Billy Butcher’s character has drastically changed in Prime Video's The Boys since it was revealed that he will die if she keeps using Temp V. However, the former SAS operative continues to inject himself with the compound to face off against the Supes.
His condition worsens in the fourth season, as he frequently passes out and worm-like organisms are seen inside his head. While he grows distant from the Boys, he only confides in Joe Kessler, who fought alongside Butcher in the War on Terror.
Butcher shares all his plans with Kessler, who motivates him to be brutal against the Supes and kill them all if need be. However, in The Boys Season 4 Episode 5, fans notice something that puts Kessler's whole existence in question.
The Boys Season 4 Episode 5 theory suggests Billy Butcher is hallucinating about Joe Kessler
A popular fan theory suggests that Joe Kessler, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, is not real but rather a hallucination created by Billy Butcher’s troubled mind. Since his introduction, Kessler has been surrounded by mystery.
All we know is that he served in the War on Terror, met Butcher during the conflict, and is now a CIA officer. Strangely, Kessler never interacts with anyone except Butcher, even in public spaces or the CIA office.
Fans find it odd, especially in season 4, episode 5, Beware the Jabberwock, My Son, where Butcher kidnaps scientist Sameer Shah to make a virus that can kill Supes. As Butcher talks to Kessler in front of Sameer, the scientist looks confused, as if he can not see anyone else there.
This theory gains traction due to Butcher’s health issues. After taking Temp V in season 3, he developed terminal cancer. In season 4, he has only six months to live, and Temp V has left him with a mass of tumors around his brain.
Some fans believe these tumors cause him hallucinations, making Butcher see people who aren’t there. He also sees visions of his late wife, Becca, who often appears as an ‘angel on his shoulder’ urging him to do the right thing.
Kessler could be like the ‘devil on his shoulder,’ pushing him toward darker, more ruthless choices. Fans point out that Butcher might be using Kessler as an excuse to justify his most violent actions, like torturing Sameer to recreate the Supe-killing virus.
As Butcher becomes more desperate to take down Homelander, Kessler, in his mind, wants him to make some brutal decisions. This idea makes sense, especially as Butcher’s mind becomes increasingly unstable due to the tumor and Temp V side effects.
The theory proved to be true in The Boys Season 4 Episode 6
The theory turns out to be true, as in season 4, episode 6, Dirty Business, Kessler is revealed to be a creation of Butcher’s head. In the episode, Butcher faces a tough choice about using a super-strong virus to kill Supes.
He pressures Sameer to make this virus powerful enough to take down Homelander, but Sameer warns that if the virus gets that strong, it will become airborne and spread everywhere, killing all Supes worldwide, including Starlight and Kimiko.
Butcher is torn about what to do, and that is when he sees a vision of his late wife, Becca, who tells him not to go through with it. Suddenly, Kessler, who seems to be on Butcher’s ruthless side, tells Becca to shut up. This moment makes Butcher and the viewers realize that Kessler is not real.
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The actual Kessler died in Panjshir Valley, so the war veteran is a hallucination. In Butcher's mind, Kessler represents his darkest thoughts, wanting him to unleash the virus, while Becca is like his conscience, telling him not to. Butcher then has to decide which one to listen to.
The Boys has been renewed for a fifth and final season, which is expected to premiere on Prime Video in 2026.
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