Despite his unmatched strength (possibly throughout the cosmos), Saitama lives a surprisingly ordinary life in the day-to-day context. The invincible hero is one of the most frugal anime characters with his one-bedroom apartment and his extremely minimalistic simplistic lifestyle.
Saitama from One Punch Man is undoubtedly one of the most overpowered protagonists in all of anime history. The limits to Saitama’s power do not seem to exist as he scales higher and higher, yet his opponents do not seem to be able to tank even a single one of his blows.
When referring to Saitama’s blemishless and seemingly ascetic style of living and the reason why this invincible man will not turn over to the dark side, the series creator, ONE, says that this virtue of the hero isn’t a coincidence in a Q&A session.
Saitama’s humble lifestyle reflects his integrity and selflessness
The lifestyle is a deliberate choice that has been rooted in Saitama’s character and values from the time he started his training. Unlike most heroes who try to capitalize on their rank and strength, Saitama doesn’t use his powers for fame, fortune, or personal gain.
Instead, he embodies the concept of humility and restraint, showing the world and its people what actual strength is and that a person’s powers, abilities, or combat capabilities alone don’t define a person’s worth or make him worthy of anyone’s admiration. Author ONE, says that this virtue of the hero isn’t a coincidence in a Q&A session.
Saitama made a living doing troublesome part time jobs. By living frugally to the utmost while spending as little of his saved up money and living off vegetables given to him by people he saved… It’s the lifestyle as advocated by the slow movement, isn’t it. By the way, after Genos gave him money, his standard of living hasn’t changed all that much with Genos moving over.
This paradoxical strength and virtue combination is an antithesis of theories like ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’, yet this is what makes Saitama both relatable and inspiring.
Even as his “curse” of limitless strength leaves him feeling unfulfilled without feeling like he is ever fighting someone or having a proper fight, it keeps him focused on the bigger picture and not ephemeral material items or wealth.
Saitama continued his frugal lifestyle even when he had fame and power
ONE, the creator, had revealed that Saitama relied on vegetables gifted by people he saved to survive, not only during the training phase but even afterward when he reached the epitome of strength in exchange for his hair.
This goes a long way in demonstrating his unwillingness to exploit his abilities for profit or to serve his own selfish interests or comforts. Even after Genos moved in (seeing as he is a rich and popular hero) and provided Saitama with financial support, Saitama didn’t change his lifestyle at all and continued to live frugally.
Saitama continued living in his tiny apartment even after he gained recognition of the greats in the hero world and saved Earth from many extraterrestrial alien threats, all of this goes to show that he had no interest in any material comforts or luxuries.
You can stream One Punch Man on Netflix.
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