If you are a One Punch Man fan, then you must be used to fights getting over in just a millisecond as soon as Saitama enters the scene. The protagonist is so overpowered that he is bored most of the time. So the plot is mostly driven by the struggles of the secondary characters in the anime.
One such below-average hero is Mumen Rider (Satoru). While he is merely a C-Ranked hero, he has won over the hearts of every One Punch Man fanatic. In fact, if this were any other shonen anime, he would be the underdog protagonist who believes in the power of justice and friendship.
Well, a fan theory suggests just that, and more outrageously, it’s not Saitama but Mumen Rider, who is the main attraction of One Punch Man.
Saitama is Just a Figment of Mumen Rider’s Imagination in One Punch Man
According to a fan theory, Saitama never existed. Yes, in fact, he is just a figment of Mumen Rider’s imagination. To prove this, let’s trace back to the first appearance of Saitama. The first villain he fought against was Crablante, a monster who transformed into a humanoid crab after eating too many crabs.
This was three years before the main storyline, that is, before Saitama trained and became One Punch Man. Around the same time, Satoru also applied to the Heroes Association and was placed in C-Class. During that time, both Saitama and Satoru did not have much to show for themselves and were beaten around a lot. It feels eerily similar, does it not?
What if it was actually Mumen Rider or Satoru who fought that day and was hospitalized as a result? Afterward, his health condition might have worsened into a coma, and he began dreaming about a hero who could defeat everyone with a single punch. In fact, during his interaction with Crablante, Saitama confessed that the villain reminded him of a childhood hero who could defeat monsters with a single punch.
Thus, the trained and loaded One Punch Man could be a figment of his imagination, an extension of his self that always wanted to be a super-powerful hero. While unconscious, his brain could be creating a fearless hero who no one can defeat.
The Present Mumen Rider in One Punch Man is Not Real
If Mumen Rider is imagining himself as One Punch Man, then why is he present in the series as well? The answer to that might be simpler than you think. The current Mumen Rider is the personification of his former self, who could never become ultra-powerful no matter how much he tried.
Mumen Rider’s power upgrades have always been very believable, never to an extreme point, but only what realistic training could get him. Thus, Satoru maintains the underdog hero in his story as well, acting as a contrast to his new superhero.
While Mumen Rider will never achieve great heights, he is still helpful and friendly. He fights a villain despite being severely outmatched in strength. He always gets rescued by the great hero his mind has created.
However, both heroes have a similar mindset, to help people no matter what. While one is so overpowered that he is bored during every battle, the other is constantly pushing his limits in battles.
You can read the One Punch Man manga on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
