Eric Kripke Explains Why ‘The Boys’ Finale Forced Homelander to Look Powerless
The series The Boys has officially ended after five seasons, and the final episode delivered a violent and emotional conclusion for both Homelander (played by Antony Starr) and Billy Butcher (played by Karl Urban). The story ended with both characters reaching their final confrontation, and neither of them truly winning in the end.
The finale takes place during a chaotic attack on the White House. Homelander is preparing to give a public speech where he plans to present himself as a god-like figure. But the plan falls apart when the Boys and their allies break into the building and stop him.
Inside the fight, several key moments happen at the same time. Starlight deals with The Deep, Hughie and MM take down Oh Father, and Kimiko steps into the Oval Office to face Homelander directly. Kimiko uses a new ability that can remove superpowers, but she struggles to control it at first. With help from emotional memories and support from her past, she finally manages to use it properly.
When the power is released, Homelander, Butcher, and Ryan all lose their abilities. For the first time, Homelander is no longer invincible. He is forced into a normal physical fight with Butcher, something he has always avoided.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Eric Kripke explained why this moment was so important. He said the goal was to show Homelander without power and make the audience see who he really is underneath.
“Yeah, it was really important to us for Homelander to at least experience a little bit of time powerless.” Kripke said.
He also explained why the character could not simply be left alive after losing his powers. According to him, the risk would always remain that Homelander could regain power again.
“People have asked me, ‘Well, why don’t you send him out in the world powerless, wouldn’t that be the ultimate punishment?’ I’m like, it would, until he gets his hands on some more Compound V, and then you’re back to where you started.”
Kripke said the final setting in the Oval Office was chosen on purpose. He wanted the moment to feel small, direct, and personal instead of a large-scale battle.
“So, he cannot walk out of that room alive, but we can spend time with him powerless to really reveal what everyone’s been saying all season, which is, ‘Take away those powers and you are nothing.’”
He also spoke about Homelander’s emotional collapse in the scene. Without his powers, the character becomes afraid, desperate, and broken.
“And he’s so cowardly and blubbering and pathetic, as are most strong men when you remove their power and they’re faced with their imminent death, they rarely handle it bravely.”
The final fight ends with Butcher killing Homelander in a brutal moment inside the Oval Office. With both characters gone, the story shifts toward the surviving members of the team, including Hughie, Annie, MM, and Kimiko, who all move forward in different ways.
According to Kripke, each character was given a final moment that closes their journey. Hughie and Annie begin a new life together, MM reunites with his family, and Kimiko finds peace in her own way. But the focus of the finale remains on the collapse of Homelander and what he becomes without his power.
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