Why is Saitama So Strong?

With a terrifying super strength, inhuman speed, and amazing reflexes, it’s natural to get curious as to how Saitama became so strong he can literally settle battles before they even begin.

If you haven’t watched the anime or haven’t caught up with the manga yet, here’s a brief guide to let you know how One Punch Man‘s main hero reached his overpowered state. Find out about the possible explanations and theories below.

According to Saitama

Saitama revealing his fitness routine — Studio Madhouse

Viewers were introduced to Saitama‘s power source as early as Episode 3 of the first season of the anime. In the said part of the series, Saitama didn’t hold back in sharing his fitness regimen with three people: Genos, the mad scientist Dr. Genus, and Carnage Kabuto. And to everyone’s surprise, the secret to Cape Baldy’s superhuman strength was pretty simple.

Specifically, according to Saitama, he was able to achieve his current power level by following a fitness routine. And this whole program involves performing 100 push-ups, 100 squats, 100 sit-ups, and running 10 kilometers daily. According to Saitama, he followed the said routine for a whole year until his hair fell off and his emotions dull up. And before he knew it, he became the superhero who could pretty much finish off every enemy with just a single punch.

Saitama Broke His Limiter

It wasn’t until Chapter 86 of the manga that a possible explanation for Saitama’s superhuman strength came to light. In the said Chapter, Zombieman tracked and confronted the former mad doctor, Dr. Genus. During their confrontation, Dr. Genus revealed his theory about what he calls a person’s “limiter.”

According to the scientist, every living creature has a limitation placed upon them by God. This limitation is what he dubbed as a “limiter” and functions as a mechanism to limit the growth of a creature no matter how much it thrives. He further notes that without a limiter, an organism may attain his limitless power, pushing him to a realm where he has no purpose and reason.

Dr. Genus then proceeds to tell Zombieman that he has met a person who has succeeded in removing his limiter, clearly alluding to Saitama. He noted, however, that this person had paid a price for his immeasurable power, saying he became bald and is even experiencing suffocating feelings of alienation.

As early as Episode 1, it can be recalled that Saitama actually laments how he becomes less and less human each day. He even problematized how he might might have “lost something that’s essential for human being” in exchange for power.

And this very conflict – the main hero’s lack of human emotions – is what actually sets the story of One Punch Man in motion. With his emotions dulling up and his purpose fading, Saitama begins to crave that feeling distinct only to a normal human. To achieve this, he then goes around looking for a foe that could match his current power level and bring him back to his good old days.

How Did Saitama Broke His Limiter?

During the confrontation between Zombieman and Dr. Genus, the mad scientist further explained what enabled Saitama to break his limiter. As pointed out by Zombieman, many other beings had disregarded their limits, effectively becoming monsters and heroes with extraordinary abilities. However, Dr. Genus clarified that such beings were either already born with talent or potential to become that powerful or had undergone human experimentations. But in the case of Saitama, he was born normal and has no talent at all. Yet, through what Dr. Genus described as “sheer force,” the man was able to overcome his limiter and become so powerful.

Analyzing the details, this “sheer force” could pertain to the fitness program undertaken by Saitama before becoming the hero he is today. Since he was practically born as a normal person, lived a normal lifestyle, and has no talent at all, his actual limiter must have been set way below the possibility of completing a regimen that includes completing 100 push-ups, 100 squats, 100 sit-ups, and running 10 kilometers daily. Yet, with his willpower and actual engagements, Saitama was able to perform the excruciating routines, effectively breaking his limiter at some point during his fitness program.