There’s a sneaky way to watch One Punch Man Season 3 Episode 1 for free

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The first episode of One Punch Man Season 3 is finally here, and you can watch the anime for free right now!

Ever since 2016, fans have been discussing the changes to the One Punch Man anime. While the first season was well-received, the second season saw a significant shift in production. A new director, Chikara Sakurai, took over from Shingo Natsume, and the animation studio changed from Madhouse to J.C.Staff.

After Season 2 launched in 2019, some viewers felt the show’s quality had decreased. Similar worries are surfacing about the upcoming Season 3, and the new director, Shinpei Nagai, has requested that fans stop sending abusive messages to those involved in its production.

Fans of One Punch Man have been eagerly anticipating the new season to see if it lives up to expectations. While a Rotten Tomatoes score isn’t available yet, you can now judge for yourself as the first episode of Season 3 has been released.

How to watch One Punch Man Season 3 for free

The first episode of One Punch Man Season 3, titled ‘Strategy Meeting’, is now streaming on Hulu in the US with English subtitles. New and some returning Hulu customers can watch it for free during a 30-day trial.

Season 3 started on October 12, 2025, and new episodes are released every week. If you start a free 30-day trial of Hulu today, you’ll be able to watch the first five episodes—including the premiere—for free.

To begin, simply visit this page and click ‘Start Your Free Trial.’ You’ll be prompted to enter your information and either create a new account or log in to an existing one. Keep in mind that the 30-day free trial is only available with the Hulu (No Ads) plan.

You’ll be asked for your billing details, but you won’t be charged for the first month. If you’d like to avoid paying anything, remember to cancel your subscription before the free trial ends.

To avoid forgetting, set a reminder. Or, if you enjoy shows like Alien: Earth, High Potential, and the rest of One Punch Man Season 3, it might be worth keeping your subscription to the streaming service.

T-Mobile customers who have the Experience Beyond package can watch One Punch Man for free with a complimentary Hulu subscription that includes ads.

To get started, sign in to your T-Mobile account. After verifying your identity, you’ll be guided to create a new Hulu account. You can find more details about claiming this perk here.

Can you watch One Punch Man Season 3 outside the US?

You can now watch One Punch Man Season 3 with English subtitles worldwide! In Canada, it’s available on Disney+, and viewers in Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand can stream it on Netflix.

Season 3 is available on Crunchyroll in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and all other regions.

If the usual way to watch isn’t ideal for me – like if I’d rather stream it on Netflix since I already pay for that – I can also use a VPN to make it happen.

When is Season 3 Episode 2 out?

The second episode of One Punch Man Season 3 will be available to stream on Hulu in the US starting Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 7:45 AM Pacific Time or 10:45 AM Eastern Time.

New shows on Hulu usually become available at 12am Pacific Time, but release times can change. For example, new episodes of One Punch Man are released simultaneously with Japan, at 11:45pm Japan Standard Time.

It’s still unknown exactly how many episodes Season 3 will have, but current estimates suggest around 12. If released one episode per week, the season could conclude on December 28th, though this date isn’t official yet.

Is it worth watching? 

The first episode of Season 3 currently has a 6.6/10 rating on IMDb, which is the second-lowest score for any episode so far, only slightly above the 6.5 earned by one episode from Season 2. This rating is likely to shift as more viewers share their opinions.

One viewer strongly disliked the animation, calling it the worst they’d ever seen in an anime. While acknowledging it wasn’t an action-packed episode, they still felt the animation should have at least been smooth and fluid.

These days, a lot of anime aren’t focused on action, with most of the time spent on character interactions and slower moments. A great example is ‘Frieren,’ which looks beautiful even during conversations. This is also true for popular shows like ‘One Punch Man,’ where strong visuals aren’t limited to fight scenes.

One viewer called the Season 3 premiere “just okay,” explaining that they only really liked it because some familiar faces returned. They also thought the episode felt slow, even for a season opener.

I was really hoping for more from this episode, especially after waiting over six years for it. It felt more like a preview of what’s coming in Season 3. However, the storyline itself seems promising, so I’m optimistic the show will pick up speed and deliver better animation soon.

Some viewers really enjoyed the episode, with one fan admitting they didn’t understand all the negativity. They praised the animation as being well-done and pointed out that, as an episode focused on conversation and setting things up, it didn’t need a lot of action-packed visuals.

People are drawing comparisons to Season 1, but the production pace Madhouse maintained back then simply wasn’t feasible long-term. Consistently delivering that level of quality in every episode isn’t realistic. Ultimately, this episode achieved what it needed to.

Looking for something to watch? Explore new shows arriving on Netflix this month, discover popular TV shows available on streaming platforms, and see what’s scheduled for release in our 2025 TV calendar.

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2025-10-13 15:51