Despite their moniker, The Seven have only briefly had seven members throughout the history of The Boys. The Boys is a darkly comedic superhero satire loosely based on the comic series of the same name by Garth Ennis. As The Boys season 4’s release date nears, the series promises more gory action and clever takedowns of the never-ending deluge of superhero media. However, the show’s immersive lore can be tough to follow, particularly when The Boys comics and TV show share many character names but follow radically different storylines. The Seven’s confusing name is one example of this issue.

The Seven are a group of superheroes who, although they are beloved by the public, mostly exist to improve the public image of the corrupt corporation Vought International. All the Seven’s members are flawed and their leader, Homelander, is a lethally dangerous sociopath. Over the show’s three seasons, supes have joined and left The Seven, with only Homelander and A-Train remaining throughout the series. The Deep left and later rejoined, Starlight left after realizing the extent of the group’s corruption, and Queen Maeve left after aligning with the Boys, a vigilante group committed to defeating the Seven.

The Seven Briefly Had 7 Members In The Boys Season 3

Supersonic’s Brief Tenure Brought The Seven’s Numbers Back Up

Since Stormfront finally died in season 3, Homelander killed Black Noir later that season, and Translucent was killed early in season 1, The Seven have only briefly had seven members throughout the show’s history. The Seven had seven members in The Boys season 3 when The Deep rejoined, but this only lasted until Homelander killed Supersonic. Since then, there have never been seven supes in the Seven, and the death of Black Noir only made the group’s number smaller. Homelander killed Supersonic when he attempted to join Starlight’s battle against him, resulting in Starlight herself leaving the Seven.

Black Noir will be replaced by a new version of the character in season 4 and it is unlikely that the public will ever learn about the switch, meaning his death may not count towards the public perception of the Seven. Queen Maeve sustained serious injuries while fighting Soldier Boy in the season 3 finale and retired from public life, with Vought International presuming she died in the battle. Unlike The Deep, Starlight has no interest in rejoining the Seven and left the group to highlight their appalling actions and Homeland’s horrific history of corruption, murder, torture, and violent manipulation.

The Only Other Time The Seven Had 7 Members Was The Boys Season 1

The Seven Never Had Its Promised Number Of Members for Long

When The Boys season 1 first began, the Seven did have seven members for a brief period. However, when A-Train accidentally killed Hughie’s girlfriend, he set in motion a chain of events that reshaped the group. Hughie joined the Boys to get back at supes, and the Boys kidnapped and gruesomely killed The Seven’s villainous member Translucent. Translucent was replaced by another supe in season 2, the secret Nazi Stormfront, but The Deep was kicked out around the same time when Starlight exposed his history of sexual assault. As such, the group never had seven members until Supersonic’s brief tenure.

The Deep’s return in season 3 brought the group’s numbers up, as did the addition of Supersonic, but Supersonic’s death and Starlight’s subsequent exit dropped them right back down. Fortunately for Homelander, there are plenty of supes ready to join the organization. Some, like Supersonic, aren’t aware of its true nature, while others, like Stormfront, hope to exploit its good reputation. Viewers won’t know which camp the new supes of The Boys season 4 fall into until the show introduces Sister Sage and Firecracker upon its return to screens in June 2024.

Why The Seven Hardly Ever Has 7 Members In The Boys

The Boys Themselves Are Responsible For The Seven’s Inaccurate Name

Within the show’s universe, the Boys themselves are the main reason that the Seven rarely actually has seven members.

In real-life terms, it makes sense for The Boys to rarely give The Seven seven major characters. It is tough for any show to juggle that many characters and make them all matter, as evidenced by Queen Maeve and Black Noir’s early dearth of character development. Within the show’s universe, the Boys themselves are the main reason that the Seven rarely actually has seven members. They kidnapped and killed Translucent, but also aided several other exits. Starlight’s secret collaboration with the Boys was central to her decision to leave the team.

Similarly, Queen Maeve’s decision to align herself with Billy Butcher against Soldier Boy and Homelander indirectly led to her exit, while Starlight revealing The Deep’s crimes led to his exit. Kimiko also played a part in killing Stormfront, even though it was Ryan who delivered the killing blow, further reaffirming that the Seven’s inability to hold onto its members can be traced back to the vigilante group’s efforts. Only time will tell if they can keep the Seven’s numbers down in The Boys season 4.