Tear Jerker / One-Punch Man

Spoilers off is in effect on Moments pages! All spoilers are unmarked! You Have Been Warned!

''I'm weak... I know that much. And yet, I must try!"

For as much as One Punch Man has its epic fights, hilarious jokes, really scary scenes and moments that warm our hearts, it can also have scenes that will make even someone as bored as Saitama tear up.

In General

• Saitama's nearly constant apathy to life. He fulfilled his dream to become a superhero thanks to his Training from Hell, only for him to get a Story-Breaker Power that takes away all the challenge of being a superhero. It is Played for Laughs but it can make anyone sympathize when the things you loved and dreamed to do ultimately turn meaningless.
  • This is made incredibly stark in the first episode of the Anime with his dream about fighting the Subterraneans. Nearly all of mankind is dead. The city is rapidly falling into ruins. And yet for the first time in years, Saitama is truly, genuinely happy and alive as he gives the battle his all against an entire species of truly worthy foes and the music soars beautifully. And then he wakes up.
  • The first fight we see Saitama take part in on the show is as epic as epic can be. Huge monster, one guy nonchalantly takes it out and saves a life in the process ... and then he falls to his knees in disappointment and misery. From Saitama's line afterwards, we can HEAR all the pain he's holding in daily from his ennui and desperation for a challenge.
    Saitama: Not again ... all it took was one punch ... ! DAMMIT!!!!!
• Just seeing how the public treats Saitama. While he doesn't care what they think of him, just watching the people say bad things about him after he saved their lives and disbelieve his abilities is quite painful to watch knowing that he deserves better than this.
• While the series rarely elaborates of how many citizens suffer from monsters attacks, and how almost never we see an actual death of human character on-screen and their bodies, it must be really hard to live in such Crapsaccharine World, when despite many heroes appearing on screen, there's always a chance a monster will wreck your building or that you will lose your life from the rubble.

Introduction Saga

Saitama Introduction Arc

• Beefcake may have been evil, enough to destroy thousands of lives just by stepping and swinging arms, but it's hard not to feel sorry for him when he accidentally kills his brother Oldface. It's quite obvious that he cared for his brother, especially since he's the one who makes him grow giant. He suffers breakdowns and contemplates if "being the strongest" is worth it. Only Saitama's one punch prevents Beefcake from having further breakdowns.
  • On that note, Beefcake's contemplation also parallels Saitama's Lonely at the Top feeling. Even Saitama agrees.
    Saitama: Having overwhelming strength is pretty boring.

House of Evolution Arc

• Genos' backstory may be treated as an Overly Long Gag in the series, but it is quite a tragedy. At age 15, his family was killed and his town was destroyed with him being the lone survivor at the brink of death. He then sacrificed his humanity in order to destroy the cyborg who killed his family. His desire for revenge lasted for 4 years and would have led to his death against Mosquito Girl had he not met Saitama.
  • It's even worse knowing that later in the manga, his greatest fear is not being able to save anyone, and even triggers a moment of Heroic BSoD that's likely spawning from the event.

Hero Association Saga

Sea Monster Arc

• Several of the heroes risking their lives to try and halt the Deep Sea King. Sure, they failed, but that really doesn't justify that one Ungrateful Bastard practically mocking their efforts. Thankfully, other citizens acknowledge that.
• Mumen Rider's speech against Deap Sea King. And the crowd cheering him on fervently. There's a good reason why it's one of the shows Signature Scene and how Mumen's character remains an Ensemble Dark Horse in the fandom.
  Mumen Rider: No one-- expects much from me... They think a C-Class hero won't be much help. I know that better than anyone... I'm not good enough for Class B. I'm weak. I know that much. No one has to tell me I have no chance of beating you. I already... know that! And yet, I must try. It's not about winning or losing! It's about me taking you on right here, right now!
• Saitama sacrificing his reputation so the other heroes get the appreciation they deserve. The pained look on Genos' face just says it all.
• In the anime, while Puri-Puri Prisoner goes to the hospital to visit Stinger and Lightning Max, he sees a newspaper on the ground with an article calling him an "S-Class Failure" and he just stands there in silence with a solemn look on his face.

Alien Conquerors Arc

• Saitama walking away with a solemn, yet somehow sorrowful expression after killing Boros. Because he just gave him another reminder that he really is Lonely at the Top.
  • Just look at Saitama's expressions throughout the whole Boros fight. It's clear through the whole thing that, while Saitama wants to believe that Boros is a Worthy Opponent, he's feeling the same sort of apathy as ever. And despite the apparent beating he takes, the closest thing to 'damage' Saitama takes is a torn cape.
  • Boros is also the only villain to take Saitama seriously up to that point, treating him as a Worthy Opponent from the very beginning. Yet in the end, he knows Saitama was unable to feel the same excitement that he felt and is likely saddened that he failed to live up to Saitama's expectations, mournfully saying his name before dying.
• Not counting the very last scene with Saitama and Genos, the anime's credits end over the image of a memorial surrounded by flowers, erected to commemorate all the people who perished in City A's devastation. It becomes even more poignant with the ending song lyrics "Kanashimitachi wo Dakishimete" (literally "Clinging to Our Sorrows") in light of the recent real-world tragedies.

  Riding a wind heading for tomorrow, we cling to our many sorrows

  “It’s alright, let’s just rest a bit. Then let’s move forward again.”

  The world will keep on spinning, until we eventually come to know pain

  that won’t ever fade.

  Nonetheless, we close our eyes…

  … and our memories will become smiles –

  Our hopes allow it to be so…

  And when the sun begins to suddenly wane, we’re enveloped by sleep.

  Oh memories, turn to smiles!

  Once we’ve carefully stashed away only the happiness of our meeting,

  We’ll say, “Goodbye”… and wave our hands tenderly in parting.

Human Monster Saga

The Blizzard Group Arc

• Fubuki's confrontation with Saitama reveals that she's little more than a Womanchild who forces people into her clique so she can feel better about herself. It's very telling that her response to fighting someone stronger than her is to nearly break down crying and try to kill them with a knife.

Super Fight Arc

• Suiryu's brutal Trauma Conga Line at the hands of Gouketsu and Bakuzan. Sure, his actions before this didn't garner much sympathy from fans. But even so, to see a confident fellow like him broken, begging and desperate, and at the complete mercy of such relentless cruelty... Break the Haughty deserved or not, it's actually rather hard to watch him breaking so many bones, loosing half of his teeth and his hair being ripped off.
  • Suiryu gets a major Jerkass Realization and he actually shouts calling for help from Heroes when receiving a beating from Bakuzan. During that, we get a montage of various heroes battling monsters.
  "So... So... SOMEBODY!!! PLEASE HELP!!! A monster! There's a monster here! A really bad guy! Somebody! Is anyone there?! A monster's attacking me! So please, somebody help! I'll get killed at this rate! Please heeeeelp!!! Yes... a hero! If a hero's listening... Please come here quickly! Anyone is fine, just help! Heroes!!! I'm begging you heroes, please come!..."

  • But as Bakuzan says, heroes are busy fighting their enemies and nobody will came for help him. It really is a Despair Event Horizon for Suiryu, with him making horrifying face. Thank God that a certain bald hero heard his crying for help...
  • Even more so in hindsight when he realizes that this is how "the weak" must often feel. His desperation is even more palpable when he tries to keep Saitama from going after Gouketsu.
  "Gouketsu used to be an elite martial artist! He's more skilled than me and he's much faster... And on top of that, his power is insane... You'll die! Saitama! I'm not going to just lie here and watch my hero throw his life away! Don't fight him!"

  • Just after Saitama leaves, Suiryu cries yet again in despair, thinking how he just witnessed a real hero and that he will die soon anyway, while still many other people need to be saved. Until seconds later, Gouketsu's head drops right in front of him.

Hero Hunt Arc

• Garou's past, which gives him a bit of Freudian Excuse to explain why he is the Hero Hunter. He was bullied by the popular kid, Tacchan, and other kids in school for sympathizing with the monsters on TV shows and for not playing along with their hero games on the playground. When school authorities got involved, he was victim-blamed for not conforming to the other kids' standards. Because of this, he's always felt like a universally-hated underdog, and it's part of why he goes on his self-destructive crusade to knock heroes down a peg and become the ultimate monster. While it does not excuse his behavior beating heroes like Mumen Rider or Tank-Top Master, it's still quite sad backstory. We also receive Garou's speech, reflecting on his past:
  "It's not like I didn't want to be the monster... (...) It's because playjng heroes and monsters felt do overwhelmingly unjust. Heroes and monsters is just a game that recreates kid's TV shows. Everyone is free to choose what role they play. Tat-chan was the most popular kid in class. But me, I was the loner kid, always gloomy and without friends. Everyone knew who the hero was going to be. I didn't stand a chance. Naturally, there was no scenario where the monster wins. I was always the loser. The popular kid at the center of everything would always beat up the little guy that no one liked... That's just the way the world works. Screw justice. And screw evil too. I'm gonna be killed because that's what everyone else wants?! It's not fair! I can't stand it! It pisses me off! All I want is to make them understand! I want to strike a blow for the little guy! "Good" and "evil"? I reject them both!"
  • What's worse is that this backstory remains Truth in Television. There are many kids who are social outcasts similiar to young Garou who were also bullied for whatever reason. While they didn't became "Hero Hunters", they still had to somehow live with it, making Rooting for the Empire to be played both In-Universe and in real life, sympathizing with Garou's treatment.
• When Bang finally confronts Garou, there's a brief flashback to the angry and misguided kid that Bang first took pity on and decided to train... before cutting back to the animalistic monster Garou has deliberately turned himself into.

Monster Association Arc

• Chapter 105 has Pri-Pri Prisoner find out that his old prison inmates had become monsters because of the Monster Association, and while they had actually let themselves turn into monsters to spite Pri-Pri Prisoner and his gay tendencies, Pri-Pri Prisoner is basically in denial when all this is going on, thinking that it was because of the Monster Association that the prisoners became this corrupted, refusing to believe they chose to be evil from the beginning. He then accidentally kills them when trying to pursue Dragon-Class Monster Nyan. Poor guy.
• The death of Tongara in Chapter 110. As the head of the Narinki Squad, he was a ruthless mercenary who would take any job as long as it got him good coin. After being made a love slave of Do-S and subsequently freed by Atomic Samurai's disciples, he seems ungrateful and cocky at first, looking down on the heroes for following a code of honor. But upon being faced with Evil Natural Water, Tongara bravely throws away his life to save Bushidrill by pushing him out of the way of the lethal water streams. He laments his own rash desire to be a hero at the last second, and sadly tells them to leave him behind. In his final moments he recalls the atrocities he's seen and committed as a mercenary, admitting that he was foolish to think there are no real heroes in the world, despite how sad and cruel the world can be. Later his body is washed away by Evil Natural Water, his corpse is mercilessly devoured by Mad Doctor Fish.
• Darkshine is one of the strongest and nicest heroes there is. Yet, as Garou eventually gets the better of him, he comes to the realization that he wasn't battling in the aim of pushing his own limits or fighting for justice but instead to feel good about himself. As the thought he could lose comes to his mind, his insecurities dating from when he was weak, before he started to train, resurface. He starts to question himself: if he fights to feel good, is there any worth in his accomplishments, is he even a hero or just a phony pretending to be one? Even after the attack against the Monster Association, the fear still haunts him.
• In the webcomic, when Saitama and Garou clash, Garou unleashes a Motive Rant about how villains and monsters are needed to save this world, because heroes just can't do enough. Given how most of the heroes in this story are selfish jerks, he's not wrong.
  • Then Saitama drops him with his own Breaking Speech, in that he decided to be a monster because it was easier than being a hero and standing firm against the world.

• Chapter 166 of the manga is a tear jerker cavalcade:
  • Awakened Garou's body starts to emit cosmic radiation thanks to the powers God granted him, and most of the heroes present start to die of radiation sickness.
  • As the heroes die of radiation sickness, we see that King - a normal human being with no powers, mind you - stayed conscious long enough to crawl on top of Fubuki and Tatsumaki to try and shield them from the black radioactive rain.
  • Later, Manako tries to run away, only to notice an unmoving body of a child - Tareo.
  • Bang, unwilling to accept that his student's ambitions have finally become outright murderous, angrily demands that whatever entity is controlling Garou release him, only for Garou to coldly reply that everything he's doing is of his own free will.
  • In a last ditch effort to stop him, Genos (who at this point doesn't even have any limbs left) propels himself towards Garou and headbutts him, but it has no effect. Connecting the dots that Genos is Saitama's disciple, Garou decides to kill him in order to draw out Saitama's full strength, which he does by punching him straight through the chest and tearing out his power core despite pleading from Bang. Saitama arrives at the scene too late, and can only look on in horror at the surrounding carnage.
  • Looking at Genos' corpse, Saitama recalls a moment from the House of Evolution arc when Genos complimented him on his punctuality, only for Saitama to reply that he's actually usually late to most things. What was formerly an amusing display of Saitama's laziness has become a crippling flaw that resulted in the death of his closest friend.
    • The most heartbreaking part is that Garou knowing about Genos's connection to Saitama didn't come from God, but rather from what he witnessed between these two. Genos mentioned Saitama during his bout with Garou a few days prior, and earlier Saitama ignored Garou in favor of tending to Genos. What was supposed to be a display of heartwarming respect and friendship is what allowed to Garou to connect the dots and exploit this bond in the most horrific way possible.
  • As Saitama throws an earth-shattering punch that could kill countless lives, in his left hand he's carefully cradling Genos's heart.
    • Just the idea of this in general. Saitama has just failed in every sense possible: as a teacher, as a hero, as a friend.
• Chapter 167 has Saitama lamenting that he may have gotten what he wished for, the very fight that he'd craved so badly since the start of the series, and doesn't even feel one ounce of excitement for it.
  • He then tries to shove the core down his suit to free his hand for the beatdown, only to realize it can't fit. Saitama dreads that if his clothes gets destroyed the core may fall out.
    Saitama: [Firmly gripping the core close] So better hold unto it tight.
• Chapter 168:
  • Garou asks why Saitama doesn't kill him. Saitama replies it's because it was "that kid's" final request he stop Garou without killing him. Garou mumbles "final request" in confusion, turns his head... and sees Tareo's corpse, triggering a Villainous BSoD as Garou realizes that Tareo's dead because of him.
  • In the middle of Garou's breakdown, he blurts out he wanted to save Tareo. Saitama questions him about it, saying he thought he was just clinging to Tareo for support. Garou begins angrily demanding what he'd know about it, only to fall silent as he sees Saitama holding Genos's core, and privately wonders if Saitama's doing the same thing.
• When Garou is finally defeated, most heroes decide that the only appropriate action to take is to kill him now before he causes more trouble. Saitama objects to this while Garou is a broken man. Silver Fang offers to take care of things, beating up his student and calling him an idiot, but in the end he is unable to kill his student. Then Amai Mask offers to finish the job. It's only when the kid Garou saved earlier confronts Amai Mask that he finally decides to escape.
  • Silver Fang's part in the manga goes differently, declaring he won't let his student throw his life away like this, and saying that if Garou's caused harm to people he must make it up by saving ten times, a hundred times, more people.

Neo Heroes Saga

Psychic Sisters Arc

• Tatsumaki and Fubuki's relationship is littered with bits and pieces of tragedy that cultivate into a very sad, dysfunctional relationship.
  • Tatsumaki was born with immense psychic powers. When she was 7, her adoptive family sold her into an research facility where she was locked up and subjected to human experimentation for 3 years. When a disaster occurred, all the researchers escaped and left 10 year old Tatsumaki behind. She was saved by Blast, who then told her never to rely on anyone but herself. After the traumatic Break the Cutie experience, Tatsumaki developed an unhealthy obsession over Fubuki - the only loved one she had left - and was determined to keep her safe at all costs, even if it means driving away everyone who dares to approach her. While she truly cares about her little sister, her controlling and tyrannical attitude pains Fubuki and keeps driving her further away.
  • Fubuki was separated from Tatsumaki at age 2, avoided getting sold thanks to her powers not manifesting at the time, and thus was able to keep living in the outside world. But as she grew up and attended school, her powers manifested and she was badly bullied for being a “witch”. Yet as much as she hated being bullied, she was even more terrified of what Tatsumaki would do to the bullies in revenge, and so couldn’t bring herself to interact with anyone in fear that her big sister will personally hunt them down. Over years of living in anxiety, Fubuki developed a severe insecurity complex which led to her establishing the Blizzard group as an attempt to get out of her sister’s shadow and become independent, which Saitama pointed out as "just a delusion".
• When Saitama defends Fubuki from Tatsumaki, Tatsumaki states that Saitama is too weak to defend Fubuki and that to prevent her from overly relying on useless people, she's going to separate and isolate her forever from her friends. Saitama stops her and states that he and Fubuki aren't friends. When Tatsumaki asks what Fubuki is to him then, he thinks about it for a second and concludes that he and Fubuki are just acquaintances. Fubuki can only sit there looking lonely and broken from Saitama's callousness and Tatsumaki's abuse.
  • Made even worse in the manga. It becomes clear that Fubuki only stopped Psykos in High School because she wanted to dominate humanity and become loved and admired whereas Psykos killing all the weak would have deprived Fubuki of her desire. In the modern day, Fubuki no longer thinks like that, but she has been lying to herself about her change and she has been trying to convince Saitama to worship her like everyone else in the Blizzard Group. In the end though, Saitama can't even bring himself to call them friends or work buddies or anything even remotely sentimental. You can just see in Fubuki's reaction that she doesn't want worship anymore; she wants a real connection with a person and she wanted it from Saitama (and her sister) in particular. Again, she just looks completely broken as she realizes that Saitama just doesn't see her like that. You can also see this in her treatment of Psykos. While it seems likely that Psykos loved Fubuki, Fubuki only cared about Psykos as a pawn and used Psykos's attraction to get her in a compromising position in order to seal her powers. Yet, even in modern day, Fubuki couldn't bring herself to kill Psykos seemingly because that artificial affection was the closest thing to a friendship that Fubuki had.
• In the webcomic, Tatsumaki, is largely devoid of sympathy for this arc, mainly because she refuses it at every turn and simply flies off in a huff. In the manga, it's a different story:
  • When Blast appears in her subconsciousness, we finally see beneath Tornado's cold and dismissive personality; a broken and lonely child with no one to guide her. She is fully aware of how afraid people are of her, and she doesn't want that, but she knows no other way. If she doesn't, she fears that her sister will be in danger all over again. Blast was the only adult she ever trusted, and now that he's gone, she feels utterly lost.

Neo Heroes Introduction Arc

• Genos challenges Saitama to a rematch and starts it by emitting an intense light to blind Saitama and attack him while he can't see. Then... nothing. As Genos notices that Saitama isn't even bothering to put up some kind of defense, Genos comes to the conclusion that he hasn't made any kind of progress and stops the match right there. In spite of not always being the most perceptive person, Saitama notices Genos is down and tries to act as his teacher and say something helpful. Genos desires to be as strong as Saitama because he believes the next time he meets the Mad Cyborg who destroyed his village, he must absolutely defeat him no matter what. However, as he speaks with Saitama they bring up the possibility that perhaps the Mad Cyborg might have unknowingly been defeated by Saitama, the implication being that perhaps Genos is wasting his life on a pointless quest for power.
• Hamukichi, one of the martials artists who decided to eat a monster cell and become a monster, regrets his actions and is willing to go through torturous experiments in order to become human again.
  "I know the kids at the dojo were going to be watching me. But then I went and turned myself into a monster. There's no way I can look them in the eye like this."

Ninjas Arc

• Sonic and Flash have quite a dark history: They were sold into the Ninja Village, an inhumane training camp where orphans were turned into ruthless killing machines under extreme conditions before getting sold off to underworld factories. Emotions were not allowed to be expressed, any act of companionship between participants (even just talking to each other) were strictly prohibited, and there was virtually no connection to the outside world. A day was 72 hours, with only 6 hours to eat and sleep and the rest for training. The food was made tasteless and drugged so that the children couldn't kill themselves.

Supreme Hero Arc

• Amai Mask’s story is revealed: He was originally an ugly man with an inferiority complex, but resolved to believe in the beauty that came within and tried to improve himself by joining the Hero Association. He started operating as a masked hero and got popular, but as his reputation grew, so did his anxiety. The internalized guilt caused a monsterification process that granted him a handsome face, but in exchange it constantly eroded his mind and pushed him to the brink of insanity. Killing monsters is the only way left for him to retain his humanity.
• After he finally becomes a monster, Amai Mask is proven right when the people he just protected immediately turn on him because he is a monster, regardless of the fact that he just killed the monster that was about to kill them. His next act is to ask Saitama to kill him so that the latter can finally become what he believes an ideal hero should be like.
  Amai Mask: Phew... This is a great chance. If you kill me right now, you'll become famous overnight. It would be my honor to witness the birth of the "ideal hero"... Huhu.
  Saitama: Ha... You're still going on about that? You really are persistent.
  Amai Mask: Take a good look, it's too late for me. Please.
• The Bubbly Boys, Amai Mask's neglected squad, also seem pretty broken on the inside. All of them, including Webigaza, are incredibly jealous of Amai Mask and all have a vicious rivalry with him (that he's completely unaware of). Webigaza's internal monologue makes it clear that she wants fame, yes, but that she wants to be a hero deep down. All the Bubbly Boys want to use heroics to become famous, seeing it as a steeping stone. Yet, when the Bubbly Boys beat down Amai Mask, who refuses to fight back, they all become depressed and decide to take him to the hospital instead of the Neo Heroes despite knowing he's a monster. It becomes clear that they were all admirers and fans first and rivals second. They didn't act hostile to him until he was rude to them and, while they say they don't want him to make a "comeback", it's clear that they are scared. One of them even asks "why are you a monster" while helping him up either because he was devastated by Amai Mask being revealed as a monster... or because he's afraid that Amai is what they will all become in the end. Seeing as Webigaza has transformed herself into a cyborg and esper that needs constant coolant injections and battery changes, his fears aren't unwarranted. The Idol business eats the soul... Then the suits take over their bodies turning them into puppets being used for evil.
  • Then try looking at it from Amai's perspective. All of these people are only in the Idol business because he inspired them. Being a star was never Amai's original goal. He just wanted to be a respected hero who wasn't judged by his looks. Turns out he was judged for his looks even more once he became a beautiful hero and even more after that after he was revealed as a monster. While many of these idols are clearly toxic individuals, Amai INSPIRED them to try and replicate his rise to glory. Amai neglecting them caused them to join up with the Neo Heroes. If it wasn't for Amai's Motive Decay, none of these broken individuals (with hidden hearts of gold) would have been in a position to be used as test subjects and weapons of war. And now he has to fight them because their controlled bodies are aiming to kill. It's as if the heavens are punishing him for trying to kill the mind controlled mercenary squad in the Monster Association Arc (though those mercenaries didn't exist in the webcomic version, it's clear this is going to happen in the manga as well and be used as a callback).

Others

Bonus Chapters

• Chapter 8.5 showed a brief view into Saitama’s chidhood at age 12: He grew up in poverty (having brought the equivalent of 2 dollars for lunch), struggled to keep up in class, was distrusted by the teacher, and was bullied by the upperclassmen who were also dirt poor. He had no friends and his parents were neither shown nor mentioned, and he spent his entire childhood wondering if he could ever grow up to become a decent person. That question was answered in the beginning of the series: Saitama grew up to become a depressed, unemployed young adult who knew he had no place in society and attempted suicide at the hands of a monster.

OVA

• OVA 1 shows that although Saitama is a Humble Hero with no regard to the opinion of everyone else, his occasional wishing for fans is not actually wishing for fame, but rather out of a desire for someone to appreciate his efforts. Imagine risking your life to protect someone and not even getting a single word of gratitude from anybody for three years. Fortunately, the OVA ends with Genos, who has been studying Saitama from afar, finally deciding to ask him to become his disciple. It becomes heartwarming because Saitama not only gets a disciple, albeit reluctantly, but also a best friend and the first person that ever appreciates him for his heroism.
  Saitama: If I continue being a hero, this won't be the last time someones out for revenge against me. That is my fate. It can't be helped. I just need to change how I think. Right! I need to think positively. I just have to believe there will be people in this world who appreciate all the things that I do. I became a hero three years ago. I'm not saying I need fans, but it would be nice if someone noticed what I've been doing... Oh yeah, there was that guy who wanted to be my disciple.

Other

• The ending credits song if you're able to understand it. It's sung from the viewpoint of someone waiting for their lover to come home, which is pretty needlessly romantic for the kind of anime/manga this is... until you realize that Saitama doesn't really have anyone to happily welcome him home. It really paints another layer on him when you think about it.

---