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One Punch Man is filled with many mind-boggling characters, whether they be heroes or villains. While the series has shown various antagonists who have burnt bright, given big speeches only to end up getting one-punched into the ashes, there have been some who have left a lasting impact on the series, big enough for the creator himself to intervene and nerf the character out.
One such incident happened with the Phoenix Man, who could possibly become one of the biggest threats in One Punch Man, but creator Yusuke Murata significantly nerfed him, removing most of his broken abilities.
The Original Phoenix Man Was a Problem No Hero Could Solve
The first draft of Phoenix Man in the One Punch Man manga just died and got revived. In the original version, when Phoenix died, he got revived with a boost in his energy. Every time he fell, he returned in a stronger, smarter, and more evolved form. By the time he reached his latter transformations, he was also a god level threat, and terrifying enough to take down an S-ranked hero.
While his Regeneration powers are overpowered, what’s even broken is his Brilliant Eagle transformation, which allowed him to absorb massive amounts of power (including Child Emperor’s ultimate attack, the Millennium Emperor Nova). This absorption brought him a massive boost in strength, speed, and durability. Another ability that made Phoenix Man unstoppable was his Resurrection Fire, which allowed him to resurrect allies and upgrade them, turning him into a walking crisis generator.
Why His Power Had to Be Rewritten
While yes, Phoenix Man had broken abilities, it started to strain the internal logic of One Punch Man. Yes, it is agreeable that Saitama could actually defeat any threat with one punch, making this villain a minimal threat to him, but the world around him still needs some sense of limits. Phoenix’s ability to resurrect and become more powerful than his earlier version broke that balance, overshadowing major arcs and reducing the power levels of other significant villains.
To bring things back to balance, creator Yusuke Murata nerfed his major abilities, including removing his Brilliant Eagle transformation. This regenerative boost was nerfed to a minimum upgrade, and his resurrected allies were also shown as less potent in the redrawn version.
Also Check: Inside the Mysterious Ninja Village in One Punch Man
Do you believe that Phoenix Man’s original version should have been continued, or was the creator correct in his decision? Let us know in the comments.
One Punch Man manga is available to read on the VIZ platform.
Aditya is an anime-fuelled copywriter who treats every blank page like the start of a new arc. He mixes fast hooks, sharp humor, and just enough drama to keep readers scrolling like it’s a binge session. Whether he’s crafting listicles or deep dives, he writes with the enthusiasm of someone who still believes the next episode will change everything.
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