The Boys Homelanders Past Means He Deserves A Darth Vader Ending

The Boys: Homelander’s Past Means He Deserves A Darth Vader Ending

There’s no excuse for Homelander’s villainy in Amazon’s The Boys. But his troubled past should earn him the chance at a Darth Vader ending.

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

The Boys Homelanders Past Means He Deserves A Darth Vader Ending

Though Homelander is the worst kind of villain in Amazon’s The Boys, his past was also so emotionally scarring that it should allow him a chance at a Darth Vader-like ending. The satirical superhero series offers a fresh (and also adult-themed) take on the genre, full of gore, expletives, and overall darkness. Superheroes are commonly referred to as “Supes,” and, in this world, they’re corporate-owned facades of what the public wants to see in a hero. Homelander and the rest of the Seven are backed by the multi-billion dollar corporation Vought International, and used for marketing purposes. And though these heroes have strategically palatable personas, when they’re out of the limelight, many of them aren’t the wonderful Supes they ostensibly present as.

And there’s no better example of this than Vought’s #1 hero, Homelander (Antony Starr), the main villain of the show and Billy Butcher’s #1 foe. He presents as an attractive, gifted, all-American boy. Not only does he possess an astounding superiority complex, especially in relation to those who aren’t Supes, but he’s also morally bankrupt, to boot. He’s done objectively heinous things, from raping Becca Butcher, taking down the mayor of Baltimore’s plane (with the man’s son on board, no less), killing Madelyn Stillwell and lasering out her eyes, and much more. It goes without saying that there’s no excuse for Homelander’s depravity, lack of character, or any of the pain he’s caused others. However, it’s clear he is a product of his environment, which was set to craft him into a monster from the offset.

See also  Ryan Reynolds Channels The 80s In Hilarious Retro Ads

Related: The Boys: How Long Has Vought Been In The Superhero Business

Homelander was raised in a lab under the supervision of scientist Jonah Vogelbaum. He didn’t have any real parental figures; the closest thing he had to a mother was the tutor he accidentally (although that detail is still up for debate) killed. In Clockwork Orange fashion, experiments involving Homelander involved him being forced to stare for hours at a time at images of stereotypically American things like the flag with the hopes this would teach him American values – whereas, in actual fact, it seems to have driven him insane. Homelander’s origins clearly left a lifelong impact on him, as they simultaneously provided him a God complex while teaching him human life was replaceable. Being engineered rather than raised took a noticeable toll, as scientists around him noted that his crueler acts appeared to be a product of “isolation-induced depression.” Though all of this doesn’t negate the horrifying things Homelander has done or who he is, it shows he is a product of his environment, and thus deserves a Darth Vader style ending – one that doesn’t negate the fact he’s done vile things, but shows he was capable of doing better.

Though Homelander is a sub-par father for his son, Ryan in a variety of ways, it does seem that this is because he regards the ordeal he went through in his upbringing as a legitimate way of raising a child, potentially unaware of how awful his own childhood was compared to the norm. With the model Homelander has for child-rearing from his own youth, it’s easy to follow the psychology behind how he acts. In fact, given his own childhood, he actually puts in a surprising amount of effort to connect with and care for Ryan, albeit in his unique and messed up way. It’s obvious that he wants the father-son relationship that has been so elusive in his own life, but he just doesn’t know how to even begin to build it. Much in the same way Vader died for Luke, it would make sense for Homelander to eventually lay down his life to save his son, showing despite his callousness and cruelty there were the embers of a genuine human inside him.

See also  The Mandalorian Why Boba Fett Has Rejected The Creeds Code

Again, none of this context excuses who Homelander is or absolves the evil Supe of what he’s done, but it also makes logical sense. Realisitically, it would honestly have been surprising if he had grown up to be a well-adjusted, empathetic person. Don’t feel badly for The Boys’ adult version of Homelander, feel bad for the child he was, with no love, support, proper guidance, or autonomy.

Next: The Boys: Everything We Know About Homelander’s Origins

Lindsey DeRoche is a TV and movie features writer for Screen Rant. She received a BA in English, with a concentration in writing, from Plymouth State University in 2018. She’s had a passion for reading, writing, TV, and movies since her early years.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/boys-homelander-darth-vader-past-ending-death-child/

Movies -