From the early chapters of One-Punch Man, Genos has been driven by two overarching goals. Firstly, he seeks to locate the rampaging cyborg responsible for the annihilation of his family and hometown. Secondly, he yearns for the power necessary to permanently defeat this cyborg. In his pursuit, he encountered Saitama, who would become his mentor. Under Saitama's guidance, the young cyborg underwent significant growth and transformation. However, as time passed, Genos began to feel a sense of stagnation in his own progress, leading to a growing discontentment. He contemplated changing his direction but faced a formidable obstacle: his unwavering loyalty to his master, Saitama.
Genos's unswerving devotion to Saitama compels him to follow his master down any path he chooses. Yet, this loyalty has the potential to hinder his own best interests. One might question what initially drew Genos to Saitama or whether remaining by his side has truly been worthwhile. Unfortunately, Genos's relentless pursuit of power has narrowed his perspective, preventing him from contemplating such crucial questions. He believes that unless he can somehow attain Saitama's incomprehensible level of strength, there will always be more to learn from him.
What Is the Nature of Genos and Saitama's Relationship?
Genos' allegiance to Saitama is founded on a simple premise: witnessing the hero-for-fun's unparalleled ability to defeat any monster with a single strike ignited a desire within him to become Saitama's disciple. He believed that by training under Saitama, he could attain the same level of absolute power and exact vengeance upon the rogue cyborg that shattered his life.
However, Genos found himself dissatisfied with the seemingly simplistic nature of Saitama's training regimen. He struggled to comprehend how such immense power could be achieved through what appeared to be basic muscle training. This mystery perplexed not only Genos but also the readers of the manga. Regardless of the uncertainty surrounding Saitama's training, the undeniable truth remained that his strength was genuine. Driven by the desire to uncover the truth behind his mentor's superhuman abilities, Genos continued his training under Saitama's guidance.
In his quest to unravel the enigma of Saitama's unrivaled heroism, Genos employed various methods. Alongside being Saitama's disciple, he closely observed his mentor's daily routines, diligently recorded his teachings, and even assisted with mundane tasks around his apartment. Genos willingly followed Saitama wherever he went, prepared to stay by his side until he could match his master's extraordinary strength.
Curiously, Genos is not oblivious to Saitama's flaws. He openly challenges Saitama's simplistic training approach and has at times needed to support him in maintaining his composure and moral grounding. These instances should serve as indications to Genos that simply emulating Saitama's every move will not automatically grant him the power he seeks.
Nevertheless, Genos recognizes that Saitama's strength encompasses more than just physical prowess. He acknowledges his master's unwavering character and the nobility exhibited during his heroics. If Saitama lacked either of these qualities, Genos may have reconsidered his allegiance long ago.
What Has Genos Gained from Training Under Saitama?
As for whether Genos' loyalty has paid off, that's up for debate. There's no denying he's gotten much stronger since he started his apprenticeship. However, most of his power-ups came from Dr. Kuseno's upgrades rather than anything Saitama taught him. He likely would have received these same power-ups regardless of who he was training under.
Genos also needs to be held accountable for his infamous losing streak. The number of significant battles he's won in the series thus far can be counted on a single hand if that. His win-loss ratio is so bad that it's become a meme among the anime community. If Saitama is responsible for his disciple's successes and failures, this reflects poorly on him as a teacher.
On that note, Saitama has done plenty for his student besides teaching them to win fights. For example, he's saved the cyborg's life on multiple occasions. If it weren't for him, Genos would have self-destructed long ago.
Saitama also taught Genos how to be more of a hero. He gave the Demon Cyborg direction needed to put his power to a noble cause beyond revenge. He even rose straight to S-Rank in the Hero Association and was willing to give his life to save a little girl from the Deep Sea King. Whether by accident or design, Saitama helped him develop his character considerably.
The final test of Saitama's value as a teacher will likely arrive in the form of the rampaging cyborg. While it hasn't formally shown up yet (even in the webcomic), its arrival can be used as a benchmark for how far Genos has progressed physically and mentally. Alternatively, for how long this is taking, Genos might just kill the cyborg in one hit because of how strong he is.
Should Genos Remain Saitama's Student?
While Genos has remained steadfast as a student of Saitama, that may end up working to his detriment. Life has given him other opportunities to gain power, but he hasn't taken any of them. He's too committed to learning from Saitama despite his lack of answers.
Genos's first chance to change things up came in the form of Silver Fang. The martial arts master saw great potential in him and Saitama and wanted them as students, but they turned him down. In Genos's case, he was more interested in gaining absolute destructive power than in self-defense. However, for how many times he's lost, he might benefit from learning how to beat opponents with skill rather than brute force.
A more relevant sign of Genos's inflexibility as Saitama's student came in the latest arc. Chapter 184, "Turning Point," seemed like it would be exactly what was in the title. The Demon Cyborg spent much of the chapter providing reasons to join the new Neo Heroes group, including his stagnation; he made plenty of fair and logical points. However, the instant Saitama deemed switching affiliations a hassle, Genos decided not to do it either. Genos will never know whether this was a missed opportunity because of his unquestioning loyalty to his lethargic master.
Things will probably work out for Genos, but he should still learn to think for himself. He's smart, but as long as he's obsessed with becoming as powerful as Saitama, he'll keep making foolish decisions. He needs to think about what he's gained from his master and whether there's more to learn. If he decides to continue learning from Saitama, that's fine. However, he should at least take time to think about it. Otherwise, he could pass up all of life's opportunities his master didn't feel like pursuing.
