The Boys (TV series)

Fandom
Name:	The Boys
Abbreviation(s):
Creator:	Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson (original comic) Eric Kripke (TV)
Date(s):	July 26, 2019 - Present
Medium:	Live-action Television
Country of Origin:	United States
External Links:	at IMDb at Wikipedia
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Canon

Overview

Based off of a comic by the same name, The Boys takes a satirical look at how the world would be affected if superheroes were both real and widely known about by the general public. In the universe of The Boys, superheroes (referred to as Supes) have been heavily marketed and monetized, with many superheroes being self-interested and corrupt. Cover-ups of the consequences of their actions are widespread and there are a lot of outrageous and outlandish aspects to the show.

The show's main focus is on the conflict between the Boys, a group of vigilantes who want to bring down the corrupt superheroes of their world, and the Seven, a group of elite superheroes with a huge corporation backing them.

In 2023, Gen V, a spin-off of The Boys aired.

In June 2024, it was announced that The Boys would end after season five, as Eric Kripke had claimed it would from the beginning. There was some confusion around the announcement as Kripke had, only a few days earlier, given an interview which could be interpreted as suggesting the show might go on beyond the original five seasons.

Fandom

Characters and Pairings

Homelander (aka John Gillman) and Billy Butcher are the lead members of the Seven and the Boys respectively, and they have a strong presence in fandom spaces, including Archive of Our Own where they are the most tagged characters in the fandom.

There is a fairly large ensemble cast for the show with the Seven having their seven Supes as well as characters from the corporation backing them (Vought International), and the Boys having five core members. In addition, as characters die during the series, their roles are often filled by new characters, particularly in the Seven to maintain their member numbers, and new characters have joined throughout the three seasons to date who have gone on to be popular with the fandom. For example, Soldier Boy, who first appeared in season three, is one of the top ten most tagged characters on AO3, which is likely in part due to the character being played by Jensen Ackles of Supernatural fame.

The Seven at the beginning of the series are: Homelander, Starlight, Queen Maeve, A-Train, The Deep, Black Noir, and Translucent. The five core members of the Boys at the start are: Billy Butcher, Mother's Milk, Hughie Campbell, Frenchie, and Kimiko Miyashiro.

F/M and M/M works are both popular within the fandom, with the most popular pairings being:

• Billy Butcher/Hughie Campbell
• Billy Butcher/Homelander
• Homelander/You (reader insert)
• Homelander/Madelyn Stillwell
• Kimiko Miyashiro/Frenchie

Fandom Activities

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

Impact on / Interactions with other fandoms

The introduction of Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy has seen a small number of crossovers between Supernatural and The Boys in fan spaces.

Communities

• All supes are bastards at Tumblr
• The Boys: Keeping Superheroes in Line by Any Means Necessary at Tumblr
• r/TheBoys at Reddit
• The Boys General Discussion Thread at SuperHeroHype

Example Fanworks

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

Fan Fic

Distraction by aishahiwatari Billy Butcher/Hughie Campbell, part 1 of a series.

Touch by thefirecrest Homelander/Hughie Campbell, part 7 of a series.

Truce by phoenixtakaramono Billy Butcher/Homelander, complete.

The Many Deaths of Margaret Shaw by imunbreakabledude Queen Maeve/Elena, Ashley Barrett/Queen Maeve, complete.

Doubleshot by Negasonic Homelander/Reader (You), complete.

Internal Affairs by blindmagdalena Homelander/Madelyn Stillwell, complete.

Petites Bouteilles de Couleurs by JustAnotherNarrator Kimiko Miyashiro (The Female)/Frenchie, complete.

Ten Points Each by vindickyoutive Homelander/Starlight (Annie January), complete.

Sing us a song tonight by Omnivorous_Reader Hughie Campbell/Starlight (Annie January), complete.

I Think I Like You by Littlewildcat Homelander/Original Female Character, ongoing.

Turn Up Thursdays by BardsAmbrosia Soldier Boy/Reader (You), complete.

Forget Me Not by NoForkingClue Billy Butcher/Reader (You), complete.

Mother by NearBlackOrchid Ashley Barrett/Homelander, complete.

Resources

• The Boys tag at AO3
• The Boys search at Tumblr