Ryan’s Villain Turn in The Boys Season 4 Subtly Reveals How to Save Butcher

Billy Butcher takes a dark turn in The Boys season 4, which sets him up to be a villain in the show’s final outing — though one tragic scene reveals how Karl Urban’s character can be redeemed. Butcher spends much of The Boys’ fourth season at odds with himself, with his humanity warring with his instinct to lash out against all Supes. This inner conflict is represented by his hallucinations of Becca and Kessler, each of whom represent a different side of Butcher.

For most of The Boys season 4, Becca influences Butcher’s behavior. He does everything he can to honor her dying wish, prioritizing saving Ryan over his vendetta against Homelander. However, the ending of The Boys season 4 finds Butcher embracing the devil on his shoulder: Joe Kessler. Butcher decides to give into his crueler impulses, which demand he unleash Gen V’s Supe virus, essentially committing genocide against all Supes. It’ll be hard to come back from this decision, but there’s one thing that could stop Butcher from doing this in The Boys.

Butcher’s Redemption Depends On Ryan Choosing Good In The Boys Season 5

Ryan’s Tragic Encounter With Grace Is What Makes Butcher Lose Hope

It’s hard to say whether Butcher will have a change of heart in The Boys season 5, but his redemption is likely dependent on Ryan choosing good over evil. After all, Ryan’s tragic encounter with Grace is why Butcher gives in to Kessler in the first place. Ryan killing Grace supports Butcher’s belief that all Supes are bad, and this causes him to lose hope in The Boys season 4 finale. For this reason, it seems obvious that Ryan could be the one to save him later on.

The Boys goes back and forth on Ryan’s true nature, as Homelander’s son demonstrates positive and negative qualities. It’s unclear which side of him will win out, but Ryan will need to make a difficult choice during The Boys’ final season. Now that he knows the truth about his father, he can take a hard stance against him. Of course, that may be difficult to do after Homelander and Sister Sage’s takeover of the U.S. government. Hopefully, Ryan finds a way to push back regardless of his father’s increased power. This could go a long way towards stopping Butcher.

The Boys Still Needs To Pay Off Butcher’s Connection To Hughie

There’s A Reason Butcher Views Him Like A Younger Brother

While Ryan is the only one who can bring Butcher back from the dark path he’s chosen, Hughie should also play a role in his redemption. The Boys still needs to pay off its parallels between Hughie and Lenny, as the series frequently compares Jack Quaid’s character to Butcher’s late brother. Hughie himself draws that connection again in The Boys season 4 finale, when he asks Butcher to trust him as he once trusted his younger brother.

The Boys still needs to pay off its parallels between Hughie and Lenny, as the series frequently compares Jack Quaid’s character to Butcher’s late brother.

Unfortunately, Butcher doesn’t honor this request, killing Victoria Neuman despite Hughie’s plea. If Butcher redeems himself in The Boys season 5, it can finally make sense of The Boys’ Hughie and Lenny comparisons. Perhaps Hughie and Ryan will both get through to him during the final episodes. They’re some of the only people he shows vulnerability with, so if anyone can bring him back from the darkness, it’s them.

Why Butcher Should Be Redeemed In The Boys Season 4

There’s a chance Butcher will die a villain in The Boys season 5, but the Amazon series really should redeem him at the end. Although Butcher has a dark side from the very beginning, there’s no denying he’s capable of compassion. Too many of the people he cares about — from Ryan to Becca — would condemn the actions he’s considering. He has to feel some guilt over betraying them; otherwise the focus on his relationships doesn’t make much sense. A redemption is how The Boys can pay these bonds off.

Additionally, The Boys’ central message should likely be the one Hughie poignantly delivers during the season 4 finale. Hughie suggests that they’ll need to “start acting human” if they want to defeat monsters — and honestly, he’s right. If Butcher goes through with his Supe genocide, it will make him just as bad as Homelander. Although that’s true to his comic roots, it would hurt the character The Boys spends so much time developing. There must be the reason the Amazon show gets viewers to sympathize with Butcher more than the comics. Hopefully, season 5 brings it all together.