doi: 10.17605/OSF.

IO/AQ2WJ

In One Blow: The Futility of Nietzsche in

One-Punch Man
Ryan Johnson, University of Texas at Dallas

Abstract Thomson, Matthew Wolf-Meyer, and many

others) as shattering the concept of
To say that Superman owes something superheroes with his radically
of his existence to Friedrich Nietzsche’s deconstructive comic Watchmen. Yet
conception of the Übermensch is not exactly Moore’s grim vision of the real-world
a groundbreaking insight. The name itself, consequences of spectacular super-humans
“Superman,” is one of several standard is not the only attempt at coming to terms
translations of the German term.1 Jerry with the Übermensch. Though far more
Siegel and Joe Shuster’s creation and the lighthearted in tone, the manga One-Punch
four-colored figures that followed in his Man not only parodies the superhero genre
footsteps all descend, at least in part, from as a whole, but acts as a direct critique of the
this conception of the ideal man.2 Initially, Overman. By casting the hero Saitama as the
almost every one of these all-surpassing perfect superior individual, and then
comic book demigods were seen as exploring the unintended implications of
inherently positive; superior visions of such a condition, the mangaka ONE and
humanity dedicated to the protection and Yusuke Murata show just how pointless
uplifting of mere mortals because it was the Nietzsche’s Overman actually is.
right thing to do. Subsequent generations of
comics readers and artists were less satisfied It's a Bird, It’s a Plane…
with the simple, altruistic vision of super-
humanity, however, and contemplated how Published between 1883 and 1891,
such fantastically overwhelming power Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical
might actually manifest itself in the real narrative Thus Spake Zarathustra first
world of moral uncertainty and human postulated the evolutionary successor to
frailty. Alan Moore in particular has been humanity. Considering what form the post-
regularly cited (by scholars such as Iain human might take, the philosopher decided
that the change would primarily be
1
NB: For the purposes of this essay, the terms moral/psychological rather than physical. In
Übermensch and its translation “Overman” will be his various writings on the subject,
used interchangeably, whereas Superman refers Nietzsche found fault with the strictures of
specifically to Clark Kent.
2
Or, in later interpretations, woman. As a product of tradition and religion. There was little upon
his time, Nietzsche focused primarily on the which such antiquated practices were
masculine ideal. Coincidentally, superhero comics
were marketed primarily to young boys, and thus
founded, other than the ossifying effects of
shared Nietzsche’s lack of concern on the subject of time, and so he decided they must be set
the Over-woman.

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 4, No. 1, August 2018 143

aside for the species to progress. Thus, in the standard that it seems alien and malevolent
face of a meaningless moral system, the to the masses (Keeping, 50).
Overman creates his own code. In the This is not to say that the figure
context of adventure-fiction, these Über- Zarathustra prophesied was necessarily a
ethics primarily concern the conflict misunderstood but benevolent individual.
between good and evil, law and order, or Indeed, Nietzsche had little use for the
criminal and hero that has formed the core messianic urge that yoked true might into
of such tales since their ancient inception.3 subservience. He saw Jesus as one with the
Despots, villains, and fiends of all power of a true Übermensch who submitted
description necessarily fear the justice of the “to the will of his Father and [accepted] self-
Overman, but so too do the law-abiding sacrifice to aid second-rate humanity,”
innocents, whose worldview he attacks. whereas, in his view, “right or wrong, a true
Ne’er-do-wells may break the law, “but in superman imposes his own selfish order”
doing so [they] fortify the system of law (Gavaler, 170). The Overman is not one
itself created by the shepherds. The concerned with what others think is good or
[Overman], however, by nature of moving bad, but operates according to his own code
beyond the usual categories of good and and interests. Such a person goes about his
evil, challenges the entire moral paradigm or her own business with no thought for the
altogether” (Robertson, 51). By standing dictates of a meaningless tradition. If society
above the laws and morals of the world at should benefit from the Overman’s actions,
large, the Übermensch is an implicit threat well and good. If not, that is also well and
to the pre-existing systems, upon which so good, so long as his own purposes are
many common people depend for safety and served (Robertson, 56). Ultimately, despite
security. As such, he necessarily becomes a the similarity in name between the
menace to the majority; a figure of sinister Übermensch and Superman, the former is
uncertainty. Not that the Overman is truly “not a champion of the oppressed, but a
evil, however. Rather, he serves a distinct champion of the superself” (Gavaler, 54).
moral system that is so superior to the Nietzsche’s ideal is not only
metaphysically super-human, however. His
superiority to the common man was also a
3
bodily one as, “contrasted with the weakness
It is worth noting that Nietzsche qualified and
refined his ideal over the majority of his life, of the ‘herd,’ this Übermensch is
resulting in a body of work that is incredibly dense independent, strong, and, above all, healthy”
and complex, with a number of nuanced (Robertson, 51). This is not to say that the
interpretations over which scholars have argued in
the intervening century. Comics scholars in particular Overman is perforce super-strong. Rather,
have established a relatively standard set of attributes he represents a peak of human development;
for the Übermensch as he appears in superhero tales.
C. K. Robertson, William Salter, J. Keeping, Chris
the best that humanity could achieve if free
Gavaler, and others have repeatedly made reference of disease, malformation, malnutrition,
to the same passages from Nietzsche in establishing a congenital weakness, and other limiting
code that is relevant to the specific concerns and
narrative/media limitations of the Super Man: A factors. For Nietzsche, “healthiness of body
standard which shall inform the bulk of this essay.

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was a foremost consideration (a not- organizing his or her character in a
unexpected premise, given the philosopher’s coherent way around the value, by
own illness-ridden state)” (Robertson, 55). making it the formative principle of
Still, this physical vigor was not only for its his or her life. (Keeping, 52)
own sake, as the philosopher believed that
the Overman could only come about through With this unifying principle as a motivating
tribulation. The world is a hard place, and in force, the Overman thus begins to train
it any would-be superhuman was sure to himself in body and spirit. It is an arduous
find “his dragon, the superdragon that is process, being less akin to the origin of
worthy of him” (Nietzsche, Thus Spake Superman and more to the transformations
Zarathustra, XLIII). Though a difficulty, of self-made characters such as Doc Savage,
this “superdragon” also acts as a blessing, Batman, or Ozymandias, who acquired their
for its opposition gives the Overman physical and mental abilities “laboriously
something against which to challenge and little by little, through much industry,
himself, and thus to grow. “His underlying self-constraint, limitation, through much
idea is that the men of the future will be men obstinate, faithful repetition of the same
of power and can only be proved by labors, the same enunciations” (Nietzsche,
opposition. He early saw the place of Will to Power, 995). Indeed, based on name
insecurity, peril, and danger in educating the alone, one might be forgiven for thinking
race and bringing out its higher qualities” that Siegel and Shuster’s Superman is the
(Salter 431). The challenge to be met and most iconic representation of the
overcome would require both strength of Übermensch. While the big blue Boy Scout
both a physical and metaphysical nature for may have initially had some superior
the successors of humanity to succeed. tendencies, however, his radical nature was
Given the prerequisite moral and subsumed into the role of a conservative
corporeal fortitude, as well as the hardships patrician upholding American ideals; the
necessary to prompt evolution, how then same sort of traditional morality against
does a man become an Overman? Nietzsche which Nietzsche railed. Moreover, despite
insists that it is through the assertion of the his alter-ego as Clark Kent, Superman was
self; what he later calls the “Will to Power.” not technically a man, in the sense that he
was Kryptonian by birth. Therefore, “no
Nietzsche spoke of a “dominant matter how much wishing the audience did,
thought” or a “ruling idea” that they could never be Superman; they would
motivates the creator…If we never be able to do what he could do.
understand the “ruling idea” as that Nietzsche had been clear that the
which governs this reconstruction of Übermensch was not an unattainable,
one’s character, and if we identify it otherworldly dream, nor a next step in
with the value (or values) that one evolution that was beyond human beings to
creates, then the Übermensch is a achieve” (Robertson, 53). Thus, though a
person who creates a value by definite part of his ancestry, Superman’s

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Nietzschean attributes are somewhat With this singular purpose fueling his
vestigial. The true Overman, in the spirit of decision, Saitama begins to train day-and-
Batman and Ozymandias, forges himself night. Through regular exercise, and by
into a superior specimen of humanity, both pitting himself against the endless tide of
morally and physically, and thus becomes monsters emerging to threaten the populace,
what Nietzsche asserts is the next step in he grows piecemeal over three years until he
human evolution; what all should strive for. becomes the truly super-human figure who
will eventually be dubbed “The Caped
A Hero for Fun! Baldy.” A closer look at the hero’s training
regimen is worthwhile, as it points to two
This program of transformation is almost particularly Übermensch-ian qualities.
step-for-step the same followed by a young, Having gained an apprentice—the cyborg
unremarkable man named Saitama. Genos, who seeks to follow Saitama’s path
Depressed and unemployed in modern to ultimate power—the hero attacks an
Japan, he has been seeking a position as a underground complex experimenting in
salaryman; a modern archetype comparable human/animal super-beings. When the
to the “Gray Flannel Suit” of 1950s strongest senses the protagonist’s true
America. Confronted by one of the many strength, he demands an explanation, to
monsters infesting the cities, Saitama is which Saitama responds:
asked why he doesn’t run. “I just had an
interview and failed miserably,” the young One hundred push-ups. One hundred
man returns. “I don’t care about anything sit-ups. One hundred squats. And run
now. I don’t even feel like running from ten kilometers. Every Day!! Also,
you, Crablante. So what’re you gonna do if I eat three meals a day. Even just a
don’t?” (ONE, “Punch 2,” 30). Not only is banana will do for breakfast. To train
the normal vision of society and life your spirit, never use heat in the
pointless and unfulfilling, but the young winter or air conditioning in the
man is so personally inept that he cannot summer. It’ll almost kill you early
even succeed at that. Thus, when confronted on, and you’ll consider taking a day
with a mortal threat from which most people off. But I wanted to be a strong hero,
would run screaming, Saitama cannot even so I persevered every day, even if I
muster the energy to care. Life is vomited blood. Even when I felt so
meaningless, so why bother trying to protect heavy I could barely move, I did
or sustain it? The hero-to-be descent into squats. Even if my arms made weird
nihilism is only temporarily, however, and popping sounds, I did push-ups. One
when the monstrous Crablante threatens a year later, I noticed a change…I was
young brat, Saitama throws himself into the bald. And I’d gotten stronger. In
fray to save the boy, ultimately deciding that other words, train so hard you lose
he will be a hero. your hair. That’s the only way to get
strong. If you’re fiddling around with

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 a ‘new humanity’ and ‘evolution,’ the single-minded dedication, that allows
you’ll never make it. Human strength him to elevate himself. In the pages of One-
lies in the ability to change yourself! Punch Man, the “Will to Power” is literal. It
(ONE, “Punch 11,” 70-73, emphasis is his intense determination, not the specific
in original). muscles grown through exercise, that
changes the man Saitama into an
Rather than relying on external shortcuts, Übermensch.
such as genetic engineering, artificial It is important to note, however, that it is
evolution, or even the alien supremacy of not heroism, per se, that the Caped Baldy
Superman, Saitama promotes the will to seeks. Or at least not the traditional
change oneself. The Nietzschean “Will to understanding of heroism. He does not
Power,” the desire and drive to become attempt to save the world out of a sense of
better, coupled with a steady, incremental altruism or service to the masses, but rather
advance in physical and mental ability, because he likes doing it. On his first
allows the failed-salaryman to transform appearance in the manga, a monster asks
himself into the true Overman, capable of who he is, and the first words he says are
defeating any foe in the eponymous “one “Someone who’s a hero for fun” (ONE,
punch.” The program that Saitama describes “Punch 1,” 18, see Fig. 1). His entire
would fit exactly with that proposed by motivation is his own enjoyment. He does
Nietzsche (potential disagreements on the not fight for truth and justice, but because he
taste of bananas excepted). enjoys it and wants to find an opponent who
Despite the clear philosophical parallels can actually test him. That this typically
between Saitama’s regimen and the self- leads him to attack monsters and save the
creation of an Übermensch, however, not lives of endangered mortals is a pleasant
every character is impressed with the hero’s bonus, but it is ultimately incidental to his
metaphysical mastery. Every one of activities. When fighting a giant superhuman
Saitama’s auditors is momentarily stunned, that stands literal miles tall, Saitama fells
until his apprentice Genos haltingly stutters him with one blow, as expected. When the
“Master…You are so…FULL OF CRAP! dead body falls, however, it crashes onto
That is just regular strength training! It is not City B, destroying it, to which the hero’s
even that hard!” (ONE, “Punch 11,” 74-75, only response is “Oops” (ONE, “Punch 3,”
emphasis in original). Yet the Caped Baldy 64). The loss of life and property is
insists that really is the entirety of his secret. unfortunate, to be sure, but at the end of the
While this is played for laughs in the manga, day the Overman succeeded in his goals, so
in truth it reinforces the Nietzschean all is well.
elements of the hero. The training regimen is And, as Zarathustra predicted, this alien
valuable, especially in terms of the general Übermensch morality does not exactly
health that the philosopher prized, but that is endear the Caped Baldy to his fellow
not in itself what elevates Saitama to the citizens. In one instance, Saitama destroys a
rank of Overman. Instead, it is the purpose, meteor about to flatten City Z by punching

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it, but the shattered fragments of stone still citizens. Saitama arrives at the last moment,
cause massive amounts of damage (though after all the heroes have fallen in an attempt
still less than the total destruction that the to stall the creature, and slays it with a single
intact space-rock would have caused). punch. While most of the onlookers are
Meeting Saitama in one of the rubble-strewn grateful to be rescued, one questions the
streets, a pair of jealous fellow-heroes need for heroes who, even in a group, cannot
attempt to turn the people against him. save the people from a single monster,
Tank-Top Black Hole, the instigator, shouts especially as they are provided for by public
“You caused a tragedy! But you call taxes. As the crowd begins to sour against
yourself a hero?! Look around! You did the superheroes, Saitama turns and
this…Your rash behavior resulted in all arrogantly claims credit for killing the
this suffering! Don’t you even want to monster, even if the other heroes had
accept responsibility? You should give up weakened it first, playing on an existing
being a hero!” (ONE, “Punch 22,” 106-108, rumor that he is a fake who steals the credit
emphasis in original). The trick works, and for other heroes’ work. He asks the crowd to
bystanders begin to call him names and tend to the wounded heroes, saying that “If
shout for him to get lost. Tank-Top Black they die, I can’t use them anymore,”
Hole uses the crowd’s anger as an excuse to prompting the people to fully believe his
attack Saitama, but naturally fails. As the unsavory reputation and declare “By
hero stares down the crowd around them, he comparison, the other heroes are truly
shouts out “Shut up! Shut up! Tell it to the heroic! If they hadn’t weakened the
meteor, you idiots! I’m not a hero because I monster, we’d be dead! We should be
want your approval! I do it because I want deeply thankful to them (ONE, “Punch 28,”
to! What do I care about the damage?! If 152-153, emphasis in original). As an
you wanna hate me, then hate me!!” (ONE, Übermensch, Saitama is neither ruled nor
“Punch 22,” 124-125, emphasis in original). affected by conventional understandings of
This declaration of defiance is the epitome right and wrong. All that matters is his own
of the Übermensch, one who acknowledges purpose, and the fulfillment of his own
only his own power as guiding principle, desires.
and refuses to submit to the constraints of an Being a hero for fun, Saitama obviously
empty tradition. values the role of “hero” (not as in a noble
Like Nietzsche’s Overman, Saitama exemplar, but more someone who is allowed
does not care at all about how the common to run around and beat up monsters and bad
herds perceive or judge him. Indeed, in guys), as well as the friends and comrades
another instance, he intentionally sabotages who were thrashed by the Sea King. When
his own reputation, as Tank-Top Black Hole they are threatened, therefore, he casts
had previously attempted to do for him. himself as the villain to redeem the
When a vicious monster called the Sea King reputation of heroes in general. He is such a
attacks City J, it brutalizes several extremely superior figure that he can absorb the abuse
powerful heroes in a bid to eat the town’s and hatred of the masses without concern,

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and thus allow both himself and his friends the punches, replies “Tell me about
to continue doing as they please. it…Overwhelming strength is boring”
(ONE, “Punch 3,” 58-64). Whereupon he
Don’t Get Stronger jumps through the air and decks the beast in
the jaw, killing him. Similarly, in a later arc
The hero Saitama begins as a typical involving a martial arts tournament, the hero
mortal in a world of turmoil. He faces the faces off against a fighter who is also vastly
realization that life as it is commonly lived superior to his opponents, having defeated
is meaningless, and thus decides to forge his all of them in a single kick. His strength is
own path forward, becoming a hero. Driven nothing compared to the ultimate
by a fierce, almost supernatural, Übermensch, however, as none of his
determination, he trains for several years attacks so much as ruffle the Caped Baldy.
until, over time, his physical and mental Even those that the hero allows to connect
state reach the human pinnacle and surpass do little more than leave a scuff mark. As
it; until he stands above the crowd’s petty the two talk mid-contest, it becomes
morality, a true exemplar of the apparent that Suiryu, the martial artist, is so
Übermensch. And what does he gain? Does strong that he uses his power to live a life of
he save the world through his own genius, as ease, entering tournaments and effortlessly
Ozymandias in Watchmen, or live Bruce destroying his foes whenever he wants the
Wayne’s easy life of a playboy and secret prize money or to have fun. He counsels
adventurer? No. Instead, Saitama lives in a Saitama to do the same, to which the hero
small, one-person apartment in an replies “I have some advice for you. If you
abandoned section of City Z, spending his wanna have fun you should avoid getting
time destroying world-ending threats with any stronger” (ONE, “Punch 70,” 144-145,
no recognition and little remuneration or emphasis in original).
worrying about sales on groceries. In the While the dialogue and storylines fully
world of One-Punch Man, the Overman is convey Saitama’s Über-ennui, it is the
Over-bored. At the start of the series, visuals that truly demonstrate the difference
Saitama has become so superior, not only to between an Übermensch and a normal
everyday mortals but to other superheroes, (super-) human. Much of the hero’s visual
that he defeats every foe in a single punch. style comes from the original incarnation of
And because of that, his life lacks zest. One-Punch Man, which was initially
When fighting the aforementioned giant, for produced as a webcomic, written and drawn
example, Saitama is subject to a flurry of by ONE. His artwork was largely
building-leveling blows. The monster, amateurish, but when the manga was
thinking himself victorious, laments the formally published in Shonen Jump, artist
accidental death of his brother moments Yusuke Murata was brought on to illustrate
before, saying “I am the strongest man. the stories, giving them a highly
So…what? It feels empty,” to which professional look. Nevertheless, Murata
Saitama, from within a deep crater left by maintained much of the distinct aesthetic of

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the main character. In almost every instance while his ovoid face suddenly sports sharply
of his appearance, Saitama’s face is a defined cheekbones and a distinct brow. In
marked contrast from his surroundings. In the following panel, infuriated by the foe’s
the first issue, for example, he destroys a escape, his face is contorted with rage. The
horned, purple creature. As his fist blows a veins stand out rigidly on his face and neck,
hole through the screaming monster’s torso, his eyebrows are furrowed, and where
the background is filled with dramatic lines before his face was entirely flat in now has
radiating away from the point of impact, depth and definition (ONE, “Punch 5,” 95-
lending a distinct energy to the scene. The 96, see Fig. 3 and 4). This battle does not
fiend’s body is highly detailed, veins lend any particular joie de vivre to Saitama,
standing rigid along bulging muscles as his however, as all of this effort has been
eyes pop out and his flesh is torn to shreds exerted in the attempt to swat a mosquito. At
by the force of the blow. In contrast to this other times, he is roused to ire by missing a
dense, stimulating backdrop, Saitama’s face sale at the grocery store, being beaten at a
is utterly placid. His eyebrows, mouth, and game by an otaku friend, or when his
the tops of his eyes are all straight lines, dreams supply the challenge that reality
devoid of any passion or intensity, while his cannot. Having propelled himself from
head is little more than a featureless egg, mundanity to the heights of power, it is now
especially in contrast to the high level of only the utterly normal and universal that
detail on the monster. He is flat, where the can excite him. The daily grievances and
rest of the world is vivid and alive. Even the worries that plague everyone are all that
border lines that separate his character from prompt a response in the hero.
the background are drawn slightly but This is the ultimate fate of the
noticeably thicker on Saitama, causing him Übermensch, and ONE’s contribution to the
to stand out in jarring graphic dissonance conversations surrounding the socio-cultural
(see Fig. 2). Time and again the simplicity role of superheroes. The Nietzschean “Will
with which Saitama is drawn is presented in to Power” can lead one to the heights of
direct contrast to other characters, be they excellence, but if followed to completion it
humans, heroes, or monsters. The Overman also leads to a rather pointless existence.
is so far removed from the rest of the world Saitama himself lays out his conundrum:
that he does not even resemble it anymore.
This is not to say that the Caped Baldy The evil running rampant around the
has only one expression, however. In truth, world shows no sign of disappearing.
there are times when his passions are roused It hasn’t changed since I became a
and the hero becomes as visually defined hero for fun. In other words, I’m
and dynamic as any other character in the having no effect on society. I’m not
series. In one such instance, he leaps into the sad about that. I do this for fun, so I
air, delivering a flurry of blows at his just need to satisfy myself. Fighting
enemy. His hands move so quickly that they evil in the name of justice excited
are blurred streaks of white encircling him, and pleased me when I had lost the

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 will to live. But now I have a big dystopian nightmare. While this argument
problem. My emotions are dulling. I caused many readers to think about the
have no fear, no joy, no tension, no implications of their beloved genre, it does
anger. In exchange for strength, have not entirely disenchant one with the notion
I lost something important as a of supreme power. After all, oppression is
human being? Emotions used to not so nightmarish if one is the superior
swirl within me when I fought. Fear, oppressor. What an other-focused individual
impatience, anger. But now…day (following the Messianic model that
after day, after one punch, I go home Nietzsche so despised) may find
unharmed and wash my gloves. objectionable does not necessarily concern
When I fight super-humans and an egotist like the Overman. So One-Punch
monsters, there is no clash of spirits. Man provides the anti-Nietzschean argument
They’re like bugs. (ONE, “Punch 5,” for such egotists. A reader should not
92-93) unthinkingly follow the path of personal
superiority, not because it will make them
Instead of the life of adventure and abhorrent to others, but because it is so
excitement that he expected, the hero’s incredibly dull. ONE and Yusuke Murata
fulfillment of the promise of super-humanity are essentially telling their readers that if
only leads to boredom and detachment from they have dreams of becoming an Aryan
all but the most petty aspects of life. It is not Superman and bending the world to their
the life that readers of Superman and other iron will, it is doable, but they would
comics were promise. And that is the point. probably have a lot more fun just playing
Since his inception in 1938, Superman and some video games with a buddy.
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Explosion.” One-Punch Man, Vol. 01, translated by John Werry, 2015, 91-112, pp. 94.

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Fig. 4 When roused, such as by the mosquito’s escape, Saitama’s face becomes much more
detailed. ONE, art by Yusuke Murata. “Punch 5: Itch Explosion.” One-Punch Man, Vol. 01,
translated by John Werry, 2015, 91-112, pp. 95.

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Fig. 5 Saitama (in disguise) faces off against the martial artist Suiryu. Note the contrasting visual
styles of the two figures. ONE, art by Yusuke Murata. “Punch 70: Strength is Fun.” One-Punch
Man, Vol. 13, translated by John Werry, 2018, 95-150, pp. 96-97.

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