One-Punch Man has long been about the underappreciated and under-recognized Saitama, a hero of immeasurable strength who never seems to get credit for his defeats of villains and monsters. Chapter 203 of the Japanese release, however, is changing all that, as Saitama gets recognized for his power by a top hero.

Saitama is, of course, the protagonist and titular hero of One-Punch Man. Saitama describes himself as a "hero for fun," hoping to find strong monsters that can withstand his strength so that he can fully let loose. So far, Saitama's strength has been unmatched, with the hero easily handling even villains and monsters that have been empowered by humanity's mysterious enemy, the entity known as God. In fact, the last chapter hinted that Saitama's punches might contain a special power, allowing him to reverse the monsterization process and return those possessed by God to normal.

One-Punch Man Finally Sees Saitama Recognized

The Latest Chapter Features Blast Trusting Saitama

In the revised version of chapter 203, the villain known as Empty Void recovers from a punch from Saitama and is suddenly himself again, no longer driven by God's evil. Void had been possessed by God for a very long time--decades, at the very least. Void immediately declares he'll be returning to the front lines of the fight against God with Blast, abandoning the Ninja Village, which God had him cultivate. As Blast watches the now-leaderless ninjas flock to Saitama, he considers that, somehow, Saitama has proven he has the ability to disrupt God's control, and that's going to be critical.

Blast approaches Saitama, telling him that his power will be needed in the final showdown with God, whenever that day comes, and invites him to lend his strength. Saitama isn't given a chance to ask questions before Blast and Void disappear through one of his portals, but in "a dimension beyond time and space," they see Saitama's handiwork--the defeated carcass of God's divine beast, the Kirin, with a massive hole punched through it. Blast smiles, immediately recognizing who's doing this and feeling even more reassured in his decision to invite Saitama.

This is the latest in a trend in recent chapters, with more top hero characters becoming aware of Saitama's strength. Obviously, Genos and King already knew, but Tatsumaki learned of his power during their brawl, and Flashy Flash has slowly become aware of Saitama's true strength over the course of the last arc. Having Blast, the #1 hero, recognize Saitama is a major milestone for him, as even though his reputation with the general public is still pretty bad, at least those whose opinions truly matter are getting a chance to see Saitama for what and who he is.

One-Punch Man is Setting Up Its Final Arc

Could the Manga Be Laying the Groundwork for Its Finale?

It's certainly interesting that Blast would invite Saitama to the final battle with God already, suggesting that the showdown may be coming sooner than fans expect. There is still a fair amount of content left from the webcomic to adapt, however, so it's not as if the next arc will be the last. The manga has many plotlines open at the moment, including the Neo Heroes storyline, the psychic agents in Tsukuyomi, Metal Knight's possible betrayal, and Garou's recovery after his defeat.

Still, it's the first sign that One-Punch Man is closer to its ending than its beginning, and that's definitely something worthy of note. There's no telling what a One-Punch Man finale might be like, but it's certain to answer a lot of questions that fans have had almost since the beginning. At least when the time comes for One-Punch Man's final battle, the strongest heroes now know that it's Saitama who the fate of the human race truly rests on.