The Boys Season 5 is already halfway through its run, and it only has four episodes left to determine whether anyone will defeat Homelander. At present, he remains the strongest character in the Prime Video series — and getting his hands on V1 will likely make that permanent, as it would render him unkillable. It’s a scary thought, though there are a few players who stand a chance of stopping him, particularly if they work together. These, of course, are the strongest characters in The Boys. SPOILERS ahead for The Boys Season 5, Episode 4.
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Power ranking The Boys Season 5’s strongest characters isn’t as straightforward as it seems, as the lineup isn’t stagnant. The introduction of new supes, deaths of certain characters, and major reveals all factor into where players land from week to week. As The Boys Season 5, Episode 4 doesn’t introduce any supes except Quinn — whose time on-screen is very short-lived — and doesn’t contain any massive revelations that would impact a power ranking, this week’s lineup looks identical to last week’s. The promise of a new V1 supe and a hint that Stormfront is alive could shake things up, however. So could the entrance of Gen V‘s main characters, whenever it happens.
5) Billy Butcher
Butcher remains among The Boys Season 5’s strongest supes for now, though the introduction of Bombsight — or a twist revealing that Stormfront is secretly alive — has the potential to push him out of the top five. Although Butcher has a surprising amount of raw power and the grit to take on characters like Soldier Boy and Homelander, he’s unlikely to be a true match for other V1 supes. He mostly survives his encounters with stronger characters though a combination of strength, luck, and teamwork. His ability to launch long-range attacks helps keep him out of reach, but there’s a reason he needs the supe virus: he can’t kill powerful supes like Homelander or Soldier Boy on his own.
4) Marie Moreau
It’s hard to say if Marie Moreau can match Butcher in terms of raw strength, but her unique blood-manipulation powers place her slightly above him on a power ranking. Marie is the only Project Odessa survivor besides Homelander, and she can heal and resurrect people. That’s on top of her ability to use blood in combat, which gives her long-range attacks on par with Butcher’s. In terms of potential, Marie could rank higher, but her current absence from The Boys Season 5 makes it difficult to place her. We’ve yet to see her interact with the characters on this list in any meaningful way, especially after her power-up in Gen V Season 2. Marie might end up moving up this list again, but that’s reliant on her actually showing up — especially after what we’ve seen from Ryan and Soldier Boy in recent episodes.
3) Ryan Butcher
Marie might be special thanks to Project Odessa, but Ryan is the first natural-born supe — and considering his father is Homelander, he has the potential to be just as much of a wild card as she is. Both are too inexperienced to compare to Soldier Boy and Homelander currently, but that doesn’t stop Ryan from attempting to take on his father in The Boys Season 5, Episode 3. Not many characters from The Boys could survive the beating he takes, and he’s one of the few characters to actually make Homelander bleed. It’s not enough to rank him higher on this list, but it proves Ryan deserves a spot among the show’s strongest characters. He’s not far behind Soldier Boy, and we’ve seen what his heat vision can do to V1 supes like Stormfront, so perhaps he could beat his grandfather in 1:1 combat. However, he’s not as experienced or quick to use deadly force, and he’s affected by aging and the supe virus. Until we actually see Ryan vs. Soldier Boy, I’d bet on the latter.
2) Soldier Boy
In terms of power, it’s a close call between Ryan, Soldier Boy, and Homelander, as all three of them have immense strength, can take serious hits, and are inherently different than most other supes. Soldier Boy surpasses the other two when it comes to his defenses. The V1 in his blood ensures he doesn’t age, is immune to the supe virus, and is incredibly hard to kill. (If Stormfront is actually still alive, that’ll be further evidence in Soldier Boy’s favor, cementing him above Ryan.) In terms of strength, he’s also on par with the likes of Ryan and Homelander. He’s lacking their most powerful assets — heat vision and flight — but he can do major damage with his radiation blasts. It doesn’t work as quickly, but it could potentially rob both of them of their powers. Again, it’s a situation we’d have to see to unfold to properly make a decision on. Until then, placing Soldier Boy between Ryan and Homelander seems like a safe bet.
1) Homelander
There’s a reason defeating Homelander is the entire premise of The Boys: he’s the series’ strongest character, even without V1, and the original strand of Compound V will only make him more difficult to contend with. Homelander’s immense strength and speed, heat vision, and flight all make him a force to be reckoned with. He can kill quickly from a distance, and he can do just as much harm up close. Plus, it’s difficult to make him bruise or bleed, and nearly impossible to kill him. Ryan and Marie seem like the best chances at doing so outside of the supe virus, but neither of them are as ruthless or experienced as they need to be. Soldier Boy could potentially leave Homelander powerless, but even that would require getting close enough without being laser-eyed to death. After The Boys Season 5, Episode 4, the virus is still the only thing stronger than Homelander. Perhaps that will change that as the series approaches its finale.
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