The Boys: What makes Homelander the most terrifying villain on TV, ranked

How do you know that Homelander is feared? You know a character is feared when he casually lasers a man, and everyone cheers for him like he saved a cat from a tree. When he was first introduced on The Boys, he seemed like a cross between Superman and Captain America, but as the show went on, fans realized that he is Superman if he were raised by the Joker.

If you count his abilities, then you realize that Homelander is the perfect superhero: super strong, laser vision, speed, charming, amazing orientation, and the aura of a Hollywood star. He can make a terrorist sing the national anthem. But if you observe closely, you will see through the facade. The twitchy smiles, the dead eyes, and the constant need to be adored.

What makes Homelander scary isn't his super strength or laser vision; it is how casually he pretends to be normal. He will plan out a genocide and still think that he is doing good. He genuinely believes that he is the hero.

What makes Homelander the most terrifying villain on TV?

One moment, Homelander is kissing babies, and the next, he is burning his laser through someone's eyes. If that's not terrifying, then what is? So, let's take a deeper dive into understanding what makes Homelander such a terrifying villain.

1) He knows no limits

Most villains have weaknesses. Voldemort's was a nose... err, love, Darth Vader wheezed. Lex Luthor was bald, but Homelander is basically invincible. Bullets can penetrate him, missiles feel like tickles, and if you manage to piss him off, just remember that he let a whole plane full of civilians plunge to its death because they irritated him.

He cannot be controlled, stopped, or reasoned with. Governments shiver before him, corporations tiptoe around his presence, and his co-workers walk on eggshells when he is around them, especially when he is smiling.

Remember the time when he melted an entire terrorist base with his laser vision? Or when he publicly executed a criminal at a rally with the whole crowd cheering him on?

2) He wants love more than power

If you think Homelander, who has great power, would be satisfied with only imposing it, then you're dead wrong. He doesn't just want to enjoy his wins; he wants people to love him and his wins, too. If that's not narcissism at its peak.

Every move he makes, every interview, every public appearance, and every commercial, he is reading the room, gauging their expressions, and making sure everyone is loving him.

This makes him unpredictable; you won't know what set him off, he is one bad question during an interview, one viral meme, or one bad PR stunt away from causing a great catastrophe. He was deeply disturbed when he saw his approval ratings drop. You clearly see his need for validation take over in that moment.

3) He is the face of Vought International

Unlike other superheroes who use aliases and masks to hide their identities, Homelander is everywhere, on cereal boxes, action figures, and on screen. He is the face of Vought International and is their polished product. His villainy is hidden by marketing him as the symbol of the perfect American.

His atrocities are always spun by branding his opposition as terrorists or making it look like an act of self-defense, or, if nothing comes to mind, then they just say that the incident is being investigated. Just like every terrifying dictator, he too is on billboards and has a PR team to make him look like a hero.

The man literally directed his own propaganda video for Vought; that's how obsessed he is with controlling his narrative and being seen as the hero and the savior.

4) Everyone becomes powerless around him

No one can stand tall in front of the Homelander; even the most powerful superheroes look puny in front of his might. Everyone sweats, flinches, avoids eye contact, and constantly prays that it's not their last day whenever he is around them.

This constant feeling of a life-and-death situation, where you are not sure who he will turn on next, creates constant tension among everyone around him. Queen Maeve's constant fear of him shows how trapped she feels and how terrified she is of him. Also, does Ashley and his equation need any explanation?

5) He has serious mommy issues

What do you think would be the state of mind of someone born and raised in a lab? Someone who is denied affection their whole life and is treated as a weapon -- it is enough to give the person issues for life. Superheroes heal from these traumas with therapy and seek redemption, but not Homelander.

He decided to take another route; he processed his emotional trauma by committing atrocities against people. He has a childlike need for love, attention, and admiration that makes him do weird things like drinking breast milk and throwing tantrums.

His bizarre relationship with Madeline would have even made Freud cringe a little. And even after death, he spiraled to the point where he would watch her old footage and seek the maternal connection that he had lost.

6) He has got the messiah complex

Homelander genuinely believes that he is a hero and the world needs him. He thinks that he is the best human ever made and whatever he does is always the right thing. And that's the most dangerous trait in a human being, let alone a superhero. When someone thinks that their action, no matter how terrifying, isn't only justified but necessary, then they are a fanatic.

You cannot reason with their delusion. No amount of power or money will satisfy them; all they crave is loyalty, love, and obedience. They don't want to rule; they want to be worshipped.

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In conclusion, Homelander is terrifying, not only because he is invincible, but also because he knows it. He lives among humans like he is their savior, but no one knows the monsters lurking inside him. He is a perfect hero on the face and a perfect villain at heart.

He has all the traits of a villain: unchecked ego, narcissistic tendencies, and lots of charm. And what's haunting is that he doesn't think that he is evil; he thinks he is a hero.