J.C. Staff has released the ninth installment of its Hero Visual Project for Season 3 of the One-Punch Man anime series. The latest installment in the monthly visual series is an illustration by Shinjiro Kuroda (SPY x FAMILY CODE: White key animator), the character designer for Season 3, and highlights Zombieman.
An S-Class Rank 6 member of the Hero Association, Zombieman doesn't actually possess any destructive power or superhuman physical abilities. While he's stronger than the most impressive human athlete, he's unable to destroy buildings or defeat enemies with a single strike. He even admits that fighting is not his forte.
Zombieman's true strength lies within his regenerative ability. Described as "a man that even in death cannot die," he can regenerate any part of his body, regardless of the severity of the injury. He's also a world-class detective with strong investigative skills and boasts incredible levels of endurance.
Zombieman is now the ninth character from One-Punch Man to be featured in the Hero Visual Project, following last month's illustration of Child Emperor. Other characters who have had artwork released through the project include Saitama, Genos, Hellish Blizzard, Silver Fang, King, Terrible Tornado, and Atomic Samurai.
We don't know exactly how many character illustrations will be shared through the Hero Visual Project, but fans are understandably eager to see a proper trailer for the highly anticipated third season of the anime series and learn of Season 3's premiere date.
First announced back in August 2022, One-Punch Man Season 3 is currently in production by J.C. Staff, the same studio that produced the second season. While we did get a teaser trailer for Season 3 eight months ago, there's been very little else shared aside from these monthly illustrations.
The One-Punch Man anime series is an adaptation of the popular manga written by ONE and illustrated by Yusuke Murata, which itself is based on the original webcomic by ONE. The anime series debuted in Japan in 2015 and was followed by a second season in 2019. The synopsis reads:
Saitama is a hero who only became a hero for fun.
After three years of "special training," hes become so strong that he's practically invincible. In fact, he's too strong—even his mightiest opponents are taken out with a single punch. Alongside Genos, his faithful disciple, Saitama performs his official hero duties as a member of the Hero Association.
One day, monsters claiming to be from the Monster Association suddenly appeared, taking a child of Hero Association executive as a hostage. The S-class heroes gather and plan a raid on the Monster Association hideout to rescue the hostage. Meanwhile, Garou, a "human monster" who was taken by the Monster Association during a battle with the heroes, awakens in the Monster Association hideout.
Now that we're in November, a 2024 premiere for Season 3 is almost certainly out of the question. Many now believe the new season will be released in 2025, speculation that was fueled when One-Punch Man artist Yusuke Murata retweeted a post that said the third season is planned for a 2025 release.
Nothing official has been announced yet, but anything later than a 2025 premiere would likely be met with frustration from fans who have now been waiting over five years for the series to return.