One Punch Man (Theory): Saitama showed his Einstein-like prowess seconds before moon-landing

Is One Punch Man's Saitama a genius in disguise (Image via Studio Madhouse)

One Punch Man fans know that Saitama is one of the strongest and most powerful heroes in all of anime. Yet, they sometimes forget that he can also be one of the craftiest and most intelligent ones. Due to the lack of seriousness with which he approaches most fights, people often forget just how smart Saitama can be during the most crucial moments.

While most people often forget this fact, fans on Reddit have recently started a discussion around how smart our favorite bald-caped crusader truly is. Continue reading to learn more about what was said on Reddit about Saitama’s brilliant mind.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s opinion. Sportskeeda does not claim ownership of any media used in the article unless otherwise specified.

One Punch Man may have proven that Saitama’s brain is as powerful as his strength

What have fans been saying on Reddit?

One of the most iconic and hilarious moments from One Punch Man’s first chapters is Saitama being sent to the moon by Boros. There, Saitama took a few moments to seemingly play with some rocks before jumping back to Earth to continue their battle.

However, some fans have started theorizing about that apparently insignificant moment. The theory goes that Saitama had a purpose other than boredom to take that rock before jumping back to Earth.

Saitama was aware that his power would destroy the Earth if he was not careful enough during his trip back. If he had put a little more power behind his jump, the Earth ran the risk of being destroyed by the impact.

Is Saitama really that smart?

With the help of a single rock, Saitama calculated the differences between the Earth’s and the Moon’s gravities. Taking said difference into account, Saitama knew exactly how much power to put behind his jump, avoiding the destruction of the Earth.

Within seconds, Saitama proved his strength, but this is not the only defining feature of his fighting style. He may not have the chance to prove it too often, but Saitama is extremely smart. He has used his quick thinking when needed to get out of the most difficult situations.

Can Saitama be One Punch Man's smartest hero? (Image via Studio Madhouse)

Another example of how quickly he can devise a solution to any issue was presented during the Deep Sea King arc of One Punch Man. Saitama realized that to keep people from losing faith in heroes after the fight against the fish-like villain, he needed to act like a fraud. This would make the other heroes look better, preventing society from collapsing.

Some fans argue that Saitama’s carefree attitude goes against the theory of him being a genius, as he rarely ever seems to think about his actions. Nonetheless, the fact that Saitama seldom acts seriously does not prevent him from being an intelligent individual.

Saitama using Jupiter's moon to attack Garou (Image via Yusuke Murata/Shueisha)

Unfortunately, because of his incredible power, Saitama hardly ever gets to demonstrate his full physical and mental capacity. When you can beat every single enemy in a single punch, strategy is not something that often comes into play during fights.

Still, he shows his amazing brainpower during the most difficult battles. Fans were impressed by Saitama’s power during his fight against Garou in the latest One Punch Man arc, but few noticed his strategy to take down the villain. After noticing how Garou jumped from portal to portal, Saitama used fragments of Jupiter’s moon to copy the villain.

Final thoughts

Saitama as seen in the show (Image via Studio Madhouse)

One Punch Man will always be known for its protagonist’s unbelievable power. Saitama’s power often overshadows the intelligence our favorite bald hero possesses. He may not be allowed to use it often in combat, but it is there. The moon scene is only one of the few examples of how smart Saitama can be when the times call for it.

Being able to calculate how much power to jump back to Earth was not only a testament to Saitama’s absolute control over his power but also his intelligence. Few heroes in Shonen can brag about accomplishing a feat of that magnitude.

It is likely that we will see many more moments like this as the story of One Punch Man progresses, as the enemies Saitama will fight against will only get stronger. Fans of the franchise may soon realize that Saitama is hiding the mind of a genius behind his bored and unbothered looks.