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| “ | I'm the Homelander, and I can do whatever the f*ck I want. | „ |
| ~ Homelander's catchphrase and most iconic quote. |
| “ | Go ahead. Release it. Let's light this candle, huh? I mean, sure, I'll lose everything, but then… I'll have nothing to lose. First, I'll take out the nerve centers… White House, Pentagon… then any domestic defense capabilities, and then critical infrastructure: cellular, Internet, that kind of thing. And then, well, I think then… I'll just wipe New York off the f*cking map. For fun. I'll even throw in Des Moines and that little cousin-f*cker hick town that Maeve's from, 'cause why not? See, Starlight, I'd prefer to be loved. I would. But if you take that away from me, well, being feared is A-one okie-doke by me. So... Go ahead, partner. Do it. No? You don't want to do it? Well, then I would have to say that you have absolutely no f*cking leverage because I am the Homelander. And I really can do whatever the f*ck I want. | „ |
| ~ Homelander threatening to destroy the world if he is exposed. |
John Gillman, better known as the Homelander, is the main antagonist of the satirical superhero TV franchise The Boys, an adaptation of the comic book series of the same name.
He serves as the most prominent figure of The Seven, a corporate-owned superhero team managed by Vought International, though its members are more akin to villains than actual heroes.
Although Homelander is publicly presented as a patriotic, Superman-like figure who embodies American values, he is privately a narcissistic, sadistic, and deeply insecure supervillain who uses his powers (including super strength, invulnerability, flight, and heat vision) to intimidate and control everyone around him. Vought ends up covering for his many heinous crimes with their vast media connections and resources.
Homelander is deeply egotistical and views himself as an entitled, god-like figure among inferiors, a classification that includes both civilians and other Supes in his mind. Throughout the series, his facade of heroism gradually crumbles, as his cruel desires and desperate need for adoration result in increasingly dangerous and erratic behavior. Nonetheless, he maintains a strong fanbase among certain segments of the public due to his audaciousness.
He is portrayed by Antony Starr.
What Makes Him a Shonen Villain?[]
- Villainous/Anti-Villainous: Homelander has committed countless atrocities, ranging from massacring innocent people, burning one of his previous experimenters alive in a furnace, lasering through the penis of another before crushing his head with his foot, raping Billy Butcher's wife, lasering a plane in half, and on another occasion, letting a plane full of passengers die, including children, so that he isn't exposed as a fraud "hero."
- He also threatened Starlight, claiming that if the video of the latter plane incident were ever leaked, he would just go on a rampage and wipe New York "off the f*cking map." The same is the case for major government buildings like the White House and Pentagon, any domestic defense capabilities, and critical infrastructure, including cellular and the Internet - all of this is just to be feared if he suddenly has "nothing to lose" and is incapable of being loved like he would prefer.
- Powerful/Skillful: He is the easily the most powerful Supe in The Boys, nearly invincible, with super strength, flight, and laser vision. The Boys literally spent the entire series so far trying, and failing, to find a way to kill him.
- Power-Hungry: Homelander craves dominance and is obsessed with control over people, especially those who challenge or criticize him. He eventually becomes de-facto leader of Vought International and abuses all of the other Supes under the threat of death.
- Pursues a Big-End Goal: His primary goals are to be loved unconditionally by everyone and assert himself as the ultimate ruler in the country and his corporation. In the event that he can't achieve this, he has said that he will simply destroy everything.
- Arrogant: Homelander is excessively proud, believing himself to be a god among mortals and looking down upon everyone else. He has refused to eliminate The Boys in part due to his overconfidence, which is likely to lead to his downfall.
- Intelligent: He is highly manipulative and knows how to control people, media, and public perception. He is also frequently able to strategically outmaneuver the boys in their attempts to antagonize him.
- Cold-Hearted/Ruthless: He has no empathy and is willing to ruthlessly kill or destroy anyone without remorse.
- Short-Tempered: Homelander is very volatile, snapping at the slightest disrespect, although he often tries to mask it with a vaguely composed demeanor. There are times where if someone does as much as blink wrong in front of him he will put them in their place.
- Laughably Evil: He is sometimes played for laughs due to how unhinged he is, especially with his ego. Moments include him almost having sex with a shapeshifter disguised as him, simply because of how obsessed he is with himself, and also how awkward he can be at times while trying to maintain his public persona.
- Psychopathic: He has no moral compass, lacks empathy, and sees others as tools. He is also quite charismatic and manipulative - traits typical of psychopaths.
- Narcissistic: He has a massive god complex, and his entitlement, need for worship, and desire for absolute control over everyone define his personality.
- Has a Sinister Laugh: He frequently delivers unsettling, borderline psychotic laughs after asserting his dominance or torturing people.
- Sadistic: He enjoys tormenting and humiliating others, both physically and psychologically, often finding it cathartic and even humorous.
- Tragic Past: He was raised in isolation as a Supe test subject, deprived of parental love, and experimented on brutally, making him emotionally broken and developing him into the egotist he is now, as he desperately craves being loved by others.
- Has Incompetent Minions: The Seven are largely ineffective and incompetent at their goals, especially The Deep, and in comparison to Homelander, they are mostly treated like a joke.
- Serves as a Foil to the Hero: He is a direct contrast to Billy Butcher, who seeks to destroy him at any cost for revenge over raping Becca. In some respects, he is also dark reflection of Billy's worst personality traits, and is a clear moral antithesis to the progressive Starlight and the rest of The Boys.
- Bloodthirsty: He kills mercilessly and relishes in destruction.
- Is a Game Changer: Homelander's presence darkens the tone of the show in comparison to most other characters.
- Is a Dark Lord: He seeks to rule over others through fear and influence, and he has developed a cult following in the country who do his bidding. He also convinces the members of The Seven to become worse than they already are.
- Has Black Air Force Energy: He is chaotic, aggressive, and disregards rules completely. He will do any diabolical thing on a whim.
- Immature: He throws pathetic tantrums when things don’t go his way, needing constant validation in spite of how intimidating he is while letting it consume his life. He literally drinks out of baby bottles filled with the breast milk of grown women due to his need for love and affection.
External Links[]
- Homelander on the Villains Wiki
- Homelander on the Entertainingly Detestable Wiki
- Homelander on the The Boys Wiki
- Homelander on the Mortal Kombat Wiki
- Homelander on the Wikipedia