One Punch Man’s protagonist Saitama is cursed with incredible strength, able to kill most any foe with a single strike. Video games are home to their fair share of overpowered characters though, and so in honor of the release of One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows, we’ve compiled a totally serious list of 10 video game characters who could take Saitama in a fight.
Kratos (God of War)
If there’s any video game character with experience taking down beings vastly stronger than himself, it’s God of War‘s Kratos.
A half-god who’s tangled with the entire Greek pantheon of deities, the protagonist of the God of War series has his fair share of otherworldly abilities. He can rip enemies apart limb from limb, weather blows that would leave mortals in a clump on the ground, and has even climbed back out of Hell itself after being successfully killed.
He’s likewise skilled with a variety of weapons and fighting styles. From his trademark Blades of Chaos and the Leviathon axe to his bare hands, he’s capable of dismantling an opponent with just about anything heavy, hard or sharp, and isn’t afraid to improvise when the need arises.
Now, admittedly, he’d probably need to get the drop on Saitama to implement any of these skills, and he may get creamed once or twice before he puts up a real fight. But hey, that’s still better than most other opponents could manage against the Caped Baldy.
Sephiroth
If collateral damage isn’t a factor to consider, then Final Fantasy VII’s Sephiroth would be an ideal opponent for Saitama.
Host to super-human abilities thanks to his being exposed to cells from Jenova before birth, the former Soldier elite is a master with a sword, magic and hand to hand combat. He can also teleport to and away from his opponents seemingly at will, and can summon angels to drain an enemy’s health away from them in a flash.
And that’s just what he can do before he transforms. Should he choose to go all out, he’ll gain abilities that could only be called god-like, summoning meteors capable of destroying solar systems before making their devastating impact.
Should he and Saitama ever cross paths, he could whip out said meteor attack to wipe out the planet they’re fighting on, giving him a solid minute or so where Saitama wouldn’t be able to breathe due to being in the vacuum of space.
Things’ll still be touch and go after that, but it would at least even the playing field enough for Sephiroth to get some hits in before suffering the damage from one of Saitama’s punches.
The Chosen Undead (Dark Souls)
Surviving Saitama’s punches isn’t possible for most living beings, but that isn’t much of an issue for a character who can’t die permanently no matter how hard they try.
Enter the Chosen Undead, the protagonist and player character of the Dark Souls series. Cursed to live for as long as it takes them to prolong the Age of Fire, they’ll come back to life, again and again, no matter how many times they’re smashed, stabbed, set on fire or devoured by horrifying creatures.
It’s a terrible fate to have, but also one which is ideal for a showdown with a being capable of killing them in one blow. Even if Saitama obliterates them with a single punch, they can come back to life and try to land a hit on him through determination, perseverance and a healthy dose of stubbornness.
It may take a while to see any results – after all, the chosen undead won’t have any otherworldly powers they’re attacking Saitama with – but after a few years or decades, they’re sure to start leaving at least a scratch on the overpowered hero.
Dracula (Castlevania Series)
As the embodiment of evil itself, Castlevania’s Dracula has a decent chance of overcoming Saitama in a war of attrition.
Across the centuries of his battles with the Belmonts and other vampire hunters, Dracula has proven himself capable of a number of impressive feats. He can fling devastating magic from his fingertips, rend flesh with a swipe of his claws and transform into a number of terrifying forms that only strengthen him.
He likewise can’t be killed, or at least can’t be killed permanently. No matter how many times he’s laid to rest, he always comes back thanks to the lingering hatred in mankind’s hearts, either as himself or in the form of a reincarnated person like Soma Cruz.
As such, he could duke it out with Saitama, flinging his full array of abilities and transformations at the hobby hero. Even if he doesn’t overcome him in their first encounter, he can simply come back in a few years and try it all again. He might even be able to do this long enough that Saitama passes away from old age, which would technically still count as a victory.
Dante (Devil May Cry)
Devil May Cry‘s snarky devil hunter Dante is no stranger to facing down all-powerful demonic beings, so who’s to say he couldn’t go toe-to-toe with Saitama?
Capable of wielding a huge arsenal of weapons, Dante’s a master at thinking on the fly and adapting to the situation. Whether he’s swarmed by bats made of blood or facing down a master swordsman intent on exterminating mankind, he’s always capable of diving straight into a challenge, shooting, slashing and maneuvering his way through the opponent until they’re six feet under.
Even should he not succeed at first, he’s basically invincible. He’s been flattened, shot and stabbed more times than he can count, and every time he’s shrugged it off with little more than a sarcastic quip and a ten-fold retaliatory attack.
With all this in mind, Dante might actually be able to stand toe-to-toe with Saitama for an actual fight. He may slip up here or there and need to regenerate a hole Saitama puts in his chest with a jab, but before long, they’ll be going at it again until one or both of them decides to move onto something more interesting.
Albert Wesker (Resident Evil)
Resident Evil’s Albert Wesker is one of the series’ most formidable abominations, and he might even be strong enough to give Saitama a run for his money.
A master of hand to hand combat modified with the T-Virus, Wesker is capable of moving and reacting to opponents at inhuman speeds. He can likewise deliver blows several times stronger than any human could ever hope to deliver, and has walked away from more than a few encounters that should have left him dead thanks to a healing factor granted by the virus.
These abilities only become more pronounced when he lets his T-Virus abilities run rampant, or injects himself with the Uroboros Virus. Once this occurs, his strength is augmented further, and he gains the ability to produce tendrils from his body capable of protecting him from harm and lashing out at opponents.
Like with other entries on this list, Wesker’s battle with Saitama would be one of attrition. He’d likely get torn apart a few times by Saitama’s punches, but after regenerating, he’d be right back in it, dodging blows while delivering ominous monologues. Before long, Saitama might even be creeped out enough to bail, giving Wesker a win by forfeit.
Asura (Asura’s Wrath)
A protagonist similarly fond of punching things to solve his problems, Asura from Asura’s wrath might be able to match the quality of Saitama’s punches with quantity.
A former deity driven by the rage of being betrayed by his comrades, Asura is basically anger given a human form. The angrier he gets, the more powerful he becomes, capable of punching his way through mountains and planets alike.
This strength is only boosted by the fact that he can grow multiple arms out of his body. Each is capable of delivering blows just as powerful as those he’d deliver with one fist, and when combined have the power to decimate even those that hold the power of creation at their fingertips.
To be fair, he can still be torn asunder by some well-placed punches and blows – and would likely get pounded into the ground a few times should he confront Saitama – but in a prolonged fight, he’d be able to match Saitama’s insane power with his own.
He’d also be able to keep the fight going for as long as necessary, and could even keep going after Saitama long after he’s reached the point where he gets bored and goes off to catch a sale at the supermarket. It would be annoying for sure, but would also ensure Saitama goes all out.
Lavos (Chrono Trigger)
Yet another method that hasn’t been attempted against Saitama is rewinding time to before his punch landed; something Chrono Trigger’s Lavos is more than capable of.
An alien parasite that landed on Earth millions of years ago, Lavos is capable of several feats. It can rain down destruction with lasers and explosive blasts, hinder opponents with debilitating status ailments, and imitate other beings’ attacks and abilities.
It can also regenerate parts of itself after they’re destroyed, and should someone reach its core, it can alter the flow of time to put itself in a better position for victory.
This presents some interesting potential should a fight ever break out between it and Saitama. It could rain down destruction on the bald hero before he manages to pierce its shell and come to the core, it can keep rewinding time until it finds itself in a position to do damage against him.
Admittedly, this could backfire, and it could end up in an endless cycle of rewinding time to avoid its own demise from a single punch. But hey, that would also mean Saitama is stuck trying to defeat it for the rest of time.
Pyramid Head (Silent Hill 2)
Though the chances of this one happening are pretty slim – even by the premise of this list – Silent Hill’s Pyramid Head could prove too great for Saitama’s punches to overcome.
An embodiment of guilt and punishment, Pyramid Head is a nightmare made real. He stalks his prey relentlessly through hallways, dilapidated buildings and fog-swept streets alike, always announcing his presence with the sound of a great sword dragging across the ground.
Should he catch up to said prey, he won’t go easy on them. He’ll slice them to ribbons, slam them against walls and otherwise throttle them into a pile of blood and viscera on the ground, delivering the punishment that they deserve; and, most times, have been longing for ever since they committed some unspeakable crime.
Granted, Saitama hasn’t ever done anything warranting such a brutal punishment. Likewise, being a manifestation of guilt, it’s hard to say if punching Pyramid Head would do much of anything, even if said punches are absurdly powerful.
But hey, Saitama’s been mistaken for other people before, so it’s at least possible Pyramid Head might mistake him for someone else. Should that happen, it’s anyone’s guess how long the fight would last.
The Fly (Fly in the House)
Those who have seen the “One Punch Man” anime will know that Saitama does have a weakness: He can’t kill mosquitoes and other small insects, like the Fly found in the indie title Fly in the House.
While it may not boast regenerative capabilities, super strength, an arsenal of weapons or super speed, the Fly is small and hard to hit; two things which can and have brought Saitama to the verge of insanity before.
All it would really need to do is buzz around in his general vicinity, perhaps landing on his head a few times, and before long he’d be swinging and swatting fruitlessly at it until the area around him is a pile of rubble.
And yet, the Fly would remain, always ducking just out of the way of Saitama’s devastating blows. Before long, it would stand victorious, with Saitama left quivering on the ground as little more than a puddle of frustration and insanity.
Published: Mar 3, 2020 02:00 pm