One-Punch Man’s Hero Hunter is Back to Duel His Master

Warning: contains spoilers for the most recent chapter of One-Punch Man

For the first time in 10 chapters, One-Punch Man‘s most prominent villain, the hero hunter Garou, has shown himself, and he’s looking more feral than ever before.

Garou was last seen wandering around the Monster Association’s base, helping the kid Tareo to escape. While Tareo got away, Garou was left to his own devices underground, seemingly growing closer and closer to fully becoming a monster. Then, a massive fight erupted between Psychos, the secret leader of the Monster Association, and Tatsumaki, which resulted in the entire complex being shredded by her immense psychic power. While even most of the heroes believed Garou had somehow survived, no one had any evidence of that until he emerged from the rubble at the end of English chapter 144. Upon seeing his former pupil still alive, Bang resolved to put an end to Garou’s trouble, setting the stage for a truly awesome match-up between master and student.

The top-ranked heroes have had their hands full as it is dealing with the remaining executives of the Monster Association, such as the incredibly brutal Fuhrer Ugly and the mysterious Evil Natural Water. Many, like Tanktop Master and Sweet Mask, have been defeated at their hands, while others like Tatsumaki and Genos are becoming too fatigued to keep up the battle. Garou’s reappearance adds a new element of chaos just as the fight was beginning to tilt in the heroes’ favor; while Garou isn’t aligned with the Monster Association, he’s also here exclusively to fight S-class heroes, even if that means getting rid of any monsters that get in his way.

As Garou’s former master, Bang has carried a sense of responsibility for his actions ever since the boy’s hero hunting began. And beyond that guilt, the honor of his dojo was on the line, as Garou has continued to use the signature Fist of Flowing Water Crushing Rock technique even in spite of his dislike for it. Bang, together with his brother and fellow martial arts master Bomb, has been hot on Garou’s heels, and nearly defeated him before the monsters whisked him off to their headquarters. Other heroes like Atomic Samurai had previously voiced concern that Bang might go too easy on his former pupil, but those fears have been alleviated after seeing Bang’s resolve in the preceding battles. With reinforcements finally arriving in the form of the Council of Swordmasters, Bang will be able to turn his full attention to battling Garou, offering fans a face-off that’s been years in the making.

Garou’s appearance isn’t the only thing that’s changed, however; as he’s become more and more monster-like, his power level has increased exponentially, making him a far more lethal opponent than he was even earlier that same day. Garou’s wish to become Despair Incarnate and lead the world into an age of impartial evil is dangerously close to reality, and Bang is one of the last heroes left who could potentially take him on. With Saitama’s location still unknown following a run-in with #1 hero Blast, the fate of One-Punch Man‘s world may well be on the old man’s shoulders.

About The Author

Carlyle Edmundson
(234 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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