Fans of The Boys have debated the depths of Homelander’s evil. Obviously, he’s diabolical, but he shows brief signs of humanity throughout the show. Given that he’s capable of human emotion, we must wonder why Homelander is evil despite being one of the strongest superheroes alive.
Is Homelander truly evil in The Boys?
It’s undeniable that Homelander is evil in The Boys. The big question is why he’s evil. Homelander is the leader of The Seven and is one of the world’s richest and most powerful men. So, one would think he doesn’t have any reason to be hateful and cruel.
Homelander’s mental state can be traced back to his childhood. He was born solely to be the successor of the first superhero, Soldier Boy. He grew up in a lab, and according to the doctor in charge of him, Jonah Vogelbaum, he was a sweet child up to age 5 or 6. However, Voight wanted to make him the strongest man in the world, and that required them to test the extent of his abilities.
Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Homelander was subject to indoctrination, surgeries, and experiments akin to torture. As time progressed, he became psychotic and cold as a result. He grew up around people with a disregard for ethics, so he’s much the same way.
However, Homelander profoundly cares about how people perceive him, even those he sees as “less” than him. The reputation of himself, Voight, and The Seven are of the utmost concern to him, and making sure they’re protected is the only thing keeping him in check.
Homelander also seems to care about his son, Ryan. Despite his evil ways, he seems to genuinely want Ryan’s childhood to be better than his own. Despite this, we can already see that Homelander is having a negative effect on Ryan.
In the end, Homelander is as much a victim of Vought International as many other characters in The Boys. If he had a normal childhood, he would likely have turned out much differently, but it’s obvious he’s been permanently scarred.
