The Boys has finally come to an end, and the Prime Video show takes a few more lives in its finale — some expected and some less so. Despite concerns heading into The Boys‘ final episode, “Blood and Bone” mostly sticks the landing. Its Gen V characters remain underutilized, and there are a few minor bumps. However, the action is strong, the emotional blows land, and nearly all the characters get satisfying send-offs (even those who don’t survive). SPOILERS ahead for The Boys Season 5, Episodes 1-8.
Unlike The Boys comics, the show bids the titular team farewell in a more hopeful fashion. Most of the characters who perish in The Boys Season 5, Episode 8 are villains, and it’s nice to see them get their comeuppance. There are two notable exceptions: an animal loss and the death of a character whose moral compass fluctuates dramatically until the end.
With Daveed Diggs’ Oh-Father being one of the newest supes in The Boys — and one who’s constantly scrambling to please Homelander — there was little doubt he’d survive the finale. He’s the first character to die, and The Boys can’t resist getting one last laughable death in before the end. M.M. kills Oh-Father using the titanium ball gag Ashley has custom made for him. She claims it won’t explode, even with Oh-Father’s sonic scream. This turns out to be true. When M.M. uses it to stop Oh-Father from using his power on Hughie, it causes the supe’s head to explode. It gives Hughie one last blood-splatter scene, too, making it a fitting addition to the series finale.
Oh-Father isn’t the only supe who dies during The Boys‘ invasion of the White House in Episode 8. The Deep also perishes, and it’s a perfect conclusion for Chace Crawford’s character. Right after Homelander tells him how little he respects him, The Deep finds himself facing The Boys team. Starlight decides to handle him herself, telling the others to go ahead without her. They end up fighting on a beach, and she gives him one last chance to take accountability for the things he’s done. He refuses, and she blasts him into the ocean. Just as Samuel L. Jackson’s Xander promises, the sea creatures make quick work of him. They finish off The Deep, and fittingly, it’s an octopus that ends him once and for all.
Most viewers went into The Boys‘ series finale expecting Homelander to die, and after five seasons and many crimes, the supe gets the death he deserves. With a little motivation from the memory of Frenchie, Kimiko successfully blasts his powers away — taking Butcher’s and Ryan’s as well. With nothing left but their fists, Butcher and Homelander have the face-off we’ve been waiting for. Butcher interrupts Homelander’s broadcast about becoming God, then beats him bloody on live television. The supe begs for mercy, offering to do just about anything to stay alive. Butcher kills him crowbar anyway, but it’s satisfying to see Homelander brought so low before he’s killed off.
Probably the most unexpected death in The Boys Season 5 finale is Terror’s. Of course, it’s also the thing that pushes Butcher over the edge and causes him to attempt supe genocide (despite previously agreeing it was a last resort). It’s unclear how Terror dies, though it seems to be from natural causes. Butcher’s dog is old, and he’s one of the last remnants of his life with Becca. At least Terror gets a whole segment dedicated to himself in The Boys Season 5, Episode 5, but it’s still sad to see him go.
The final death in The Boys Season 5 is Butcher’s, and it’s a gutting one, mostly because it’s so avoidable. After Ryan rejects his offer to be a family, and Terror passes away, Butcher chooses to unleash the supe virus. With Stan Edgar returning to leadership at Vought, Butcher believes the cycle will start anew, with something equally bad taking Homelander’s place. He plants the virus in the sprinklers at Vought Tower, but Hughie prevents him from setting them off. Unfortunately, their confrontation comes to blows, and Hughie is forced to shoot Butcher to save the supes. It’s a death that honors The Boys comics, though it humanizes Butcher more. Seemingly realizing what he’s become at the final moment, Butcher tells Hughie that he didn’t have a choice. His death strikes an ideal balance, highlighting the darkness inside Butcher — but also proving that, as Hughie says, he’s not a monster all the way through.
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