Following the conclusion of this week's episode of One-Punch Man, it was announced that the anime will return in 2027. The second cour (Part 2) was officially confirmed with a special teaser trailer and visual art.
Season 3's first cour finale, Episode 12 "Ultimate Lifeform," ended with a dramatic cliffhanger following the long-anticipated appearance of Monster King Orochi. Unfortunately, the finale only sets up the battle between Saitama and Orochi; the actual fight will unfold in the second cour.
Additionally, the teaser trailer also strongly hints at the anticipated highly anticipated fight between Saitama and Garou. Knowing how the battle with King Orochi unfolds, it's likely that Saitama's fight with Garou will be the central focus of the second cour.
Unfortunately, the key visual for One-Punch Man Season 3 Part 2 was met with a bit of disappointment from fans who criticized the lack of creativity. The Cour 2 visual is practically the same as the Season 3 art work only with Saitama and Garou flipped.
Fans quickly piled on, with many criticizing the perceived lack of effort in the new key visual and calling it reflective of Season 3’s overall quality, which has also been heavily scrutinized.
One-Punch Man Season 3 adapts the Monster Association Arc, which is supposed to be one of the most action-packed sagas in the manga. The official synopsis reads:
Although the Hero Association repels a surprise attack by hero hunter Garou and a surprise attack by the Monster Association, the son of a powerful supporter is taken away. Tatsumaki and other S-class heroes gather to launch a rescue operation, but Narinki, eager to rescue his son, forms his own mercenary unit. Fubuki visits Saitama and proposes a strategy meeting, but Saitama, uninterested, leaves, saying he'll defeat Garou while he's out shopping. Meanwhile, Garou, who had been held captive at the Monster Association's hideout, wakes up.
Unfortunately, J.C. Staff has once again left many fans disappointed with poor animation quality and overall pacing issues. While the manga itself is one of the most popular in the world, this season of the anime has been described as boring and uneventful overall. Even the fight scenes and epic showdowns between heroes and monsters, for which the arc is known for, have suffered from static frames and an overall lack of fluid motion. The lack of originality or creativity for the Cour 2 visuals surely won't do much to instill faith among the loyal fan base.
In any case, those who are still invested in the One-Punch Man anime can look forward to the return of Season 3 at some point in 2027. It will continue to stream on Hulu in the United States where episodes are made available shortly after they air in Japan.