Who Lives and Who Dies in "The Boys" Season Finale

Final Season of “The Boys” Sets the Stage for Major Conclusions

Amazon Prime’s hit show, “The Boys,” is set to conclude after five seasons. The finale will be released in 4DX theatres on May 19 and on Amazon Prime on May 20. This highly anticipated conclusion promises to wrap up a complex narrative that has captivated audiences for years.

The series follows a group of black-ops individuals known as “The Boys,” who are determined to stop corrupt superheroes—referred to as “Supes”—from taking over the world. As the seasons progress, more Supes become involved in the fight against Homelander, a powerful and evil Supe who is often compared to Superman.

Key Characters and Their Fates

Soldier Boy: Alive

Soldier Boy has the first strand of Compound V in his bloodstream, making him immortal. Viewers learned this in season five, episode three. The only way he can die is through suicide, like Stormfront did in season three. Showrunner Eric Kripke confirmed that season five, episode seven would be the last appearance of Soldier Boy in the show. In that episode, Homelander stops him from abandoning him by knocking him out and cryogenically freezing him. While viewers may see more of his character in “Vought Rising” and a potential spinoff, Soldier Boy will remain alive by the end of the show.

Hughie/Starlight: Alive

Hughie Campbell and Annie January (Starlight) serve as beacons of hope in the show. They are likely to stay alive for the same reason. Some could argue that Hughie might die by Homelander’s hand to push Billy Butcher over the edge, but I believe he already has enough motivation to kill Homelander. Starlight, meanwhile, might have more to her character arc and could play a bigger role in the battle. She has been hinted at as the most purely good superhero, convincing formerly corrupt superheroes like Queen Maeve and A-Train to follow her cause.

Ashley Barrett: Alive

Ashley Barrett’s character has evolved steadily throughout the seasons. Colby Minifie has given her more depth than just an overworked human managing Supes. However, something about Ashley’s character remained the same for a while: she somehow survived everything. It’s something she herself referenced in episode seven of season five. With her psychic voice powers shutting off in episode seven, the writers could be hinting at her rebelling against Homelander. However, I think Ashley will stay alive at the end, like she always does.

Mother’s Milk: Alive

People assumed that Mother’s Milk would die in season five. The beginning of the season hinted at his death, with him getting a death wish similar to Billy Butcher. However, it ended up being just Frenchie. As a result, I don’t think Mother’s Milk gets killed off. More likely, he gets the will to live again and starts a new life with his family.

Ryan: Alive

Ryan has been underutilized this season. Despite being elevated to main character status by season 4, he’s only appeared in one episode of season 5. He plays a meaningful role in that episode, with him going against Homelander and nearly getting beaten to death. As a result, I don’t think the writers will kill off Ryan. They already showed us that Homelander is sadistic enough to nearly kill his own son, so I don’t see the point in them trying to use that storyline again.

Sister Sage: Alive

Sister Sage has made a critical error in predicting Soldier Boy wouldn’t give Homelander the V-One that would make him immortal. However, she has always been able to predict Homelander, and I think that makes her shrewd enough to survive. She has her own bunker to survive in too. Sage could be open for redemption this season, but I think a self-sacrifice would be too drastic for her. Instead, I see her leading the new Vought alongside Ashley.

The Deep: Deceased

The Deep has somehow survived throughout the entire arc of the show. However, unlike Ashley, he is completely unlikable and pathetic. He’s abandoned/killed all of his friends, to the point that the fish have proclaimed that if he enters any body of water, he is dead. As a result, I think he gets killed off. Maybe Starlight kills him off, or maybe the virus kills him off.

Kimiko: Deceased

Kimiko’s fate is also a coin flip, but fans are probably sure of one thing. She will be important in the fight between Butcher and Homelander. She has the Soldier Boy ability of de-powering other superheroes. It’s a literal MacGuffin on her chest, and I think that she uses it to de-power Homelander in the fight. I think this ability saps her of her regenerative powers, too, and she also sacrifices herself in the fight.

Oh Father: Deceased

Daveed Diggs’ character, Oh Father, has been a wonderfully detestable addition to the main cast. He essentially serves as the main prophet (and ally) to Homelander’s God complex. However, the facade has started to wear off, with Homelander demanding instant obedience, and Oh Father demanding a little more time. Whether he goes against Homelander’s god complex or becomes an antagonist in the final fight, I think Oh Father gets killed off.

Homelander: Deceased

As the main antagonist of the show, everything is shifting towards him suffering a pathetic, mortal death without his powers. However, there are only two situations that I could see him surviving. The first is that he actually wins and goes scorched Earth, and we see his plan come to fruition. The second is that Homelander gets put into a horrible prison after he is depowered, which would be fitting. However, I think the second way would be a weak way to go for the show.

Billy Butcher: Deceased

This one is pretty self-explanatory. The show has been hinting at the death of Billy Butcher since season 3 in many different ways. Butcher has a malignant tumor in his brain that he got from taking V24, a compound V formula that gives humans superpowers for 24 hours. He’s also had a death wish since his wife (Becca Butcher) died in Season 2. He also wants to get in a fight with Homelander, and anyone who gets in a fight with Homelander usually dies. It seems like the show is wrapping up his character arc of stopping corrupt superheroes (for him, all superheroes) with this fight. I don’t see any world where he survives, and the way they write his death in the show will be very interesting.