Since The Boys premiered on Amazon Prime Video back in 2019, the satirical superhero series has been a hit, even spawning the well-received spin-off Gen V. One of the most talked about characters is, of course, Homelander (Antony Starr), the narcissistic, megalomaniacal leader of the illustrious group of superheroes known as The Seven. From his initial introduction to the slow reveal of his true character, Homelander has descended further and further into the worst parts of himself through the seasons to date.
A few episodes in particular stand out as being his best ones, each playing into his arc to date. He shined in these episodes, often in the worst way possible. Nonetheless, the best Homelander episodes span all three current seasons, with plenty more likely to be added from season four.
The Boys
Release Date July 26, 2019
Seasons 4
Creator Eric Kripke
Studio Amazon Studios
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10 “The Female of the Species”
Season 1, Episode 4
Image via Amazon Prime Video
By this episode, it’s well established that Homelander, one of the strongest characters, is far from the admirable hero that the public believes him to be. He is not only violent, self-involved, and power-hungry, he’s also effectively Vought International’s puppet. But this episode really solidified not only how awful Homelander is, but how much Supes with rose-colored glasses like Maeve (Dominique McElligott) wish he would have lived up to what they thought he was and could be.
The moment in this episode that truly reveals Homelander’s character is when he and Queen Maeve are sent to save passengers on a hijacked airliner. Once aboard, Homelander accidentally destroys the control panel then decides to abandon the plane without saving anyone. It was all about optics, looking like a hero without actually being one. Seeing the anguish in Maeve’s eyes at having to leave these innocent people pleading for their lives to die while Homelander doesn’t bat an eye really tells fans a lot about his character, or rather lack, thereof. This moment comes back later to bite Homelander as evidence of what he did is revealed.
9 “You Found Me”
Season 1, Episode 8
Image via Amazon Prime Video
Homelander’s strange relationship with Madelyn Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue) had fans feeling both confused and weirded out. He viewed her like a strange mother figure, though there was a sexual attraction and relationship as well. Madelyn, meanwhile, appeared to use Homelander as her puppet, knowing exactly how to stroke his ego to get what she wanted. Showing Homelander’s insecurities, however, is the fact that Homelander is none the wiser that he is being played by Stillwell, not admired.
In this episode, Homelander’s reactionary nature is evident when he brutally murders Stillwell to show Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) that he can’t be baited. There’s a glimmer of a softer side to Homelander when he saves Butcher and reveals to him that his wife Becca (Shantel VanSanten) is still very much alive and living in hiding with the son he fathered. It’s the first episode where we see the real tension between Billy and Homelander face-to-face.
8 “Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men”
Season 2, Episode 3
Image via Amazon Prime Video
As the second season progresses, Homelander spends much of his time trying to irritate Butcher by hanging out with his wife Becca and Ryan (Cameron Crovetti), the son Homelander fathered with Becca following his sexual assault. But Homelander, arguably feeling more alone now than ever with Stillwell gone and Stormfront (Aya Cash) joining the Seven, tries to focus his energy on spending time with his biological son.
Homelander does his best to help Ryan learn to use his powers, but the young boy doesn’t know how to, nor does he realize his own strength. In one scene, Ryan even attacks Homelander to protect his mother. Arguably, most important for Homelander’s arc in this episode, however, is the lengths Stormfront goes to not only do heinous things, but also blatantly go against his wishes, something Homelander isn’t used to dealing with. It marks a moment of vulnerability for the otherwise powerful superhero, especially as Stormfront begins to manipulate Homelander by stroking his ego, much like Stillwell did.
7 “We Gotta Go Now”
Season 2, Episode 5
Image via Amazon Prime Video
The full extent of Homelander’s bad behavior starts to reach the public in this episode when a video of him killing two innocent civilians is released. But Stormfront, one of the biggest villains on the show, uses her clever spin to help him rehabilitate his image. This puts Stormfront in his good graces and helps solidify Homelander’s belief that he’s invincible. It’s in this episode that he begins a sexual relationship with Stormfront as well.
How deep Maeve’s hatred for Homelander runs is also revealed in this episode as she tells her secret girlfriend Elena (Nicole Correia-Damude) that she is planning to take him down. Homelander goes through a lot in this episode, at first feeling threatened that the public no longer looks up to him as a hero, then shifting his mindset to feeling arguably his most powerful.
6 “What I Know”
Season 2, Episode 8
Image via Amazon Prime Video
In this season’s finale, arguably one of the best episodes of the show overall, fans finally get to see the big showdown between Homelander and Butcher they had been waiting so long to see. It’s also an emotional time, as Becca dies when Ryan tries to save her from Stormfront and accidentally kills her. Homelander’s sadness is felt when Ryan chooses Butcher over him, and making things worse, the plane incident from the first season comes back to haunt Homelander. Maeve shows him captured footage and threatens to release it if he doesn’t comply with her demands.
As Stormfront is finally being outed for the racist she is, Homelander is in a tough position: he aligns himself with the woman who is becoming an enemy of the people and threatening the sanctity of The Seven. Having now lost not only Stormfront but also his biological son, things aren’t looking good for Homelander. But fans see from the glimmer of menace in his eyes that this dip won’t last for long.
5 “The Only Man in the Sky”
Season 3, Episode 2
Image via Amazon Prime Video
Reeling from the news that the severely injured Stormfront has died by suicide, Homelander finds himself alone once again. His mental state is deteriorating, as evidenced by a rant he delivers live on television during his birthday celebration. Filled with spite and hate, Homelander chastises Vought, the very corporation that employs and controls him, attempting to turn public sentiment against them and towards him. He plays it up as though he is being persecuted, urging the public to stand by him as a savior of the world.
What’s most interesting in this episode is that the public seems to be warming to Homelander and believing his every word. He is on a path to redeeming himself in the public eye, which in turn, makes it difficult for Vought to turn against him, no matter how much they might wish they could. In this episode, Homelander shows just how far his reach and power can go, and the fact that it’s working inflates his ego even more.
4 “Barbary Coast”
Season 3, Episode 3
Image via Amazon Prime Video
If Homelander acted like he was invincible in the previous episode, his tyrannical attitude is kicked up a few notches in this one. He positions himself as a dictator, of sorts, within The Seven now that his approval ratings are through the roof. He sets his sights on Starlight (Erin Moriarty), forcing her to pretend she’s in a relationship with him to help further rehabilitate his image and raise his public profile.
Seeing the hold Homelander has on Starlight, making her do things she would never otherwise do and keeping her in a position of weakness, shows just how awful he is. But his decisions also light a fire under her, Butcher, and the rest of The Boys to take down Homelander and everything for which he stands. Based on Homelander walking around like he owns Vought in this episode, that will be easier said than done.
3 “Glorious Five-Year Plan”
Season 3, Episode 4
Image via Prime Video
Just how terrified others are of Homelander is made clear in this episode when Starlight’s ex Supersonic (Miles Gaston Villanueva), who has been newly minted into The Seven, decides that he wants to try to make positive changes. He approaches A-Train (Jessie T.Usher) for help; but fearing blowback if things don’t go the right way, and using the opportunity to ingratiate himself to the almighty leader of The Seven, A-Train reveals the plot to his boss instead.
Homelander, showing his violent nature and willingness to do just about anything to protect his reputation, murders Supersonic and threatens Starlight that he’ll do the same to Hughie (Jack Quaid), one of the best non-Supe characters, if she does not comply with whatever he wants. In this episode, it seems as though nothing or no one will ever be able to take down Homelander.
2 “Here Comes a Candle to Light You in Bed”
Season 3, Episode 7
Image via Amazon Prime Video
A heart-wrenching, emotional episode for Homelander, it’s in this one that he learns his parentage and that Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) is his biological father. Further, when he confronts Starlight about her livestream where she boldly announces her departure from The Seven and condemned both Vought and Homelander, she records him confessing to numerous crimes and posts them on social media. Homelander is now in a precarious position once again.
He might otherwise be able to easily get himself out of just about anything. But the knowledge that his father had been alive all this time, people knew who he was, and Homelander grew up without any family, is a lot to take in. While Homelander shows his grief and sadness in different ways, it’s clear this news is among the most painful he has ever received. It’s enough to make fans feel a twinge of sympathy for Homelander in this episode.
1 “The Instant White-Hot Wild”
Season 3, Episode 8
Image via Amazon Prime Video
There’s a lot going on in the season 3 finale for Homelander. Reeling from the news that Soldier Boy is his father, he murders his friend Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) in cold blood, upset that he never revealed this information yet knew about it all along. He also faces an attack from both his own father, Soldier Boy, and members of The Boys, including Butcher, Starlight, and Hughie, as well as Maeve.
What’s most interesting about this episode for Homelander is that it also shows his deep love, or at least desire to love, his son Ryan. He takes the boy and seemingly starts to develop his relationship with him. In the final scene, he walks through a rally with his son and brutally murders a vocal Starlight supporter. Worry that this rash decision could impact his reputation quickly dissipates, however, when the crowd erupts in cheers. Homelander is back to being untouchable, all-powerful, and now has offspring by his side to seemingly continue his legacy.
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