The Boys Season 5: Everything You Need To Remember Before Watching

The Boys season 5 arrives on Prime Video this week on April 8

With Homelander tightening his grip on the government and military, the stakes have never been higher. Butcher, now more volatile than ever and armed with a dangerous weapon, is racing toward a showdown with his archnemesis.

Brutal twists, shocking deaths, and chaotic alliances are around the corner, and fans may need a quick refresher before the explosive final season begins. 

Here’s where things stand heading into The Boys season 5.

Most of the Boys have been captured 

The Boys Season 5: Everything You Need To Remember Before Watching

Image credits: Prime Video

Season 4 ended on a massive cliffhanger with the titular team defeated and captured. The finale introduced a new Supe task force that tracked down the group, leading to the arrests of Hughie (Jack Quaid), M.M. (Laz Alonso), Frenchie (Tomer Capone), and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara).

Promotional material for season 5 has confirmed that most of the group is imprisoned at Freedom Camp, while Kimiko’s whereabouts remain unclear. As a result, the Boys must escape the camp before joining the resistance. 

Annie is the resistance’s only hope

The Boys Season 5: Everything You Need To Remember Before Watching

Image credits: Prime Video

Speaking of the resistance, Annie January (Erin Moriarty) was the only member of the group to escape the Supe task force. In the finale, she unlocked her ability to fly and managed to get away, leaving her among the few Supes willing to oppose The Seven. 

Her relationship with Hughie wasn’t on the best of terms last season, especially after a shapeshifter impersonated Annie. The fallout from that ordeal will likely spill over into the final season as Annie leads an underground resistance against a new regime. 

Soldier Boy returns but remains a wildcard

The Boys Season 5: Everything You Need To Remember Before Watching

Image credits: Prime Video

Last time fans saw Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), he was taken into government custody and cryogenically frozen. Season 4 saw Homelander search for Soldier Boy and discover his whereabouts thanks to President Calhoun. 

Despite working with the Boys for most of season 3, Soldier Boy, who is Homelander’s biological father, turned heel at the last moment. While he appears to be teaming up with Homelander in season 5, Soldier Boy’s dislike for modern Supes makes him highly unpredictable.  

Butcher is running out of time

The Boys Season 5: Everything You Need To Remember Before Watching

Image credits: Prime Video

Through his continued overuse of V24, Butcher (Karl Urban) became terminally ill at the end of season 3. He was practically living on borrowed time in season 4 and kept hallucinating about his past, pushing himself to exterminate all Supes. 

In the finale, Butcher finally got his hands on a dangerous virus that can defeat Homelander once and for all. With one foot already in the grave, Butcher will be at his diabolical best, preparing for one final confrontation with Homelander before he runs out of time. 

Homelander and The Seven are unstoppable

The Boys Season 5: Everything You Need To Remember Before Watching

Image credits: Prime Video

Season 4 saw Homelander (Antony Starr) finally achieve true power by framing Singer for Neuman’s demise and installing Calhoun as a puppet president. With only a small resistance challenging his authority, Homelander is now essentially a god. 

In his quest to earn Homelander’s approval, The Deep (Chace Crawford) became even more aggressive and violent. Alongside Black Noir II (Nathan Mitchell), The Deep continues to serve as Homelander’s enforcer.

Sister Sage (Susan Heyward), who devised the master plan to pave the way for Homelander’s regime, acts as The Seven’s brain.

The Boys Season 5: Everything You Need To Remember Before Watching

Image credits: Prime Video

Meanwhile, Firecracker (Valorie Curry) has the media narrative firmly in the group’s favor. 

However, A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) has deserted the group after passing on crucial information to the Boys. A new Supe, Oh Father (Daveed Diggs), will likely replace him, adding more power to the already unstoppable group. 

The season 4 finale also saw Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie) mutate into a strange Supe, whose motives and alliances could be as volatile as her newfound powers. 

The Boys is streaming on Prime Video.