Billy Butcher’s “satanic” vibe and dry humor are the highlights of Amazon Prime Video’s “The Boys.” The self-proclaimed government-sponsored vigilante, who brings his own twisted sense of justice to Superman and co., has entertained audiences with his colorful language and straightforward storylines. However, it’s William Butcher, the founder and leader of “The Boys,” who has been in the spotlight since the first episode.
Whether it’s his devilish references to pop culture or making light of a predicament, viewers can always count on Billy to liven up the mood and have the last laugh. Though most of his relentless plots to eliminate Superman end up coming back to haunt him later, Billy makes sure no terrible situation ends without a memorable one-liner.
10 Billy takes matters into his own hands
Season 4, Episode 5, “Son, Beware the Jabberwocky”
Billy secretly kidnaps Samir to force him into making more of the supervirus.
In Season 4, The Boys are at a loss as almost nothing is going right, including for the team members. In a desperate attempt to find the virus that will kill Homelander, Butcher enlists the help of Stan Edgar and arrives at Victoria’s Secret’s hideout. In a surprising twist, Newman finds the gang, but they are all attacked by the V-ified animals used in the experiments. The team also rescues Sameer, Victoria’s Secret’s boyfriend, who happens to be the creator of the virus.
However, despite Butcher’s desire to retrieve the last of the poison, he is forced to use it to escape the flying man-eating sheep alive. During the commotion, Samir is presumed dead with only one leg remaining. However, at the end of the episode, viewers see a typical Butcher move: he singlehandedly kidnaps Samir, cooks him a virus strong enough to kill Homelander, and completes his mission of cutting off Samir’s leg to prevent people from smelling him.
9 Billy unashamedly uses babies in combat
Season 1, Episode 5, “Good for the Soul”
Billy decides to use the baby whose hymen has been removed to save himself. Related article How The Boys Sets Up Season 2 of Gen 5
The Boys season 4 ends on a chaotic note that sets up a lot of interesting angles for Marie’s team going into Gen V season 2.
In Season 1, The Boys were still rough around the edges, but they still got the job done – especially Butcher, who has proven time and time again that he’s willing to use just about anything if it serves his purpose. So when Butcher and Mother’s Milk infiltrated a hospital where patients were being injected with Compound V, they had to find out. But not only did they discover that V was the source of Superman’s powers, they were also administering it to newborns.
A baby with blue laser eyes had never been part of Butcher’s plans, but he had no other way to get through the ambush that had them surrounded, so he took a risk and used the baby to hit all of the guards with lasers. By the end of the scene, even Butcher was amazed at his quick thinking and uttered one of his famous lines, “Damn you devil!”
8 Billy Butcher’s Spice Girls Speech
Season 1, Episode 4, “A Woman in the Species”
Billy gives MM his legendary pep talk.
Billy Butcher is the undisputed king of pop culture critique. He realizes he can’t defeat Vought or Superman without a team of dysfunctional people like himself. So when he tries to recruit his old friend Marvin Milk, Butcher goes all out and pulls out the gold medal from a bag of scathing truths and insults. He uses a Spice Girls reference to emphasize the importance of teamwork and achieving a common goal.
Posh is “making clothes for anorexics,” Baby is “not doing anything,” and Scary is “dazzlingly busy with lawsuits and sex tapes.”
His monologue about what life was like for the Spice Girls members after they broke up is arguably one of the best moments in the entire series, and no one is better at delivering motivational speeches packed with the maximum amount of rudeness, insults and sarcasm while still being convincing than Butcher.
7 He uses the power of Temp-V to kill
Season 3, Episode 6, “Hirogasm”
Ironically, Billy Butcher uses Compound V to eliminate the supers.
When it comes to taking down superheroes, Billy Butcher will do anything, even become a superhero himself. Having gotten a taste of the power of Compound V, Billy stood up against those who wronged people for their own personal gain, especially the hypocrisy of the corporate world. When he was confronted by Gunpowder, a former member of the Payback team who knew Soldier Boy, Billy couldn’t hold himself back.
He kills his humanity for a moment to get the satisfaction of killing a superhero. Despite what Gunpowder has told him, Butcher is still resigned to the fact that “it doesn’t change who you are.” He mercilessly punches him in the face, and finally slices him open with his newfound heat vision. This power becomes Butcher’s most useful temporary ability.
6 Billy Butcher confronts the whale the only way he can
Season 2, Episode 3, Over the Hill with a Thousand Swords
The scene where Butcher impales a whale with a speedboat is a feat in itself. Related Article: The Boys: The Seven’s 10 Most Evil Members, Ranked
Though they’re called heroes, the Seven are some of the most evil characters in The Boys.
If there’s anyone who can get The Boys out of any sticky situation, it’s Butcher. It’s hilarious how resourceful he is, considering he’s always battling superheroes with long odds of winning. That’s why Billy saved the team when The Boys faced off against The Deep in The Deep’s domain in Season 2. When Butcher and The Boys try to escape from the police in a stolen boat, they encounter The Deep’s underwater allies, complicating their escape.
As if killer sharks weren’t enough, The Deep literally barricades himself with a whale, but The Butcher has a solution for almost every situation: with an excited face and a sarcastic smile, he crashes his speeding boat into the whale. Of course, even though it was a bloody and traumatic event, it’s a “nefarious” and unforgettable event that proves just how insane he is.
5 Butcher returns to The Boys with an iconic quote
Season 2, Episode 4, “Something Like This in the World”
Billy has the best one-liners in the entire series.
Billy Butcher is the king of the dry one-liner that surprisingly sums up the tone and feel of an entire episode. There are countless instances where Billy’s words have stole the show’s show, but there’s one scene so iconic no one-liner can beat it. Season 2 began with Butcher missing and without a proper base of operations, Hughie and the others had no idea what to do.
This proves that no matter what sins he may have committed in the past, Billy was always the one to make the tough decisions and get his hands dirty. Just when everything seemed hopeless, some black-booted dude came down the basement stairs with an irreverent punchline: “Daddy’s back.” It was always going to take down Superman and Vought.
4 Billy rips Newman in half
Season 4, Episode 8, “Season 4 Finale”
Billy Butcher’s introduction in the season 4 finale was phenomenal.
By Season 4, The Boys were in a bind, with almost nothing going right: Billy’s life was taken by a V-Tumor and he was nearly incapacitated, Victoria Newman chose Homelander’s side, and the President was on the super-assassination list. Hughie managed to get Newman on his side, but Ryan “accidentally” killing Mallory was the final straw for Butcher, who ultimately succumbed to the lure of the black goo that enveloped his brain and was reborn with new powers.
Arguably one of the most surprising scenes of the entire season was when Butcher rejoined the team with his usual charisma, sidelong smile and restored body. But what shocked audiences the most was when tentacles burst out of Billy’s chest and ripped Victoria in half, splattering her organs everywhere. The scene sealed the return of a violent Billy Butcher who won’t stop until he’s defeated all superheroes.
3 Butcher puts a hole in Soldier Boy’s shield
Season 3, Episode 8, “Moment of Wildness”
The scene where Billy teams up with Homelander to take down Soldier Boy is awesome.
In any superhero universe, shields are seen as symbols and extensions of legends, just as Soldier Boy’s shield has been a symbol of heroism for decades, so seeing it melt at the hands of Billy Butcher is deeply symbolic. When Butcher stole Temp-V, he balanced the battle, and all Soldier Boy needed to do was take aim at Homelander. But when Homelander brings Ryan to Vought Tower, Soldier Boy decides that Ryan’s possible sacrifice doesn’t matter as long as he disposes of his “disappointing” son.
Ryan is someone Butcher has a line to draw, so he teams up with Soldier Boy to turn the tables, when he uses a laser beam to blow a hole in his shield. Butcher comes close to capturing Homelander, but instead, this scene heavily highlights his still-living, tender, and emotional side.
2 Billy glares at Homelander at the races
Season 1, Episode 2, “Cherry”
The epic standoff between Billy and Homelander solidifies the character’s hatred. Related article: The Boys Season 4 prepares for the show’s grand finale by fixing its biggest flaw
Prime Video’s The Boys improved on the comics in many ways, including setting up Billy Butcher’s villain storyline in a better, more tragic way.
Billy’s hatred for Homelander was so deep-rooted that it had eaten away at his sense of reason and self-preservation – he was losing his mind and was beyond hypocritical in hailing Homelander as a god simply because he has the power to incinerate people with a glance – but this powerful scene in which Homelander attends a promotional event featuring a race between A-Train and Shockwave truly reflects Butcher’s loathing.
The man steps into the crowded stands and glares, perhaps the most powerful being on the planet. At this point, Homelander is a Vought-controlled, very populist version of himself. He’s never been one to be scared of anyone, even as a Vought puppet, but the way Billy’s gaze has made Homelander uneasy is arguably the best thing he’s ever done.
1 Butcher vs Homelander
Season 3, Episode 6, “Hirogasm”
The laser eye showdown between Butcher and Homelander is a highlight of the show.
Butcher’s aim to neutralize Homelander is laudable, but without real powers, he’s always at a disadvantage. Though Billy hates superheroes more than anything, she succumbs to the temptation of revenge and impregnates herself with Temp-V, giving herself powers similar to Homelander’s. Now that the playing field is level, Butcher shows up to the Super Aussie party with sparkling eyes and muscular muscles, literally shocking Homelander.
Though the episode itself is a lascivious orgy, Butcher’s beating of Homelander remains one of the most satisfying scenes for fans, as their lasers collide and Butcher feels the frenzy of power that’s palpable in his wake.
the boys
Release date: July 26, 2019
Starring: Karl Urban, Karen Fukuhara, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty
Main genre: Action
Season 4
Franchise The Boys
Creator Eric Kripke
Production companies: Kripke Enterprises, Amazon-MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television
Expanding
