The Boys season 5 ending explained: who dies, is there an end credits scene, and more on the popular Prime Video show's big finale | Tech Radar

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The Boys season 5 ending explained: who dies, is there an end credits scene, and more on the popular Prime Video show's big finale

The Boys has officially come to an end — here's what happens in the Amazon TV show's final ever chapter

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How does Homelander and Butcher's years-long feud end in The Boys' series finale? (Image credit: Prime Video)

The Boys season 5 episode 8 is out now on Prime Video — and, with it, the hit Amazon TV Original has officially come to an end.

So, who lives to tell the tale? And who amongst The Boys' sizeable ensemble falls at the last hurdle? I'll provide answers to those questions, as well as others, from this point on. Consider this to be your one and only warning, then: full spoilers immediately follow for the popular Prime Video show's last-ever episode, titled 'Blood and Bone'.

Does Homelander die in The Boys season 5 episode 8?

Not so super now, are we, Homelander? (Image credit: Prime Video)

Yes, the show's primary villain is killed in The Boys season 5's last hurrah.

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During a final confrontation with Billy Butcher and Kimiko in the Oval Office, Homelander has the upper hand on the pair despite his numerical disadvantage. However, the battle is turned on its head when his estranged son Ryan, who has an identical powerset to Homelander, who is Ryan's biological father, arrives on the scene to help the titular team to put an end to Homelander's autocracy.

Eventually, Ryan and Butcher manage to subdue Homelander long enough for Kimiko to use her nascent nuclear bomb-style superpower on him. That ability, which she acquired after Sister Sage and the recently deceased Frenchie successfully recreated the experiment that gave Soldier Boy a similar superhuman trait in the 1950s.

Many fans expected Homelander to die in The Boys series finale (Image credit: Prime Video)

Anyway, after a vision of Frenchie helps Kimiko to focus all of her energies into unleashing her new superpower, the resulting blast not only hits Homelander, Butcher, and Ryan, but strips the Supe-creating Compound V serum from their bodies, thereby permanently depowering them.

Mortal once more — remember, Homelander took a dose of V1, which grants immortality to anyone it's administered to, in season 5 episode 6 — and stripped of his Superman-like abilities, Homelander pleads for his life. Predictably, his words fall on deaf ears with Butcher, who delivers a brutal beatdown of his archnemesis in retaliation for Frenchie's death in season 5's penultimate episode.

With a cowering and bloodied Homelander leaning against the US President's destroyed table in the Oval Office, Butcher prepares to deliver the final blow. Saying "this is for Becca", aka Butcher's wife who Homelander sexually assaulted years ago, Butcher thrusts a crowbar into Homelander's skull, before removing it with such force that it spills the latter's brains and blood all over the floor and aforementioned desk.

Does Billy Butcher die in The Boys season 5 finale?

Yes, Butcher also perishes in the TV show capper on one of the best streaming services.

Later that day as the eponymous group celebrate saving the world, Butcher sneaks off to have a quiet moment with Ryan. However, despite Butcher's attempts to make peace with his dead wife's only child, Ryan dismisses Butcher's suggestion to start a new life together, with Butcher as Ryan's legal guardian and leaves.

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Upset over Ryan's rejection, Butcher soon learns that his dog Terror has also died. Angry over this emotional double-whammy, and believing that it's only a matter of time before another Homelander is made and hell-bent on bending humanity to his will, Butcher locates the Supe-killing virus and leaves without telling the rest of the group where he's going.

I'm not crying, you're crying! (Image credit: Prime Video)

Luckily, Hughie not only learns that Butcher has left, but also sees him head off to Vought Tower. There, the duo reunite and Butcher tells Hughie that he's added the virus to the water that feeds the building's fire sprinkler system. When the Supes clock in for work at Vought the next day, he'll activate the system via remote trigger, which will kill those who can't escape. Meanwhile, the Supes that flee will spread the contagion across the world, thereby eradicating every superhuman on the planet — including Kimiko and Hughie's long-time girlfriend Starlight.

Hughie is unable to talk Butcher out of his genocidal plan so, unsurprisingly, a fight ensues — one that Butcher easily wins. However, as he prepares to activate the sprinklers earlier than expected to stop Hughie from, well, stopping him, Butcher mistakes Hughie for his dead brother Vinnie. The delay gives Hughie enough time to grab his handgun, which Butcher had disarmed him of, and shoot Butcher twice in the chest.

As Butcher collapses to the ground and begins to bleed out, Hughie apologizes profusely for doing what he did. Butcher, though, understands why he did it and, after Hughie comforts Butcher in his final moments, the latter takes his last breath before succumbing to his injuries.

The aforementioned pair and Terror notwithstanding, The Boys' season 5 finale only kills off two other characters: The Deep and Oh Father.

Where the former is concerned, he's killed by a giant squid after Starlight uses her powers to push him into the sea. Remember, the ocean's fauna accused The Deep of causing a giant oil pipe rupture, which killed billions of underwater creatures, in season 5 episode 6. It was Black Noir II, who The Deep murders in the aforementioned episode, who actually destroyed that pipeline but, despite The Deep's protests in season 5 episode 7, his former aquatic allies don't believe him. They also tell him that, if he ever steps foot in the ocean again, they'll kill him so, when Starlight uses her concussive blast to fire him into the sea, The Deep is quickly taken care of.

As for Oh Father, he perishes at Mother's Milk's hands. Indeed, the latter uses a titanium ball gag — one powerful enough to withstand Oh Father's sonic scream ability — on the corrupt Supe when he prepares to unleash it on Hughie. The scream is so powerful, though, that it reverberates back off the ball gag and causes Oh Father's head to explode.

What happens to everyone else in The Boys' last-ever episode?

The members of the titular Supe-fighting team go their separate ways in the season 5 finale (Image credit: Prime Video)

They survive — and, for the most part, get their happy endings.

Indeed, in a montage-style epilogue, Hughie and Starlight have taken over the former's dad's old audio visual store, and are using it as a front for their own small 'Supe for Hire' company. It's revealed that they're expecting their first child, too, who'll be named Robin in honor of Hughie's ex who was killed by A-Train in The Boys' first-ever episode.

Meanwhile, Mother's Milk becomes Ryan's legal guardian and renews his marital vows with his life, Kimiko follows through on Frenchie's wish for them prior to his death by moving to Marseille and adopting the bernadoodle he showed her in season 5's penultimate chapter.

On the Vought side of things, Stan Edgar becomes the Supe corporation's temporary CEO, while Ashley Barratt is impeached as US Vice-President. Lastly, Sister Sage, whose powers were taken away by Kimiko's nuclear blast ability earlier in episode 8, heads off to start a new life as a normal human being.

What happens to Soldier Boy in The Boys season 5 episode 8?

Don't worry, Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy doesn't bit the dust in The Boys season 5's finale (Image credit: Prime Video)

He doesn't die, if that's what you're asking. In fact, Soldier Boy doesn't appear at all in The Boys' last-ever episode.

The reason? He was put back on ice by Homelander in season 5's second-to-last chapter. Remember, Homelander incapacitated Soldier Boy when the latter refused the former's request to help Homelander oversee his autocracy. For this and many other countless betrayals, then, Homelander put his dad back in his cryochamber, which is where Soldier Boys remains... for now.

Is there a mid- or post-credits scene in The Boys' season 5 finale?

Oi, don't stick around for an end credits scene, ya hear? (Image credit: Prime Video)

No. Once the end credits of 'Blood and Bone' have run their course, there isn't an end credits scene to stick around with. So, don't expect to get any hints about future spin-offs that are in the works at Amazon. Speaking of which...

Are there any spin-offs of The Boys in development?

Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy will return... in Vought Rising (Image credit: Prime Video)

Yes, franchise overseer Eric Kripke has confirmed that at least two off-shoots are in active development.

The first, Vought Rising, is set to premiere on Prime Video sometime in 2027. Set in the 1950s, it'll reunite us with Soldier Boy, Stormfront, and Bombsight — all of whom appeared at various points throughout The Boys' five-season run — in the earlier years of Vought International and the era of superhumans.

As for the other untitled project, which is being referred to as The Boys: Mexico, it's reportedly set in — surprise surprise — Mexico. Little else is known about its story, cast of characters, and/or whether it'll take place in the past or present.

Finally, the only live-action spin-off that's come out so far — Gen V — won't be back for another season after it was cancelled earlier this year. Kripke has suggested that we could see Marie, Jordan, and the rest of the show's cast again in another production, but Gen V isn't getting a third outing itself.

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