One Punch Man: New villain has an edge on Saitama that nobody ever had

In One Punch Man chapter 172, fans saw Saitama use his enormous power to destroy an entire robotic army that was trying to kill Black Sperm and Rover. The manga series treated this battle like another hilarious demonstration of our hero’s power. However, this seemingly unimportant moment could be teasing who the next villain of the franchise could be.

The aforementioned robots that Saitama destroyed in chapter 172 were created by the mysterious Metal Knight. This enigmatic character is now aware of the bald hero’s true power, which could prove problematic in the future. Could the One Punch Man manga series be implying that Metal Knight is Saitama’s next foe?

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the One Punch Man manga series. It will reflect the author’s opinion.

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Is One Punch Man’s Metal Knight a villain in disguise?

Saitama destroying the robots (Image via Shueisha)

After the massive and destructive war between heroes and villains that occurred recently in the manga, the Hero Association created an apartment complex for the richest people to live in. One of the selling points of these new apartments is the fact that Rank-A and above heroes will be living there as well, to keep the residents safe.

Still, the association knew that heroes would not be enough to defeat Garou-level threats on their own, which is why they asked Metal Knight to create a robotic army. These robots were programmed to keep the apartment complex safe from any monster. When Saitama approached the building with Sperm and Rover in One Punch Man chapter 172, the robots were activated.

Dr. Bofoi as seen in One Punch Man (Image via Shueisha)

Our protagonist had no issues destroying the robots, as he managed to tear them to pieces without having to throw a punch. All of this was recorded and sent to Metal Knight, who was tasked with monitoring the complex and his new robots. While it has not yet been confirmed, the number six hero is most likely aware of Saitama’s true power.

Dr. Bofoi, the true identity behind the Metal Knight mask, could see Saitama as a potential threat. If the man is indeed aware of our hero’s power and seeks to eliminate him in the future, he will have a massive advantage over all the previous villains. He will be the first to begin the fight knowing how powerful Saitama truly is.

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Is Bofoi a villain?

Metal Knight as seen in the show (Image via Studio Madhouse)

As of the release of One Punch Man chapter 172, Dr. Bofoi is still one of the biggest mysteries in the franchise. Many heroes think that the actions taken by the doctor are unbecoming of someone with such a high rank amongst heroes. Without a doubt, Bofoi has his own agenda, which he prioritizes over his job as a hero.

He often arrives late to fights, he disregards the public’s safety just to acquire more data, and he has collected samples from alien technology without permission. The man is most likely planning something big, as proven by the interest he had in the Dark Matter Thieves’ ship.

Is Bofio trying to take over the world? (Image via Studio Madhouse)

In the webcomic that inspired the One Punch Man manga, the S-rank Hero Drive Knight even claimed that Bofoi is a villain trying to dominate the world. If these claims are true, Saitama would be the only one who could stop between the scientist and his goals. Nonetheless, now that he has a rough idea of how powerful the bald hero is, Metal Knight can come up with a plan to defeat Saitama.

Using the technology and DNA samples that he has acquired throughout the series, Metal Knight could create a weapon to destroy the protagonist. It is extremely unlikely that Saitama will be hurt by the new villain, even if he uses weapons of mass destruction. Still, this could lead to another massive fight, like the one he had with Garou, endangering the entire world.

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Final thoughts

Will Saitama have to fight his fellow Hero? (Image via Studio Madhouse)

Since the fight with Garou concluded, the One Punch Man fandom has been wondering who the new villain of the series will be. It seems like the answer may have been hiding in plain sight all this time. The mysterious hero Metal Knight could soon become Saitama’s most powerful opponent.

Thanks to the knowledge he has about the bald hero’s strength, Bofoi could design a machine that could truly test Saitama’s limits. While it is almost impossible for the scientist to win, his fight against the protagonist could become the most thrilling battle in the franchise. We will have to wait and see what the One Punch Man manga has in store for us next when the next chapter is released.