The massively popular anime and manga franchise One-Punch Man takes place in a world full of superheroes and monsters, with the heroes and villains each in their own organized associations to either save the world or destroy it. The second highest-ranked member of the Hero Association is Tatsumaki, the self-proclaimed Tornado of Terror,
While that might seem like a bold claim, Tatsumaki is still one of humanity's best hopes against the rise of the Monster Association, and we're taking a closer look at this psychic superhero and her role in the hit anime series.
Tatsumaki is introduced as an S-class hero only tasked by the Hero Association to deal with threats worthy of her immense power. It is later revealed in the manga that Tatsumaki was taken from her family by the government at an early age so her incredible psychic abilities could be studied after her parents given a vast sum of money to comply. Tatsumaki was confined in a top-secret facility for much of her childhood and experimented on by scientists to learn the full extent of her powers and if they could potentially be replicated.
While Tatsumaki was 10 years old, the facility was attacked by a fearsome monster, but she was rescued by the mysterious, powerful hero Blast. Upon reaching adulthood, Tatsumaki joined the Hero Association and reunited with her younger sister Fubuki who not-so-secretly resented her. Throughout her life, she was constantly compared to Tatsumaki; an association that continued for both psychic heroes in adulthood with the general public and Hero Association. Occasionally, Tatsumaki is depicted as a child, with an intentionally simplistic visual design for comedic effect in both the manga and anime.
As the second highest ranked member of the Hero Association, Tatsumaki is recognized as one of the most powerful superheroes on Earth. With the knowledge that the top-ranked hero King is actually a fraud a secret from both the organization and the general public, Tatsumaki is second only to Saitama as the strongest hero in the franchise. She's the most gifted psychic on the planet and is far superior to her sister in her mastery of her telekinetic abilities. In addition to her telekinesis, Tatsumaki has demonstrated enhanced reflexes and endurance while using her psychic abilities to aid her physical fighting style.
In terms of specific psychic powers, Tatsumaki has used her abilities to fly and levitate as well as form protective barriers of telekinetic energy around herself and others. Tatsumaki can fire telekinetic blasts, redirect projectiles at targets and lift massive objects with her mind, with the series creators noting she could potentially lift an entire city simply through the power of her mind. In addition to telekinesis, Tatsumaki can also distort the life force of opponents causing immobilization and pain as well as sense whether Fubuki is in danger due to their shared familial connection.
During a battle against the monstrous Ancient King, Tatsumaki is summoned back to the Hero Association's headquarters and abruptly ends her fight by pulling down a meteor on top of Ancient King, completely obliterating the villain. Upon learning of an attempted alien invasion and frustrated by strategies proposed by the higher ranking King, Tatsumaki launches an attack of her own against the invaders, using rubble to significantly damage the enemy spaceship.
As the Monster Association makes itself known and initiates a widespread assault to overwhelm the Hero Association, Tatsumaki is seen destroying the hulking villain Hundred-Eyes Octopus. Tatsumaki later joins an elite strike force to infiltrate the Monster Association's headquarters and rescue the kidnapped son of one of the Hero Association's biggest sponsors. Along the way, Tatsumaki destroys the villains Evil Eye and Gyoro Gyoro before confronting the Association's leader Orochi.
Later, Tatsumaki defeats the powerful villain Golden Sperm but is weakened by the confrontation, leaving her vulnerable to the hero hunter Garou. However, before passing out, Tatsumaki theorizes that at full strength, she would be able to best the human monster, a feat few within the Hero Association could accomplish cementing her status as one of its strongest members.