Tatsumaki
佐野 真一郎 | |||||
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Alias(es) | Tornado of Terror(戦慄のタツマキ,Senritsu no Tatsumaki) | ||||
Biological Information | |||||
Race | Human | ||||
Gender | Female | ||||
Age | 28 | ||||
Status | Alive | ||||
Height | Undisclosed | ||||
Weight | Undisclosed | ||||
Hair Color | Green | ||||
Eye Color | Green | ||||
Debut | |||||
Webcomic | Chapter 32 | ||||
Manga | A New Wind Blows Chapter 30 | ||||
Anime | Episode 6 | ||||
Status | |||||
Occupation | Hero | ||||
Rank | S-Class: Rank 2 | ||||
Affiliation | Hero Association | ||||
Family | Fubuki(Younger Sister) | ||||
Portrayal | |||||
Japanese Voice |
Aoi Yūki |
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English Voice | Marieve Herington(Season 1) Corina Boettger(Season 2) |
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Abilities | |||||
Abilities | Psychokinesis | ||||
“Mental strength is secondary. All you really need is overwhelming power.“ |
Appearance
Tatsumaki is a petite woman often mistaken for being much younger than she actually is. Despite her small stature, she exudes an intimidating presence. She has an adolescent face with striking emerald green eyes, and her hair is the same emerald color, naturally curling up at the ends. Tatsumaki’s usual outfit consists of a form-fitting, V-neck black dress with a high collar, long trumpet sleeves, and four high-cut leg slits with pointed ends, revealing her long, shapely legs. She complements this outfit with black, low-heeled shoes. Occasionally, she is depicted in ONE’s more simplistic webcomic style, which emphasizes her youthful and small stature even more.
Tatsumaki at the age of 10.
Tatsumaki’s complete appearance.
Tatsumaki illustrated by Yusuke Murata in ONE’s simplified style.
Personality
Tatsumaki is brash, moody, hot-headed, and impatient. She often displays a disrespectful attitude, especially toward those she considers incompetent. She has little tolerance for impertinence, demonstrated when she slammed Genos into rubble for defending Saitama from her verbal abuse. Despite her abrasive behavior, Tatsumaki does stop when corrected, as seen when Bang scolds her. She particularly dislikes being ignored or called belittling names like “brat” or “runt.”
Tatsumaki ordering Saitama to leave her sight.
Despite her arrogance, Tatsumaki takes her role as a hero seriously, viewing it as a duty to defeat monsters. She accepts missions from the Hero Association and even seeks out monsters to fight in her spare time when bored. Her one soft spot is for her younger sister, Fubuki, although this manifests as being overprotective and controlling.
Tatsumaki is extremely confident in her psychic powers, often claiming that no monster stands a chance against her. This confidence sometimes leads her to behave nonchalantly during critical situations. However, this arrogance stems from deep-seated trauma from her childhood, which causes her to despise criminals who involve children in dangerous situations.
Her confidence in her strength, shaped by her experiences and her mentor Blast, has led to her independent and stubborn tendencies. Tatsumaki believes she must handle everything herself without relying on others, even to the point of binding Bang, Bomb, and Fubuki to prevent them from assisting her in battle. Fubuki attributes this stubbornness to Blast’s influence, which Tatsumaki recognizes as a “curse” left by him. Despite her tough exterior, Tatsumaki secretly dislikes the fear others have of her and yearns for Blast to one day guide her on how to change her life.
Tatsumaki also exhibits a strong superiority complex, often believing herself to be the strongest hero in the Hero Association. This is particularly evident when she insists that she could defeat Garou in seconds if she were at full power. Even after her defeat against Saitama, she refuses to accept that anyone could be stronger than her. This complex likely developed because Tatsumaki rarely faces opponents stronger than herself.
Her superiority complex also hampers her empathy and humility. Tatsumaki tends to disregard the consequences of her actions, causing significant collateral damage when she loses her temper, as shown when her outbursts caused earthquakes during her argument with Saitama. Her behavior has alienated her from many of her fellow S-Class heroes, who see her as a spoiled brat, much to her frustration.
Due to her past trauma, Tatsumaki is fiercely self-reliant and dismissive of relationships. She believes friendships and connections are unnecessary, which is reflected in her attempts to remove Fubuki’s friends, calling them parasites who hinder her sister’s growth. Tatsumaki’s controlling nature, however, has done more harm than good to their sibling relationship, despite her good intentions.
In the end, Tatsumaki chose the path of a hero on her own, determined to help others despite the terrible things she experienced in her past. While her abrasive personality makes it difficult for her to socialize, she loves Fubuki deeply and is willing to do anything to protect her, though often without considering Fubuki’s feelings. Her pride and self-image as a protective sister have caused further strain between them.
History
Tatsumaki’s childhood was marked by hardship and isolation due to her extraordinary psychic abilities. At the age of seven, she was taken away from her adopted family by a group of scientists calledTsukuyomi, who were interested in experimenting on her powers. Her parents were compensated in exchange for giving her up. During her time with the scientists, Tatsumaki was tested on and rewarded with candy and toys for cooperating. However, they also confined her in a cell and restricted her from going outside, punishing her by locking her up whenever she refused to use her powers.
Eighteen years ago, when Tatsumaki was 10 years old, amonster outbreakoccurred while she was still imprisoned. Left alone and vulnerable in her cell, she found herself in a perilous situation as a monster approached.
Blast, the top-ranked hero of the Hero Association, appeared just in time to save her from the monster. During their encounter, Blast asked Tatsumaki why she didn’t use her psychic powers to defend herself. Tatsumaki lied, saying her powers weren’t working, but Blast quickly realized that she was holding back on purpose. She admitted that she had pretended to be powerless, hoping the scientists would deem her useless and let her go, reflecting her deep feelings of abandonment after being sold by her parents.
Understanding her feelings, Blast gave Tatsumaki valuable advice, telling her not to expect anyone to save her next time and to become strong enough to protect her only family, her younger sisterFubuki. This encounter with Blast had a profound impact on Tatsumaki, shaping her independent and powerful nature, as well as her protective attitude toward Fubuki.
Relationships
Hero Association Relationships
King
Tatsumaki, like many heroes, believes in King’s supposed power and holds respect for him. She was impressed by King’s dedication to his hero duties, like when he supposedly spent a night in Z-City eliminating monsters. However, she isn’t afraid to express annoyance towards him, such as when she berated King for suggesting Metal Knight handle the Dark Matter Thieves’ spaceship, believing King should take action himself.
Fubuki
Fubuki, Tatsumaki’s younger sister and fellow esper, holds great respect for her, although she feels overshadowed by Tatsumaki’s power. Tatsumaki, while overprotective of Fubuki, often criticizes her, particularly for her reliance on followers and her defeats at the hands of weaker monsters. Despite their strained relationship, Tatsumaki deeply cares for Fubuki and has a hard time expressing her emotions properly. Her overbearing attitude towards Fubuki often causes tension between them, but she still takes pride in her sister’s growth as a hero. Tatsumaki’s protective nature, however, leads her to dismiss Fubuki’s attempts to assist in battles, although she does display moments of genuine care for her sister’s well-being.
Flashy Flash
Tatsumaki and Flashy Flash share an unpleasant relationship. Tatsumaki’s brash attitude and dismissive nature towards most heroes extend to Flashy Flash, who, unlike others, does not hesitate to scold her back. Their interactions are often laced with mutual irritation.
Child Emperor
Child Emperor respects Tatsumaki’s power but finds her arrogant and impractical, particularly when she underestimates her opponents or dismisses the need for strategy. Despite this, he has shown her polite gestures, offering her orange juice on one occasion, though Tatsumaki seems indifferent toward him.
Genos
Initially, Tatsumaki’s relationship with Genos was strained, primarily due to her irritation with his loyalty to Saitama and his disregard for her. Tatsumaki often referred to him as “Demon Cyborg” and even attacked him during heated moments. However, their relationship improved after Genos helped her during the fight against Psykos and Orochi. Tatsumaki began to respect Genos, and the two later worked together, showing mutual trust. She even showed concern for him when he took damage during a battle, acknowledging his strength and calling him by his name for the first time.
Bang
Tatsumaki respects Bang to some extent, as seen when she heeded his advice and stood down during an argument. Bang, in return, respects Tatsumaki’s strength but is often frustrated by her immature behavior.
Sweet Mask
Tatsumaki holds no respect for Sweet Mask and does not hide her disdain for him. She openly told him that the S-Class heroes dislike him and criticized his inability to handle powerful enemies. Despite Sweet Mask’s claims for help during the Monster Association raid, Tatsumaki remained unimpressed and reiterated her opinion that he was unfit for such battles.
Saitama
Tatsumaki initially underestimated Saitama due to his low rank and found him annoying. Saitama, in turn, mistook Tatsumaki for a lost child due to her small stature, much to her frustration. Their relationship evolved during a confrontation where Saitama intervened to stop Tatsumaki from harming Fubuki’s group. During their scuffle, Tatsumaki recognized Saitama’s immense strength and became curious about his connection to Fubuki. Over time, Tatsumaki developed a begrudging respect for Saitama, especially after he managed to stand up to her powers and offer her advice that led to her becoming more humble and open-minded.
Blast
Tatsumaki holds Blast in high regard, viewing him as her savior from her traumatic past. He rescued her as a child and offered her words of wisdom, encouraging her to become strong and independent. This advice had a profound impact on Tatsumaki, leading to her fiercely self-reliant nature. She has always admired Blast and secretly yearns for his approval, desiring guidance on how to live a better life. Even when tempted by “God” with an illusion of Blast, Tatsumaki recognized the trick and resisted, staying true to her respect for the real Blast.
Monster Association Relationships
Psykos
Tatsumaki held a low opinion of Psykos from the start. After initially defeating Psykos’ puppet form, she easily captured her for interrogation. However, Psykos escaped and gained immense power after fusing with Orochi, which led to a prolonged and difficult battle with Tatsumaki. Despite Psykos’ increased strength and arrogance, Tatsumaki consistently mocked her, dismissing her ambitions and beliefs as foolish. After the battle, Tatsumaki agreed with Fubuki to protect Psykos from the Tsukuyomi group, recognizing that captivity under them would be a terrible fate, demonstrating some sense of justice even towards an enemy.
Abilities and Powers
As the second-ranked S-Class hero, Tatsumaki is one of the most powerful heroes in the series. She is regarded as the strongest esper, with abilities that make her a formidable force against monsters and threats. Her immense psychokinetic powers place her above most heroes, and even among S-Class heroes, few can challenge her. Characters like Gyoro Gyoro and Superalloy Darkshine have commented on her incredible strength, with Darkshine noting that Garou would lose instantly against her at the time. Tatsumaki’s full capabilities are demonstrated during her battles with Psykos and Orochi, where she not only defeats the fusion of these two Dragon-level beings but also distorts Z-City with her telekinetic powers.
Supernatural Abilities
Tatsumaki instructing Saitama to leave her sight.
Psychokinesis: Tatsumaki is the most powerful esper in the series. She can effortlessly manipulate and move objects with her mind, including massive constructs like buildings or even the entire Monster Association base. Her power is so immense that she can deflect a barrage of powerful attacks from Boros’s spaceship and return them with equal or greater force. She can also cause large-scale environmental changes like creating storms and twisters. Tatsumaki has demonstrated the ability to sense danger, such as detecting when her sister Fubuki is in trouble, and she can locate other espers, like finding Psykos underground. In combat, she can easily crush enemies or throw them around with her psychic abilities, as shown when she defeated the massive Hundred-Eyes Octopus and crushed it into a ball.
During her fight with the Psykos-Orochi fusion, Tatsumaki’s psychokinetic powers reach their peak. She pulls meteor-sized rocks from the ocean and hurls them at high speeds. She also halts a powerful energy beam attack that could sever the Earth’s surface and lift a landmass, then restrains the fusion entity before twisting its massive body, causing massive distortions across Z-City. Even while weakened, she still has enough power to manipulate the ruins of the Monster Association into a colossal spear.
Flight: Tatsumaki uses her psychokinesis to fly at high speeds. She can move through multiple cities quickly during her fight with Saitama.
Psychic Barriers: Tatsumaki can create powerful barriers for protection. These barriers can withstand powerful energy attacks, such as those from Orochi, and even shield large areas like parts of Z-City. She has shown the ability to create multiple layers of barriers, trapping enemies inside them, and can even maintain her barriers while unconscious.
Telepathy: Tatsumaki can communicate with her sister, Fubuki, using telepathy.
Chi Manipulation: Tatsumaki can manipulate a person’s life force to immobilize them, but this technique is ineffective against individuals with strong willpower, such as Golden Sperm or Saitama.
Psychic Remote: Tatsumaki can use her psychic power to control TV channels.
Physical Abilities
Immense Speed and Reflexes: Tatsumaki has incredible reflexes, demonstrated when she reacted to and saved other S-Class heroes from Boros’s spaceship missiles. She can also dodge energy beams from the fusion of Psykos and Orochi.
Enhanced Stamina and Endurance: Despite suffering serious injuries during battles, Tatsumaki is capable of fighting for extended periods. She can continue fighting even after being severely weakened, showcasing her incredible endurance during the Monster Association arc. After a massive fight with Psykos and Orochi, she manages to remain conscious long enough to assist other heroes in battle before finally fainting from exhaustion.
Fighting Style
Master Psychic Combatant: Tatsumaki is a master of using her psychic abilities in combat. She uses her powers for both offense and defense, and her tactical skills are as impressive as her raw power. She can create distractions, manipulate her psychic signals, and develop strategies to defeat her enemies, such as when she made a decoy to trick Psykos. She also created a technique that deflects psychic attacks, calledPsychic Whirlwind, which she developed during childhood and has continued to refine.
Psychic Binding (念動金縛り, Nen-dō Kanashibari): Tatsumaki can immobilize her targets using her psychokinetic powers.
Psychic Whirlwind (念流廻転嵐, Nen-ryū Kaiten Arashi): This is an anti-psychic technique that allows Tatsumaki to redirect or deflect psychic attacks. By making her psychic signals move in circles around her, she creates a protective whirlwind.
In sum, Tatsumaki’s abilities, both in psychokinesis and combat, make her one of the most dangerous and powerful characters in theOne-Punch Manuniverse. Her immense power, combined with her strategic mind and experience, ensures that she is a force to be reckoned with.
Trivia
Tatsumaki’s entry in the Databook.
Tatsumaki’s entry in the Databook.
- Tatsumaki is ranked 6th in the character popularity poll.
- According to the databook:
- What she likes: her sister and areas where she can freely use her full abilities.
- What she dislikes: male heroes who think they’re strong and being seen or called a little girl.
- Despite this, she respects King on several occasions.
- Her hobbies are unknown.
- Tatsumaki is her real name. The Hero Association added “Terror” to her hero name to reflect her terrifying abilities.
- Tatsumaki is five years older than her sister, Fubuki, despite her appearance.
- Lily once mistook Tatsumaki as Fubuki’s younger sister, a mistake repeated by Do-S during their fight.
- Tatsumaki has a cameo appearance in Chapter 8 ofMob Psycho 100, ONE’s other work, when explaining what espers are.
- ONE said that Tatsumaki is generally stronger than Mob (the protagonist ofMob Psycho 100), but if Mob gets serious, it’s uncertain who would win.
- Tatsumaki is obsessed with candy apples and goes to festivals just to buy them. She also has a fear of ghosts due to an incident with Saitama.
- Murata stated that Geryuganshoop’s psychokinesis might surpass Tatsumaki’s in certain aspects, such as controlling flying objects with zero friction, which allows him to throw rocks at sub-light speed. Tatsumaki can throw large objects, but the friction limits their speed, causing rocks to evaporate.
- During a stream, Murata mentioned that Tatsumaki and Fubuki look French in terms of their fashion sense. Fubuki’s physical appearance is based on Japanese references.
- The animation team misunderstood ONE’s intentions during the Ancient King fight. ONE wanted Tatsumaki to drop a large boulder on him, triggering a flashback, but the team animated Tatsumaki pulling a meteor instead. Murata clarified that if Tatsumaki could pull a meteor from space, she would have had no trouble bringing down Boros’ ship.
- In the 2017One-Punch ManHalloween cover, Tatsumaki was depicted as a witch flying on a broom, wearing a witch hat, an orange scarf, Jack-O’-Lantern-themed pants, and striped socks while retaining her black dress.
- ONE stated that Tatsumaki, in her best shape, could have beaten Golden Sperm.