Eric Kripke Reveals Which Character Was Hardest to Kill in ‘The Boys’ Final Season

The final season of The Boys delivered one of its most emotional moments yet with the death of Frenchie, played by Tomer Capone. In the seventh episode of the fifth and final season on Prime Video, the character sacrifices himself while trying to protect Kimiko Miyashiro, played by Karen Fukuhara. The moment ends with Frenchie facing Homelander and choosing to open a hatch that exposes him to lethal radiation.

Before his death, Frenchie delivers a final line to Homelander, saying, “I bet you never danced a day in your life.” The scene marks a major turning point in the show’s final stretch and sets up the emotional weight heading into the last episode.

The show’s creator, Eric Kripke, spoke to Deadline about the decision to kill off Frenchie and explained why the character was chosen. He said the writing team knew from early development that one of the core members of The Boys would not survive the final season.

Kripke explained that the decision was not random, but built around emotional impact. He said, “We knew we had to kill off one of The Boys. You can’t have a shot at victory unless it costs your heroes something that’s really hard.”

He compared the storytelling approach to other major fantasy and drama series that are known for major character deaths, saying that stories feel more real when the heroes lose something important along the way.

Kripke also explained why Frenchie ended up being the hardest but most meaningful choice. He said the team went through each character and tried to figure out which death would hit the audience the hardest while still serving the story.

“So it was going through each character and deciding what was going to be the most heart wrenching,” he said. “I think we knew early on it was going to be Frenchie. In so many ways, Frenchie and Kimiko are the heart of the show. Despite what killers they are, they’re both so emotionally sweet.”

He added that Frenchie’s connection with Kimiko made the choice even more painful but also more powerful for the story. According to Kripke, the writers felt that his sacrifice would create the biggest emotional impact and push the story toward its ending.

“We knew this would have real maximum destruction, and I think it had to happen,” he said. “They would not have a chance of winning if Frenchie doesn’t sacrifice himself.”

Kripke also spoke about the pressure of ending the series, admitting that finishing a finale is difficult because it shapes how the entire show will be remembered. He said he is nervous about how fans will react once everything concludes.

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