Season 4 of The Boys raised the stakes as the series races toward its final season, and the show introduced a variety of new characters. Since The Boys arrived on Prime Video in 2019, the popular superhero series has redefined what superhero stories are. Based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the show presents a world of powered people who begin to view themselves as above regular humans. Rather than protecting the weak, these supes live according to any whim they possess, regardless of who gets hurt.

The first three seasons of the show have established a clear line dividing corrupt heroes like The Seven, and humans that step up to protect those without powers, like The Boys. However, season 4 blurs those lines more than ever. With several new characters joining the cast, some from The Boys spin-off, Gen V, but most brand-new, The Boys season 4 is setting the stage for the final outing, and the ultimate battle between good and evil, but where everyone falls within these lines is less clear.

8Ambrosius

Maybe it’s unfair to place the defenseless octopus, Ambrosius at the bottom of this list, but their role in the story ultimately adds up to some of the most disturbing scenes in the series. The Deep, aka Kevin Moskowitz, has an unusual sexual appetite, possibly stemming from his powers, where he becomes incredibly aroused by sea creatures. Ambrosius is the latest sexual partner of The Deep’s and in season 4, the pair have a committed, but secret, relationship.

Ambrosius actually appeared first in season 3, where Deep met her at the TNT Twins home during the events of the Herogasm. It was there that the pair sparked their relationship, but season 4 is the first time that Ambrosius is upgraded to a speaking role, voiced by guest star Tilda Swinton. Ambrosius is an OK character, but the disturbing fact of her connection with Deep, her short-lived role in The Boys season 4, and a lack of other development places her at the bottom of the list.

7Joe Kessler

Another character whose interactions all only occur with one other character, Joe Kessler, is a mysterious new figure in season 4 for the first few episodes. Played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kessler is a former associate of Billy Butcher’s, and he appears to reconnect with Butcher in The Boys season 4. However, his inclusion here is somewhat debatable because Kessler was not really present in season 4. Kessler was actually a figment of Butcher’s imagination, and a sort of devil on his shoulder throughout the season.

Now, the imaginary Kessler is the voice in Butcher’s head attempting to persuade him to make the drastic and violent call.

The real Kessler was an old army friend of Butcher’s whom he left for dead during a battle. Now, the imaginary Kessler is the voice in Butcher’s head attempting to persuade him to make the drastic and violent call. He often appears opposite Becca, Butcher’s wife, and the pair compete for Butcher’s attention. Kessler may be imaginary, but he is an interesting character who gives a physical presence to Butcher’s darker side and a great addition in The Boys season 4.

6Firecracker

Firecracker is an interesting new character who was brought in to fill one of the vacancies in The Seven. Despite not being the most powerful or impressive hero available to join the world’s preeminent hero team, Firecracker has a significant presence online.

In many ways, she is the anti-starlight, who had a platform and voice that prompted people to spot the dark and corruption within Vought Industries and The Seven. With Startlight and Homelander now being prominently opposed to one another, Starlight was cast out of The Seven, and Firecracker was brought in to try and change the narrative.

While Firecracker appears to be a vapid and air-headed character who spouts tired nonsense over the airwaves, she is shown to be much more clever and cunning than she is initially given credit for. Along with the new recruit, Sister Sage, also known as the world’s smartest person, Firecracker appears even less intelligent, but Firecracker’s ability to manipulate people like Homelander and the crowds of adoring fans makes her incredibly dangerous. She may be a hot head, but she is also one of the most interesting new figures in The Boys, and likely to play a significant role in the show’s final season.

5Cate Dunlap

Cate Dunlap has a very brief role in The Boys season 4, but her character has a much bigger and more complex introduction in the spin-off, Gen V. Cate has the power to manipulate peoples minds and memories, forcing them to do as she instructs, or causing them to remember false memories, or forget things at will. This power can be extremely useful for forcing others to act in accordance with whatever Cate dictates, but Cate rarely operates without oversight from someone who has a grander design.

When Cate’s powers first manifested, she sent her brother far away, into a large woodland, and he was never seen again. As a result, her parents lived in fear of her, and she was locked in her room for lengthy periods until she was taken in by Indira Shetty, the dean at Godolkin University, and given a place in the school. Since then, Cate has struggled to find her place, and followed the wrong people in hopes of belonging and using her gifts to enact their nefarious plans. Now, she is an asset to The Seven and Homelander who was used to capture members of The Boys and deliver mysterious instructions that likely won’t be revealed until The Boys season 5.

4Sam Riordan

Also introduced in Gen V, Sam Riordan is the brother of the most popular student at God U, Luke Riordan, aka, Golden Boy. Luke was set to join The Seven before he supposedly suffered from a mental breakdown and killed a teacher before blowing himself up with his powers. His brother, Sam, was kept a secret beneath the school in an area known as “the Woods.” While there, Sam was experimented on, and treated cruelly in order to keep him from using his powers and hurting others.

Sam initially sided with some students against Vought Industries due to their role in his imprisonment and cruel treatment. However, he became radicalized after attending a rally with other God U students where they cried out for supe rights to be upheld over non-supes. Sam then began to side with those fighting against supes in an effort to have greater freedom. Now, as seen in The Boys season 4, he has joined with Cate as an asset for The Seven and Vought, and in the finale, he is sent to capture Kimiko and Frenchie.

3Daphne Campbell

Hughie’s father has been a recurring guest appearance in the show, played by the legendary Simon Pegg, but season 4 was the first time that The Boys introduced Hughie’s mother, Daphne Campbell. While the show has built her up to be an absentee mother who abandoned Hughie as a child and chose to stay away his whole life, Daphne provides a different side to the story. After giving birth to Hughie, she suffered severe postpartum depression, which led her to ultimately attempt to commit suicide when Hughie was 6. At that point, Daphne chose to leave as the situation had reached a point of being “life or death.”

Season 4 was the first time that The Boys introduced Hughie’s mother, Daphne Campbell.

Hughie’s frustration with his mother stemmed from the fact that she never contacted him again after leaving, but Daphne reveals she did make contact, call, and try to reach out, but Hughie’s father would not allow her to communicate for fear of confusing Hughie. Daphne’s inclusion in The Boys season 4 provides a great deal of catharsis for Hughie, and helps to reveal another side to the story that was much needed. Her presence now provides some degree of reassurance and stability that means despite Hughie losing his father, he got his mother back.

2Sister Sage

Sister Sage is the other new member of The Seven introduced in The Boys season 4. While she is initially passed over when the team is considering who to add to their roster, her super-intelligence, which makes her the smartest person in the world, is a valuable asset which The Seven, and especially Homelander, hope to use to gain public favor. Firecracker’s loud voice makes steady waves in public opinion, but Sage’s subtle approach completely altered public perceptions and put Homelander back on top in the polls.

The character is also shown to be a conflicted and nuanced individual who struggles with her extreme intelligence and sometimes wants to switch off the noise in her brain. Over the course of season 4, she sparks a romantic relationship with Deep, and appears to let her whole team down, but as seen in the final episode, everything was a part of her master plan. Between her extraordinary intelligence and her ability to shape public and private opinions, Sage is potentially the most important new character in The Boys ahead of the final season.

Sister Sage also played Demetria Barnes in 2021’s Delilah.

For decades, The Seven has contained a mysterious member known as Black Noir, who never speaks, and never shows his face. However, in season 3, Homelander brutally murders the former Black Noir as revenge for his part in hiding secrets about Soldier Boy and the Homelander’s true parentage. In The Boys season 4, there is a new supe in the Black Noir suit, providing continuity for the world as they are kept in the dark about the hero being replaced, and offering supposed continuity when multiple other members are replaced.

The new Black Noir does his best to adjust to his new role, but, as a performer, he struggles to stick to all the rules surrounding his Black Noir character. For instance, the new Noir is incredibly talkative, while the former character never spoke. He also has the ability to fly, which was not something the previous Black Noir could do, and potentially risks giving away the change by using these additional powers. Black Noir II is ultimately an incredibly entertaining and important new addition, and one that will likely continue to have a significant presence in The Boys season 5.

7Joe Kessler