All 5 ‘The Boys’ Seasons, Ranked

The following article contains spoilers.Although the entertainment industry is currently enamored with adaptations of comic books, The Boys has offered a edged, incisive satire about superhero culture that points out some of the inherent challenges that come with taking the concept too seriously. While the original comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson offered a lot of pulpy fun that added more ultra-violence and crass humor to a genre that is generally aimed at younger viewers, Ric Kripke used his Amazon Prime series to delve deeper into the study of celebrity culture, political violence, and fan culture. The Boys is among the occasional shows that has been able to appeal to both hardcore superhero fans and more prestigious television pundits; while it has consistently been one of the best-performing shows in the history of its streamer, The Boys has also landed many key award nominations at the Primetime Emmys, including Best Drama Series.

The Boys changed radically after it first premiered, as real-world events made the show even more topical over time. Although the show has always had a dim edge, its final seasons became so disturbing in how they paralleled real events. While some shows drag out for too long with no definitive plan, The Boys had an endgame in mind, ensuring it ran as a tightly-packed five-season series. Thankfully, the universe itself is expanding in the form of spinoff shows, with Gen V debuting to positive reviews in 2023. Here is every season of The Boys, ranked.

5

Season 4 (2024)

Susan Heyward as Sister Stage standing next to Valorie Curry as Firecracker in Season 4 of The BoysImage via Prime Video

While still highly entertaining in a way that most superhero shows aren’t, the fourth season of The Boys made some narrative mistakes that felt unusual considering the show’s sturdy track record. Although it can be analyzed for the underuse of certain characters, such as Frenchie (Tomer Capone) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), the biggest issue with the fourth season of The Boys is that it does not sufficiently push the narrative forward. If the previous season ended with a shocking moment in which Homelander (Antony Starr) showed his true colors to the world, it seemed a bit unusual for the series not to fully unpack what the implications of that reveal would be. Unfortunately, some up-to-date additions didn’t entirely work; although Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a great actor, his role added very little to the season and led to a twist that even non-readers were able to see coming way before it was revealed.

Despite some narrative gaps, The Boys still featured some excellent performances in its fourth season, particularly from Starr. Although the cast has been uniformly excellent since the beginning, it has been consistently unfortunate that Starr hasn’t received more recognition for playing one of the greatest villains in television history. The season also showed a more empathetic side to Hughie (Jack Quaid), who has to cope with the critical issues that his father (Simon Pegg) goes through in a particularly harrowing episode. The political intrigue involving the CIA and the assassination attempt of Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) was thrilling, yet took The Boys in a direction so dim that the more darkly comedic elements of its initial three seasons were almost entirely absent within a very dour set of eight episodes. Nonetheless, the end of the season featured some powerful lines from Hughie, whose words about the boys defining who they are proved to be genuinely uplifting.

4

Season 5 (2026)

Chace Crawford as The Deep in the podcast studio with Nathan Mitchell as Black Noir in The Boys Season 5Image via Prime Video

Television shows face a tremendous amount of expectations in their final seasons, as they are under pressure to “justify” everything that came before. In an era where there are finales as fulfilling as Succession and as incompetent as Game of Thrones, the final season of The Boys gets the job done without feeling like it has the same magic as its first few years. Although the prior season had felt like it was nothing but a build-up, Season 5 does reach a fair number of conclusions, even if the show has a challenging time giving every member of the cast something to do. There’s also the obvious desire to tie into the larger Vought universe that is being created, as The Boys had to make a few allusions to the now-cancelled Gen V spinoff and the impending prequel series Vought Rising.

While The Boys has never been a particularly subtle show in terms of what it’s satirizing, Season 5 succeeds by examining the destructive nature of far-right extremism, religious militarism, and fascist principles. These have been baked into the show from the beginning, and those who complain about the series being “too political” simply weren’t paying attention. This is best exemplified by another amazing performance by Starr, who is able to show more complexity to Homelander, whilst taking him to a up-to-date level of evil. Urban is also able to make Butcher into more than just a gruff, negative loner, and Quaid is offered more to do as Hughie than he had previously. Not every character is given the same courtesy, but The Boys wraps up in a satisfying enough way to secure its status as one of the greatest superhero shows of all-time.

Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz
Which MCU Hero Are You?
Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap

Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?

🕷️Spider-Man

😈Daredevil

🤖Iron Man

💀Punisher

⚡Thor

🛡️Cap

FIND YOUR HERO →

01

What drives you to do what’s right?
Choose the answer that feels most like you.

AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can’t protect themselves.
BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dim.
CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I’ve learned that others depend on me now.
DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay.
EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms.
FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully.

NEXT QUESTION →

02

It’s 2 AM. Where are you?
Your answer says more about you than you’d think.

ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood.
BRunning rooftops in Hell’s Kitchen, listening for trouble.
CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a icy cup of coffee nearby.
DStaking out a target I’ve been tracking for three weeks.
ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand.
FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn’t sleep.

NEXT QUESTION →

03

How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice?
Every hero has a method. What’s yours?

AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again.
BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside.
CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins.
DMake sure they don’t escape a third time. Permanently.
EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end.
FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it’s challenging.

NEXT QUESTION →

04

How do you feel about keeping a secret identity?
The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.

AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am.
BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face.
COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I’d do it again.
DI’m a ghost. The less people know about me, the better.
EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There’s no hiding it.
FI don’t hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust.

NEXT QUESTION →

05

You’ve lost someone significant because of your heroism. How do you carry that?
Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.

AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day.
BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting.
CI buried myself in work for years. I’m only recently learning to face it.
DIt transformed me completely. I’m not the same person I was before.
EWith warrior’s grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have.
FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win.

NEXT QUESTION →

06

What’s your role when working with a team?
Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.

AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up.
BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most.
CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation.
DI don’t do teams. I’m more effective operating solo, on my terms.
EThe bulky hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle.
FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind.

NEXT QUESTION →

07

Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge?
The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.

AClearly — I don’t kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly.
BI try to hold the line, but I’ve come terrifyingly close to crossing it.
CPractically — I do what’s necessary to protect people, including challenging calls.
DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won’t admit it.
EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic.
FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against.

NEXT QUESTION →

08

When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like?
The person behind the mask is always the more captivating story.

ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends.
BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets.
CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I’m sleeping enough.
DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions.
ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary.
FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly.

NEXT QUESTION →

09

What keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re candid about what you’re actually afraid of.

AThe people I couldn’t save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow.
BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too.
CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough.
DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I’ve made my choices.
EWhether I’m truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect.
FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing.

NEXT QUESTION →

10

The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do?
This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.

ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything.
BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going.
CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan.
DI don’t accept that it’s lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore.
ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me.
FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it’s not over.

REVEAL MY HERO →

Your Hero Has Been Identified
Your MCU Hero Is…

Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.

Queens, New York

🕷️ Spider-Man

You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — entertaining, devoted, and endlessly self-sacrificing.

• You do the right thing not because it’s straightforward, but because no one else will.
• You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
• Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
• Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.

Hell’s Kitchen, New York

😈 Daredevil

You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.

• You exploit every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
• You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been straightforward.
• Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
• Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.

Stark Industries, Malibu

🤖 Iron Man

Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.

• You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
• You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
• Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
• You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.

New York City

💀 The Punisher

You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.

• You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
• You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
• Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
• Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.

Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms

⚡ Thor

Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.

• You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
• You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
• Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
• You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.

Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers

🛡️ Captain America

You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.

• You don’t bully the diminutive guy, and you never stop when it gets challenging.
• Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
• Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
• In a world full of people taking the straightforward road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

3

Season 3 (2022)

Butcher(Karl Urban) and Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) looking in the same direction with confused expressions in ‘The Boys’Image via Prime Video

The Boys pushed the limits of its audience’s comfort in a third season that managed to be both completely visceral and thematically compelling. Although the show has never been shy about violence, the third season featured some of the most graphic sequences in up-to-date television history, including the now infamous “Herogasm” episode. Although the innovative decision to temporarily give Hughie and Butcher (Karl Urban) powers has led to some occasionally derivative plot points, The Boys rarely fails to deliver when it comes to action. The season did a great job at taking a deeper look at characters like A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) and Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott), revealing that there were much deeper issues that they were both dealing with. It has been The Boys’ ability to go beyond the customary notion of “heroes and villains” that has made it so exceptional.

The Boys had a major addition in its third season with the character of Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), an older hero who is revived by “the boys” in order to take down The Seven. Ackles created a character who was thoroughly terrifying, and even managed to instill a sense of fear into the other “supes.” Even if the show was able to tear down the characters of Marvel and DC in a cuttingly satirical way, it still provided some of the best superhero-related setpieces in recent memory, especially because of the unique set of powers that each of the characters had at their disposal. Although the final battle between Soldier Boy and Homelander that ends the season is among the most gripping action scenes in all five seasons of the show, the detailed examination of the psychological torture of Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) allowed the series to get into complicated issues surrounding mental and emotional trauma.

2

Season 1 (2019)

Hughie (Jack Quaid) looking shocked and horrified with blood on his face in The Boys Season 1, Episode 1.Image via Prime Video

Few shows have announced themselves as a major cultural moment in the same way that The Boys did in its first season, which quickly dismantled any notions of familiarity that audiences may have had about the world of superheroes. While there had been other superhero shows before that tackled darker themes, such as Daredevil and Arrow, The Boys drew a parallel between superheroes and up-to-date celebrities. Given the real-world discussion about holding those in power responsible, The Boys became a highly critical topic of conversation, but its political importance never detracted from its entertainment value. Seeing Hughie rise from tragedy to become a hero alongside Butcher and his gang was an stimulating storyline. At the same time, The Boys also proved that it could be very savvy in its examination of media archetypes, featuring some innovative jabs at comic book fan culture and media sensationalism that wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining if they weren’t also so painfully exact.

The Boys really excelled at keeping a balanced perspective in its first season by showing what was happening to both the “supes” and those without powers. Annie (Erin Moriarty) is faced with one of the most complicated emotional arcs, as she has to contend with the fact that the dream she has been preparing her entire life for is nothing like she ever imagined it would be. As upsetting as this was, the Romeo & Juliet-style romance that emerged between her and Hughie was surprisingly earnest, proving that beneath the snarkiness and irony, The Boys had a real heart. Although there were some key alterations from the source material that may have irritated longtime readers who were expecting a more real adaptation, The Boys was able to make compelling changes that actually made it work better as a serialized series.

1

Season 2 (2020)

Homelander and Storefront looking at one another as a bystander looks on in The Boys.Image via Amazon Prime Video

The Boys reached its peak in its second season, which examined a struggle for power within both “the boys” and The Seven, and introduced a greater level of moral ambiguity. With the absence of Butcher, Hughie begins taking on a more prominent role in the leadership of the vigilante group, but struggles with justifying all the extreme actions that would be needed to claim victory. Annie is faced with a similar ethical crisis, as she must serve within The Seven without revealing to Homelander that she is a double agent. The addition of Stormfront (Aya Cash), a fascist superhero resurrected from the end of World War II, allowed The Boys to tackle real-life issues related to the rise of far-right extremism and domestic terrorism.

Although it was a season that featured no shortage of emotionally devastating moments, The Boys was often at its most entertaining in its second season, thanks to the ridiculous shenanigans that the group got into. Seeing The Deep (Chance Crawford) forced to revitalize his image after a series of scandals created one of the most hilarious storylines, which peaked with his failed attempt to capture Hughie, Butcher, and the rest of the Boys on a beach with his giant whale. The dim comedy was crass and often quite disturbing, but the show also allowed for more emotional storylines, particularly with the role of Ryan (Cameron Crovetti), whose mother, Becca (Shantel VanSanten), is revealed to still be alive. Ryan being swayed between his two father figures, Butcher and Homelander, represents the thematic core at the center of The Boys that has made it so consistently engaging. Earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Best Drama Series, a occasional accolade that is not generally awarded to superhero shows, the second season of The Boys proved to be one of the most compelling works in up-to-date dramatic television history.

The Boys

Release Date

2019 – 2026-00-00

Showrunner

Eric Kripke

Writers

Eric Kripke