The Boys is an American fictional superhero action television series created by Eric Kripke. The show is based on a comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Since the birth of the MCU superhero series, movies, and comic books have remained a major source of entertainment, and the impact it creates on viewers is unparalleled.
The Boys is one of the most popular series to watch because of it's unique take on the superhero genre. The reversed portrayal of super-powered beings makes for an interesting watch. The fabulous portrayal by the cast and the character development made by the show’s creators is engaging. In this article, we will rank the top 10 most hated characters to the show, where blood and violence is a part of everyday life.
Warning: This article reflects the author's opinion and it may contain spoilers for The Boys. Viewer diecertion is advised!
Listing 10 best to worst hated characters from
The Boys
1) Homelander
Everything Homelander does or says is a villainous act. Played by actor Anthony Starr, he is a narcissist and has committed crimes, ranging from mass-killing innocents, to murdering people, like Madelyn Stillwell and Black Noir without a second thought, to showing no compassion for the people who look up to him and consider him a hero. The only thing that matters to Homelander is his constant quest for power and influence.
One of the worst things he did in The Boys was to let Trans-Oceanic Flight 037 crash. In The Boys Season 1, Episode 4, Homelander accidentally destroys the control console of the hijacked flight. Although the flight was now out of the hijackers' control, the fate of the innocent people was sealed when Homelander forced Queen Maeve to abandon the flight and crash it. There are numerous more instances of Homelander letting it all out and causing massive destruction, but that is only expected from a human being that was locked and tortured for years in a lab, under corporate influence to create the supe he is known for being today.
2) Stormfront
As soon as Stormfront joins The Seven, the list of her bad deeds begins. She is responsible for the brutal murder of Kimiko's brother Kenji, the horror doesn't stop there, while committing the deed, she also declares that she enjoyed watching the light leave his eyes. Played by actress Aya Cash, she is deeply racist and is against anyone who is not white and living in America.
But she is not just another new character introduced to the show. Stormfront comes with a backstory of being the wife of Frederick Vought. She is over 100 years old but still retains her youthful appearance due to Compound V. It is important to note here that she is one of the first successful experiments of the V, alongside Soldier Boy. Stormfront seeks to reshape America in her own image, as she uses her standing in the supe community to spread fear and racism.
She has committed numerous crimes while remaining in the background. She also seeks to alter the very fabric of society. Her radical ideology makes her very dangerous, and sometimes, more terrifying than Homelander who is just after power and fame.
3) Victoria Neuman
Victoria Neuman portrayed by Claudia Doumit is cunning, opportunistic and ambitious. An over-achiever, she is willing to take down anyone or anything that comes her way on her quest to seek political power. In The Boys, she appears to support the anti-supe agenda, while herself being a supe with the deadly ability to control blood.
Victoria betrays her adoptive father, Stan Edgar, and sends him to prison. She manages to keep her identity as a supe a secret by using Stormfront as a scapegoat so that she can accomplish her long-term agenda.
She is also a master manipulator like her father, which lands her on our list of most hated characters. Her unpredictable nature and her ability to blend in a seemingly 'normal' environment, makes her terrifying (and disliked).
4) Stan Edgar
Stan Edgar is the CEO of Vought International and is played by Giancarlo Esposito. His main role in The Boys is to bring more supes into the military and control them, thus controlling the government, while staying behind the scenes. He's not afraid to stand face-to-face with anyone (including Homelander), which makes him one of humanity's worst villains.
Stan also has his influence over the media and he believes that human lives are tradable and disposable. His strategic, cold demeanour makes him a ruthless adversary to anyone, including the supes.
5) Soldier Boy
Soldier Boy played by Jensen Ackles is known to be rude, crude, and reckless. He never thinks twice about hurting someone. Therefore, it was easy for him to harm his flesh and blood, his son and his grandson. Soldier Boy can go toe-to-toe with Homelander when it comes to strength; after all, Homelander was born from his DNA and it is safe to say that in this case, the apple did not fall too far from the tree. After being rescued from the Russian facility, he is revealed to be an unstable superweapon and performs dirty deeds for Vought and the U.S. government.
Soldier Boy has done many horrible things while serving in the military, silencing civil rights activists with fire hoses and killing people who spoke out against wars.
6) Madelyn Stillwell
Madelyn Stillwell was a master manipulator. She had manipulated and abused Homelander to achieve her goals. She knew exactly how to keep Homelander under control. Before her death, she was a ruthless businesswoman and an integral part of the Vought, and acting as the face of the company.
In addition to being ruthless, she represented the corrupt underbelly of Vought International, as she attempted to sign a multi-billion dollar deal with the government, not to benefit the country, but to satisfy Vought's corporate needs. Her ability to navigate situations while maintaining an iron grip on Homelander shows why she ends up on this list.
7) The Deep
The Deep is another member of the Seven. With his aquatic powers, he is a twisted parody of Aquaman/Namor and is brilliantly played by Chase Crawford. His biggest fault is he is a perverted creep. Although he seems like a charming character at first, he soon turns out to be an immoral degenerate with a disturbing "obsession" for marine life, specially octopi. He is kicked out of The Seven in The Boys after attempting to assault Starlight. However, he is shown to have no remorse and in recent seasons, he is shown to feel sorry for himself for the same reason in spite of being the assaulter.
It is impossible for viewers not to hate this character because of his despicable nature and his lack of accountability. Deep is neither taken seriously by his friends on The Seven nor his enemies, The Boys. His pathetic attempts at redemption earn him a spot on this list.
8) Billy Butcher
Alright, let's face it - Billy Butcher is not a likeable character. In the comics, some might even say he is a downright villain. In the show, the makers have given Billy a multi-dimensional facade, making him a complex individual. Portrayed by Karl Urban with an off-sounding Cockney accent, he is best known for making enemies of his friends. He can be described as irresponsible, reactionary, and a rude man who likes to do things his way.
Billy has a lot of suppressed anger and is not a team player. Not all of his plans work all the time because no matter what his intentions are, his actions almost always come out negative. One of the long-term damaging effects Billy caused in The Boys is not telling Hughie about the V-24, which ruined their friendship. His complexity lies in a morally grey area, where he dwells and operates out of, often leaving the line between hero & villain blurred.
9) Black Noir II
Black Noir, also known as Earving played by Nathan Mitchell, is a major antagonist in The Boys Seasons 1, 2, and 3. He stands out in The Seven not for his superhuman powers, but for his martial arts skills. He is a skilled ninja, who is unparalleled in combat. Depicted as silent and stoic, Black Noir had a bitter relationship with Soldier Boy, who was also responsible for damaging his face and disfiguring him.
Black Noir was originally assigned to keep an eye on Homelander, but the two later allied. He is mainly depicted in The Boys as a badass, sometimes accompanied by hilarious storylines. However, the Black Noir we hate is seen is Season 4 - he is a narcoleptic actor with superpowers, recruited by Homelander to play the role of the OG Black Noir, who is now dead. He was given this job because Black Noir being dead was not a good look for Vought (& Homelander). The fact that he is not probably even worthy to step into Black Noir's shoes lands him on this list. We do, however, see many funny moments with him on-screen, specially when he ends up speaking or flying.
10) A-Train
A train portrayed by Jessie T. Usher in The Boys is a part of The Seven. He has the supernatural ability of speed. A-Train is often seen high on Compound V in the series, including when he runs over and kills Hughie's girlfriend, which is how he is introduced to us. This guarantees instant dislike for the character, whose other downsides includes selfishness, lack of accountability and morally reprehensible actions. His addiction to V does not help either.
A-train is willing to cheat, lie and betray those around him to keep his social and corporate standing in The Seven. He does not mind endangering lives and killing to survive. His occassional attempts at redemtion often fall flat as he is a person more driven by self-interest than genuine remorse.
However, season 4 sees a more genuine version of A-Train, who ends up helping The Boys get out of messy situations, though one might argue that these were mostly driven by his self-centeredness and his need to protect himself.
If you are a fan of The Boys, check out the story of the aforementioned anti-heroes in the series. You can tune in to Amazon Prime Video to get a hold of all the seasons.
