The Hero Association in One-Punch Man is a corporate organization that works in tandem with the National Hero Registry—their jobs include identifying potential members, keeping tabs on them, assigning tasks, and establishing a reliable system to tackle danger. Heroes are divided into tiers depending on their power levels and popularity: S being the highest class, followed by A, B, and C, in that order.
As such, S-Class heroes are far beyond those ranked below them, with individuals considered equal in capacity to a small army. Presently, there are seventeen members—technically fewer than the other classes, but numbers don't really matter when it comes to these overpowered anime characters.
Updated on July 6th, 2022 by Jomari Elauria: There's no official confirmation for the third season of One Punch Man yet, but the manga continues to chronicle Saitama's adventures as a hero. With that said, fans are hungry to learn more about the powers and abilities of the heroes in the beloved manga and anime series, particularly, The S-Class heroes, who are considered to be the cream of the crop and the most powerful saviors in the world of One Punch Man.
Puri Puri Prisoner
While many dismiss Puri Puri Prisoner since he's the lowest-ranked S-Class hero, he's actually one of the strongest heroes in One Punch Man. Puri Puri Prisoner can take on a Demon-level villain by himself and has even faced and fought the Dragon-level monster Deep Sea King.
Aside from his enhanced physique, Puri Puri Prisoner's strength is also heightened by his unique fighting style. Puri Puri Prisoner can use Angel Style, which allows him to increase his body mass and amplify his attacks.
Drive Knight
Ranking 9th on the official S-Class hero list, Drive Knight is a formidable hero (or foe). He wears a simple armor that changes as he uses his Tactical Transformations, which allows him to morph into useful forms, such as a motorbike, fighter jet, and large humanoid robot.
Apart from his transformative abilities, Drive Knight can also use a shape-shifting box that transforms into a weapon or a tool. He's also incredibly perceptive and is an astute strategist. However, Drive Knight can't last long in battle, as he has finite energy reserves.
Child Emperor
Villains shouldn't be fooled by Child Emperor's appearance. Despite being a pre-pubescent child, Child Emperor's intellect has allowed him to create various contraptions that can be used for offensive and defensive purposes. The backpack he wears all the time contains the superpowered gadgets he uses, which include spider-like limbs.
Being a genius, Child Emperor is also a master tactician and has left several contingency plans in case things don't originally go his way. The S-Class hero also has a powerful giant mech suit that will envelop him and enhance his physical strength.
Pig God
Pig God has one of the quirkiest abilities in anime. The S-Class hero, who is often seen eating during meetings, can easily defeat Demon-level threats by devouring them. Pig God has an evolved digestive system that allows him to instantly digest whatever he swallows. Besides that, Pig God can also store people in his belly and keep them safe from his gastric juices.
But despite his exceptional abilities, Pig God can still struggle against Dragon-level villains, such as the mysterious being Gums.
Flashy Flash
The rank 13 S-Class Hero is feared by villains for his immense speed and his katana mastery. Flashy Flash is from the same village Speed-o'-Sound Sonic is from, so he would be the fastest S-Class hero if the top hero Blast of One Punch Man wasn't in the picture.
His speed and proficiency in using a katana allow him to swiftly slice his enemies. Although, Flashy Flash is known for his rude and prideful personality, which can cause him to be reckless on the battlefield.
Tanktop Master
Despite being one of the lower-ranked S-Class heroes, Tanktop Master is capable of overwhelming nearly everyone in the lower classes without much effort. He takes on Garou in one instance and nearly defeats the villain until Silver Fang's techniques enter the picture.
It is said that he possesses greater strength than everyone in his Tanktop army put together. That said, Tanktop Master lacks the experience of his colleagues.
Demon Cyborg
Genos is one of the newest additions to the S-Class, proving himself as a hero over and over again, especially during the Monster Association arc when the One Punch Man side character blew up the elder centipede. Given his mostly cybernetic body, he isn't held back by pain, allowing him to push his limits to the extreme.
Genos relies on his strength, agility, and durability to win his battles, and he has recently started incorporating complex strategies into his offensive and defensive moves. This lets him challenge opponents who are technically more powerful than him and win—as long as he can find their weakness in time.
Metal Knight
Metal Knight, or Bofoi, is a mysterious hero that everyone has a bad feeling about. He is a genius engineer and inventor, building highly versatile robotic suits for a variety of purposes.
His Battle Robot is employed for fighting, Construction Robot helps rebuild the headquarters of the Hero Association, the Reconnaissance Robot is sent on delicate spy missions, and that's not to mention dozens more. Metal Knight is rarely available in person, smartly eliminating potential risks during battle.
Superalloy Darkshine
Superalloy Darkshine is universally considered to be the top S-Class hero when taking into account physical strength, considerably more than his muscular comrades like Puri Puri Prisoner.
He throws Garou around for a significant period of time before being overwhelmed, showing that ordinary villains like Carnage Kabuto and Deep Sea King would be no match for him. Superalloy Darkshine even fights Silver Fang without receiving any notable injuries.
Zombieman
Zombieman openly acknowledges that he doesn't perform well in direct combat. However, his Regeneration is hands down the strongest of its kind in One-Punch Man.
Zombieman can heal from fatal wounds at a rapid pace, not to mention his incalculable stamina and durability. The reason that this S-Class hero is so rarely defeated is his persistence—he gets up and continues the fight no matter how many times he is crushed by a greater force.
Watchdog Man
Watchdog Man is probably the most bizarre S-Class hero, which is saying something given the others in the category. There is no limit to his physical prowess, flexibility, and speed, as Garou learns to his utter bewilderment.
Watchdog Man's martial artistry is based on animal movements, which he uses to steal the edge from his opponent. Not even Garou's Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist is capable of defeating this hero.
Atomic Samurai
Atomic Samurai is a supernaturally talented swordsman, shredding enemies long before they realize what's happening. In fact, his sword swings are vastly faster than supersonic opponents; even Speed-O'-Sound Sonic can't follow Atomic Samurai's movements when the latter gets serious.
His skills are so fine-tuned that he doesn't require a sword to kill his enemy, and, in one instance, a toothpick is more than enough. Atomic Samurai's status as an S-Class hero is well-earned.
Silver Fang
Silver Fang is one of the strongest members of the Hero Association's S-Class largely due to his decades of experience developing and mastering a unique martial art. His level of power is comparable to the best martial artists in other comic universes like DC and Marvel.
He has been known to handle threats that are Dragon-level and higher, effortlessly dispatching powerful monsters like Rover, Gums, and Fuhrer Ugly. Silver Fang displays a level of dexterity that even Saitama fails to match, an indication of the older hero's total control over his abilities.
Tornado Of Terror
While she's considered a supporting character in One Punch Man, Tatsumaki is feared by both heroes and villains for her short temper and abilities. Tatsumaki's physical capabilities are severely limited, but she more than makes up for it with her talents—boasting of telekinetic powers on a planetary scale.
She is a true esper master, whether she's casually smashing Genos into a rock when he annoys her or reversing the direction of a barrage of alien missiles with a flick of her finger. One-Punch Man's Tatsumaki takes down the Orochi-Psykos fusion with so much psionic force that it accidentally deforms the very structure of Z-City.
Blast
Blast, the #1 S-Class hero, is finally beginning to make short appearances in the story. In the past, he has defeated Elder Centipede, outmaneuvered Flashy Flash, and taken on word class ninjas without a scratch.
In addition to his incomprehensible combat strength and speed, Blast is apparently capable of transporting himself or certain objects across dimensions, an ability that gives him a slight edge over Saitama. As such, the outcome of a battle between Blast and Caped Baldy remains unpredictable.