This One Punch Man villain had the perfect ending to their character arc (and it's not Garou)

There are several One Punch Man villains that fans have come to love. The final villain in the first season of the anime series was Boros. He didn’t receive much screen time in the anime despite being a major villain in the story. He was exceptionally powerful and there wasn’t a single person other than Saitama who could have taken him on and won.

Some might argue that the likes of Blast could have defeated him. There’s little that we know about both the aforementioned characters. However, one thing is clear—Boros was a threat to the very existence of humanity. He was so powerful that he quite literally devoured planets. However, his power wasn’t the only thing that viewers found appealing. This character had the perfect ending and this why fans love him.

Disclaimer: The final section of the article contains massive spoilers from the One Punch Man manga series.

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Boros' characterization and his ending in One Punch Man

There are various debates that discuss the best-written villain in the story. While many are inclined towards finding Garou to be the best-written character, there are a few who believe that Boros was a better antagonist.

There are plenty of reasons why Boros might have been a better villain in this case. Furthermore, fans also love the fact that Boros did not overstay his welcome. He had a clear intention in the One Punch Man series—to fight someone stronger than him. He met his match and the fight was decided rather quickly.

He accepted defeat graciously and put on an admirable effort. Boros left a mark on the entire animaga community and showcased why he is one of the best villains in the story. One of the most striking features of Boros was that he didn’t have moral ambiguity at any point. He had a strong set of ideals in the One Punch Man. He held onto them and believed in them until the very end.

He did not sway from his beliefs. On the other hand, fans saw Garou dealing with internal struggles at every step of the way. While some might argue that added to his complexity, some prefer to see characters driven by a strong sense of belief. Additionally, Boros’ presentation on every medium was consistent. This implies the lack of any variation in the source material, the manga, or the anime series.

Boros as seen in the manga adaptation (Image via Shueisha)

The One Punch Man webcomic series portrayed him in a certain way and the animanga adaptations depicted him in the exact same manner.

Garou, on the other hand, was treated differently in the manga and webcomic series. His characterization in the source material was perfect. However, the manga adaptation did not do him justice and continued to introduce other elements that weren’t really present in the source material.

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Will Boros return in One Punch Man?

The answer to this question is a tad bit more complex than a simple “yes” or a “no”. Boros was well and truly dead after taking on Saitama. However, Dr. Bofoi took his body and placed him in a tube filled with healing solution. While his physical body was regenerating, there was absolute no brain activity. Genos encountered this tube after visiting one of Dr. Bofoi’s laboratories.

He incinerated the entire setup which implied that Boros’ physical body was no longer intact. However, One Punch Man fans believe that he might return to the story since it was done very abruptly.

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Conclusion

Boros was a well-written villain in One Punch Man. Furthermore, his characterization was very consistent across all mediums of the story. Therefore, fans who consumed the story in every single format were able to enjoy this character. His strong belief system and the manner in which he accepted defeat were some of the reasons why fans loved him.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2025 progresses.

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