If you are an anime lover, then you have to be a One Punch Man fan. Especially, you should know who Saitama is. And If you don’t know who Saitama is or what this anime, One Punch Man, then you are a newbie in the animal world. One Punch Man is one of the most popular anime/manga In the world right now. And this immense popularity is due to none other than “Saitama The One Punch Man“.

We are talking about a character who can literally one-punch any enemy and defeat him. He has the power to casually destroy a mountain, a city, a country, or even a planet. We have seen Saitama destroy Jupiter with just his sneeze.

So the question arises, “How did Saitama get his powers?” What is the real reason behind it? How can a simple citizen turn into a so strong hero that even planets are nothing in front of him? This blog post will revolve around the mystery of Saitama’s power. We will also discuss different fan theories that explain the origin of his strength.

100 Push-ups, 100 Sit-ups, 100 Squats, and a 10km Run

Saitama himself revealed the mystery behind his unbelievable strength in the series. In chapter 11 of One Punch Man manga, he revealed that he followed a simple, yet difficult exercise routine daily for about three years. This exercise routine consists of 100 Push-ups, 100 Sit-ups, 100 Squats, and a 10km Run.

He explains that he followed this routine even though his hands felt like falling apart or his legs made twitching sounds. He also didn’t use any air conditioning throughout these three years including hot seasons. After these three years, he completely lost all his hair and emotions.

Saitama genuinely feels that this simple exercise routine has made the way he is right now. But Genos could not believe his explanation because this kind of simple routine Is not enough for such enormous power. If we think rationally there must be some other mystery around Saitama’s strength. For example, he might have broken the “Limiter” of mortal beings. Or He might be a god but he is not aware of it.

Concept of Limiter in OPM Universe

The concept of Limiter was first introduced by Dr. I. Genus, an evil scientist and founder of the House of Evolution. In Manga Chapter 89 he tried to explain the situation of Saitama and how he got his strength.

“No matter how much effort one puts in, every living being has an intrinsic limit to its growth. Too much power becomes unbearable and overwhelms its host, turning it into a mindless, rampaging monster. To ensure that we do not enter the realm where we lose all purpose and reason, God has set limits to the growth of every being. The mechanism with which growth is controlled is called the limiter.”

by Dr. I. Genus

According to him, every character in the One Punch Man universe has a limit to which he can grow. The limit of growth of the character is decided by random factors like his environment, his liking, his upbringing, etc. This limit of growth is called a limiter. This is supposedly given by the god to prevent anyone from going insane due to a vast amount of power.

Dr. I. Genus Said that only Saitama has broken through this limiter. So he has infinite potential to grow. Now there is no difference between him and an emotionless monster.

How did Saitama Break His Limiter?

Saitama, to become One Punch Man, only followed a special routine of exercises for three years. Now, This kind of routine is nothing to sneeze at. But if we think rationally, it’s hard to believe that just doing exercises could make someone as powerful as Saitama. Then how did Saitama Break His Limiter?

In the One Punch Man universe, getting strong usually involves something more complex. Some people eat a ton of crab to become Crabman, or they study science to become evil scientists. But there’s one common thing among all these Heroes and monsters, they have a desire for something. It could be a hobby, a goal, or just something they find fun.

In Saitama’s case, he had a burning desire to be the strongest hero ever. He just wanted to be strong enough to beat anyone with just one punch. So he followed his intense routine of exercises, believing that he could achieve his goal. After believing in himself for continuously three years he broke his limiter. Basically, the reason behind Saitama, breaking his limiter is his strong will.

Also Read: Does Saitama Ever Become S-Class?

Is Saitama Unknowingly a God?

Have you ever thought, what if Saitama is a god? And for some reason, he forgot or was just unaware of it? If we think about it, being a god would explain why he’s so ridiculously strong and can casually defeat any opponent.

Remember how we discussed him breaking his limiter to gain his power? That theory makes sense, but there’s one big question. Why only Saitama? There are other characters out there just as dedicated as him, right? Take Mumen Rider, for example. He’s got a strong desire to be a hero and protect people around him, but Mumen was unable to break his limiter like Saitama did.

So, if we put all the pieces together, it starts to make sense. Saitama might be someone with a special background. Maybe he is a god of wishes.

All in all

All in all, whatever the reason may be, we have to accept that he is strong. And if the show wants to, it will reveal the truth someday. We can only hope that there’s some twist behind it. Until then, let’s just enjoy the series and admire how strong he is.

Feel free to leave a comment below with your own theory or thoughts on the post!