ONE’sOne-Punch Manfeatures a myriad of powerful heroes and villains. While most can’t hope to compete withSaitama’s comically ridiculous strength, the series does a good job of establishing Saitama as an outlier while respecting the individual abilities and strengths of those around him as well. Though many would-be intimidating heroes and villains have either been outclassed or easily overpowered by Saitama throughout the series, one character really just doesn’t seem to belong at all.
At first glance, King seems like a typical hero in theOne-Punch Manuniverse. The S-Class Rank 7 pro hero is one of the Hero Association’s crown jewels, standing as a recognized public figure and accomplished crime fighter. But as fans eventually learn, the intimidating hero isn’t all he seems to be.
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Who is King?
King checks all the boxes of what a hero should look like. Tall and stoic with an imposing aura, King seems to strike fear into villains’ hearts while simultaneously inspiring hope in those around him. This comes from his reputation as the strongest man on Earth, a title thatfans of the seriesknow rightfully belongs to Saitama. Unfortunately for King, he’s nowhere near as strong as he’s perceived.
King’s status, reputation, and success are all built on misunderstandings. It’s hard not to empathize with him, as he’s often shown feeling out of his depth, jumping from one misunderstanding to another. King’s hero persona ultimately doesn’t represent who he is outside of work, as his hobbies and personality create a completely different picture than what the public perceives him as.
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King is an avid gamer and though his feats as a hero are either exaggerated or misattributed to his perceived strength, King’s skills as a gamer are actually somewhat noteworthy. In his youth, King won many gaming competitions, standing as the most skilled in the Saitama group and possibly the world as well.
Though he’s perceived as a tough, no-nonsense hero, King is actually much more withdrawn and peaceful than his fans andthe Hero Associationwould believe him to be. His “King” persona is just a means of upholding the lies he continuously stumbles into. In reality, King is very docile and caring, especially when it comes to his friends and those closest to him. Due to him having to keep up with the lies and misunderstandings that have embodied his hero career, King is incredibly adept at bluffing his way through confrontations, which in a way serves as his real superpower.
King’s Real Strength
All of King’s feats and abilities have been over-exaggerated thanks to the many misunderstandings that have made up his career. In reality, King is the weakest of the S-Class heroes, and likely the weakest hero in the association. That isn’t to say that he hasn’tdeveloped any abilitiesand techniques to help get him by.
King’s “King Engine” is something that his opponents hear whenever confronted by the S-Class hero. It’s a sort of rumbling sound that many assume is heard whenever King gets serious in a fight. Though it has no physical effect, it serves as a great way for King to psych his opponents out. In reality, that’s all the ability does. The rumbling is really just King’s heartbeat, with the overmatched hero often struggling with fear and anxiety in the face of a life or death situation.
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Many of King’s supposed abilities revolve around the perception of him as a hero, as well ashis intimidating aura. If most heroes rely on strength and skill, King instead makes it through most confrontations through bluffing, banking on any mental mistakes his opponent might make.
In most – if not all – fights, King is severely outclassed by those he encounters. Though he’s perceived as the strongest man in the world, King is ultimately incredibly average and often over his head in any confrontation. While some characters would likely revel in their undeserved fame and status, Kingseems to be much more grounded, regretting, and actively looking for ways to get himself out of the many problems that come with his title of S-Class hero. Though he doesn’t look it, King is ultimately the most helpless hero in the series, which just makes him all the more enjoyable to watch.
