After providing fans with diabolical entertainment for the past seven years, The Boys finally ended with five seasons and a row of fans with mixed feelings. At least there was some form of relief, as the ending wasn’t as bad as GoT’s. Having said that, the series rushed to tie up its loose ends, ultimately leaving an emotional void at the heart of its narrative.
Fortunately, the sense of absolution that came with Homelander’s death was undeniably satisfying, even if many would argue the show could have executed it far better. Still, most of the characters ultimately received some form of closure, and, in many ways, exactly what they deserved. From Soldier Boy’s bleak fate to Vought International finally taking a backseat, here’s what happened to every major character at the end of The Boys.
Soldier Boy went out quietly and suddenly
It wouldn’t be wrong to say Soldier Boy was the MVP of The Boys season 5. He had the most interesting take in the final storyline until he was abruptly taken out just before the ending. Understandably, with Vought Rising on the horizon, Soldier Boy’s survival seemed crucial; however, the show completely disregarded the impact of his fate on the current storyline.
After giving Homelander V1 out of love for Clara, Soldier Boy decided to head out and move away from his son’s chaotic world. Unfortunately, unable to let the only father figure in his life go, Homelander forcefully put Soldier Boy back in cryo in the penultimate episode, and that’s the last we see of him. While the ending made sense from a practical standpoint, it still felt underwhelming, especially considering how valuable — and entertaining — Soldier Boy could have been during the final battle.
Ryan found his own sense of a happy ending
Ryan was a casualty in Butcher and Homelander’s war, who never found a father figure who truly cared for him. After being MIA most of the season, Ryan decided to join the fight at a crucial moment and helped Butcher pin Homelander down for Kimiko’s blast.
Although Ryan was a natural-born supe, it was implied that he also lost his powers. The finale offered Ryan a chance to leave behind the bloody superhero life, and he decided to go with MM. He was last seen at MM’s wedding, implying that he has finally found a real family.
Kimiko finally found peace
Kimiko was raised as a weapon since she was a child. She lost a lot along the way but found love and family with Frenchie and the boys. However, even after sacrificing so much, she was still ready to go out if or when Butcher decided to release the supe virus. Not only that, but she also volunteered for a deadly experiment that ended up giving her Soldier Boy’s radiation blast.
Fortunately, she was able to come through in the end and strip Homelander of his powers. During the final sequence, she was seen sitting in a quiet café in France with a puppy at her feet and a biscuit in her hand – a dream she talked about with Frenchie.
Hughie and Annie got the life they always wished for
Hughie and Annie were the only two members of the gang who were forced to conform to the boys’ morally grey standing and to lose their innocence along the way. Starlight had to be on the run as a fugitive, while Hughie had to endure the deaths of loved ones and was a constant target for Homelander. Ultimately, after both Homelander and Butcher were out of the scene, Hughie was able to return to his ordinary life with Annie.
The duo eventually opened an electronics shop together, with Hughie even turning down an offer from Bob Singer, the President of the United States, to lead the supe division. The finale then sees him walk into the store to find a pregnant Annie, who later flies off to answer a distress call, finally becoming the kind of hero she had always wanted to be.
Butcher and Homelander finally had their ‘Blood and Bone’ moment
Butcher and Homelander were both different sides of the same coin. They were so far gone in their ambition and purpose that it was impossible for them to come back to normalcy. For Homelander, his worst fears manifested in the finale in the form of his own son denying his godhood and having to live his final moments as a normal human – something that he despised. His pathetic attempts at flying and lasering felt satisfying to the core, but not more than when he took a crowbar to the head in front of America.
His reign ended, and he would forever be remembered as a tyrant. Butcher, on the other hand, suffered a similar fate at the hands of Hughie. After Terror’s death, Butcher decided to release the supe virus after all, only to find Hughie stopping him and eventually fatally shooting him to avert a genocide. He was buried alongside Becca, with the remaining members of the gang, including Ryan, attending his funeral.
The Deep suffered an ironic fate
The Deep was hands-down one of the best characters in The Boys. His character remained loyal to what he believed in from the beginning, whether it was the supremacy of The Seven or the belief that others were responsible for his declining self-respect. In the end, he decided to once again place the blame on Annie and engaged in a final fight with her on the beach.
However, Starlight overpowered him and threw him into the sea, where he was horribly killed by the very sea creatures he had loved. The marine life punished him for his betrayal and selfishness, though, in the comics, he was actually one of the few members of The Seven to survive.
Ashley survived yet again
Ashley was one of the very few characters on the Vought side to have survived till the end. Besides Edgar Stan, she also managed to come out of the Homelander fiasco unscathed. However, contrary to her belief that she’d be immune to the consequences, she was ultimately impeached and removed from office. That’s the last viewers see of her, but unlike others in Homelander’s ranks, Ashley never let that last thread of morality go and ended up assisting Butcher in the final confrontation.
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