Why does the Hero Association ratings have several S-Class Heroes to be more powerful than Tatsumaki?


According to the Hero Association ratings, several characters have more power
than Tatsumaki. Bang, Atomi Samurai, Flashy Flash and amazingly King are rated
to have a power of 10 while Tatsumaki only has 9. But, Tatsumaki was capable
of taking a monster who was probably a demon level in one blow. Why does the
Hero Association ratings have several S Class Heroes to be more powerful than
Tatsumaki?




It's possible that the translation of that stat as "Power" is a (slight)
mistranslation. I have seen it alternatively translated as "Instantaneous
Power/Speed". _If_ we assume that is a more accurate translation, then it
means it's a measure of how quickly they can utilize their power/speed. As
such Tatsumaki's rating may be lower than max if it takes her a little bit
more time to unleash her strength; at least as far as the association
thinks/knows anyway. Martial combatants like Atomic Samurai can use highly
trained reflexes to react powerfully with little to no thought, while
Tatsumaki, presumably, needs to actively think/concentrate for most
situations. This seems supported by an important plot point later:

> Espers must choose between offense and defense, as they can only use one
> power at a time. This creates an exploitable gap where you can land an
> attack while the Esper is trying to attack. This pops up near the end of the
> Garou/Monster Association arc. We are also told during that sequence that
> her barrier remains up and effective even when she's unconscious (and
> apparently concussed). As such it seems to be Tatsumaki's default state to
> be in defensive mode, and she must consciously and actively switch to an
> offensive attack.

