In a recent interview with Screen Rant,The Boysco-creator Garth Ennis shared his philosophy of what makes a great villain, perfectly explaining whyHomelanderhas become such an iconic bad guy. The Superman-esque ‘hero’ is the main villain of the franchise (co-created with artist Darick Robertson), with Billy Butcher’s team of CIA-backed operatives working to take down the nation’s favorite Supe.
Recently, Screen Rant spoke toGarth Ennis aboutFreddie the Fix- his new horror comic with artist Mike Perkins, and the first release from Ninth Circle; a creator-owned publisher specializing in horror. Coming December 18,Freddie the Fixhas a particularly despicable villain, even for the writer ofPreacherandCrossed.We asked Ennis what makes a good villain, and his answer perfectly defines Homelander.
Asked what makes a great villain, Ennis says:
Cruelty. Lack of humanity, lack of empathy. I often think if you want true horror your first step would be to eradicate kindness…
Ennis considers Homelander"an almost entirely negative character,“painting a different portrait of evil than icons like Thanos and Darth Vader.
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Homelander’s Lack of Kindness Makes Him a Perfect Villain
The Boys Doesn’t Respect Homelander, But He Still Fits Ennis' Mold for a Great Villain
Ennis' definition of a great villain perfectly explains why Homelander has become such an icon.Unlike other pop culture icons like Darth Vader or Thanos, Homelander isn’t a competent or ambitious villain.Homelander isn’t a grand planner or insightful manipulator, but more of an adolescent bully whose power facilitates his pursuit of basic, animal pleasures. Speaking toNewsarama, Ennis described Homelander as:
…an almost entirely negative character. He is really just a series of unpleasant urges kept in check by his own intelligence, which is enough to understand that he can have anything he wants so long as he doesn’t push his luck too far. … It might help to think of the Homelander as having all the self control of let’s say a fourteen year old.
Homelander gets more emotional development in Amazon’s TV adaptation, but his connections still lack sincere empathy.
The Boyssucceeds inmaking Homelander feel incompetent, petty and immature, while still making him an imposing figure of horror. In many ways, the comics achieve what a lot of pop culture has failed to, depicting a powerful villain who it’s difficult to find cool or set up as a figure of admiration. Ennis' explanation shows why Homelander can operate as such a good antagonist - his cruelty and lack of empathy are plain from beginning to end, making him transgressive and dangerous even as the narrative refuses to let the reader respect him.
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Even with His Son, Homelander Can’t Achieve True Kindness
Homelander is constantly shown bullying and belittling everyone around him, and crucially the comics depict this as cruelty for its own sake. Homelander isn’t just a bully, he’s a schoolyard bully, disdaining anyone he happens to have physical power over, which ends up being everyone. The TV adaptation adds a little more emotional depthto Homelander by exploring his backstory, but still makes it clear thathe lacks the empathy to make true connections with other people where he cares aboutthem, instead concerned with how they represent him or can serve his needs.
What’s interesting is thatThe Boysdoesn’t only apply this logic to Homelander, but to every villain and hero in the franchise…
The Boys has some truly vicious heroes, but Ennis' description of evil draws a clear line between them and the villains.
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The Boys Is Defined by Ennis' View of Kindness
From Hughie Campbell to Black Noir, Kindness Is Key
Homelander may be the most iconic villain ofThe Boys, but he’s far from the only one. The psychopathic Black Noir, pedophilic John Godolkin, emotionless James Stillwell, white supremacist Stormfront andButcher’s abusive father Sam Butcherare all defined by their lack of empathy to others.
Indeed, most of the Supes inThe Boysare defined by a lack of empathy and kindness, with their fame and power having eroded their concern for other people.That’s crucial to whatThe Boyshas to say about money and celebrity, making a distinction between active malevolence and the permissive evil that comes with losing sight of other people’s humanity.Ennis' belief that evil emerges from an absence of kindness is incredibly plain to see inThe Boys, and he uses it to draw a clear line between the series' villains and its ultra-violent, often also cruel, heroes.
Fans have argued that Butcher isThe Boys' true villain, but Ennis' view of evil says it’s more complicated than that.
WhileHughie Campbell is the moral centerofThe Boys, the other heroes are all given clear empathy. Mother’s Milk is incredibly dedicated to his children, while even the vicious and volatile Frenchie and the Female are committed to each other, showing a deep concern for their friends despite their willingness to literally tear their enemies to pieces. Of course,the most fascinating way Ennis' quote definesThe Boysis in the case of Butcher.
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Ennis Just Settled the Debate As to Whether Butcher Is a True Villain
Butcher Does Evil Things, But He’s Not Devoid of Kindness
Fans ofThe Boyscan’t help but know about the dark comic ending - having overseen the death of Homelander and killed the series' twist villain Black Noir, Butcher enacts his plan to kill every human withanyCompound V in their system, sacrificing thousands upon thousands of innocents to wipe out his hated Supes for good.Hughie ultimately stops Butcher, attempting to attack him but only putting his own life in danger, with Butcher sacrificing himself because he can’t bear to see the"good little guy"hurt.
Many fans have argued that Butcher isThe Boys' true villain, but Ennis' comments add a major new angle to this reading. That’s because the comic (especially the tie-inButcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker) makes it clear that in moments of violence, Butcher is able to instantly set aside his empathy - as he tells Jack from Jupiter during his horrific murder,“I’m somewhere else watching it happen.”
Butcher’s ability to set his empathy aside makes him a less-than-perfect Ennis villain - someone who truly has evil within him, but isn’t solely defined by it. It seems fair to say that by this standard, Billy Butcher is neither a hero or a villain, but someone who straddles the line. Indeed, the comic seems to suggest that such people are necessary to combat the fully evil, with the dying Butcher explaining,“You need blokes like me, Hughie. It’s what we get up to in our spare time you’ve gotta worry about.”
Garth Ennis' comments on what makes a perfect villain add vital context to understanding howThe Boysframes the idea of ‘evil’ - not as a powerful force of destruction, but as a deep lack of the fundamental characteristics that make a person capable of valuing others.
The Boys
The Boysfranchise is a satirical and dark superhero series based on the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. It explores a world where superheroes, or “Supes,” are corrupt, violent, and morally bankrupt, all controlled by the powerful corporation Vought International. The story centers around two opposing groups:The Boys, a vigilante team aiming to expose and defeat the corrupt heroes, andThe Seven, Vought’s elite team of Supes led by the ruthless Homelander.
