Warning: This post contains major spoilers for “The Boys” Season Five.

Amazon Prime’s hit show, “The Boys”, is wrapping up after five seasons. The finale will be released in 4DX theatres on May 19 and on Amazon Prime on May 20.

The show follows the plot of a group of black-ops people called “The Boys” who try to stop corrupt superheroes (called “Supes”) from taking over the world. As the seasons go on, more superheroes gradually try to join the fight to take out Homelander, a corrupt version of Superman who’s the most powerful and evil Supe in the world.

If there’s one thing this show has taught us, it’s that it’s not afraid to kill off important characters. The show is gory and dark, and there are times where it can feel utterly hopeless for the main characters. There have already been a lot of important deaths (A-Train, Frenchie), but the finale could bring more. Below we break down the likely fate of each major character based on story arcs, showrunner hints, and thematic logic.

Soldier Boy: Alive

Soldier Boy has the first strand of Compound V in his bloodstream, which makes him immortal, something viewers found out in season five, episode three. The only way Soldier Boy 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 Soldier Boy has in the show. In the middle of the episode, Homelander stops him from abandoning him by knocking him out and cryogenically freezing him. We’ll see more of his character in “Vought Rising” and in a potential spinoff, but Soldier Boy will remain alive by the end of the show.

Hughie/Starlight: Alive

Hughie Campbell and Annie January (Starlight) serve as the only beacons of hope in the show, and the showrunners are unlikely to kill them off in the finale. Some could argue that Hughie could die by Homelander’s hand as a way to push Billy Butcher over the edge, but Butcher already has enough motivation to kill Homelander. Starlight, meanwhile, might have more to her character arc her role in rallying formerly corrupt heroes like Queen Maeve and A-Train suggests she is the morally pure force needed to rebuild Vought. She has a lot of people (Starlighters) behind her. However, she hasn’t shown the full depth of her powers. The most powerful Supe she’s fought and won against is Dogknott, and she beat A-Train in season one only due to his heart condition. She could have a bigger role in the battle, but either way, neither she nor Hughie dies.

Ashley Barrett: Alive

Ashley Barrett’s character has evolved steadily throughout the seasons. Colby Minifie has given depth to the overworked human in a senior position trying to manage Supes. Something about Ashley has remained the same: she somehow survives everything. It’s something she herself referenced in episode seven of season five, and even with her new psychic voice powers not being super useful in combat, she’s stayed alive through being useful in management. With her psychic voice (Bashley) shutting off in episode seven, the writers could be hinting at her rebelling against Homelander. That usually results in death, but somehow, 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 a death wish similar to Billy Butcher. Even the title of episode seven, “The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man Called Mother’s Milk,” hinted at his death, all three of those characters die in the comics. However, it ended up being just Frenchie. As a result, Mother’s Milk likely gets the will to live again and starts a new life with his family, either in the U.S. or somewhere else. His arc has always been about family and responsibility, and surviving to rebuild that would be a fitting conclusion.

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. The writers likely won’t kill off Ryan; they already showed that Homelander is sadistic enough to nearly kill his own son, so that storyline would be redundant. Ryan could take over as the new face of Vought. He’ll make a minor appearance, but nothing substantial.

Sister Sage: Alive

There’s hardly anyone who has betrayed Homelander and lived to tell the tale. However, Sister Sage will be an exception. She made a critical error in episode six of season five, predicting Soldier Boy wouldn’t give Homelander the V-One that would make him immortal (he did). But Sage has always been able to predict Homelander, and that shrewdness allows her to survive. She has her own bunker, too. Sage could be open for redemption, but a self-sacrifice would be too drastic. Instead, she leads the new Vought alongside Ashley.

The Deep: Deceased

The Deep, similar to Ashley, has somehow survived throughout the entire arc of the show. However, unlike Ashley, he is completely unlikable and pathetic. He’s abandoned or killed all of his friends, to the point that the fish have proclaimed that if he enters any body of water, he is dead. With Homelander disbanding the Seven, the Deep is useless to him. Fans have been clamoring for his death, and the writers are likely to deliver. Either Starlight kills him, or the virus does.

Kimiko: Deceased

Kimiko’s fate is a coin flip, but she will be important in the fight between Butcher and Homelander. She has the Soldier Boy ability of de-powering other superheroes, a literal MacGuffin on her chest. She likely uses it to de-power Homelander, and this ability saps her regenerative powers, leading to her sacrifice. Another possibility is that Kimiko survives and moves far away, but reuniting with Frenchie in death would be a fitting end to her arc. She has always sought peace and connection, and sacrificing herself for the greater good aligns with her growth.

Oh Father: Deceased

Daveed Diggs’ character, Oh Father, serves as the main prophet and ally to Homelander’s God complex. The facade has worn off, with Homelander demanding instant obedience. Whether Oh Father goes against Homelander or becomes an antagonist, he will be killed. New characters tend to die in “The Boys” (see Black Noir II). His role as a religious manipulator makes him expendable once Homelander no longer needs his validation.

Homelander: Deceased

The main antagonist is heading toward a pathetic, mortal death without his powers. Two survival scenarios exist: he wins and goes scorched earth, or he gets imprisoned after being depowered. The second option would be weak because the threat of him returning with Compound V would always loom. Someone knocks him out for good—either Billy Butcher, Kimiko, or someone else. The show has built toward his downfall, and a final, irreversible death is the most satisfying closure.

Billy Butcher: Deceased

This is self-explanatory. The show has hinted at Butcher’s death since season 3. He has a malignant tumor from taking V24, a death wish since his wife Becca died, and he wants to fight Homelander—anyone who fights Homelander usually dies. The series is wrapping up his arc of stopping corrupt superheroes, and no world exists where he survives. How the writers craft his death will be crucial. It will likely involve a final sacrifice to ensure Homelander’s defeat, giving Butcher a redemptive end after his long struggle with rage and loss.

Source: MSN News