realistically there's no logic required to Saitama being the strongest character in the series. He wanted to become a hero and he did, the only downside is he looked way better with hair. :< 

[Mild Fracas]

Well i wasn't really trying to put any real logic into the story, more like the thought "Hmmm, this seems like a fun thing to try and figure out even if there's no point in trying cause we'll likely never know the answer anyways" crossed my mind so i made a thread about it. Isn't that....... what thread-making is all about?

 

Here in this hallowed(pfffft) place there shall be no such thing as "real world logic" unless it supports your theory or disproves another's, in which case "real world logic" shalt be allowed!***

 

Well, i still think my theory makes the most sense at the present time. That and the theory of "It's irrational and unjustified but there you have it" is good too. More ideas. I DEMAND MOAR!!

 

 

 

 

 

*** The author of this statement sincerely apologizes to anyone who has spent the five to ten seconds reading it, as it is a complete and utter waste of time. It is nothing but contradictory malarkey that runs in a circle and can be defined as "literary garbage". The author, however, regrets nothing.

[Randrakan564]

Don't forget this started out as a gag web comic...not everything has to make sense, be logical or have a reason.

[Moloch]

Yeah, I recently discovered that. Now for my theory to make sense the original author would have to like Hunter x Hunter, too :x

[SAimNE]

i support him being a mysterious being. even tho it was small it is a fact he seems to have mutated, and it has been stated before that when people were extremely obsessed with being something it had caused them to randomly turn into a mysterious being that matched up with that wish... his being to be an invincible hero.... plus knowing the char he probably did eat that crab thing which probably didnt help.... anyway if you go 3 years with doing 100 situps 100 push ups, and running a few kms each day.... you wont gain insane strength. there are people who can do that everyday and barely break a sweat, and i dont see them smashing through any meteors.

[sillywilly]

Just copy and pasted a little theory of mine I posted 2 months ago when chapter 20.5 came out:

 

"Maybe Saitama got his power in a similar way as that boxing mysterious being. It said that it gained it's power by shadow boxing, hence he mutated into some sort of giant boxing mutant. Saitama gained his strength by training pass his limit, so he has limitless, strength, endurance, speed, etc. The only thing that got physically mutated was his hair, making him bald. I mean it makes sense if you think about it, Saitama isn't the first to gain powers for no reason in this manga. For example the crab guy was once human and he changed into a crab monster because he ate too many crabs(lol). The powers relate to what this specific person did prior to gaining their respective power.(Of course this theory doesn't apply to everyone probably. We haven't seen the future chapters yet, so until the author says it himself, I'm sticking with this little theory of mine.)"

 

 

[Lowlightt]

Um it was already revealed how he gained his powers.

 

100 Push-Ups

100 Sit-Ups

100 Squats

and 10km Running

EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

 

 

So obviously all these other theories are just bogus.

[ltnlng]

Um it was already revealed how he gained his powers.

 

100 Push-Ups

100 Sit-Ups

100 Squats

and 10km Running

EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

 

 

So obviously all these other theories are just bogus.

look at how the others became mysterious beings...obviously they're not all bogus theories

[JESUS BEAR]

Why does there have to be a plausible explanation?