One-Punch Man Confirms Why Bang Couldn’t Save Garou

Warning: contains spoilers for One-Punch Man Chapter 148

Chapter 148 of One-Punch Man finally offers a look at the history of the S-class hero Silver Fang, better known as Bang, and it’s at last provided a reason for why he was willing to take Garou on as a student–and why that task was always doomed to failure.

The overwhelming majority of the chapter is dedicated to a flashback to Bang’s youth, where it’s revealed that much like his future student, Bang got his start as a cocky, violent thug. He felt his strength and power made him better than others, and that this entitled him to take what he wished. Bang, at this stage, is the embodiment of the arrogance that can come with natural talent, something which puts him at odds with his brother Bomb’s humble, training-focused approach to the martial arts. As the elder brother, Bomb takes it upon himself to knock some sense into Bang, and in spite of that talent, manages to do exactly that. This defeat proved to be the wake-up call that Bang needed, and he was able to turn his life around, becoming a professional hero to prove that he’d really changed.

While Bang and Garou share some visual design elements, the old man has never hinted at the ruthless, violent nature of his past. It’s clear that when Garou showed up at Bang’s dojo, he must have seen something of himself in the kid and wanted to help him avoid making the same mistakes he did. It also explains why Bang has taken Garou’s hero-hunting ways so personally–not only does he feel responsible as the one who taught him, he’s seeing a reflection of his own flaws and failures, and getting an uncomfortable glimpse at what he might have been like had his brother not intervened. Since the dojo training had failed to cleanse the arrogance from Garou, Bang’s fallen back to the only plan that he knows will work, and that’s hitting him with a defeat so thorough and embarrassing that he’ll feel the need to rethink his entire life. In the end, though, they were simply too similar.

The parallels between master and student make for a very strong character dynamic, and it’s clear upon reading that this backstory has been in mind for Bang throughout the entire manga. There’s something much deeper and more personal at work for this character than the mere “he’s my responsibility” angle that it seemed to be at first glance. It’s also interesting in that these kinds of martial arts master characters often don’t get much in the way of backstory, as they’re often treated as little more than plot devices to teach the protagonist new moves (like, say, Master Roshi in Dragon Ball). The relationship between Bang and Bomb provides another interesting layer on top of this, as Bomb feels a responsibility to protect his younger brother not only because of their shared blood, but because his influence on Bang is part of what led to taking Garou on as a student in the first place.

It’s been obvious for a while that the manga’s artist Yusuke Murata has been a big fan of these two brothers, as they often feature prominently (along with Fubuki) on chapter and volume covers and in extra sketches posted online from time to time. And at last, fans have been let in on part of what makes the old men of One-Punch Man so cool–they’re not just martial arts masters, but in many ways they’re the moral core of the series.

About The Author

Carlyle Edmundson
(233 Articles Published)

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Carlyle Edmundson is a news and features writer with an affinity for science fiction and fantasy. He graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a BS in Film Studies and is glad that it’s relevant to his work. A lifelong fan of anime and manga, he has attended dozens of conventions over the years and may or may not have cosplayed at them. He is also the author of the Dystopian Detective series, available from most places ebooks are sold.

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