With all episodes of The Boys’ second season now available on Amazon Prime Video, we’re already counting the days until season three. It doesn’t help that exciting casting news has started trickling in, like the addition of Jensen Ackles as original supe Soldier Boy. Eric Kripke’s adaptation of Garth Ennis’ comic book series presents an atypical take on the superhero story. Complex characters, satirical takes on topical events, and an insane amount of blood and guts.
The Boys never shies away from shocking violence or brutality, creating no shortage of jaw-dropping moments throughout both seasons. Now that the second season has concluded and the long wait for season three begins, we look back at ten of the series’ goriest moments so far. Warning: There will be spoilers ahead.
Lamplighter’s Self-Immolation – Season 2, Episode 7
Starlight’s predecessor in The Seven retired, only to be found in the second season as an orderly at the Sage Grove Center. There, Lamplighter (Shawn Ashmore) helped Vought administer experiments on psychiatric patients in secret. His demotion from The Seven, subsequent guilt over his experiments on young patients, and residual feelings of failing his father results in Lamplighter helping Hughie break into Vought Tower to free Starlight. He never intended to return from their mission alive, though, and self-immolates in front of The Seven mural. It’s a gruesome demise.
Popclaw Gets Carried Away – Season 1, Episode 3
A-Train’s secret girlfriend, Popclaw (Brittany Allen), struggles with Compound V addiction. After injecting her latest dose, she gets frisky with her landlord. Thanks to Compound V and her super-strength, Popclaw ends up bursting the landlord’s head like a watermelon during peak ecstasy. Oops.
Mesmer’s Face Meets Sink – Season 1, Episode 7
Telepathic supe Mesmer (Haley Joel Osment) assisted the Boys, giving them critical intel on Vought’s insidious doings with terrorists. He made one fatal error, however, when he decided to betray them. Naturally, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) doesn’t take kindly to betrayals. Billy corners Mesmer in a bathroom and proceeds to smash his face, repeatedly, into a pulp against a sink.
Stillwell’s Eyes – Season 1, Episode 8
Madelyn Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue) kept Homelander (Antony Starr) firmly under her thumb for nearly all of season one. In the finale, though, her lies finally caught up to her. The discovery that his child is alive and well was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and he bore his laser eyes into hers. The slow meltdown, leaving behind two gaping holes in her skull, proved a particularly shocking death for such a significant player.
Homelander’s Terrorist Takedown – Season 1, Episode 8
The season one finale opened with a bloodbath that also worked as a foreshadowing of Madelyn’s death: Homelander’s unhinged takedown of a terrorist operation. He put the special ops team on standby and proceeded to lay siege on all living beings inside the warehouse. With his laser vision, he gleefully dismembered, maimed, and culled his way through, amidst screams of terror.
Kimiko’s Revenge – Season 2, Episode 5
Of all the characters in The Boys, Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) has had an especially tragic history. Season two delivered brief happiness when she got to reunite with her brother. An encounter with Stormfront (Aya Cash) ripped away from her happy reunion, leaving her brother dead. It sent Kimiko down a dark path for vengeance, with insatiable blood lust. She becomes a hired assassin, resulting in one of the most disturbing kills yet.
A-Train Smashes Through Robin – Season 1, Episode 1
The inciting event that started it all. Hughie begins the series in relationship bliss, having just made plans with lady love Robin to move in together. She takes a one-half step off the curb, however, and explodes. It’s not spontaneous combustion, but a Compound V fueled A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) that plowed through her while moving at the speed of light. Poor Hughie was left covered in his girlfriend’s innards while still holding her detached hands.
Translucent’s Demise – Season 1, Episode 2
Translucent (Alex Hassell) has the power of invisibility and impenetrable skin, making him one of the toughest supes to kill. When the Boys capture him, they discover that Translucent’s insides aren’t as invulnerable as his exterior and plant a bomb in his bum. Translucent’s mouth gets him into trouble one last time. He triggers Hughie’s rage, prompting Hughie to detonate the bomb. Poor Hughie gets covered head to tow in innards for the second episode in a row.
Courtroom Bloodbath – Season 2, Episode 7
For once, the Boys put their efforts toward taking Vought down legally. Building all season long, it culminated in Vought’s downfall via Congressional hearing. Just when the vigilante team was poised to celebrate their much-earned victory, however, the courtroom turned into a shocking bloodbath as heads exploded. Many heads, seemingly at random, popped like water balloons, spraying the floors and walls with the red stuff.
Through the Belly of the Whale – Season 2, Episode 3
Leave it to the Deep (Chace Crawford) to screw things up in the way only he does best. Or rather, to so wholly underestimate a foe. When the Boys’ plan to hide out on a boat gets exposed, the Deep enlists his aquatic friends to capture the vigilantes. That includes Lucy, the sperm whale. Lucy and the Deep block the boat’s path to the shore, not realizing until far too late that it won’t slow Billy Butcher down. He drives the boat right into Lucy, killer her and leaving the team sorting through her guts. It’s… a lot.