The newest chapter of the heavily followed One Punch Man manga has successfully wrapped up Garo’s arc in a satisfying manner. Garo, also known as the Hero Hunter, had been on warpath with the Hero Association for the past seven years, ending the storyline with a bloody carnage that totaled cities and broke the spacetime continuum.
The Human Monster Saga had been the longest in the One Punch Man franchise and introduced different characters and timelines. Halfway through the series, Garo’s arc took a break, as the story focused more on the Monsters Association and the animosity between the two factions. However, it proved to be an elaborate rouse, as the timeline was actually focusing on Garo after all. Though his arc had taken a back seat, Garo had been intensively training to become as strong as he possibly could, finally transforming into a colossal being worthy of a duel with Saitama.
Spoilers Ahead
One Punch Man Chapter 170 Recap
Chapter 170 continued the arc we had been following for months now. Garo had gone through a process that changed his physical appearance and strength. After he was almost defeated, he tapped into the powers of God, a malevolent being whose existence was previously foreshadowed in both the manga and anime. After attaining some terrible powers, Garo went on an absolute rampage, destroying cities and killing all the heroes. His terrible power knew no limit as he mercilessly slaughtered the heroes left, right, and center. However, once he came face to face with Saitama, he finally met his match. After a monumental fight that far surpasses all the previous fights in the series, Garo is finally defeated.
However, to do that, Saitama and Garo took the fight across spacetime, breaking the laws of physics. Saitama entered a timeline where Garo could be effectively neutralized and managed to contain him while the rest of the heroes remained clueless. Everyone, except Genos. Genos had died in both the timelines, but after receiving a core from the previous timeline, he realizes what actually took place and how they were nearly defeated. Chapter 170 of One Punch Man, which was released worldwide on August 18th, shows the immediate aftermath of Garo’s defeat. With the threat contained, many heroes showed interest in killing a weak Garo. But he is saved by Saitama and Tareo, who ask the fallen Hero Hunter to repent and amend his ways. We finally see Garo fleeing the scene, disgraced and humiliated by the ordeal.
Also Read: One Punch Man Chapter 171: Release Date & Predictions
What does this mean for Garo?
With the culmination of the long-running saga, there is a good chance that Garo would listen to what the heroes had to say and would repent his sins. We could be looking at a potential redemption of the popular character in the future chapters. Garo could amend his ways and become an anti-hero or even a hero in the future. However, as of now, we’re left to speculate as to what is in store for the Hero Hunter.
With chapter 171 of the manga being delayed by more than a month, it seems like the fandom would have to wait for a while to see what would turn out for their beloved heroes. On a positive note, however, it was confirmed on 18th August 2022 that the anime would be renewed for a third season. The third season of One Punch Man could be following the same pattern as the manga, ending where the manga currently is. Garo, who was introduced in Season 2 of One Punch Man, could be fully realized in Season 3.
What’s To Come?
The end of Garo’s arc has left fans wondering what the next chapter of the manga could be. With God’s existence being confirmed, we could be seeing the malignant being arriving on the supercontinent sometime shortly. That leaves many possible outcomes that can be simultaneously realized now that the existence of a multiverse has been confirmed in the manga.
Like many popular manga and western comics, we could be seeing God sending an advance invading alien force to secure the planet before his ultimate arrival. Either way, after spacetime was breached, one thing is certain: more evil beings are along the way. The only question that now remains is when.
