As the clock ticks down to the final episode of The Boys, fans are left with one giant question hanging over the chaos. With just days left before the series wraps up on Prime Video, the pressure is on Billy Butcher. He has spent years trying to destroy Homelander. But now, after a shocking death in the group and a lot of bad choices, people are wondering if Butcher can actually win the war without turning into the very monster he hates.
The show has never been about simple good guys beating bad guys. Over five seasons, Karl Urban‘s character has done terrible things all in the name of revenge for his wife, Becca. Now that the finale is almost here on May 20, the online theories are getting darker. Most fans agree: Billy Butcher might not get a happy ending, and the real fight might be inside his own head.
Butcher’s Dark Path Makes Redemption Look Impossible
Watching Billy Butcher this season has been tough. He started as a rough anti-hero you could root for, but now he has crossed too many lines. The season 4 finale already changed everything by setting Butcher up as a major danger, not just to Homelander, but to everyone around him. He is obsessed with using a dangerous supe virus to wipe out all superpowered people, and he does not care who gets hurt in the process.
A big theory growing online suggests that Butcher’s story is no longer about saving the world. It is about how revenge destroys a person completely. Many viewers think he might die trying to finish the job. Others have a scarier idea: he might live, but without any humanity left. If he unleashes the virus in the crowded streets, does that make him any different from Homelander? One fan wrote online, “Butcher spent so long looking at the monster, he forgot to check if he became one.”
The show has already taken heavy losses. In episode seven, Frenchie (Tomer Capone) died saving Kimiko. Showrunner Eric Kripke told The Hollywood Reporter that this painful death “had to happen.” Kripke explained that you cannot win a victory like this unless it costs the heroes something really hard. If the show was willing to kill Frenchie, it is almost certain that Butcher will not walk away clean.
Can Homelander Be Stopped Without a Physical Fight?
Homelander (Antony Starr) has always seemed impossible to beat. He is the strongest supe on the planet, and everyone who has tried to punch him has failed. Because of this, fans think the finale will rely on brains, not brawn. One major theory getting a lot of attention involves Soldier Boy. In episode 6, Soldier Boy’s radioactive blast successfully removed a supe’s powers. Viewers believe this is the only believable way to weaken Homelander.
If Homelander suddenly loses his powers, he becomes just a regular, weak man. For a character who lives for control and public worship, this would be a much crueler punishment than death. Imagine Homelander screaming for help, but no one is scared of him anymore. It fits the show’s style of dark, psychological torture.
However, some fans argue that Homelander was never the real villain. The show has always been about the broken system—Vought’s corruption, political manipulation, and society’s obsession with famous people. Even if Homelander dies, the company can just make a new monster. This makes the final fight feel a bit hopeless, which fits perfectly with The Boys.
Ryan Holds the Emotional Key to the Final Episode
While Butcher and Homelander are the main fighters, many believe Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) will decide how the story ends. For all of Homelander’s power, his biggest weakness has always been his need for love and approval. He wants his son to look up to him.
A major fan theory suggests that Ryan will finally turn against his father. This would completely destroy Homelander emotionally, maybe even more than a punch to the face. Others think Ryan might have to help Hughie stop Butcher. If Butcher loses control while using the virus, Ryan might be the only one who can calm him down. Right now, Ryan represents the future. The finale will show if he breaks the cycle of violence or becomes the next tyrant.
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A Devastating Ending Without a Clean Victory
Do not expect a celebration at the end of this show. The Boys has always been brutally honest about violence and consequences. Many fans are predicting a finale that ends in complete ruin rather than triumph. Some of the darkest theories online suggest the episode could wipe out most of the main characters.
One popular prediction sees both Butcher and Homelander dying in a final, savage fight. They kill each other, leaving behind a broken city that is too damaged to even celebrate. Another theory is even bleaker: Butcher unleashes his attack, but Homelander survives. He ends up alone in a destroyed world where no one is left to fear or admire him. For a man who needs attention like air, that isolation would be the cruelest ending possible.
Eric Kripke has already wrapped filming on the season. He shared that this was the last time he would ever be on that set, and it is bittersweet. Karl Urban also said an emotional goodbye to the cast on Instagram. With the finale arriving this week, all we can do is prepare for the bloodshed. Whether Butcher can kill the monster without becoming one is the final mystery of The Boys.
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