This article contains discussion of sexual assault.
The Boysseason 5 will bring the series to a close after over six years, and it is unlikely that these six key characters will survive the final season. The Prime Video series is an adaptation of Garth Ennis' dark comic book series that envisions a twisted world where superheroes are real, but are also highly commercialized and corrupt individuals.The Boyscastfeatures Vought International’s roster of heroes, as well as the titular team of vigilantes tasked with bringing them down when they go too far.
The Boysseason 4’s endingsets up a dark reality for the main cast as their worst fears are made a reality. Framing the Boys for the assassination of Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit),Homelander (Antony Starr) is able to position himself as a de facto leader of the United States of Americaand usher in martial law, enforced by Supes. With the main group made public enemy number one, the majority of the team is taken into custody, save for Starlight (Erin Moriarty), leaving the majority of the cast in jeopardy.
6Billy Butcher
The Clock Is Ticking On Butcher’s Health
The most obvious candidate for meeting a fatal end inThe Boysis Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), the individual who ushered Hughie (Jack Quaid) and the audience into the mission to take down Vought and the rest of the Supes. Despite his long battle against superpowered individuals,Butcher was diagnosed with a terminal illness brought about by his Compound V usage, with just under two years to live. His condition worsened in season 4, as he began to manifest hallucinations and became able to control tendrils that sprout from his body.
Despite battling with the dark persona of Joe Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), season 4 concludes with Butcher giving in to his worst self, acquiring the Supe-killing virus, and driving off into the night after murdering Neuman. While the circumstances are vastly different from those in the comics,Butcher is still heading towards the White House confrontation with Homelander, planning to expose the world to a Supe-killing virus. With his illness still killing him and his fate aligning with his comic trajectory, Butcher’s death seems inevitable; the question is whether he’ll be able to die as himself or his worse side.
5Homelander
Despite His New Status, Homelander Isn’t Untouchable
Alongside Butcher, Homelander’s death feels like a foregone conclusion by the end ofThe Boys. The entirety of the series has not only followed the Boys' mission to eliminate Supes, but Homelander’s journey of finding himself, showing not only his downward spiral, but his rejection of any chance to redeem himself and atone for the pain he has caused. Instead, Homelander has doubled down on his Supe supremacist ideology, andwith season 4 showing his plans to establish prison camps, season 5 will undoubtedlyshow Homelander at his darkest, with no one left to rein him in.
What is unclear, however, is how the series will end Homelander’s story. Within the comics, Homelander is gradually disturbed by evidence presented to him that depicts him conducting many horrific crimes, pushing him over the edge and into his coup attempt,only to learn that he had been framed by a clone posing as Black Noir, who subsequently killed him.The Boys' newest Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) isn’t a clone, and showrunner Eric Kripke has cast doubt on the clone twist for several years, making who will bring Homelander to justice highly debated.
4Firecracker
Firecracker Is Willing To Put Her Body At Risk For Homelander
Firecracker (Valorie Curry) joined the Seven in season 4, having established herself not only as a Supe with a grudge against Starlight, but also as a media personality who is more than just a physical obstacle for the Boys to overcome. Despite being a new addition, she was quickly able to one-up the team by manipulating perspectives when they attempted to expose her past sexual assault charges. Furthermore, she is a zealot to Homelander, not only in terms of his cause, but also being willing to take drugs that allow her to produce milk to satisfy his unusual urges.
With her clear, overbearing, and alarming dedication to Homelander and role as an effective force in public relations for his regime, Misty Tucker Gray is a target who will need to be handled by the Boys. However, Firecracker may have already set herself down an inevitable path towards death due to her desire to satisfy Homelander’s breast milk addiction, noting that the prescriptions can enlarge her heart, something that can lead to several complications that include heart failure and blood clots that can cause strokes. Whether by vigilante or heart failure, Firecracker’s loyalty to Homelander has sealed her fate.
3Ashley Barrett
Season 4 Left Ashley In A Terrifying State
The long-suffering Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie) has had a complicated journey throughoutThe Boys. While she noted herself as a political activist in her youth, Ashley was more than willing to be part of Vought’s machine, even though she knew that she was simply being used by her superiors and witnessed more and more horrific actions. This hasn’t stoppedAshley from conducting small acts of rebellion, such as her efforts to help Maeve (Dominique McElligott) escape in season 3, and her uneasy alliance with A-Train (Jesse T. Usher) when she learns he is the mole.
Ashley’s willingness to do anything to survive may have condemned her to death already.
However, Ashley’s willingness to do anything to survive may have condemned her to death already, as the season 4 finale “Assassination Run"depicts Ashley taking Compound Vin a last-ditch attempt to survive Homelander’s culling of individuals who could jeopardize his plot following The Deep’s (Chace Crawford) recommendation to silence her. The results of Ashley’s transformation in the episode aren’t depicted, but it is clear from Minifie’s performance that it is an agonizing process that is turning her monstrous. As such,the Ashley whom audiences have followed may no longer even exist in season 5, effectively killing her already.
2The Deep
The Ocean-Themed Hero Has Long Been Established As An Unlikable Characer
One of the more pathetic characters ofThe Boys,The Deep is a character who quickly established himself as someone audiences should despise in season 1, having sexually harassed and abused several women, including Starlight, due to his own inferiority complex. As he tried to stage a comeback, he too became completely dedicated to Homelander, despite Homelander having tormented him in the past and played a part in fueling his sense of inferiority. Alongside his consistent torment of Starlight,The Deep has firmly enshrined himself as a villain.
As such, it is inevitable that Kevin Moskowitz will have to answer for his horrific deeds. What remains less certain is how The Deep will die, as there is no shortage of ways that could be envisioned for him to meet his end. While Starlight having her revenge or one of the Boys ending his life feels like an obvious fate,it is also possible that Homelander could finally grow tired of him, giving The Deep a fitting reward for his willingness to do anything to gain some form of power.
1Sister Sage
Has Sister Sage’s Intelligence Made Her A Liability?
Perhaps one of the characters whose fate is most up for question is Sister Sage (Susan Heyward). Introduced in season 4, Jessica Bradley is known as the smartest person on the planet, and is quick to join Homelander’s ranks due to a traumatizing loss that left her despising humans. Sage quickly proves herself as an asset to Homelander, and even someone whom he can see as an equal due to her lack of fear of him, and her plans guaranteeing him a route to power.
However, while she may have positioned herself as the mind behind Homelander’s operations, this does not guarantee that the pair will always be on friendly terms.Homelander is unpredictable and emotionally driven, and his new position of power could likely go to his head and make him more unhinged, while also leaving him questioning whether he still needs Sage. Sage’s final moments in season 4 saw her warn Homelander that he should always listen to her, showing she likely has contingencies to account for a betrayal, but she could still be caught by surprise inThe Boys' final act.
