The Boys: How to watch every show and spin-off in order

The Boys is a superhero show created by Eric Kripke for Amazon Prime. If you have ever wondered what it would be like if heroes sucked, this is your jam. The story comes from a comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, and instead of capes and heroic speeches, you get these “Supes” who are more like celebrity monsters than saviors.

These Supes have powers, but no morals, so Vought International was forcing them into the public spotlight as the next big thing. However, behind the scenes, they are causing chaos, breaking rules, and cashing checks.

But if you want to watch The Boys, you must know that this isn’t just a regular streaming show; it has spiraled out into a tangled web of related media: you get the main live-action series, then short films, in-universe webisodes, an animated anthology, a college spin-off, and even Audible audios.

So, when fans talk about The Boys universe, they’re not kidding. Here, even a marketing gimmick can reveal major plot points, and an eight-minute cartoon suddenly matters to the main story. Amazon and the showrunners have leaned into this, so if you want to follow what’s going on, you need a game plan.

There are three ways to tackle this: go in release order, try to line it up by in-universe timeline, or use a “hybrid” approach: pick release order, but wedge in only those shorts and extras the creators say matter.

This guide has got you covered on every single official live-action series, confirmed spin-off, special, and canon companion, up until August 2025. We’ll even clue you in on where the podcasts and webisodes fit, but you can skip the unofficial parodies and fan comics. If it’s sanctioned and adds real lore or bridges a story gap, it’s in.

Why bother with all this order stuff? Because The Boys loves to mix things up: storylines weave together, characters pop in and out, and sometimes you’re hit with a flashback or a prequel that messes with your head if you’re not paying attention.

Let’s dive right in.

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How to watch The Boys: Recommended order

If you want to binge The Boys-verse without getting hit in the face with spoilers or timeline whiplash, this is the order you should roll with:

The Boys, Season 1 (2019): The one that started it all. Eight episodes of pure chaos, with no filler.

Butcher: A Short Film (2020): It is only 5 minutes long. Just watch it after S1, it fills in a little gap.

The Boys, Season 2 (2020): Another eight episodes. Things get weirder, grosser, and somehow even more unhinged.

Seven on 7 (2021 web shorts, eps 1–7): These are fake news updates, and they drop tasty little canon breadcrumbs.

The Boys, Season 3 (2022): Eight more episodes. They don’t let up.

Diabolical, Episode 8 (“One Plus One Equals Two”): Forget the rest of Diabolical unless you just want more weirdness. Only episode 8 matters for canon.

Seven on 7, Episode 8 (January 2022): Last of the web shorts. Gives more setup.

Gen V, Season 1 (2023): The college spin-off. It is surprisingly solid, and it hooks right back into the main stuff.

Seven on 7, Episode 9 (September 2022): This is approximately 1 minute and 18 seconds long. It is a promotional/marketing segment linked to Gen V, not essential for main series continuity.

The Boys, Season 4 (2024): The latest batch. Eight episodes. If you don’t watch this ASAP, social media will ruin it for you.

Gen V, Season 2 (Upcoming in September 2025 ): Not out yet, so let’s wait until it drops.

Vought Rising (Expected to premiere sometime after 2026): The next spin-off. No one has seen it yet, but it is supposed to fill in more prequel stuff.

The Boys, Season 5 (Will potentially release in 2026): Whenever this finally lands, it’s the grand finale. No skipping.

Podcasts that actually matter:

The Boys Presents: Deeper and Deeper (post-S3): On Audible, and it expands on the relationships and canon. Not just fluff.

Mr. Butcher: A Proper Education (short, after S3): It's a one-minute thing the official account dropped. Watch it if you’re a completionist or just love Butcher being Butcher.

Animation note:

Only Diabolical Ep 8 is legit canon. The rest is fun, but not required homework.

And just so we’re clear: anything that isn’t verified as canon by August 2025 is not on this list. When (if) that changes, update your watchlist.

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Alternative orders

Release order:

If you’re after that OG fan vibe, just watch it in the order it dropped. That’s how people were taken aback over every twist. Sometimes characters pop up unexpectedly or a spin-off gets crammed in later, and you probably won’t catch every random short they snuck out. Still, you get the full hype train.

Chronological / In-universe order:

Here’s the nerd route: line up every episode, movie, podcast, whatever, exactly where it happens in the story. You’ll start with prequels, then slog through everything in the universe’s “correct” order. Hardcore, but you might spoil yourself on big reveals or end up confused when they reference stuff you haven’t seen yet. It’s a bit of a brain-bender.

Binge/practical order:

If you’re just trying to cram before the new season drops, hit the main show all the way through, then Gen V, then sprinkle in the shorts and specials wherever. The downside is that you might miss out on some of the little connections or clever world-building that makes the whole thing pop.

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Essential viewing notes & content warnings

The Boys is not your average superhero gig. It contains full-blown adult content: wild satire, disturbing satire, and it's out to push buttons on purpose. Before you hit play, you might wanna brace yourself. Here’s the real talk.

Big, fat warning for all seasons and spin-offs: There’s buckets of blood, guts, and gore. Also, it has sexual violence, body horror that’s straight-up gnarly, cussing, drug use, and just a nonstop parade of physical and psychological abuse. If you’re squeamish or underage, maybe just… don’t. This show was stamped "for adults only" from the get-go.

The infamous Herogasm sequence in season 3 is as explicit and bonkers as the hype says. It features sex, violence, and satirical jabs all through the roof.

Then there’s Diabolical, the animated spinoff. It is a total mixed bag. Some episodes are just for laughs, others are pure nightmare fuel, and a couple actually matter for the main story. Only a handful are “official” canon, so unless you’re a completionist, feel free to skip around.

Notably, there is a lot of body horror, so maybe brace yourself before jumping into Season 4. The people running the show admitted they borrowed some gnarly ideas from their animated shorts. That tumor/Temp V mess in S4 has its roots in one of those Diabolical episodes.

A quick note about pacing: episodes are long, and the mood can swing from insane satire to full-on drama in a snap. If it’s getting too much, check out the VNN mini-episodes, they’re super short (like, 3 to 7 minutes) and help connect the main story, especially from S2 to S3.

The Boys universe is about to get even wilder, as stuff like Vought Rising is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to keep your timeline straight, just keep an eye on the official news.

This list only covers things that have actually been confirmed, nothing rumored or half-baked is here. If a spin-off or short hasn’t been stamped as canon yet, forget about it; not showing up until someone makes it official.