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The Boys Season 5’s Ending Will Be A Bloodbath, But 1 Character Absolutely Must Survive

No matter how many big names fall in The Boys season 5, the writers should protect one supe character at all costs. It seems almost redundant to point out that, as the Prime Video show’s last season, The Boys season 5 will be a violent affair where many characters die horribly. Not only has The Boys developed a reputation for killing off characters with gleeful abandon – Victoria Neuman, Lamplighter, Hugh Campbell Sr. – but the original Garth Ennis comic book ending was unflinchingly bloody, setting a clear precedent for the live-action adaptation.

Supes and non-supes alike should also be concerned about how The Boys season 4 ended. On one side, Homelander has effectively taken over the United States and imposed a supes-first dictatorship. On the other end of the spectrum, Billy Butcher vanished into the metaphorical night with The Boys‘ supe-killing virus in his possession. All evidence points to both teams taking very heavy casualties.

(Almost) No Character Is Safe In The Boys Season 5

The Boys Has Set Up Many Potential Casualties

While there is no doubting the show’s willingness to kill off major characters, it’s interesting to note that The Boys‘ core cast members have remained relatively safe. All members of the Boys themselves are still alive, and the central Seven unit of Homelander, the Deep, A-Train, Queen Maeve, and Starlight are all still alive. After Black Noir’s return in The Boys season 4, even his death proved to be a technicality, with the exact same actor still wearing the exact same suit.

Antony Starr and Karl Urban’s characters are arguably more at risk than anyone else.

It does feel suspiciously like The Boys has been saving its big character deaths for the endgame, which, if true, would closely mirror Billy Butcher’s final rampage from the comic book source material. Every single member of the Boys and every single supe in the Seven ending up as a pile of red mush is a very realistic possibility for season 5, almost to the point where any survivors would come as a surprise.

Knowing The Boys season 5 is the final season also allows Eric Kripke and his creative team the freedom to kill characters off without worrying about the future. More importantly, The Boys‘ clear finish line means any big deaths can be woven into the story with meaning and purpose.

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Even The Boys‘ two main characters, Homelander and Butcher, aren’t safe – indeed, Antony Starr and Karl Urban’s characters are arguably more at risk than anyone else. As The Boys‘ main villain, it would be incredibly frustrating if Homelander somehow wriggled away at the very end. Billy Butcher, meanwhile, is surely beyond redemption after his antics in The Boys season 4, meaning his sad demise is almost guaranteed.

Whatever Happens, Ryan Absolutely Must Survive The Boys Season 5

Ryan Has Come To Symbolize The Boys’ Happy Ending

The one character The Boys must protect from trigger-happy writers is Ryan Butcher. Ryan occupies two unique positions within The Boys‘ narrative. Firstly, he is the only character with a foot in both the supe and non-supe worlds, largely thanks to having Homelander as a father and Becca Butcher as a mother. Ryan’s entire story since The Boys season 2 has been a struggle between those two realms, with Homelander pulling him one way and his mother’s memory fighting back.

The finale must somehow prove five seasons of fighting against tyranny was worth it.

Secondly, Ryan represents hope for The Boys‘ future. Ryan is – or has the potential to be, at least – the most powerful supe in The Boys, even more so than Homelander. At the same time, Ryan’s early upbringing with Becca instilled him with a sound moral compass and compassion for all people, supe or otherwise. Again, Ryan has found himself conflicted between these two sides throughout The Boys, simultaneously enjoying the domineering power offered by Homelander and demonstrating great capacity for kindness and empathy.

Ryan, therefore, represents a way forward in The Boys. If Homelander had his way, only supes would exist. If Billy Butcher had his way, no supes would exist. Ryan shows that a middle ground is possible, and supes can exist as virtuous, helpful, merciful heroes rather than egotistical narcissists who would sooner murder a civilian than lose popularity points on social media. If Ryan can prove both of his fathers are wrong, he can usher in a brighter future for The Boys‘ fictional universe.

The Boys season 4 ended with Ryan leaning more toward the villainous side after accidentally killing Mallory, but he also showed remorse.

If Ryan dies, however, that hope dies with him, and The Boys‘ ending will be an oppressively bleak one where either Homelander or Butcher succeeds in living out their genocidal fantasies. Even if Ryan dies and his death somehow inspires Homelander and/or Butcher to change their ways, losing the one character who could potentially bring peace between supes and non-supes would suck all optimism out of the show’s ending. The Boys‘ series finale might be violent and unforgiving, but it need not be bleak. The finale must somehow prove five seasons of fighting against tyranny was worth it.

Why It’s Okay If Hughie Dies In The Boys Season 5

Hughie Is More Expendable Than Ryan For The Boys

Jack Quaid as Hughie covered in blood in The Boys.

From another angle, one could potentially argue that the real character The Boys‘ ending must spare is Jack Quaid’s Hughie Campbell. Hughie unquestionably represents the audience’s viewpoint in The Boys, acting as the voice of reason calling for calm from both sides. Furthermore, it is Hughie who survives in Garth Ennis’ The Boys comic ending, providing that aforementioned ray of hope within an otherwise blood-soaked finale. It could even be said that The Boys is Hughie’s story – a man losing his girlfriend in the most tragic way, shutting down those responsible, then moving on to find a happy new life.

Crucially, however, Ryan Butcher was not a character in The Boys‘ comic series, which meant Hughie naturally became the original story’s only source of hope and positivity. Ryan has effectively taken over that role from Hughie in the TV show, and since his dual connection to both the supe and non-supe worlds is far stronger, Ryan is the character The Boys really needs to safeguard. Hughie may have a supe girlfriend, but it is Ryan who truly represents the possibility of coexistence between a supe and a regular human.

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There are also various ways that Hughie could die and his ending would still feel satisfyingly earned. Hughie could sacrifice himself to save Starlight from Homelander, he could suffer the effects of taking more Temp-V after needing to access his powers for a noble cause, or Jack Quaid’s character could meet his end after standing in the way of Billy Butcher’s virus plot.

Hughie dying could even inspire Butcher to back down from his violent crusade against supes altogether, especially since The Boys has often drawn a connection between Hughie and Butcher’s late brother, Lenny. There are many ways The Boys could kill Hughie off without making its ending too downbeat. Any scenario where Ryan dies, however, would feel hopeless and dour.

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