One Punch Man Season 3 Finally Returns: Episode 1 Release Date, Exact Time, and Where to Watch

One Punch Man Season 3 powers up at last this Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 11:45 PM JST. Saitama’s hunt for an equal resumes amid fresh allies and looming threats—but fans might want to temper their expectations.

One Punch Man is finally back on the board. Season 3 kicks off this Sunday with a late-night Japan drop, and yes, Saitama is still looking for someone who can take a punch without immediately turning into street paste. But before you crank the hype to Season 1 levels, the director is already waving the yellow flag. Let’s walk through what to expect, when to watch, and why the vibe behind the scenes is a little... complicated.

When and where Episode 1 lands

Episode 1 airs in Japan on Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 11:45 PM JST. It will hit streaming shortly after the Japanese TV broadcast. Crunchyroll will simulcast. In the U.S., it will also show up on Hulu, and in select regions, Disney+ gets it too.

Licensing-wise, Viz Media holds Season 3 rights for North America, Latin America, and Oceania (per Variety). There’s chatter that Netflix could carry the season down the line, but nothing official on that yet.

Exact drop times

Here’s the schedule broken out by region. Heads-up: the naming on a couple time zones doesn’t match Daylight Saving, but the times themselves are correct.

• Japan Standard Time (JST): Sunday, Oct 5, 2025 – 11:45 PM
• Pacific Standard Time (PST): Sunday, Oct 5, 2025 – 7:45 AM
• Central Standard Time (CST): Sunday, Oct 5, 2025 – 9:45 AM
• Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, New York): Sunday, Oct 5, 2025 – 10:45 AM
• Central European Time (CET): Sunday, Oct 5, 2025 – 4:45 PM
• Indian Standard Time (IST): Sunday, Oct 5, 2025 – 8:15 PM

What the premiere actually covers

Do not expect a cannonball start. The official site says Episode 1 is essentially a Season 2 recap. After that, the real story kicks in: Season 3 is set to adapt the Monster Association arc in earnest — that’s the all-out war between heroes and monsters the manga spent ages building toward.

If you’re tracking the manga, the show is picking up around chapter 86. Garou gets a lot of runway this season. The mysterious 'God' might flicker into view, but the fuller reveal is more likely to be pushed to a potential Season 4. Classic long game.

Temper your expectations (and why)

Director Shimpei Nagai has been surprisingly frank about expectations, telling Collider to keep them in check compared to the gold standard Season 1. Not exactly the rallying cry fans wanted, but it is refreshingly honest.

'It probably won't live up to Season 1.'

The inside-baseball version: the team at J.C. Staff is juggling resources, there may be noticeable shifts in animation style, and a 2.5D blend (mixing 2D with CG) is on the table. None of that automatically tanks the show — it just means you might feel some variance episode to episode. Nagai also asked fans not to dogpile the staff while they grind this out, and promised the crew is putting their backs into it.

So, should you be excited?

Yeah, cautiously. The Monster Association arc is a heavyweight stretch of the story, and Garou’s trajectory alone is worth showing up for. Just go in knowing the premiere is a recap, the big battles are coming after, and the production may not chase Season 1’s lightning-in-a-bottle highs. Manage expectations; enjoy the chaos.

Where to catch up

If you need a refresher before the recap-about-a-recap, previous seasons are streaming on Crunchyroll.