In the anime world, some debates seem eternal, and one of the biggest is the fan-made showdown between Goku from Dragon Ball and Saitama from One Punch Man. While Goku can destroy entire planets, Saitama ends fights with a single punch. But everything changed when Saitama mastered time travel, a feat Goku has yet to achieve.
Time travel shifts the balance between Goku and Saitama
The debate over who is stronger between Goku and Saitama has long been a hot topic on manga and anime forums. Both are top contenders for the title of “strongest anime character.” On one side, Goku constantly evolves with every battle, reaching power levels that challenge even the God of Destruction Beerus. On the other, Saitama’s sneeze alone could obliterate the surface of Jupiter.
For a long time, it was hard to decide who was stronger. But chapter 173 of the One Punch Man manga clarified things by revealing Saitama’s time travel technique. After inheriting an unfinished skill from Garou, Saitama quickly mastered it and traveled back in time to save the world. This achievement elevates Saitama beyond Goku, because even with Ultra Instinct, facing someone who can manipulate time is nearly impossible.
The One Punch Man anime will soon showcase Saitama’s greatest power
The One Punch Man anime is currently in its third season, adapting the Monster Association arc. Viewers have witnessed Garou’s incredible growth in strength and endurance, setting the stage for his later Cosmic Fear Mode.
In this state, Garou can manipulate particles in his body like antimatter. Although he can’t fully control time travel, he passed this ability to Saitama. Saitama successfully traveled back in time and defeated Garou with a single punch before the villain could appear in City Z, erasing all negative consequences from the timeline.
An interesting detail is that after changing history, Saitama has no memory of the dark future or the time travel technique he used. This ironic and absurd addition by One’s creator adds to Saitama’s legendary status, a moment fans will surely look forward to when it airs in the anime. While season 3 might not reach this climax, fans can eagerly anticipate it in season 4.