One Punch Man: The staggering inspiration behind Watchdog Man's silent vigilance explained

One Punch Man: The staggering inspiration behind Watchdog Man
One Punch Man: The staggering inspiration behind Watchdog Man's silent vigilance explained (Image via J. C. Staff)

One Punch Man is without a doubt one of the best action-comedy anime series ever made, and with season 3 on the horizon, fans can't wait any longer. The series' most notable feature is its enormous cast, which includes Tatsumaki, Genos, Genos, and Saitama as the protagonist, among many others.

One of the most notable heroes in One Punch Man is the Watchdog Man. The Watchdog Man is an S-class professional hero and ranked number 12 in the Hero Association. Dressed in a full-body dog suit, the Watchdog Man is assigned to City-Q.

The Watchdog Man tirelessly protects the city through his silent vigilance. In addition to that, he is incredibly powerful, which is something that caught everyone off guard in the second season of One Punch Man.


One Punch Man's Watchdog Man's unwavering vigilance is remarkably inspired by Hachiko

The Watchdog Man in One Punch Man is inspired by Hachiko, a towering example of loyalty and fidelity. The Watchdog Man is equally committed to protecting his city and upholding the law, as well as being loyal and dependable.

The Watchdog Man in One Punch Man is as devoted to his domain (City-Q) as Hachiko was to his owner Hidesaburo Ueno, for whom he waited for nearly 9 years following Ueno's death at Shibuya Station. He is frequently seen patrolling or sitting while on guard.

Not only this but the Watchdog Man also keeps his silent vigilance in a similar way to Hachiko, who would wait for his owner every day while sitting quietly. Additionally, it was shown time and again throughout One Punch Man, how the Watchdog Man always sits guards over his monument near a train station, just like Hachiko's statue is situated at Shibuya Station.

In addition to drawing inspiration from Hachiko, the Watchdog Man also stands for underappreciated heroes.

In light of the fact that these are the characteristics of the Watchdog Man and that Hachiko is the awe-inspiring source of the Watchdog Man's stoic vigilance, there is a further consideration to make. He, like Saitama, is quiet, easily bored, feared by beasts, and possesses great strength. This leads us to the question: Is the Watchdog Man as strong as Saitama?


Is the Watchdog Man as strong as Saitama?

Although the Watchdog Man in One Punch Man has the ability to battle some challenging villains, he is not as powerful as Saitama. Even though Saitama and the Watchdog Man have not been explicitly compared in manga or anime, it is possible to conclude that their levels of power are not equivalent.

This is clear from the fact that the One Punch Man protagonist has unmatched strength, speed, and invincibility. He also goes beyond the bounds of normal human ability and is capable of taking down any villain with a single blow.

Additionally, as seen in One Punch Man season 2, while the Watchdog Man had some time to deal with Garou, Saitama hilariously knocked Garaou out in a flash as he prepared to attack King. Since the Watchdog Man's entire power hasn't been displayed in One Punch Man, and he's not stronger than Saitama, the issue arises as to whether or not he can beat Tatsumki.


Is the Watchdog Man stronger than Tatsumki?

Still of Tatsumaki and Watchdog Man from One Punch Man (Image via J. C. Staff)
Still of Tatsumaki and Watchdog Man from One Punch Man (Image via J. C. Staff)

Given that it is unlikely that the Watch Dog man is stronger than Saitama, as stated above, we will explore if he is any stronger than Tatsumaki.

However, like Saitama, there is no direct parallel between Tatsumaki and the Watchdog Man.

Tatsumaki, one of One Punch Man's most formidable characters, is a psychic esper with telekinetic abilities that allow her to manipulate objects and launch effective psychic attacks. Furthermore, according to manga creator Yusuke Murata, Tatsumaki's powers allow her to lift the entire city of Z-City. Not only that, but Tatsumaki also has superhuman speed and reflexes as well as improved endurance and stamina.

In contrast, the Watchdog Man's abilities are neither entirely disclosed nor explained, leaving fans in the dark about his strength. Nevertheless, despite the limited information provided, Watchman Dog possesses maneuverability, physical strength, quickness, and combat abilities. In addition, the Watchdog Man protects one of the most hazardous cities, City-Q.

To say that the Watchdog Man is stronger than Tatsumaki is incorrect, as Centichoro or Elder Centipede can only be defeated by Saitama, Blast, Metal Knight, and Tatsumaki, according to Gyoro Gyoro.

However, if Watchdog is not as powerful as Saitama and not as powerful as Tatsuki, how did he defeat Garou?


How Watchdog Man was able to beat Garou?

As previously discussed, the extent of Watchdog Man's power raises the question of how he was able to defeat Gaour. In One Punch Man, when Watchdog Man and Garou fought, Garou retreated because he recognized The Watchdog Man's superior agility and strength.

Garou attacked him with his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. However, the Watchdog Man was able to block all of Garou's attacks while remaining at a safe distance, allowing Garou to realize he was outmatched.

Another major factor that contributed to Garou's defeat was that the Watchdog Man only fought Garou when he was in his limited power, rather than against the awakened Gaoru. If the Watchdog Man had faced the awakened Garou in One Punch Man, he would have been defeated in a heartbeat.


Stay tuned for more One Punch Man and other anime and manga updates as 2023 progresses.

Quick Links

Edited by Vinay Agrawal
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications