The Boys: Why does Soldier Boy want to kill Homelander? Explained

Soldier Boy is a key character in The Boys, a TV series on Amazon Prime Video that mocks the superhero genre. The show, created by Eric Kripke, is based on a comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. It follows a group of vigilantes, also called the Boys, who fight against superpowered people who abuse their abilities.

The role of Soldier Boy is played by Jensen Ackles. He is a veteran of World War II who leads Payback, a rival team of superhumans to the Seven. He is one of the first superheroes created by Vought International, using Compound V, a substance that gives humans superpowers. Eric Kripke, the showrunner, describes him as ‘the original superhero’ who came before even Homelander.

Soldier Boy has a deep hatred for Homelander. In the eighth season of The Boys, the show reveals his true intentions to destroy Homelander, the leader of the Seven. Soldier Boy tells Billy Butcher, the leader of The Boys and Homelander’s enemy, that he wants to kill Homelander because he holds him responsible for ruining his legacy and tarnishing his symbol as a heroic figure.

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Soldier Boy's motivation to take down Homelander extends beyond the pact made with Billy Butcher in The Boys

Soldier Boy’s hate for Homelander came from his own bad relationship with his father. (Image via Sportskeeda)

Soldier Boy’s reason for killing Homelander in The Boys was more than just a deal with Billy Butcher. At first, Soldier Boy agrees to kill Homelander because of the deal he made with Butcher. Soldier Boy had helped Butcher find and kill the members of Payback, and now he was helping him chase Homelander.

But then, Soldier Boy found out a shocking truth: Homelander was his son. This made him think twice, as any father would want their son to do well. But Soldier Boy did not like Homelander. He thought Homelander was too emotional and weak, and not a good successor. This made him want to kill Homelander more, to start over.

In a surprising twist, Soldier Boy realized that he was like Homelander, copying his own bad father. He hated himself, and he hated Homelander for being a 'disappointment' like him. This explained why he did not want to join his son. Soldier Boy’s hate for Homelander was not just a fight between supes, it showed the deep problems that haunted him.

Soldier Boy agrees to kill Homelander because of the deal he made with Butcher. (Image via Sportskeeda)

The seventh episode of The Boys season 3 ended with a cliffhanger, hinting that Homelander and Soldier Boy might team up as father and son. But in the next episode, the series showed the truth. They had the same blood, but they were very different.

This moment was different from the end of the seventh episode, where Soldier Boy looked as hurt as Homelander. This change made people wonder what had changed Soldier Boy’s mind at the end of season 3. The answer was in a talk with Butcher, suggesting that Soldier Boy’s hate for Homelander came from his own bad relationship with his father.

So, his hate not only showed a sad part of his past but also added to the theme of bad parents that runs through The Boys.

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Who Killed Homelander In The Boys Comics?

In comics, Black Noir eliminates Homelander. (Image via Sportskeeda)

In comics, it's not Soldier Boy but the silent yet deadly Black Noir who eliminates Homelander. In a surprising turn, Black Noir in the comics is revealed to be a clone of Homelander, framing the superhero for crimes he committed. Black Noir's victory over Homelander is possible because he possesses the same powers as his counterpart.

While The Boys series draws inspiration from the original comics source, it has diverged significantly and is now well beyond the point of introducing such a twist. In fact, in the season 3 finale, Homelander kills Black Noir. He does this because he feels betrayed by Black Noir, who hid the truth about Soldier Boy being Homelander’s father. This makes Homelander very angry, killing Black Noir out of rage.