ONE PUNCH MAN - POP Animation N° 2526 - Saitama

Add the most powerful hero from the One-Punch Man universe to your collection with this POP! Animation figure No. 2526 featuring Saitama. Designed by Funko, this figure depicts the bald protagonist in a dynamic fighting pose, ready to end yet another battle with a single punch.

Saitama adopts a slightly off-centre stance, with his legs apart and his knees bent. His right fist is raised close to his face, whilst his left arm remains positioned in front of his chest. This posture lends the figure a greater sense of movement than the relaxed and indifferent demeanour usually associated with the character.

His face, however, retains the deliberately minimalist expression that is part of his visual identity. His completely bald head, very thin eyebrows, small triangular nose and large black eyes create a humorous contrast with the hero’s virtually limitless power.

The figurine wears his iconic yellow costume, held at the waist by a black belt featuring a round golden buckle. Red gloves and high boots complete the outfit. The white collar is fastened by two grey circular fastenings on either side of the neck.

The large white cape is the most dynamic element of the sculpture. It flows out behind his shoulders in two sweeping curves, as if lifted by the wind or the energy of a fight. Its raised edges frame Saitama’s head and add volume to the overall composition.

Technical specifications

• Manufacturer: Funko
• Licence: One-Punch Man
• Character: Saitama
• Occupation: Professional hero
• Collection: POP! Animation
• Collection number: 2526
• Product type: Collectible figurine
• Material: PVC / vinyl
• Packaging: Illustrated window box
• Packaging dimensions: 11.5 × 9 × 16 cm
• BEM’S product type: Figurine
• BEM’S category: Bobble Head POP
• Officially licensed product: Yes
• Funko reference: 93314
• EAN: 0889698933148

Character background and universe (Lore)

Saitama is the main character in One-Punch Man, a work created by ONE and adapted into a manga with illustrations by Yusuke Murata. The story subverts the traditional conventions of superhero narratives by placing at the centre of the action a fighter capable of defeating virtually any opponent with a single punch.

Before becoming a hero, Saitama led a life without any particular purpose. However, his encounter with a monster threatening a child reawakens his long-forgotten dream of fighting evil. He then decides to follow a daily training regime that is simple in principle but extremely gruelling.

Saitama claims to have done a hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups, a hundred squats and a ten-kilometre run every day, without using heating or air-conditioning. After several years of this, he acquires strength, speed and stamina far surpassing those of any fighter he encounters. This training also results in him losing all his hair.

This absolute power quickly becomes a source of frustration. Monsters and opponents who seem capable of destroying entire cities are usually defeated with his very first attack. Deprived of any real challenge, Saitama finds it increasingly difficult to feel the excitement that had originally driven him to become a hero. VIZ sums up this situation by describing a character who became a hero ‘for fun’, but who is now too powerful to find a worthy opponent.

His appearance plays a key role in the series’ humour. Unlike heroes with elaborate costumes and impressive physiques, Saitama has a largely expressionless face, a relatively simple outfit and a physique that doesn’t seem particularly remarkable. Yet this visual incongruity belies a combat ability that is virtually unrivalled.

He then meets Genos, a young cyborg searching for the person responsible for the destruction of his city. Impressed by Saitama’s power, Genos asks him to become his master. The hero agrees, despite having no real teaching method, and thus finds himself accompanied by a disciple who is far more serious and admiring than he is.

The two characters join the Hero Association in order to gain official recognition. Despite his exceptional performance, Saitama starts at the very bottom of the ranks, mainly because his results in the theory tests are far less impressive than his physical abilities.

The Association gives him a hero name referring to his bald head and his cape. This rather unprestigious moniker reflects the way the public perceives him: his greatest feats often take place without witnesses or are attributed to higher-ranked heroes.

Saitama, however, seeks neither fame nor wealth. He acts primarily because he regards heroism as his calling and because he refuses to let innocent people come to harm. His day-to-day behaviour remains very ordinary: he worries about supermarket special offers, his rent or household chores with far more intensity than he does about many a battle.

The pose chosen for this POP! figure showcases one of the character’s rare, overtly combative sides. His raised fists and billowing cape hint at a spectacular showdown, whilst his almost blank expression serves as a reminder that, for Saitama, the outcome may well be decided by the very first attack.

Expected delivery date, subject to change by the distributor.