All 5 Seasons of The Boys, Ranked

Bloody diabolical.

With the final season of The Boys finally coming to a close, it is time to rank every single season. This show has definitely had its ups and downs, but its peaks are really, really high. Whether it be shocking violence and graphically disturbing imagery, sharp political commentary, or awesome character work, The Boys has been one of the most consistently popular shows of the 2020s. So, with it now having ended, here is my ranking of all five seasons.

5. Season 5

A messy, rushed season focused on future spin-offs rather than wrapping up the main show

If you've been following the blog for the past few weeks, you know I have been let down by the final season of The Boys. What should've been a season focused on the final confrontation between Homelander and Butcher turned into a messy setup for Vought Rising that got all over the place with its messaging and plot lines. The season starts off incredibly strong, but quickly divulges into a slow-paced hunt for V1. Characters such as Soldier Boy and Sister Sage are switching sides every other episode for no apparent reason. The Boys feel sidelined in their own show as we spend lots of time with Ashley and Oh Father and The Deep and Firecracker for no real reason. Logic flies out the window with characters making sacrifices they didn't need to and believing that Homelander is the one true God out of nowhere.

Look, it's tough to wrap up a show in a way that makes everyone happy, but The Boys was so frustrating because it didn't feel like a final season. It felt like the story was pulled in all sorts of different directions, and it just crumbled under the weight of all it was trying to do. The finale does admittedly get things back on track by ending everyone's arcs on satisfying notes, but it could not salvage a rushed final season with way too much happening. I think The Boys had a solid final hour, but the last full season was just a complete disappointment for me personally.

4. Season 4

An overstuffed season that leans too far into shocking imagery and political allegory

Season four feels like where the wheels started to fall off. Now, this season has different problems than season five, but you can feel the show starting to lose steam. Instead of continuing with the sharp allegories and satire that was highlighted so well through the characters and their continuing feuds, season four introduces a litany of new ideas and characters that just push The Boys more into shock-fest territory than truly compelling storytelling. Every episode feels like it tries to outdo the last one by having a graphic image that sticks in your mind and traumatizes you. Every episode tries to make a direct parallel with something that happened in the real world. That's not really satire - it's just showing horrible things that have happened in our world through the fictional world of The Boys.

The real problem that season four has that became a massive issue in season five was the overextension of what this story is. Season four tries too hard to make The Boys feel global and epic when it's really always been a smaller scale story about corruption and The Boys trying to expose Vought and Homelander for what they truly are. In making it this huge story about political turmoil and presidential assassinations, it loses the conflicts that made the first three seasons so good. Butcher and Homelander's rivalry no longer feels central to the show, and that just automatically makes it worse. It still has some good moments. I think Hughie's character gets a lot of development here and seeing Butcher continue to turn towards darker and more sinister path is really interesting, but it gets overshadowed in the attempt to make the show bigger than it was ever meant to be.

3. Season 2

A sophomore season that builds on what made season one great while being less fun overall

For reference, season two of The Boys is leaps and bounds better than season four in my eyes. I think seasons four and five of this show are decent at best and bad at worst. Season two is a fantastic season of television that takes what season one had and expands it in a way that feels natural. The Boys are now on the run because they've been exposed by Vought. Nobody is safe. Homelander is more dangerous than ever. And yet times are more desperate than ever, because Becca is alive and has a kid. A kid with Homelander. This simple setup creates so much effective turmoil between the characters that season two just does so much with.

The idea of Butcher's wife having a kid with Homelander is horrifying for both the audience and for Butcher, but Ryan is good and Becca loves him. That automatically creates a compelling conflict that strengthens Homelander's rivalry with Butcher. Beyond that, Hughie has to try to reconcile his relationship with Annie, who slowly starts to realize how monstrous Homelander truly is. All of this is magnified by the addition of the show's most evil character in Stormfront, who takes control of the media and the world and essentially helps Homelander gain more influence and power. All of these various conflicts come to a head in the show's best finale, where Ryan gains his powers in the final moments and lasers Stormfront...but accidentally hits Becca in the crossfire. What an ending that appropriately sets up an even better third season. Season two does occasionally get bogged down by The Boys constantly being on the run and not really being able to operate in secret. It's got less fun and more dark, bleak storylines that really will make you cynical about the world. But it's still the show in the midst of its peak form, and is ultimately a great season of TV.

2. Season 1

A perfect political satire with a dark, cynical edge and absolutely incredible characters

Literally one month after Avengers: Endgame, the peak of superhero storytelling and popularity hit theaters, The Boys debuted and redefined what could be done with these types of stories. Between this and Invincible, superheroes were no longer seen as costumed crimefighters who were pure and always beat the bad guys. The Boys took the genre and made it grounded in our world of politics and media and pop culture. Corporate superheroes who were celebrities and involved in Congress and wars and all of that stuff was such a refreshing and unique idea, and The Boys took that idea and made it so that these superheroes were corrupt and exposed everything that could go wrong with people who possess this much power.

At the center of what makes this season so fantastic is, of course, Antony Starr's Homelander, one of the most iconic villains of the 21st century. The idea of an evil Superman is nothing new, but Homelander took that simple concept and made it feel real. Taking inspiration from certain political figures and people in power made Homelander feel a lot scarier and more unsettling than any other evil Superman stereotype. Beyond just Homelander's unpredictability and terrifying narcissism, The Boys introduced us to a litany of fantastic characters. Billy Butcher, the vigilante revenge-seeker who sees Supes for what they truly are. Starlight, the wannabe real superhero who is introduced to the cruel world of corporate and media manipulation. Hughie, the moral voice of The Boys who also seeks revenge after his girlfriend's death at the hands of a Supe was glossed over by Vought. Season one of The Boys may not be perfect, but it's a darkly comedic satire that comments on our society through a powerful, tense, and ultimately very compelling eight episodes.

1. Season 3

The perfect combination of satire and allegory with awesome action and characters

Some people don't love season three of The Boys, and I just don't get it. To me, this is the season that had a hand in every basket that the show wanted to be in. The characters are all at their peak. Butcher, now obsessed with taking Homelander out, discovers temporary Compound V. Hughie, after seeing how hard it is to take down these heroes, joins in with this, much to Annie's chagrin. Homelander, having now lost his son to Butcher, tries to find a way to bring him back. The Boys are desperate to take Homelander out because he's now really hunting them...and thus, they find Soldier Boy.

Jensen Ackles's incredible Captain America parody is the cherry on top of a fantastic season. His no-nonsense attitude and unaware racism, sexism, and xenophobia is some of the best comedy the show has to offer. His presence gives Mother's Milk a chance to really shine as he tries to deal with his traumatic past. Frenchie and Kimiko are also given fantastic journeys in this season as they try to navigate their own trauma about drug addiction and growing up in abusive environments. And this season really wraps up beautifully with Annie unlocking her full potential, Maeve's redemption, and Homelander's first true victory over Butcher as he gets Ryan to flip to his side. I think this season is the absolute peak of The Boys. This was where it understood its characters and their various conflicts best. It also has some of the best Homelander moments of satire and terror, whether it be his "only man in the sky" speech or his murder of the Starlighter who threw a can at Ryan. It shows how dangerous media manipulation and unstable political figures can be while also giving us some of the most exciting sequences in the show. Tell me the multiple fights with Homelander, Soldier Boy, and a super-powered Butcher were not awesome. Exactly. You won't, because they are awesome. As is the rest of season three.