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The following contains spoilers for One Punch Man.
The adaptation forOne Punch ManSeason 3 is fast approaching, and fans can’t help but lay down high-level expectations for one of the most hype parts of the series: The Monster Association Arc and the growth of Garou. Aside from Lord Boros, Garou might beone of the series’ most celebrated villains, owing to his increasing screen time and ability to give Saitama a proper fight.
After watching the Season 3 previews, fans ofOne Punch Manare wary that, after such a long wait to see this arc adapted, the animation team will let down fans. To meet high audience expectations and fan fervor, Season 3 needs to put extra focus on Garou to make him seem truly threatening while the story builds up to his confrontation with Saitama.
Serious Versus Comedy
The Delicate Balance of One Punch Man
Despite having a somewhat silly premise and being filled with moments of comedy, much of the appeal ofOne Punch Manactually often comes from the moments where it decides to take things seriously. Some villains are meant to be punchlines, while others are there to make us feel emotionally connected to the world, the characters, and the stakes of what is going on.Garou falls into the latter category, making it all the more important that extra care is taken to adapt Garou to be menacing, threatening, and embodying the idea of a human monster. The team behind Season 3 needs to take Garou with the seriousness that Season 1 showed for Boros, who is a highly celebrated villain in the series despite being introduced and killed rather quickly.
One Punch Manfans come to show for the comedy, but stay for the surprisingly intense battles that have no business being so well-animated and engaging for a show that is concerned with making the audience laugh. Despite the villains usually being trounced, the emotional build-ups to Saitama’s inevitable win are some of the series’ most standout moments. Mumen Rider’s tearful confrontation with the Deep Sea King in Season 1 hit hard and made him a fan-favorite character despite never really doing much by himself. For Garou’s character, the creators of Season 3 need to lean into his vicious side, making him a genuine threatthat viewers want Saitama to deal with.
Garou Verus Superpalloy
The Perfect Opportunity to Showcase Garou’s Brutality
Perhaps the best moment that could be adapted into the upcoming Season 3 to make Garou truly appear threatening is his battle against the S-class hero Superalloy Darkshine that takes place during the Monster Association raid.After Garou is unconscious and chained up, he is found by both Puri Puri Prisoner and Superalloy and ruthlessly engages them in combat.
In this battle, we see the charming confidence of Superalloy whittled away by Garou, revealing his despair, while Garou embraces the cruelty and darkness festering within himself.
“Well you see, when it comes to power, only those who conduct violence without remorse can win against all. The key is to abandon kindness.” Garou speaking to Superalloy in Chapter 127 of the manga.
Garou’s monster ideology starts to manifest on his body, allowing him to humiliate Superalloy as he toys with him. He starts winning so much that the experience makes Garou feel like he’s bullying the S-class hero as he continues wailing on him. Showing Garou breaking a hero would be a good recipe to make him appear more threatening. So far, Garou has been attacking and defeating heroes physically, but this would be the first major mental defeat among the top-ranked heroes we would see. Garou is already a compelling villain because of his revealed backstory and soft spots despite being a villain, and seeing him turn entirely savage would elevate his threat to the next level.
The anime has an opportunity to put much more detail and attention into the fight than was shown initially, and it would be the perfect way to solidify Garou’s threatening nature in the minds of viewers as Season 3 draws to a close. It’s unclear what the pacing of the new Season will be, but this fight will likely be part of the season finale, setting up for the highly anticipated fightbetween Saitama and Garou in a future season. This season must do as much as it can to build up Garou so that the eventual fight can be executed at the highest level when the time comes.
