One Punch Man Season 3 Premiere Hits The Brakes: Saitama Hunts While The Action Sits Out
After six years of waiting, One Punch Man season 3 lands with a thud: a premiere that parades every returning hero, cranks up for a showdown, then never throws a punch—leaving fans feeling snubbed by a glorified reset.
Six years of waiting for One Punch Man season 3 and episode 1 shows up like it forgot to RSVP. If you were hoping for a big, loud return, this premiere is more of a long roll call with everyone suiting up for a fight that never happens.
So... what actually happens in episode 1?
- The Hero Association is scrambling to locate the Monster Association hideout. By the end of the 24-minute runtime, they still have no clue where it is.
- Every hero is on edge and on standby. Lots of meetings, lots of careful talk about strategy, and a peek at the Association's political side.
- Saitama decides to go look for Garou himself.
- Meanwhile, Garou gets a grim assignment: bring back the head of a hero.
- Saitama and Garou do not cross paths. No fights break out. Zero battles. The stage is set, the curtain never rises.
- There is a quick Saitama-and-King video game moment, but it never lands as comic relief.
The vibe: all setup, not much pulse
This premiere plays like a slideshow of familiar faces. Reintroductions, table-setting, warnings of a massive clash on the horizon... and then credits. Setup is fine, necessary even, but the execution is flat. The pacing is glacial, the animation is ordinary, and the editing is choppy enough that scene transitions feel more patchwork than momentum-building.
In theory, this should build suspense for episode 2. In practice, it mostly builds frustration. You can feel the characters stewing in anticipation while the audience is right there with them, waiting for something, anything, to happen.
About those expectations
After a six-year gap, fans expected a punchier return than this. The episode reintroduces a lot of players but barely clarifies their goals or threat levels beyond the obvious: they want to cause chaos. Even the quick attempt at humor with Saitama and King does not break the monotony.
Harsh but fair: it feels like a step down from season 2, and that is not the direction anyone wanted. As an opener, it reads low-budget and low-energy, which puts extra pressure on the next few episodes to prove the season has teeth.
Bottom line
One Punch Man season 3, episode 1 is all foreplay, no payoff. The board is set, but the game does not start. The studio needs to come out swinging, fast.
One Punch Man is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.