Season 5 finally revealed The Man Behind all the toxic masculinity. ‘The Boys’ season 3 was the first time that Jensen Ackles played Soldier Boy, and he was an instant addition to the franchise’s most fun characters.
He was wild, hilariously uncool, and also frightening. Most people thought he would stay just that: a walking punch line with a built-in nuclear bomb. That all changed in Season 5.
Soldier Boy Just Became Far More Tragic Than Anyone Expected
The final season has slowly stripped away layers that make Soldier Boy feel surprisingly human, rather than simply another chaotic supe. There is someone underneath the sarcasm and toxic bravado, someone who is very lonely, emotionally stunted, and still haunted by the people he lost decades ago.
Related: ‘The Boys’ Finally Explains Soldier Boy’s Psyche And It’s Worse Than We Thought
His association with Clara Vought (Stormfront) has been the most shocking part. Earlier seasons implied their relationship was shallow at best, but season 5 reframed it as something Soldier Boy genuinely cared about.
That’s why he finally gives Homelander the V-One, even though he despises him. Perhaps for the first time in the series, Soldier Boy decides to go with emotion, rather than ego. It’s dirty, idiotic, and, well, disastrous for everyone else. However, it also makes him a much more interesting character.
‘Vought Rising’ Suddenly Feels Too Important
The weird thing about Soldier Boy’s evolution is that it almost feels like ‘The Boys’ is setting up for an entirely different show. His scenes in season 5 are more emotional than just about the final battle with Homelander.
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The moments in which Soldier Boy empathizes with Bombsight or uses his powers to free another supe from suffering show another side of him that the series never explored. Not even his wrecking chest blast is just a visual gimmick anymore.
It now embodies the pain he has been carrying around all the time, the pain he is aware of in others. That was a development that was needed. While Soldier Boy was a lot of fun in season 3, his animosity towards Homelander couldn’t last forever.
If the character doesn’t grow emotionally, he could’ve easily become repetitive. In season 5, however, he was made vulnerable, he had regret, and he even showcased empathy.
There’s still a valid argument that the show is spending too much time setting up Vought Rising while its own ending approaches. At least now, though, there’s a real reason to be interested in Soldier Boy beyond his one-liners and violent outbursts.
The character was originally supposed to be a joke, but now he is one of ‘The Boys’ most complex characters, and that’s perhaps the biggest surprise in the series finale.
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