The Boys’ Finale Adapted The Black Noir Comic Twist, But Not How Anyone Expected

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Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Boys season 5, episode 8.

The finale of The Boys featured a surprising twist involving Black Noir, though it wasn’t what fans expected. Throughout the series, the show has diverged from the original comic books, and the final episode continued that trend while still maintaining the core storyline. The climax saw Butcher battle and kill Homelander, but then decide that all Supes needed to be eliminated – a decision that ultimately led Hughie to kill Butcher himself.

A key difference between the TV finale of The Boys and the comic book involved the character Black Noir. While Black Noir died in season 3, and his replacement, Black Noir II, was killed off in season 5, the show didn’t follow the comic book’s storyline where Noir was revealed to be a clone of Homelander who was secretly framing him. The show deviated from that particular twist from the source material.

In the latest season of The Boys, a surprising twist similar to the Black Noir storyline emerged with the character of Ryan. At the start of the episode, Homelander attempts to manipulate his son, Ryan, into joining his side, telling him, “I am you. And you’re me.” Given that Ryan possesses the exact same powers as his father, he’s effectively a clone of Homelander, though created differently than Noir.

Ryan was one of the few characters from The Boys to make it to the finale, and he ended up at the White House assisting Butcher in their fight against Homelander. This mirrored the comic book’s climax, which also featured a battle between two Homelanders and Butcher. However, the show made some changes to the original comic book storyline, so Ryan didn’t completely fill the role originally held by Black Noir.

Ryan Took The Role Of Homelander From The Boys Comics, Not Black Noir

The show The Boys didn’t follow the comic book’s storyline where Homelander’s “clone,” Ryan, was secretly the main villain. According to showrunner Eric Kripke, the series was never intended to portray Homelander as a victim. However, the comics did reveal Black Noir as the one responsible for Becca’s assault and many of the crimes Homelander was blamed for.

In a surprising turn, Homelander and Butcher briefly worked together against Noir. During their fight, Noir fatally wounded Homelander, but not before Homelander had injured Noir badly enough for Butcher to deliver the final blow with a crowbar, splitting his skull. The season 5 finale featured this extremely violent death, with Butcher ultimately using his signature weapon to pry open Homelander’s head. Consequently, Ryan’s role shifted to more closely resemble that of Homelander from the comic books, specifically in terms of physical power and appearance.

Season 5 of The Boys featured unique character developments and pivotal moments. Ryan’s emergence with powers similar to Homelander was key to finally defeating him. With Kimiko’s assistance, Ryan weakened Homelander, allowing Butcher to deliver the final blow. While Ryan functions as a kind of clone – similar to Black Noir – in the TV series, Antony Starr’s Homelander remained the primary villain, and Ryan’s unpredictable abilities ultimately led to his downfall.

Ryan’s Role In The Boys Season 5 Was Deeper Than First Thought

In the comic book version of The Boys, the discovery that Black Noir was a clone of Homelander motivated Butcher to destroy all Supes. The TV series achieved a similar effect by making Ryan a Homelander clone. After the final battle, Ryan explained to Butcher that he assisted only because it was the right thing to do, considering how evil Homelander was. However, he made it clear that this didn’t excuse Butcher’s own bad behavior and that he didn’t want a relationship with him.

Several things contributed to Butcher’s final plan, including his desperation surrounding Ryan, which ultimately led him to attempt releasing the Supe Virus before Hughie intervened. Ryan essentially acted as the catalyst for Butcher’s endgame. Despite the many unexpected developments and changes in characters, the finale of The Boys season 5 managed to incorporate elements of the Black Noir twist from the comics, though in a significantly different way than originally anticipated, thanks to Ryan’s crucial role in the story.

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2026-05-24 04:10