5 reasons why Gen V is better than The Boys (& 5 reasons it’s not)

The Boys spin-off Gen V expanded upon the world of this Prime Video dark superhero satire. What separates it from the parent series is its generally lighter tone. Therefore, the series is set on a college campus and follows a group of young students.

The spin-off premiered two years ago, and since then, some viewers have even considered it better than The Boys. Until now, there have been two seasons of Gen V, with the second one concluding this October.

"Set in the diabolical world of The Boys, Gen V expands the universe to Godolkin University, the prestigious superhero-only college where students train to be the next generation of heroes—preferably with lucrative endorsements. You know what happens when supes go bad, but not all superheroes start out corrupt. Beyond the typical college chaos of finding oneself and partying, these kids are facing explosive situations … literally. As the students vie for popularity and good grades, it’s clear that the stakes are much higher when super powers are involved. When the group of young supes discover that something bigger and sinister is going on at school, they're put to the test: Will they be the heroes or the villains of their stories?"

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Five reasons why Gen V is better than The Boys:

Here are a few reasons Gen V is better than The Boys:

• Relatable characters

While The Boys has its share of likeable characters, the main focus is on Billy Butcher and Homelander, both of whom are aggressive characters. Conversely, Marie Moreau, Emma Meyer, Andre Anderson, Cate Dunlap, and Jordan Li are all more likable than most characters in The Boys.

• Gives an insight into how heroism works in this world

The students of Godolkin University are worried about the rankings. This explains why the heroes of The Boys universe are selfish and self-centered, as we see them. Gen V confirms that the system encourages superpowered young students to be selfish.

• Season 2 accomplishes a rare thing

The mysterious Dean Cipher is at the center of season 2. On the surface, he looks invulnerable, and a mysterious burnt man is inside the hyperbaric chamber in his house. Many fan theories have pointed out since Dean Cipher's introduction that he might be just a vessel, mind-controlled by the burnt man, who is none other than Thomas Godolkin, the founder of Godolkin University.

The penultimate episode of Gen V Season 2 confirmed this fan theory and further revealed that Hamish Linklater's "Cipher" was just a non-supe human who was a victim of Godolkin's mind control.

• The Writing for Gen V is nuanced

Gen V introduced a different side to superpowered people in this universe, as the characters of this series do their best to be and do good. They actually push back against Vought and Godolkin University's programming to be selfish. Marie and her friends actually try to be actual heroes and not the publicity-seeking ones in The Seven.

• Creative Powers

It needs to be said that apart from The Boys Season 1, fans got fewer and fewer creative superpowers in the later seasons. This is where the spin-off series shines, as we got hilarious and disturbing superpowers. One of season 2's highlights is the background supe Black Hole, who could use his nether regions for disturbing purposes.

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Five ways The Boys is better than the spin-off:

While there are ways in which Gen V is better than the parent series, there are some areas where the latter is better. Here are a few of them:

• The Villains and Heroes are linked

While Indira Shetty and Cate shared a deeper connection in the first season of the spin-off, the rest of the group didn't. Season 2 continues this pattern as Thomas Godolkin is revealed to be the main bad guy, who has no personal connection with the gang. However, the same can't be said for The Boys, where heroes and villains personally wronged some of the main characters.

Homelander wronged Becca Butcher (Billy's wife), which is why she left her husband. The Deep acted inappropriately towards Starlight, and A-Train accidentally killed Hughie's girlfriend, and Soldier Boy killed MM's grandfather. Therefore, it is clear that The Boys does a better job of linking the heroes and villains.

• Better human heroes

If the spin-off has great superhuman characters, the parent series has awesome human characters. Hughie, MM, Frenchie, and Grace Mallory are all fan-favorites. Moreover, even if Billy Butcher may be a supe now, he still wants to bring down Homelander and allies himself with his old allies in the upcoming final season. Jack Quaid hyped up the upcoming season in the Tokyo Comic Con panel:

"We can’t give too much away, but I will say I’m very happy with the way everything wraps up. I think Eric Kripke and our writers did an incredible job bringing an end to this amazing story. I think fans will be very, very happy with how it all turns out. I found that [Season 5] is one of my favorite seasons to shoot, and that’s saying something. Oftentimes, that’s the last season, but this one really was incredible. I think it’s because I very much took the time to look around and appreciate the people I was working with. It’s not every day that you get to be covered in blood and inside of a Whale, or any of the other weird and incredible stuff that we do in the show. I know I’m never going to be in the position where I’m in a superhero orgy ever again. You know what I mean? I needed to take that in while it lasted. I think we just made an incredible season. I know it’s very vague, but I can’t say anything, or they will kill me. You have a lot to look forward to."

• Better villains

The villains in the Gen V are serviceable, but nowhere are they as menacing and disturbing as the ones in The Boys. Even side antagonists like The Deep and Black Noir (both I and II) are entertaining to watch. Homelander alone is both scary and entertaining to watch.

• Higher stakes

The writers working on The Boys have unexpectedly raised the stakes for this universe ever since the spin-off premiered in 2023. The fourth season ended with Homelander delivering a crushing blow to the good guys, becoming the de facto ruler of the US in the season 4 finale. He has deployed forces across the country to round up his opponents, including Hughie, MM, Frenchie, and Kimiko.

Billy Butcher and Annie January are the only ones who evade capture in the season 4 finale. Sometimes later, we also learn that Annie and A-Train have teamed up to form a resistance, setting the stage for season 5's April 2026 release date.

• Funnier parodies

Another major highlight of The Boys is the various parodies of celebrity culture. The first two seasons made fun of the marketing campaigns of Marvel and DC Studios. But the writers have expanded their scope and have parodied celebrity culture in general. One of the memorable ones was the parody of the 2017 Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad, which featured Reggie Franklin / A-Train (Jessie T. Usher).

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Four seasons of The Boys and two seasons of Gen V are currently streaming on Prime Video.