Anime Expo 2025 was supposed to be the moment. The one where One-Punch Man Season 3 would finally land a punch—on our hearts, our eyeballs, and our long-suffering need for a release date. But instead, what fans got was a panel that felt less like a hype train and more like a polite reminder that Season 3 exists and that we will be lucky enough to see it some day. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully.
Titled “One-Punch Man Season 3 Panel – Saitama is Back!”, the event hit the JW Marriott Diamond Ballroom on July 5 from 12:00 PM to 1:20 PM, and brought out the big names: Makoto Furukawa (Saitama’s Japanese VA), Max Mittelman (Saitama’s English VA), Greg Chun (Garou’s English VA), and producers Chinatsu Matsui and Toshiaki Oshima. They even threw in a Guinness World Record challenge, a talk show, and a live reading, which sounds impressive until you realize that absolutely none of it had anything to do with Season 3’s actual progress.
A full-blown panel for one of anime’s most anticipated returns… with zero trailer, zero footage, and zero release date. What did fans get? Reaffirmation that Season 3 is “still in production” and that the cast and crew are “excited.” Excited about what, exactly? The mystery? The collective side-eye from everyone in the ballroom?
Later that day, Makoto Furukawa held an autograph session from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM, which was great if you wanted to tell him in person how excited you were for actual content. But the elephant in the room wasn’t a life-sized giant elephant cyborg mutant from the House of Evolution, which would have been awesome—it was the fact that we still don’t know exactly when this thing is dropping.
Sure, Season 3 is supposed to debut in October 2025, but given the total radio silence and lack of promotional material, that date is starting to look about as trustworthy as Genos surviving a boss fight. If they were truly dropping it in a few months, Anime Expo 2025 would’ve been the perfect moment to show off a teaser, a key visual, or even just a gritty 10-second slow zoom on Saitama’s bald head. But no. All we got was vague optimism and industry-standard shoulder shrugs.
They did tease a few new villains, though. But since they posted them on Twitter (now X), you didn’t need to pay $100 for a pass to sit in on the disappointing fluff panel to see it.
「#ワンパンマン」第3期怪人ビジュアルを公開！
第7弾はブサイク大総統
第3期キャラクターデザイン黒田新次郎さんの描き下ろしですhttps://t.co/Updsm60Ktw#onepunchman pic.twitter.com/rcuaRq8LCf— TVアニメ「ワンパンマン」公式 (@opm_anime) July 4, 2025
「#ワンパンマン」第3期怪人ビジュアルを公開！
第8弾はホームレス帝
第3期キャラクターデザイン白川亮介さんの描き下ろしですhttps://t.co/Updsm60Ktw#onepunchman pic.twitter.com/ocxDhf4pwL— TVアニメ「ワンパンマン」公式 (@opm_anime) July 4, 2025
「#ワンパンマン」第3期怪人ビジュアルを公開！
第9弾は黒い精子
第3期キャラクターデザイン白川亮介さんの描き下ろしですhttps://t.co/Updsm60Ktw#onepunchman pic.twitter.com/ss5MeNaavu— TVアニメ「ワンパンマン」公式 (@opm_anime) July 4, 2025
To be fair, fans did get to bask in the presence of the cast and crew, which was cool. But after six years of waiting since Season 2’s underwhelming finale, you can’t blame the fanbase for showing up with the energy of a caffeinated Mumen Rider and leaving with the soul-crushed despair of a mosquito under Saitama’s palm.
