# Beyond the S-Class, who are the true unsung heroes of One-Punch Man? We analyze the most underrated heroes based on their hidden power, unwavering courage, and overlooked contributions.
Ngetrenz – Let’s be real, we’ve all been there. Deep in a forum thread, passionately debating whether Tatsumaki could beat Boros or if Flashy Flash is truly faster than Atomic Samurai’s slash. It’s the lifeblood of the One-Punch Man fandom. But does that laser focus on S-Class power levels cause us to miss the entire point of the series? In a world defined by overwhelming strength, the most compelling stories often belong to the heroes who can’t shatter a meteor with a single blow.
This isn’t just another power ranking. We’re moving beyond the numbers to identify the most underrated heroes in One-Punch Man. To do that, we need to define what “underrated” truly means in this universe. It’s not just about being stronger than your rank suggests. For this list, we’re celebrating heroes based on three core metrics that the official system often ignores:
- Unwavering Courage: The sheer will to face certain doom for the sake of others.
- Unappreciated Strategic Value: The ability to change the course of a battle without throwing a single punch.
- The Relentless Spirit of Self-Improvement: The embodiment of the show’s true central theme—that the journey to become stronger is what defines a hero.
The official system is flawed; a deeper look into the Hero Association rankings explained shows it’s a messy blend of destructive capability, public relations, and raw results. It often fails to capture the true essence of heroism.
While every fan has their favorite OPM underrated characters, we’re making a case for five specific heroes who perfectly illustrate the deeper, more resonant themes of the series. These are the individuals who, in their own unique ways, might just be some of the best OPM heroes out there. Our Mumen Rider analysis will kick things off, but it’s just the beginning of exploring the most overlooked One-Punch Man heroes.
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Value Beyond Power
This table provides a quick look at our picks for the most underrated heroes in One-Punch Man, summarizing their perceived weaknesses against their true, often hidden, value.
| Hero | Official Rank | Perceived Weakness | True Underrated Value | Core OPM Theme |
| Mumen Rider | C-Class Rank 1 | Powerless | Unwavering Courage & Inspiration | The Definition of Heroism |
| Genos | S-Class Rank 14 | “Jobber” / Frequent Losses | Relentless Improvement & Self-Sacrifice | The Struggle for Strength |
| King | S-Class Rank 7 | No Actual Power | Strategic Intimidation & Influence | Perception vs. Reality |
| Zombieman | S-Class Rank 8 | Low Offensive Power | Intelligence Gathering & Attrition | The Unseen Work of Heroes |
| Glasses | B-Class Rank 20 | “Normal” / Non-Powered | Embodiment of Hard Work | The Path to Self-Improvement |
5. Mumen Rider
On paper, Mumen Rider is the definition of a small-fry. As the top-ranked C-Class hero, his duties typically involve retrieving balloons and stopping petty thieves. He possesses no superpowers, relying on a bicycle and a strong sense of justice that, to stronger heroes and villains, makes him seem like a powerless joke. His steadfast refusal to advance to B-Class, despite being eligible, is seen by many as a frank admission of his own profound weakness—a man who knows his limits all too well.
Everything you need to know about Mumen Rider’s worth is crystallized in one iconic, rain-soaked moment: his stand against the Deep Sea King. Facing a Demon-level monster that had already defeated two S-Class heroes, Mumen Rider knew he had zero chance of winning. And he didn’t care. His speech echoes as the series’ most powerful mission statement: “I know that! No one has to tell me I have no chance of beating you! I already know that! And yet, I must try! It’s not about winning or losing! It’s about me taking you on, right here, right now!”.
This act of pure, selfless courage is the most potent definition of heroism the series offers. It’s a sentiment so powerful that it earns the respect of the strongest being alive. Saitama, arriving just in time, doesn’t mock him. Instead, he offers the highest possible praise: “You did good. Nice fight”. This is the narrative’s ultimate endorsement of his value.
Furthermore, his actions had a tangible, life-saving impact. His intervention, however brief, bought precious seconds that saved a grievously wounded Genos and the terrified civilians in the shelter, creating the window for Saitama’s arrival. In a world of gods and monsters, the courage of one ordinary man on a bicycle proved to be just as critical as a world-breaking punch. A thorough
Mumen Rider analysis shows he isn’t just a hero; he’s the moral anchor of the entire story, a living reminder of the journey Saitama himself has forgotten. Saitama’s own heroic origin involved fighting Crablante when he was just a normal guy, an act identical in spirit to Mumen’s stand. In validating Mumen Rider, Saitama is acknowledging the very soul of heroism he once embodied, making Mumen Rider one of the most essential OPM underrated characters. This detailed Mumen Rider analysis proves he is one of the most underrated heroes in One-Punch Man.
4. Genos
Ask the average fan about Genos, and you’ll likely hear one word: “jobber.” It’s a common perception that the Demon Cyborg exists primarily to get spectacularly dismantled, all to showcase how powerful a new villain is. His high-profile, screen-shattering losses against titans like Carnage Kabuto, Deep Sea King, and Gouketsu are legendary, cementing his reputation as the S-Class’s beautifully animated punching bag. He’s often seen as one of the most overlooked One-Punch Man heroes because his defeats are so memorable.
The “jobber” narrative is a classic case of focusing on the sizzle and ignoring the steak. A closer look at his record reveals a surprisingly competent hero. Genos has numerous confirmed, on-screen victories against Demon-level threats, including the machine god G4, Face Ripper, and the impossibly fast Awakened Cockroach. His losses are almost exclusively against Dragon-level monsters—the kind of threats that regularly decimate multiple S-Class heroes at once.
More importantly, Genos’s true value lies in his relentless pursuit of improvement. His losses aren’t failures; they are brutal data-gathering sessions. After his fight with G4, he literally used its parts to upgrade himself. After being outclassed by Sonic’s speed, he developed an adhesive trap specifically to counter fast opponents, which he later used to defeat Awakened Cockroach.
His most famous “loss” against the Deep Sea King was a direct result of a heroic choice: he shielded a little girl from a corrosive acid attack, sacrificing his body to save her life. This constant cycle of fighting, learning, and upgrading makes him a symbol of resilience. This perspective is often missed in a casual Mumen Rider analysis, which focuses on pure heart, while Genos represents heart backed by tireless engineering.
Genos is underrated because his character arc is a realistic depiction of progress in a world of absurd power. Unlike a typical shonen protagonist who gets a sudden, magical power-up, Genos’s growth is methodical and scientific. He fights, identifies a weakness, and Dr. Kuseno provides a specific, engineered solution. This logical process means he’s often playing catch-up, creating the illusion of constant failure. Fans underrate him because his journey is an engineering marathon, not a plot-armored sprint to victory, making him one of the most misunderstood OPM underrated characters and a candidate for the best OPM heroes when viewed through a lens of grit and determination.
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3. King
King is the ultimate paradox. In-universe, he’s hailed as “The Strongest Man on Earth,” an S-Class hero whose reputation strikes fear into the hearts of monsters. To the fandom, however, he’s a running gag—a powerless otaku who accidentally stumbles into Saitama’s victories and takes all the credit. This perception as a fraud often leads to him being dismissed as pure comic relief, making him one of the most uniquely overlooked One-Punch Man heroes.
To dismiss King is to misunderstand his true power: his influence is a weapon. The infamous “King Engine”—the loud, intimidating thumping of his terrified heart—is a legitimate tool of psychological warfare that has de-escalated conflicts and even scared monsters to death without a single punch being thrown. He can win a fight just by showing up.
His strategic value extends to managing his own allies. During crises, the arrogant and individualistic S-Class heroes often devolve into bickering. King’s mere presence, backed by his colossal (and entirely false) reputation, has a unifying and calming effect. They instinctively defer to him, allowing for more coordinated strategies to emerge from the chaos. He is an accidental, yet highly effective, field commander. The Hero Association rankings explained system may have misplaced his power, but it correctly identified his S-Class impact.
King is the ultimate inversion of the series’ central theme. Saitama possesses immeasurable physical power but has zero social influence or public respect. King, conversely, has zero physical power but commands immeasurable influence and respect. They are two sides of the same coin, a brilliant commentary on the disconnect between actual ability and public perception.
He is underrated because the fandom focuses on his physical weakness, failing to see that his “power of reputation” is just as narratively significant and, within the bureaucratic world of the Hero Association, often more effective than Saitama’s raw strength. This makes a compelling case for him being one of the best OPM heroes from a narrative design perspective, as his existence constantly challenges the very idea of what “strength” means. The Hero Association rankings explained may be a flawed system, but in King’s case, it accidentally got it right for the wrong reasons.
Read More : Ranking Every S-Class Hero by Their Potential to Fight ‘God’
2. Zombieman
Why He’s Overlooked
Within the S-Class, a pantheon of city-destroying powerhouses, Zombieman stands out for his apparent lack of offensive firepower. He relies on conventional weapons like axes and handguns and readily admits that his hand-to-hand combat skills are not top-tier. His signature ability, an incredible regenerative factor, is passive and unglamorous compared to Tatsumaki‘s psychic tornados or Genos’s incineration cannons. He’s easily one of the most overlooked One-Punch Man heroes in any power-scaling debate.
Zombieman‘s true role is not that of a front-line brawler, but of the Hero Association’s ultimate intelligence operative. He is described as a skilled detective and spy, capable of tracking down elusive figures like Dr. Genus with minimal information. His true strength lies in infiltration, investigation, and battles of attrition.
His immortality allows him to undertake missions that would be a death sentence for any other hero. He famously fought a Demon-level monster for three days straight, not just to defeat it, but to wear it down and extract information. His brutal fight against the vampire Pureblood saw him endure hundreds of fatal wounds, regenerating each time until he could find a single opportunity to win. During the massive Monster Association raid, his primary function was to infiltrate the base, gather intel, and understand the enemy’s structure—a crucial strategic role that brute force alone could not accomplish.
Zombieman represents the unseen, proactive side of heroism. While most heroes are reactive, showing up after a monster has already begun its rampage, Zombieman’s work is to uncover threats before they erupt into city-wide disasters. The very nature of his success is that it is invisible. If he uncovers a plot and the Hero Association neutralizes it, the public never knows the danger they were in.
There is no shattered pavement or defeated kaiju to credit him for. He is one of the most underrated heroes in One-Punch Man because his greatest victories are the battles that never have to be fought. He is the intelligence agency that prevents the war, a role far more valuable but far less celebrated than the soldier who wins the public battle, making him one of the most vital OPM underrated characters.
1. Glasses
Of all the heroes on this list, Glasses is the easiest to miss. He’s a B-Class hero with no flashy powers, a former salaryman who started his career as a rank-and-file member of the Fubuki Group. In a world of cyborgs, espers, and martial arts legends, he is aggressively, almost defiantly, normal. It’s this normality that makes him one of the most overlooked One-Punch Man heroes.
Glasses is arguably the most thematically important character in the entire series, next to Saitama himself. His arc is a direct, tangible representation of Saitama’s core philosophy. We first meet him as a disillusioned office worker, convinced that greatness is determined by “innate talent” and that hard work is ultimately meaningless. His worldview is shattered when he witnesses the profoundly ordinary-looking Saitama effortlessly obliterate a monster that had defeated his entire team. Saitama’s simple question to him—”Could the you of tomorrow beat you today?”—becomes his new creed.
This is where his journey becomes so significant. Unlike Genos, who obsessively seeks the “secret” to Saitama’s power, Glasses understands the real message was about the process. He quits the Fubuki Group, which relied on strength in numbers, and dedicates himself to the lonely, grueling path of individual self-improvement through relentless training—the exact same path Saitama once walked.
And it works. He rises significantly through the B-Class ranks and becomes a brave, competent, and effective hero, playing a key role in the Garou hunt and earning the respect of his former comrades. His journey is a more realistic version of the path Saitama took, and a far cry from the static heroism seen in a standard Mumen Rider analysis.
Glasses serves as the narrative’s control group for the “limiter break” theory. He proves that Saitama’s path, even without the monstrous, reality-breaking power-up, is what creates a true hero. He is the ultimate answer to the question, “Was Saitama special, or is his path repeatable?” Glasses proves the philosophy is universal. Even if you can’t become a god, the relentless pursuit of strength through hard work will make you a hero worthy of respect. This makes him not only one of the best OPM heroes but also the most potent symbol of the series’ central message, and perhaps the most profoundly overlooked One-Punch Man heroes of them all.
The Mosaic of Heroism
In the end, a deep dive into the Hero Association reveals that heroism is not a monolith defined by raw power. It’s a complex mosaic built from the pieces these OPM underrated characters represent: Mumen Rider’s unflinching courage, Genos’s unbreakable resilience, King’s strategic influence, Zombieman’s quiet diligence, and Glasses’s unwavering determination. These figures aren’t just side notes; they are the narrative pillars that uphold the series’ most important themes. A proper understanding of the Hero Association rankings explained framework shows that it can’t possibly measure these qualities.
The search for the best OPM heroes requires looking beyond the S-Class and appreciating the diverse, often uncelebrated, contributions of all its members. The true strength of the association lies not just in its titans, but in the spirit of its most overlooked One-Punch Man heroes. The most compelling Mumen Rider analysis is one that places him alongside these other champions of spirit, strategy, and sweat.
What do you think? Which underrated heroes in One-Punch Man do you think deserve a spot on this list? Let us know your picks in the comments below! For more deep dives into your favorite anime, check out more articles from Raven C! And don’t forget to follow and like Ngetrenz on all our socials! Find us on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for the latest content!
Summary of One Punch Man Most Underrated Heroes Who Deserve More Respect
- The article argues that the true value of a hero in One-Punch Man goes beyond raw power, focusing instead on courage, strategic value, and the spirit of self-improvement.
- Mumen Rider is highlighted as the embodiment of pure heroism, whose courage against the Deep Sea King had a tangible, life-saving impact despite his lack of power.
- Genos is defended against the “jobber” perception, showcasing his numerous victories against Demon-level threats and framing his losses as crucial learning experiences that fuel his constant improvement.
- King is analyzed not as a fraud, but as a strategic asset whose reputation and “King Engine” are powerful psychological weapons that can de-escalate conflicts and influence other heroes.
- Zombieman is presented as the Hero Association’s top intelligence operative, whose true value lies in unseen investigation and infiltration missions that prevent disasters before they happen.
- Glasses is identified as the series’ most potent symbol of self-improvement, proving that Saitama’s philosophy of relentless training can forge a true hero, even without breaking one’s limiter.