Genos is Saitama’s loyal (and sometimes overly loyal) sidekick, but he wouldn’t be the same without Caped Baldy.
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It’s understandable why One Punch Man is one of those series that has made it to the top of every shonen fan’s recommended list. The animation is excellent, the story is engaging and entertaining without being unduly complicated, and the humour is easily understood by those who may not often watch anime. Superheroes are probably one of the simpler subjects to parody, but One Punch Man does it in a way that leaves room for a great deal of subtlety and raises more questions than it does answers right away.
The main character Saitama, in his quest for a challenge to end his never-ending state of boredom, turns into something of a magnet for the lost souls of his planet. The person who would cause the biggest upheaval in his life would be Genos, his sidekick and self-proclaimed pupil. In many ways, he is just as iconic as Saitama himself—as the hip, popular young cyborg who contrasts sharply with Saitama’s more reserved, less showy demeanour. However, viewers have grown to know Genos as a selfless and surprisingly compulsive young man; it’s difficult to image Genos as someone else, given his amazing housewife inclinations. Without Saitama, Genos would undoubtedly have been a very different character, as is quite evident.
Because of Saitama, Genos' personality shifted quickly.
It can be difficult to recall that he was exceedingly self-centered when he was originally shown to the public. Before Saitama almost unintentionally saved him, Genos developed the tendency of entering into situations above his capabilities during a fight with Mosquito Girl at the beginning of the series. Even Genos, who stalked Saitama for a week before requesting to become his pupil, was unable to comprehend Saitama’s incredible strength. This Genos was a completely focused version of himself, unable to think of anything other than getting even. In order to become stronger and, consequently, less and less human, he was prepared to give up his own body. The key factor that was able to balance him out was Saitama’s influence; this made him less intense and more interested in the definition of fun.
Numerous anti-heroes from anime and comics have similar features in that early version of Genos. steadfast commitment, a callous contempt for the majority of people, and a thirst only for vengeance. To Saitama’s occasional displeasure, His decision to become his pupil effectively domesticated him and gave him a different goal to pursue: learning how to take care of his master. Contrarily, his time spent with the often apathetic and bored Saitama has made him more sensitive, even if he does have a strong jealousy complex when Saitama’s status as his only pupil seems in doubt or when other heroes want to enlist Saitama. Him, on the other hand, acts as a sort of morality chain for Saitama, giving the elder hero a sense of purpose and fulfilment that he had not previously experienced.
These two characters are essentially dependent on one another in order to survive and restore the humanity that has been lost. Genos’ terrible past and Saitama’s extraordinary strength ultimately brought the two men together. Even though Saitama might be a little conceited and slothful at times, she puts in more effort than any other character for Genos, and Genos reciprocates her generosity. Even to the extent that, had he not encountered Saitama, he probably would have been very dead and may have been a lot worse person, as Genos admits multiple times during the series.
Genos Often Calls Himself Out
The most essential thing to keep in mind while discussing his’ potential is that he was not a hero prior to Saitama. Genos merely wanted retribution; he had no desire to save lives or become a hero. With the strength of a nuclear weapon, there was a good chance that, even in his battle with Mosquito Girl, when he was prepared to blow up his core to end her life, Z-City would have been destroyed along with him. he quickly recognises the parallels between Amai Mask and himself early in the Alien Conquerors Arc, as the latter murders multiple alien prisoners without feeling guilty. He makes a special point of mentioning how much his previous hardheartedness has made him more merciful and how far he has gone. Genos destroys the structure without giving it a second thought during their first big adventure together in the House of Evolution, and Saitama is the one who points out that the decision looked rash.
It’s difficult to imagine Genos without Saitama, and the anime takes its time to make that point clear. As he occasionally receives the full Vegeta treatment and generally ends up torn apart totally, He is shown to not be too concerned about his own safety. He has a little victory, but he is frequently promptly discarded or thrown out. Another significant element is his harsh nature. He essentially tolerates everyone who isn’t Saitama or his father figure, Doctor Kuseno. As the S-Class heroes are frequently shown to be a few cards short of a full deck, it is highly unlikely that Genos would have taken interest in any other hero and probably would have ended up scrapped for it. Even when he first met Saitama, he wasn’t actually interested in him at all until there was a sign of his amazing strength.
Despite being a parody series, One Punch Man has a very touching friendship between him and Saitama. They most likely literally and figuratively saved each other’s lives in the end. He probably would have perished by now without Saitama, or else he would have carried on seeking retribution without caring who he hurt along the way. Saitama would never have joined the Hero Association or found a support system to break free from his never-ending monotony if it weren’t for Genos.
