Charanko is a 20‑year‑old male disciple of Bang’s Silver Fang dojo in One-Punch Man, a self-proclaimed “first disciple” whose actual fighting ability is around an ordinary person’s level but who is notable for his loyalty, persistence, and comedic lack of talent.
Charanko is a young martial arts student whose original motive for joining Bang’s dojo was simple and shallow: he “wanted to be popular with girls.”
Despite this, he ended up genuinely admiring Bang and taking pride in being his student.
His combat ability is very low by hero standards and is basically at a normal human level.
He can apparently defeat local delinquents from his hometown, but only if he lands a surprise attack.
Charanko uses an honorific and polite speech when addressing Bang and often boasts about his master’s overwhelming strength.
Because of this, he sometimes looks like a “fox borrowing the authority of a tiger,” casually belittling people like Saitama, assuming they are weak compared to Bang.
He even signs up for the martial arts tournament “Super Fight” on a whim, which highlights how easily he gets carried away.
At the same time, he has a stubbornly strong heart and does not break even after being beaten brutally by both Bang and Garou.
Background of the Dojo and “First Disciple” Status
Bang’s dojo once had over a hundred disciples, including many talented fighters.
However, one day his then true first disciple Garou went berserk, seriously injuring the strong students and leaving them unable to continue training.
The remaining disciples, frightened by Garou’s rampage and its consequences, left the dojo one after another.
Garou himself was punished and expelled by Bang, leaving only Charanko as the last remaining disciple.
Because everyone else had quit, Bang eventually told him that he could call himself the “first disciple.”
Thus, Charanko’s title does not reflect superior skill, but simply the fact that he was the only one left.
Expulsion to Protect Him and Confrontation with Garou
When the Hero Association requests Bang to hunt down Garou, Bang decides to exclude Charanko from the dangerous conflict.
Without explaining the true reason, Bang suddenly spars with him harshly, injures him, and then forcibly expels him from the dojo.
Charanko later learns that this “expulsion” was Bang’s way of keeping him out of harm’s way.
Once he realizes that Garou is directly involved in the so‑called “hero hunter” incidents, he ignores his own lack of strength and goes to confront Garou alone.
He is utterly defeated and beaten to a pulp, becoming one of the many heroes and fighters left in critical condition by Garou.
The next day, Bang finds the severely injured Charanko among the other fallen heroes and looks on him with a deeply sorrowful expression.
In the remake version, it is clarified that Charanko, though heavily injured, remains conscious and his life is not in immediate danger.
Garou’s brutal treatment of Charanko later becomes an emotional trigger for Bang, who shouts, “Feel the pain of my ‘first disciple’ Charanko!” when clashing with Garou.
Despite being weak, Charanko does fight as Bang’s disciple whenever he can, and the relationship between master and student is shown to be genuinely close.
Even Saitama, who rarely praises people, acknowledges in the remake that the act of facing Garou alone was something deserving of respect.
Timeline Differences: Original Web Version and Remake
In the original web version, Charanko is said to have joined Bang’s dojo about six months after Garou’s expulsion.
In the remake, this timing is changed to roughly one year before, implying that Charanko and Garou were at the same dojo for at least a short period.
However, in the remake Charanko had been skipping practice when Garou’s rampage happened.
Because of this, he alone escaped injury and remained as the sole disciple.
There is a small continuity issue: the remake still contains a “six months” description in another part, creating a minor contradiction in the timeline.
The remake also clearly states that his reason for joining the dojo was “because he wanted to be popular,” emphasizing his unserious side.
Disappearance and Return as a Disciple
For a long time after the hero hunter arc, Charanko’s status is left unclear.
Later, in newly added web chapters, he appears again, wearing his gi and acting as though he has resumed life at the dojo.
Although he had officially been expelled, he now calls Bang “master” as usual, and Bang treats him normally.
This strongly suggests that his expulsion was effectively rescinded and he was reinstated as a proper disciple once everything calmed down.
His injuries from Garou’s beating appear to have mostly healed.
He is not dramatically stronger, but he is back in his familiar position at Bang’s side.
With Bang (Silver Fang)
Charanko deeply respects Bang and always refers to him with formality and reverence.
He proudly brags about Bang’s power to others, sometimes in a way that borders on arrogance by association.
Bang, for his part, cares enough about Charanko to injure and expel him rather than risk the boy’s life against Garou.
Later, Bang’s grief over Charanko’s injuries, and his shout about the “first disciple” during the fight with Garou, show that he sees Charanko as a real student, not just background fodder.
With Garou
Charanko has a complicated connection to Garou, the former true first disciple.
In the remake, they even shared the same dojo briefly, though Charanko missed Garou’s infamous rampage by skipping practice.
When Charanko learns that Garou is the hero hunter menacing the Hero Association, he recklessly seeks him out.
The result is a one‑sided defeat, underscoring the vast gap between Charanko’s ordinary-level skills and Garou’s monstrous martial prowess.
In a later remake chapter (around chapter 236), after Garou is “reformed” under Bang’s guidance and made to start over from the bottom, both he and the disciples who once quit because of him return to the dojo.
Garou is demoted to the lowest-ranking disciple to symbolize his restart, which means Charanko retains his status as “first disciple” in name.
Garou, however, completely looks down on Charanko, trying to intimidate him and boss him around like a personal errand boy.
Bang immediately scolds Garou and punishes him with a knock on the head, reestablishing the hierarchy and protecting Charanko.
With Saitama and Other Heroes
Charanko initially underestimates Saitama because he judges him by his plain appearance and compares him to Bang.
This is another moment that shows Charanko’s habit of leaning on his master’s reputation.
Despite this, Saitama later recognizes that Charanko’s decision to face Garou alone, knowing he was outmatched, was at least brave in intent.
The two characters cross paths within the context of the “Super Fight” martial arts tournament, where Charanko’s role leans more into comedy than combat.
Charanko also appears briefly alongside a character who looks very similar to King, adding a bit of visual humor.
He is associated with the lower-tier hero world and background characters, emphasizing his status as a small fry in a world of overwhelming monsters and heroes.
Remake Manga Appearances
In the remake manga, Charanko first appears as a background character around chapter 13.
He shows up during the destruction of the building owned by the wealthy Zeniru, which is shaped like the famous “golden poop” building in Asakusa, when Onsoku no Sonic’s battle causes massive damage.
He appears again around chapter 20, also as part of the crowd, blending into the background.
Later chapters give him more focus as Bang’s only remaining disciple and as a minor but emotionally important character in the hero hunter storyline.
In the remake, it is explicitly mentioned that he joined the dojo because he wanted to be popular.
He also signs up for the “Super Fight” tournament on a whim, showcasing his impulsive and somewhat overconfident personality.
Web Version Updates
In recently updated chapters of the original web version, Charanko reappears after a long absence.
Despite having been expelled earlier, he is shown once more in his gi inside Bang’s dojo, implying that his status as a disciple has been quietly restored.
He continues to call Bang “master,” and Bang treats him in a straightforward, familiar way.
His injuries are mostly healed, and he seems to have returned to his usual routine, including some less-than-diligent training habits.
Charanko is a mix of comic relief, underdog, and surprisingly loyal disciple.
He is easily swept up in the moment, brags using Bang’s name, and can be lazy, such as skipping training or trying to slack off while Garou is away working part‑time jobs to help the dojo’s finances.
His reason for joining the dojo—“to be popular”—is obviously not noble.
Yet when faced with the reality that his master might be disgraced because of Garou, he musters enough courage to face a terrifying enemy far beyond his level.
He has a strong mental resilience: even after being beaten badly by both Bang and Garou, he does not completely lose heart.
At the same time, his everyday behavior, like trying to skip training once danger passes, shows that he is still very much a flawed and comedic character rather than a traditional shonen-style hard worker.
In short, Charanko is weak but earnest, foolish yet brave in his own way.
He remains one of the series’ more human-scale characters, offering a grounded contrast to the overwhelming monsters and heroes that dominate One-Punch Man’s world.
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