One-Punch Man - S1E12 - The Strongest Hero

Previously on One-Punch Man, “The Dominator of The Universe”

It doesn’t feel like 11 episodes have gone by, yet I guess time flies when you’re having fun. One-Punch Man delivers everything that makes this show work, making it hurt that much more when you realize that’s it for a year. The heroes finish mopping up only to be criticized by someone beneath them, and Saitama shows Lord Boros true power.

Tuning Up The Band

The first salvo in Lord Boros’s fight with Saitama manages to impress each other just as the animation for this sequence should you. Calling this Dragonball Z style action is out the window at this point. One-Punch Man has evolved it and made it its own. To fully appreciate it, you have to watch in slow motion and marvel at the detail. But at this point, both the fighters and the animators are just warming up. After staying on defense, Saitama throws only one punch, knocking off Boros’s right arm.

Outside, Tank Top Master is shown up by Terrible Tornado who begins pelting the ship with chunks of skyscrapers. The tide seems to be turning, so some heroes have begun to leave, like Drive Knight. On the way out, he warns Genos that Metal Knight is an enemy. He won’t explain but tells Genos to stay away from him for now. Melzargard’s last head is managing to hold his own until Silver Fang reemerges. Caught off guard, Atomic Samurai unleashes his Atomic Slash, allowing Silver Fang to smash Melzargard’s core.

I Must Break You.

Round 2 for Boros vs. Saitama gets scored by the theme music, a song just frenetic enough to keep up with what’s on screen. Demolishing his throne room, sections of the ship, and then bursting outside, this fight leaves a horrible path of destruction led by one-armed Boros. Saitama has lasted longer than any of Boros’s other opponents, but he still stops to declare victory and regenerate his arm. Saitama can’t heal like he can, but Saitama doesn’t want to hear it. However his words don’t quite match his face.

After being told to shut up and fight, Lord Boros reaches his final form and rattles off a horrific beating, tearing up sections of his ship and killing much of his crew, that ends with a knee that sends Saitama crashing into the moon. Just existing at this state is shortening his life, but he has to win. This feeling only intensifies when Saitama returns from the moon in one jump, unscathed and ready for more.

Lord Boros comes back with another furious combination that is all blocked and countered with a punch to the core. Boros is sent flying, and bloodied, before catching “Consecutive Normal Punches” and becoming a splat of blood and bits. Pulling himself together in a flash, Lord Breezy fires his “Collapsing Star, Roaring Cannon” to destroy the world, but it’s countered by Saitama’s “Killer Move, Serious Series Serious Punch.” Boros’s beam is split, a shockwave parts the clouds for continents away, breaking Lord Boros’s core and leaving him a husk. In his last moments, he praises Saitama’s power but calls him out for holding back. Saitama was still immeasurably stronger than him, never really cracking a sweat. His core finally shatters, and the ship, along with the surviving crew, plummet to the ground.

Does Your Mama Like You?

Now that the battle is over and the dust has settled, the heroes on the ground are treated to a good ole fashioned berating from Amai Mask. Although the enemy was defeated, City A was destroyed, and Amai is appalled they could consider this a victory. He may not have shown up in time, but they did, failed, and should retire. The heroes try to counter with reason, but Amai fires back with this nugget:  he only stays at class A rank 1 to keep “weak, good for nothing pissants” like them from moving up.

Metal Bat is seething, a hair away from snapping, when they’re interrupted by a metal capsule crashing from the sky. The other member of the late brigade, Metal Knight, has sent a drone to assess and salvage the alien technology. Of course, since he was advised not to, Genos has to confront Metal Knight, who freely admits his intentions.

Metal Bat and Amai are about to kick the tension back to high gear when word of alien survivors gets back to them. Without a word, Amai Mask slices them to mush in a flash. Before he leaves, he makes a point to let Genos know his disappointed in him. However, rather than be angry, Genos quietly sympathizes. Amai reminds him of himself before Saitama:  overzealous and on edge.

No Respect I Tell Ya

Saitama finally busts his way out of the ship only to be questioned by Tornado. She got a lot of credit for bring down the ship, and she knows better, but can’t believe a lowly class B hero had anything to do with it , let alone be on the ship. Genos pays the price for ignoring her and talking trash, but it’s another bread crumb for Tornado to figure out the truth.

As time passes, people stop talking about City A. Instead, the headquarters is reconstructed and beefed up by Metal Knight. Now resembling a fortress, complete with a memorial for the fallen, an infrastructure is added allowing heroes to deploy to any city easily, along with the option of living there for class A and up.

One For The Road

Post credits, we had to get one last king in. Pluton, the King of the Underworld and essentially a giant armadillo, is laying waste to everything in reach before Genos appears to announce his master. The two work well as a unit, but Saitama is back to lamenting his one punch fights.