How to Watch One Punch Man in Order: A Complete Guide

Want to start watching the fun action-comedy anime series One Punch Man? Whether you’re new to the series, ready to pick it back up, or just want to know where the various special episodes slot in, we’re here to help! In this article, we’ll explain how to watch One Punch Man in release and chronological order. Plus, we’ll tell you where to watch the series and what it’s about, and go over extra content you may want to check out. Keep reading to learn more!

The Best Order to Watch One Punch Man

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An illustration showing how to watch One Punch Man in release or chronological order.

Anime & Manga Expert Cedric Han says the best way to watch One Punch Man is in release order. Start with Season 1, Road to Hero (OAD), the Season 1 OVAs, Season 2, the Season 2 OVAs, and Season 3: Part 1. Alternatively, follow the anime in chronological order by watching the OVAs between episodes in Seasons 1 and 2.

Section 1 of 8:

One Punch Man Release Watch Order

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Watching One Punch Man is pretty easy, as most people just recommended watching it in the order it was released! There are 3 seasons of the anime, plus several special episodes that aren’t directly related to the plot (but still fun to watch), including 1 Original Animation DVD episode (OAD) and 12 short Original Video Animation episodes (OAVs). There are also recap specials for Seasons 1 and 2, which you may or may not find necessary to watch. Here’s the release watch order for One Punch Man:^{[1]
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- One Punch Man Season 1 — Episodes 1-12 (2015)
- One Punch Man: Road to Hero — OAD (2015)
- One Punch Man Season 1 OVAs — Episodes 1-6 (2015-16)
- One Punch Man: A Serious Look Back! — Season 1 Recap (2019)
- One Punch Man Season 2 — Episodes 1-12 (2019)
- One Punch Man Season 2 OVAs — Episodes 1-6 (2019-20)
- One Punch Man: Get It All in One Punch! — Season 2 Recap (2025)
- One Punch Man Season 3: Part 1 — Episodes 1-12 (2025)

Section 2 of 8:

One Punch Man Chronological Watch Order

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Several of the special episodes take place during the events of Seasons 1 and 2. So, if you want to watch One Punch Man following the anime’s in-universe timeline, check out the OAD and OAVs in between the episodes for Season 1 and Season 2. This order is just recommended for people who’ve already seen the series, though, as some of the specials may contain spoilers or seem confusing for first-time watchers! Here’s the chronological watch order:
- Road to Hero (OAD)
- Season 1 Episodes 1-2
- A Shadow That Snuck Up Too Close (OVA #1)
- Season 1 Episode 3
- The Pupil Who Is an Extremely Poor Talker (OVA #2)
- Season 1 Episodes 4-5
- The Ninja Who Is Too Complicated (OVA #3)
- Season 1 Episodes 6-7
- Bang, Who Is Too Overbearing (OVA #4)
- Season 1 Episodes 8-9
- The Sisters Who Have Too Many Things Happening (OVA #5)
- Season 1 Episodes 10-12
- The Murder Case That Is Too Impossible (OVA #6)
- Saitama and the Mediocre Ability Users (OVA #7)
- Going Fishing with Middle-aged Men (OVA #8)
- Season 2 Episodes 1-2
- Genos and Memory Loss (OVA #9)
- Games and Rivals (OVA #10)
- Season 2 Episode 3
- Puri-Puri Prisoner and the Jailbreaking Prisoners (OVA #11)
- Season 2 Episodes 4-12
- Zombieman Murder Case 2 (OVA #12)
- Season 3: Part 1 Episodes 1-12

Section 3 of 8:

Where to Watch One Punch Man

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One Punch Man is streaming on Hulu and Disney+ in the US. If you’re in the United States, One Punch Man is available to watch on either Hulu or Disney+ with a subscription. If you’re in another country, you’ll likely find the anime streaming on Crunchyroll (again, with a subscription).
- Individual episodes of One Punch Man are available to buy on Amazon, YouTube, and AppleTV, too.

Section 4 of 8:

What is One Punch Man about?

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One Punch Man follows a bored superhero named Saitama. The action-comedy anime is about Saitama (aka the One Punch Man or Caped Baldy), a virtually unbeatable hero who easily defeats enemies with one punch, says anime and manga expert Ryan Burns.^{[2]
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Ryan Burns
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Expert Interview} Because he’s so strong, though, Saitama grows disillusioned and dissatisfied since no one can really challenge him. However, his life gains some excitement when he meets Genos, a cyborg hero seeking revenge, who becomes Saitama’s apprentice.^{[3]
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- While the series is mostly light-hearted and comedic with fun action scenes, the action can get serious, and there are lots of well-developed characters and deeper themes.

Section 5 of 8:

One Punch Man Series Breakdown

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Season 1 Season 1 introduces Saitama, an absurdly average-looking bald guy who’s actually the world’s most powerful hero. He’s going through an existential crisis, though, because no villain can put up a fight against his signature punch. When he meets the cyborg Genos, he decides to make him his apprentice and they join the Hero Association together. Throughout Season 1, the two fight against several world-ending villains, along with a cast of other heroes from the Hero Association.
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Season 2 Season 2 focuses on Garou, a powerful villain who is hunting down heroes one by one. Saitama and Genos meet Garou at a martial arts tournament they’re participating in. When monsters start attacking the tournament, Saitama and Genos get involved in the fight. The season culminates with a war between the Hero Association, the monsters of the Monster Association, and Garou.
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Season 3 Season 3 continues Garou’s arc, as well as the arc about the Monster Association. The season follows a plot by the Monster Association to kidnap a child of an important hero, and the Hero Association’s plan to rescue the child. Garou also gets taken to the monster’s hideout, with the season culminating in a showdown between Saitama and the heroes, the monsters, and Garou.^{[4]
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- Han says some fans are critical of the animation in Season 3 and recommend reading the manga instead of watching this season. However, this is totally a matter of personal preference.^{[5]
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  Cedric Han
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Special episodes There are 13 special episodes, which don’t directly affect the plot of the seasons, but are fun add-ons to the show. They explore side-stories in between the main plot, as well as Saitama’s past and other characters’ pasts. Here’s the brief summary of each special episode:^{[6]
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- Road to Hero: The OAD follows Saitama during his first year of training and explains how he got his costume.
- A Shadow That Snuck Up Too Close: The OVA follows Genos’ investigation of Saitama before he meets him, and Saitama’s paranoia that someone is stalking him.
- The Pupil Who Is an Extremely Poor Talker: The OVA involves Saitama and Genos going grocery shopping, and Genos gets involved in a battle.
- The Ninja Who Is Too Complicated: The OVA follows the villain Sonic after his defeat at the hands of Saitama. He trains in hopes of beating Saitama one day.
- Bang, Who Is Too Overbearing: The OVA involves the hero Bang inviting Saitama and Genos to his dojo and challenging Saitama to a variety of games.
- The Sisters Who Have Too Many Things Happening: The OVA involves the heroes Fubuki and Tatsumaki saving a train from a bomb.
- The Murder Case That Is Too Impossible: The OVA follows the Hero Association trying to solve Zombieman’s murder.
- Saitama and the Mediocre Ability Users: The OVA involves Saitama meeting some villains and deciding to train them.
- Going Fishing with Middle-aged Men: The OVA follows Bang and Atomic Samurai on a fishing trip, who get attacked by a monster.
- Genos and Memory Loss: The OVA involves Saitama hitting Genos, who loses his memory for a bit and experiences a brief change in his personality.
- Games and Rivals: The OVA follows Suiryu, King, Saitama, and Garou as they join a video game tournament.
- Puri-Puri Prisoner and the Jailbreaking Prisoners: The OVA follows Puri-Puri Prisoner as he accidentally releases prisoners and works to recapture them.
- Zombieman Murder Case 2: The OVA finds Child Emperor, Zombieman, Superalloy Darkshine, Metal Bat, Saitama, and Genos all at the same snow lodge, where Zombieman gets attacked by a monster.

Section 6 of 8:

Will there be more seasons of One Punch Man?

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Yes, Season 3: Part 2 is set to release in Japan in 2027. Season 3 is split into 2 cours, or parts. While Part 1 was released in 2025, Part 2 has yet to be released. However, VIZ Media confirmed in this tweet that Part 2 is scheduled to come out sometime in 2027 (in Japan). You can likely expect an international release about 6 months after it becomes available in Japan.

Section 7 of 8:

More Anime Watch Orders

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Looking for a new anime series to watch? We’ve got you covered! We’ve compiled the complete watch orders for some of the most popular anime out there, including:
1. And if the steps above have been helpful, be sure to download this article as a PDF so you can print, read, or reference it any time.