The final episode of The Boys Season 5, the final installment of the series, aired on Prime Video on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Filled with brutal violence, satire, and social and political commentary, the show relied on its brilliantly written characters primarily to move the story forward. From Antony Starr‘s antagonist Homelander to Karl Urban‘s antihero Billy Butcher, every character contributed to making this show absolutely great.
The Boys (2019-2026)DetailsCreator & ShowrunnerEric KripkeBased onThe Boys by Garth Ennis and Darick RobertsonCastKarl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Chace Crawford, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Jensen Ackles, Cameron Crovetti, Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, & Jeffrey Dean Morgan.No of Seasons5No of Episodes40RT Score (As of May 20, 2026)93% | 73%IMDb Score (As of May 20, 2026)8.6/10
The list of unforgettable characters in this show is just too long. We ranked every major performance across all five seasons in this list, based on their character development, acting talent, and the impact they had on the story. Here are the performances of Prime Video’s The Boys, ranked from worst to best.
20. Cameron Crovetti as Ryan
Cameron Crovetti as Ryan Butcher in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Cameron Crovetti deserves credit for growing up on screen over the four seasons of The Boys. He evolved from a sheltered child caught between two dangerous father figures into a conflicted young man burdened by inherited trauma. Ryan became an increasingly dangerous presence around people in the latter seasons.
However, he came to his senses after confronting Homelander about his mother. He contributes to Homelander’s eventual defeat, making him a crucial element in the narrative. However, his performance occasionally lacked the depth and subtlety in some of the show’s more emotionally nuanced scenes.
19. Elisabeth Shue as Madelyn Stillwell
Elisabeth Shue as Madelyn Stillwell in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Elisabeth Shue made Madelyn Stillwell one of the most unsettling figures in Season 1. If she had stayed on for more seasons, she would have climbed up to a higher position in this list. She had a double role: as a corporate puppet master for Vought and a manipulative maternal presence for Homelander. Her hold over Homelander made her the second most dangerous character in the first season.
Even after her death at the hands of Homelander, she remained a looming presence over the next four seasons. It was her appearance as an angelic hallucination in Season 5 that fueled Homelander’s messianic delusions.
18. Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett
Colby Minifie as Ashley in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
“Ashley, look at me!” quickly went viral on social media. Many users wondered who Ashley was, even though they knew the meme material came from The Boys. Colby Minifie‘s character hadn’t made that much of an impression among fans at that point in the story. However, in the seasons that followed, she turned her one-note corporate assistance into one of the show’s most entertaining performances.
She becomes the unhinged Vought CEO, delivering exceptional physical comedy while portraying her escalating desperation. She eventually becomes a Supe after injecting Compound V, and her Professor Quirrell-like turn only made her physical comedy more enjoyable.
17. Daveed Diggs as Oh Father
Daveed Diggs as Oh Father in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Daveed Diggs brought his considerable charisma and Broadway magnetism to Season 5 as Oh Father. His character is a corrupt megachurch Supe preacher who serves as an important figure in Homelander’s ascent to godhood. While intended as a satirical device, Diggs gave more layers to his character as a hustler who believes his grift serves a higher purpose.
Diggs even performed a darkly funny propaganda number for the show, Raise Him Up. Sadly, in a star-studded ensemble, Oh Father often didn’t get quite enough room to breathe, leaving Diggs’s undeniable talent slightly underserved by the material.
16. Dominique McElligott as Queen Maeve
Dominique McElligott as Queen Maeve in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Dominique McElligott’s Queen Maeve earned her exit from the world of The Boys in every way. When we first see her, Maeve is a disillusioned, alcoholic hero who is quietly complicit in Homelander’s crimes. However, over the three seasons, she reclaims her agency and ultimately sacrifices her powers to save others.
McElligott delivered a great performance, especially in her quiet moments of vulnerability in her relationship with Elena and her guilt-ridden exchanges with Starlight. Though her heroic exit in the Season 3 finale was a satisfying conclusion, her complete absence from Seasons 4 and 5 made her less impactful to the overall narrative.
15. Jack Quaid as Hughie Campbell
Jack Quaid as Hughie in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Jack Quaid has been the heart of The Boys from start to finish. Hughie Campbell is the everyman thrust into an impossible war against superpowered gods. Quaid fit perfectly into this role and has been one of the show’s most consistent pleasures.
He went from an anxious young man who sought vengeance for his girlfriend’s death to confidently looking at Homelander as he is about to kill him. However, he never lets the world’s cruelty corrupt his decency, as seen in his final moments with Butcher. However, the show did him dirty with poorly written and frustrating story arcs multiple times, which puts him lower on this list.
14. Laz Alonso as Mother’s Milk
Lanz Alonso as Mother’s Milk in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Laz Alonso has spent five seasons making Mother’s Milk the moral bedrock of The Boys. MM’s OCD, his fractured family life, and his unwavering sense of justice largely defined his character in the first few seasons of the show. However, by the end, he becomes a man on the ledge.
He is cynical, exhausted, and confronting the psychological toll of years spent fighting an unwinnable war. When we see him get a happy ending in the series finale, we all agree that this man earned it.
13. Giancarlo Esposito as Stan Edgar
Giancarlo Esposito as Stan Edgar in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Giancarlo Esposito brought the same ruthless authority to Stan Edgar that made Breaking Bad‘s Gus Fring a television icon. However, his performance ensured that we don’t see Gus Fring in Stan Edgar. The latter is a powerless human who commands a room full of gods through sheer intelligence and corporate ruthlessness.
His interactions with Homelander were intense, as he played the only person on the show who could make the world’s most powerful Supe feel small. He proved that he isn’t just your typical corporate antagonist. He is one of the show’s quietly dangerous figures.
12. Valorie Curry as Firecracker
Valorie Curry as Firecracker in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Valorie Curry took a character who could have been a one-dimensional caricature of far-right media grifters and turned her into something genuinely tragic. Her Firecracker was loud, hateful, and very entertaining at times. But when the character’s layers were peeled, she was a wounded, desperate woman.
Season 5 showed the character’s vulnerable self, torn between her declining morality in Homelander’s servitude and her actual faith & values. Curry impressively brings these emotions to the screen. Her final encounter with Homelander portrayed her as a woman who gave up her soul for a man incapable of valuing it.
11. Susan Heyward as Sister Sage
Susan Heyward as Sister Sage in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Susan Heyward made Sister Sage one of the most interesting additions to The Boys in its later seasons. Being the smartest person on the planet, she was perhaps the only character who could genuinely match wits with Homelander without fearing him. Heyward’s performance as Sage was powerful, as the character’s seduction by power felt deeply human.
Sister Sage is a woman who knows she is being used but can’t resist the intoxication of finally being listened to. After her brutal scheming in the penultimate season, Season 5 reveals her masterplan against Homelander. When she is finally stripped of her intelligence, we see a charming character who’s freed of a crushing burden.
10. Erin Moriarty as Starlight
Erin Moriarty as Starlight in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Erin Moriarty‘s evolution from an idealist to a battle-weary resistance leader is one of the most complete character arcs in the series. Over the five seasons, she went from a naive hero discovering Vought’s rot to a woman grappling with the crushing weight of leading a movement. In the final season, she was at her lowest: in isolation, always vaping, and even borderline suicidal.
While Moriarty never let us down with her performance, some of the tiring and repetitive story arcs often affected her character. Some fans and critics felt that the last couple of seasons didn’t give her enough performing space, even though she was the resistance leader against Homelander. Nevertheless, Moriarty has some great moments as Starlight in every season.
9. Jessie T. Usher as A-Train
Jessie T. Usher as A-Train in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Jessie T. Usher pulled off one of television’s great long-game redemption arcs. A-Train began as the most hated character among the supes after he ran through Hughie’s girlfriend. In the five seasons, Usher had a morally messy journey, going from a selfish coward to a genuine hero. Over time, he slowly turned into an ally of the Boys.
Even though he began this journey to benefit himself, he ultimately proved his selflessness. His Season 5 premiere death was poetic, swerving to avoid an innocent bystander while fleeing Homelander, then laughing in his killer’s face. That full-circle farewell moment truly sealed one of the greatest character developments in the show.
8. Aya Cash as Stormfront
Aya Cash as Stormfront in The Boys Season 2 | Credits: Prime Video
Aya Cash delivered one of the most chilling performances in the show, and that’s saying something since she just had one primary season of work. Stormfront initially presented as a charismatic supe, before Cash peeled back the character’s layers to reveal the century-old Nazi underneath. Her manipulation of Homelander, her weaponization of social media outrage, and her casual brutality all made Season 2 the best season of the show.
Few actors have left such a permanent mark on The Boys with so little screen time, and her shadow still looms over the series’ exploration of radicalization. Interestingly, the show is not done with her character. Cash and Jensen Ackles will return for the upcoming prequel show, Vought Rising.
7. Tomer Capone as Frenchie
Tomer Capone as Frenchie in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Tomer Capone made Frenchie one of television’s most endearing characters. That’s saying something since he is a former assassin. His character shows boundless warmth, dark humor, and a desperate hunger for redemption. Across five seasons, Capone balanced the character’s violent past with genuine connections, particularly in his wordless bond with Kimiko.
By the final season, he had become a man trying to be his best self, which made his heroic sacrifice in the penultimate episode land with devastating force. That final kiss with Kimiko, just out of reach of their happy ending, was heartbreaking perfection.
6. Chace Crawford as The Deep
Chace Crawford as The Deep in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Chace Crawford turned what could have been a disposable joke character into one of the show’s most fascinating characters. The Deep is a representation of pathetic villainy. Everything from the Cybertruck to the manosphere podcast and the anal wellness endorsements made him look not just ridiculous but sad.
Crawford always played him with total sincerity, which is precisely what made it work. The last couple of seasons pushed him into a darker territory. He was banned from the water by the hammerhead shark, which ultimately led to his brutal fate in the finale. Crawford perfectly played the part of a man losing every shred of identity he had left.
5. Claudia Doumit as Victoria Neuman
Claudia Doumit as Victoria Neuman in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Claudia Doumit played three-dimensional chess with audiences for three seasons from Season 2 to Season 4. She built Victoria Neuman into one of the most compellingly unpredictable figures in the entire series. What made Doumit extraordinary was her ability to layer multiple intentions into a single glance.
She was at the center of Season 2’s head-popping twist, and it worked because Neuman made us believe that she was good and likable. In the following seasons, she continued with her political aspirations, which included a whole lot of scheming and manipulation. However, we also saw her shame, self-loathing, and desperate desire for normalcy. We truly felt her absence in the final season.
4. Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy
Jensen Ackles in The Boys Season 5 | Credits: Prime Video
Jensen Ackles brought a mix of machismo, dark comedy, and buried trauma to Soldier Boy. He reunited with Eric Kripke after Supernatural to create one of the show’s most entertaining and unexpectedly layered characters. Since his Season 3 debut, Ackles has been a walking punchline of toxic Americana. Soldier Boy is a genuinely damaged man shaped by decades of abuse and betrayal.
He returned in Season 5, bringing a new dynamic with Homelander as a reluctant father figure. It is an unsettling story thread, with Ackles portraying genuine paternal instinct. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that he is a menacing supe in the show. Just watch Season 3’s Herogasm to see him in his absolute best.
3. Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko
Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko in The Boys | Credits: Prime Video
Karen Fukuhara delivered one of the most technically demanding performances in the entire series. For four seasons, she communicated entirely through physicality, sign language, and stunt work. But she was just as brilliant as her fellow performers, even with no words. She made silence feel louder than dialogue, conveying Kimiko’s trauma, humor, and fierce love for Frenchie.
The fifth season saw a seismic shift as she finally started speaking. When she finally spoke, her unfiltered, profanity-laced words felt perfectly earned. She was the emotional core of the final two episodes of the series. Her performance is easily one of the best, just because she never once took the easy route.
2. Karl Urban as Billy Butcher
“Oi c*nt!” Who else can make a cursing so iconic?! Karl Urban made Billy Butcher one of the best modern TV antiheroes. Across five seasons, we saw everything from Butcher. The hammy, sweary bravado often made him out to be a complete jerk. But the moments of devastating emotional subtlety made him the most apt protagonist for this crazy superhero saga.
Fans and critics consistently praised this duality in his character. By the end, Butcher had literally transformed himself into the monster to defeat the monster. Urban was brilliant in portraying this moral freefall, as he never let Butcher’s humanity completely disappear. The final confrontation with Hughie and his sad ending were brutal but earned. Few actors could have held this show together the way Urban did.
1. Antony Starr as Homelander
There was never any other choice. Antony Starr’s Homelander is already being placed among some of the greatest comic book performances, alongside Heath Ledger’s Joker and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Across five seasons, Starr made the most powerful being on the planet feel simultaneously terrifying and pathetically small.
He is a narcissistic god-child whose fragility comes across as more dangerous than his laser vision. Season 5 pushed him to his absolute limit, where he just went into this unhinged mania. In the end, a depowered Homelander showed us what he really was all along. It makes you pity the monster, which again tells you how great a performance it was.
RankActorCharacter1Antony StarrHomelander2Karl UrbanBilly Butcher3Karen FukuharaKimiko4Jensen AcklesSoldier Boy5Claudia DoumitVictoria Neuman6Chace CrawfordThe Deep7Tomer CaponeFrenchie8Aya CashStormfront9Jesse T. UsherA-Train10Erin MoriartyStarlight11Susan HeywardSister Sage12Valorie CurryFirecracker13Giancarlo EspositoStan Edgar14Laz AlonsoMother’s Milk15Jack QuaidHughie Campbell16Dominique McElligottQueen Maeve17Daveed DiggsOh Father18Colby MinifieAshley Barrett19Elisabeth ShueMadelyn Stillwell20Cameron CrovettiRyan Butcher
Here are some common questions you have about these characters answered.
What happens to Antony Starr’s Homelander in The Boys finale?
Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher kills Homelander after Kimiko strips him of his power.
What happens to Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher in the finale?
Hughie had to shoot and kill Billy Butcher after he attempted to release the supe-killing virus.
Which major characters died in The Boys Season 5?
Homelander, Billy Butcher, and Frenchie die in the fifth and final season of The Boys.
What do you think of this list? What’s your order of ranking these performances? Let us know in the comments below!
All episodes of The Boys are now available for streaming on Prime Video.
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