Why “The Strongest” Never Goes How You Expect

The Meaning of “The Strongest”

The video argues that “the strongest” is interesting not just because of what a character can do, but because the title shapes our expectations—and gives storytellers room to surprise us.

Levi

The Beast Titan is built up as a terrifying, tactical threat, making Levi’s fight against him feel as though it could go either way. Then Levi dismantles him in seconds, outthinking him as well as overpowering him.

The tension returns when Zeke turns Levi’s comrades into Titans. Levi appears to hesitate, but he is really taking a moment to face a brutal choice. The essay argues that his defining strength is his ability to decide and commit—even when every option is awful. It jokes that if Levi were offered two versions of “everyone dies,” he would simply pick one.

Saitama

Because the audience knows Saitama will win, One-Punch Man creates suspense by keeping him away from the fight and letting supporting characters offer flashes of hope. The video compares this approach to the Z Fighters facing Nappa, then highlights Genos’s desperate effort against the meteor and Mumen Rider’s doomed stand against the Sea King. Their heroism matters even when victory is impossible.

When Saitama finally arrives, his effortless win is thrilling for the audience but frustratingly empty for him. His real challenge is finding someone who can give him a genuine fight, which makes his battle with Boros especially compelling.

Netero and Meruem

Their confrontation initially seems like a showdown to decide who is strongest: humanity’s hard-earned champion against a creature born powerful. Meruem proves superior in the fight, but the essay reveals that the real contest was never simply about strength.

Netero’s Rose bomb represents humanity’s capacity for cruelty and destruction. Meruem wants Netero’s name more than a fight, and underestimates what humans are capable of. That mistake costs him the contest.

Conclusion

“Who’s strongest?” is often the least interesting question. A character’s strength can create tension, expose their loneliness, or reveal something unsettling about the world around them—not just settle a power ranking.

The essay’s humor includes comparing Levi’s tactics to Bloons Tower Defense, joking about Dragon Ball and One Piece delaying their heroes’ arrivals, and imagining Saitama’s enemies as increasingly doomed “fried fish.” It ends with a playful plug for another video.

Key personalities discussed: Levi, Zeke, Erwin, Saitama, Genos, Mumen Rider, Boros, Netero, and Meruem.