All 3 Major The Boys Series Finale Deaths & Comic Comparisons Explained By Creator

by

Wow, the finale of The Boys really delivered – and it wasn’t afraid to make some huge sacrifices! I was genuinely shocked by how many major characters didn’t make it. It felt like the right way to end things, though, with these impactful deaths really hitting home.

Eric Kripke, the creator of The Boys, has detailed the reasoning behind the significant deaths in the series finale, how they came about, and how they relate to the original comic book. The fifth season culminated in a showdown between the heroes and Homelander inside the Oval Office. During the battle, Kimiko used her newfound abilities to remove the Compound V or V-One from everyone’s system. Homelander, desperate and on his knees, pleaded for his life, but Butcher ultimately killed him by tearing off his head with a crowbar.

Showrunner Eric Kripke told ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley that Homelander’s death in the finale of The Boys was planned from the beginning. He described Butcher being the one to kill Homelander as a “fun and cathartic” moment, resolving their long-running rivalry. Kripke also emphasized the importance of Homelander actually dying, explaining that if he survived, he likely would have recovered his powers and continued to be a threat, making his death essential.

Liam Crowley: You finally did it.

Eric Kripke: I did something. Hey Liam.

Many viewers of The Boys seemed to anticipate a violent end for Homelander, perhaps even his head being split open. But I’m curious, was that outcome always planned for the series, regardless of how many seasons it ran?

Absolutely. And it had to be Butcher who did it. Honestly, anything else wouldn’t have felt right. It was always meant to be his moment, and it was incredibly satisfying to finally film that scene.

Liam Crowley mentioned that one of the most impactful moments for him as a viewer was seeing Homelander lose his powers. He’s curious about the reasoning behind that decision and why they chose to portray him as vulnerable and complaining at the end.

From the start of the season, we intentionally showed that Homelander’s identity is completely tied to his powers. Characters repeatedly tell him he’s nothing without them, and we wanted to prove that’s true – take away his abilities, and he falls apart. It’s a common pattern with powerful people; when they lose their power, they can be pathetic, like Saddam Hussein when he was found hiding. Some viewers asked if stripping him of his powers wouldn’t be a worse punishment than killing him. While that’s theoretically true, he’d inevitably find more Compound V and regain his powers, putting everyone back at square one. He simply couldn’t be allowed to leave that room alive.

Homelander wasn’t the only important character who died in the finale. After Homelander’s defeat, Butcher and his team briefly celebrated, but then learned that Terror had died peacefully. This, combined with Ryan choosing to live his own life, led Butcher to Vought Tower. There, he planned to release a virus that would eliminate all Supes by spreading it through the building’s sprinkler system. Hughie followed him and, in a desperate attempt to save everyone, shot and killed Butcher to stop him.

Kripke revealed he always planned for Butcher’s death from the beginning of the show. Although the main goal of The Boys has been to defeat Homelander, a central tension existed between Hughie and Butcher. This tension ultimately led to Hughie having to make the difficult decision to end Butcher’s life. Kripke acknowledged that the original comic book writer, Garth Ennis, provided inspiration for the storyline, and he also discussed with actor Karl Urban how Butcher’s character arc would conclude.

Liam Crowley: When did you decide that Billy was also going to meet his end?

From the very first page of the pilot, we had two big pieces of the puzzle figured out. We knew Butcher would somehow end up killing Homelander, but more importantly, we knew Butcher was going to do something awful in the process, and that Hughie would be the one to stop him. That beat actually comes straight from the comics – huge credit to Garth Ennis for that. I always loved how personal it was, and it really highlighted what the show was really about all along: the complicated relationship between Hughie and Butcher. Everyone focuses on the Butcher/Homelander dynamic, but the connection between Hughie and Butcher has been subtly developing throughout the entire series. Looking back now, you can see we were planting clues all along. The most noble thing Butcher ever does, honestly, is realizing he’s incapable of stopping himself, and intentionally bringing someone – Hughie, essentially his little brother – onto the team who could stop him. It was incredibly satisfying to finally bring all those threads together. Seeing Homelander go down was great, of course, but that scene with Hughie and Butcher? That might be my favorite moment of the whole finale.

Liam Crowley: Were Karl and Antony aware that when they signed on, this is the endgame?

You know, as a big fan of the show, I always got the sense that Antony was fully aware his time was limited. It really makes his choices more impactful. But it’s fascinating to wonder if Karl had any idea what was coming. That’s a question that’s stuck with me!

Liam Crowley: When did you tell Karl about the finale death specifically?

I remember Eric Kripke saying that a few seasons back, he really wanted his character’s ending to feel right. He wanted it to be true to who he was – complicated, but ultimately noble and emotional, even if it meant his character wouldn’t make it to the very end. Apparently, that’s when Eric first let him know the character wasn’t going to survive the finale.

Beyond the two major character deaths in the episode, the showrunner also discussed The Deep’s fate. His decision to support Homelander and his murder of Black Noir were the last in a series of actions that ultimately led to his downfall, which the showrunner was pleased to see unfold.

Liam Crowley: It’s good to see some survivors, considering how many people you eliminated this season. And rest in peace to The Deep – or, well, something like that.

Eric Kripke: Yeah. Is there no more deserved death in that son of a b***h?

The deaths of Homelander, Butcher, and even The Deep felt necessary to bring season 5 of The Boys to a satisfying conclusion and keep the story’s energy high. The Deep’s unwavering devotion to Homelander ultimately led to his downfall. As for Homelander, his final scenes revealed that his arrogance was entirely dependent on his powers; stripped of them, he was vulnerable, which allowed Butcher to finally defeat him.

Butcher’s fate was particularly sad, as Hughie had to kill him to protect Starlight and Kimiko. While Hughie understood why Butcher felt so strongly about punishing Supes who abused their power, he didn’t believe they had the right to eliminate them entirely. Even though Butcher briefly paused, he ultimately knew he wouldn’t be able to stop his crusade, leading to a tragic but unavoidable end for his character.

Man, the deaths in The Boys finale really hit hard. It felt like everything was building to those moments for all the main characters still standing – Homelander, Butcher, even The Deep. It was so satisfying to see them all get what they deserved, good or bad. Kripke clearly had a plan for how each of their stories would end, and it was cool to see that vision finally come to life. It felt earned, you know? Like a long journey finally reaching its conclusion.

Read More

2026-05-20 19:23