Every Season Of The Boys Ranked

Every Season Of The Boys Ranked

As a longtime fan of the Boys comics, I must say that Season 3 takes the cake for me! With its scorched earth approach and unapologetic mockery of superhero tropes, it truly embodies the spirit of the source material. Eric Kripke has done an exceptional job in translating this dark, gritty world onto our screens, and Season 3 is a testament to that.


It seemed for a while that Marvel Studios and DC Films would compete for dominance in comic book adaptations, but then Amazon Prime Video entered the fray with its own superhero series. Instead of following the conventional path, “The Boys” boldly challenged the norm by portraying heroes as villains and making the concept of super-powered individuals in our world into a chilling horror.

1. Billy Butcher (played by Karl Urban) and his group of unconventional whistleblowers, who are battling both the establishment and super-powered vigilantes, have gained significant popularity on Amazon’s streaming service. However, among all the seasons, which one featuring the exceptional performances of Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jack Quaid (and many others) stands out as the best?

While scrutinizing the less-than-wholesome tale of “The Boys” comics, we’ve organized each episode from least favorite to most preferred. Where should we place the season with The Deep’s disastrous whaling incident? How does Butcher’s mental collapse compare to Stormfront’s entrance? And can any other series surpass Termite’s final blow in the opening episode? Get comfortable, make some tea, and delve into our ranking of “The Boys” Seasons 1-4 – free of any explicit language, we assure you.

4. Season 4

Every Season Of The Boys Ranked

In other words, crafting a final season that delivers a satisfying conclusion can be as challenging as any task. However, making a penultimate season compelling and impactful, rather than just passing time until the climax, is an even greater challenge. This was the struggle faced by “The Boys” in its fourth season, which saw some main characters seemingly wandering without purpose before laying the groundwork for what appears to be their version of “Avengers: Endgame.”

In this manner, it unintentionally caused a popular superhero series, which often mocks the genre it adores, to succumb to the stereotypes it had previously created. The show’s focus shifted towards featuring cameos, excessive violence, and distasteful jokes, rather than nurturing vital aspects such as character growth and quality storytelling that were unfortunately neglected.

In contrast, certain storylines in the series, such as Hughie (Jack Quaid) grieving his father’s death and being subjected to humor derived from sexual assault within the same episode, sparked intense anger among viewers towards creator Eric Kripke. Additionally, a “Fight Club”-esque plot twist involving Butcher and Joe Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) was met with controversy as one of the most uncalled-for and contentious moments not just in Season 4, but throughout the show’s history. Meanwhile, Homelander persists in being a villain, though some fans felt that the final season needed a more compelling and incisive introduction than what was delivered.

3. Season 1

Every Season Of The Boys Ranked

For some, putting the premiere season of this bloody, swear-filled superhero show in the bottom half of this list would be blasphemy. The opening gambit of “The Boys” proved to its audience that even after the dark, gritty superhero movies and shows they’d seen up until this point, Eric Kripke’s take on the genre could push things even further and laugh while doing so. Thanks to failed dolphin rescues, super-babies used like AK-47s and an airborne hostage situation that would haunt the show and audiences for some time, Season 1 deserves credit for laying the groundwork. 

The story also presented us with two key characters who would be pivotal throughout its duration. Antony Starr’s character, the American super-powered psychopath Homelander, provided an ideal contrast to Karl Urban’s role as the determined individual aiming to stop him. A scene that resonates strongly with fans encapsulates this dynamic perfectly. As the masses admire these supposed heroes, Butcher turns his gaze elsewhere, subtly scanning for his sole target. This initial standoff between the two sides of a damaged and disturbed coin marked the beginning of an ongoing conflict.

In the season finale, it was confirmed that no one on either side was immune when Madelyn Stillwell (played by Elisabeth Shue) met her end in a gruesome and overly heated manner, right in her own kitchen. Despite all this, Season 1 served as a trial run for the formula of a flawed superhero series, but Season 2 refined it to perfection.

2. Season 2

Every Season Of The Boys Ranked

In Season 1, we were introduced to this world of less-than-perfect superheroes; Season 2 allowed us to explore it further and discover there were even more sinister characters than initially thought. The arrival of Stormfront (Aya Cash) replaced Homelander’s dominance, showcasing one of the most compelling characters in the series. Unlike her comic book counterpart, Cash’s psychopathic Nazi portrayal of Stormfront was so off-kilter that it left even Homelander questioning her sanity. However, Antony Starr continued to develop The Seven’s unstable leader, providing a deeper and more unsettling look into what drives Homelander’s actions.

If Season 1 served as a prelude for the series and its characters, Season 2 solidified the impression that Starr is delivering one of the most outstanding TV villains ever. With dreams of destroying masses using his heat vision and personal escapades like visits to the farm, Starr made every second count in his iconic red, white, and blue suit, making him a villain so captivating that it’s hard to look away.

Introduce Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), a character whose entrance is mind-blowing, accompanied by an extraordinary scene involving a whale explosion. Additionally, Starfire (Erin Moriarty), Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) demonstrate that women are capable of achieving great things. Furthermore, the second season of “The Boys” has earned its place in discussions about exceptional comic book adaptations.

1. Season 3

Every Season Of The Boys Ranked

One effective way of rephrasing the given text is as follows: “The reason Season 3 of ‘The Boys’ ranks high among Amazon’s entertainingly offensive superhero series can be summed up in two words: ‘Total Destruction.’ Right from its premiere, Eric Kripke intensified not only the awe-inspiring superhero antics (if you insist, witness Termite’s personal mishap) but also increased the show’s trademark satire by concentrating on its primary attraction: Billy Butcher versus Homelander.”

In Episode 1, a secret conversation takes place between the two characters, establishing a tension reminiscent of epic battles such as Iron Man vs. Thanos, Superman vs. Zod, and Batman vs. The Joker. When they eventually clash, it’s a thrilling superhero encounter that embraces the comic book style, unfolding amidst an abandoned setting – after all, where else would such a spectacle take place?

This season, boosted by Jensen Ackles’ exceptional portrayal of Soldier Boy and Hughie’s courage against Homelander, stands out as something extraordinary. It not only flips off the genre that has been struggling in the aftermath of “Avengers: Endgame,” but also digs deeper into political issues by likening Vought’s poster boy and his followers to a famous, big-haired blonde figure who is often viewed as a leader. In a series that mirrors real events so closely, Season 3 dissects and exposes the gritty truth beneath.

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2024-08-27 04:00