One Punch Man: Why does King respect Saitama so much? Explained

In the ongoing and popular One Punch Man series, King holds the title of an S-Class Rank professional hero of the Heroes Association. Revered as the 'Strongest Man on Earth,' King has built a reputation, being hailed as one of the most powerful and fearsome heroes in the world. However, it all turned out to be a hoax, as King was revealed to be an ordinary civilian who apparently had a great deal of luck.

Interestingly, the only reason why he was promoted to S-Class was because he was credited for the majority of Saitama's accomplishments, which happened since he turned out to be at the right place at the right time. Despite this revelation, the relationship between the two has never turned sour.

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One Punch Man: The dynamic between King and Saitama

While it can be argued that King did in fact take credit for all of Saitama's accomplishments and got promoted to the S-Class Rank as a result, it certainly wasn't his intention to do so. One time, he had a breakdown in front of Saitama as he confessed to him about everything and apologized for taking credit for all of his achievements.

King had openly expressed that he didn't mean to do what he did and was rather put in a position where he had no choice but to accept the responsibility of Saitama's actions. In doing so, he became famous all over the world for being the 'Strongest Man on Earth' and was feared and respected by everyone as a top-rank hero.

That said, all his fame had plenty of downsides as well, as he was often put in seemingly inescapable situations against enemies and other fellow heroes who sought to test out his strength.

King is hailed as seen in One Punch Man (Image via Studio Madhouse)

Things certainly wouldn't bode well for King if he got exposed at this point in the story. Not only would he get ostracized by the entire world for being a fraud, but he would also be targeted by his enemies since he was nothing more than an ordinary civilian. In order to prevent this from happening, King doesn't dare admit his actions in front of anyone. That said, even if he tried to, which he certainly did recently in the One Punch Man manga, no one would ever believe him.

Apparently, the only superpower that King seems to possess would be his incredible luck, which has not only saved his life numerous times but was also responsible for him becoming an S-Class hero in the first place. Furthermore, his luck kept his secret from being exposed, since there have been several times when people were close to finding out about him.

Saitama as seen in the One Punch Man anime (Image via Studio Madhouse)

While King may deeply regret his actions, Saitama, on the other hand, isn't much bothered by the fact that the former took credit for all his achievements. He simply advised King to get strong on his own and own up to his reputation one day. This moment showcased Saitama's outlook on being a hero, as he did not mind being looked down upon by the entire world.

There have been several instances where Saitama himself gave the other heroes credit for their achievements. He does not care much about ranking up and gaining more fame and popularity and is rather humble despite his limitless strength.

He was once even willing to diminish his own efforts and turn people against him, just so that the defeated heroes could get credit for their efforts against the Deep Sea King. This goes to show that Saitama is certainly one of the most morally upright characters in the One Punch Man series.

Therefore, it's easy to see why King respects Saitama so much in the One Punch Man series. Not only is he extremely humble despite his godlike power, but he is also willing to let other heroes take the spotlight in place of him. Furthermore, Saitama does not bear the tiniest bit of resentment for King, seeing as how the latter took credit for all his accomplishments and became a renowned hero as a result.

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Final Thoughts

One of the most interesting aspects of Saitama's character in the One Punch Man series is the fact that he never opts to use his strength for evil or even his own benefit.

Despite being shunned by the very people he once saved, Saitama remained true to his morals and continued to live by his motto of helping people in need and being a hero simply 'for fun'. It is because of these qualities that he gained the respect of so many people, especially King, who now serves as one of his closest friends.