How To Write A Terrifying Villain — The Boys

Homelander is the most terrifying villain I've ever seen, but why? What makes his character so terrifying to the audience? And what can we learn from him?

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0:00 - Intro
0:29 - Power
3:12 - Motivation
5:08 - Maliciousness
8:34 - Uncertainty

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Select footage courtesy of Getty Images

[TheCloserLook]

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- Henry

[hannah.e.young.]

One of the most terrifying lines I’ve ever heard was Homelander’s “I’ll lose everything, but then I’ll have nothing to lose”

[deadgame]

He's honestly much scarier when he chooses NOT to kill/hurt someone, because you see just how close he was to doing it. It's like the tiniest fraying rope holding back a hungry tiger from killing a child in it's enclosure.

[dslrboq]

I think another thing that makes him terrifying is how easily he turns the tables, like when Starlight threatens to destroy his career and he just points out that if she did, he would have no reason to be "good" anymore. He would just kill everyone, and the only thing stopping him from doing that is his love for his public image

[Paxton]

Bro, as someone who has never watched The Boys before, that scene with Homelander and the disabled hero scared the shit out of me. Masterfully well done.

[hassanes]

It's actually crazy, because in season 1 and 2. Homelander's weakness is public perception and being ostracized, but in season 3 he straight up says "Tell them, I don't care anymore. What are they gonna do about it?", when Homelander genuinely angry and realizes his weakness is irrelevant, he is genuinely terrifying

[thegunslinger]

Antony Starr never failed to make me nervous in any scene he was in. A seriously incredible actor.

[jeden_chalan]

I remember what one of Agatha Christie's books has said: that being crazy doesn't mean that your actions are not logical, but rather that they are based on a different logic from that of a normal human.

[Evoker-lxmb]

The main thing that makes Homelander scary to me isn’t only his power, it’s that mentally he’s still essentially a child. Not only that but a heavily traumatised child. Anyone who’s spent even a limited amount of time around children knows how unpredictable they can be, you never quite know for sure what they’re gonna do at any given moment, one minute they’re a little angel, next minute they might snap if even one thing goes slightly wrong for them or they don’t get their way or even just because they feel like it. Combine that unpredictability with the power of a essentially a god, I can’t think of anything more terrifying than that combination.

[NourArt]

What makes Homelander terrifying is not because he's evil, it's because even when he's friendly you're not really sure of what he'll do .. he's a very complex character, and Anthony Starr's performance made him even more terrifying.

[yessir]

The daydreaming scene where homelander casually mows down a ton of protesters really sold me on him as a villain - especially now that he killed a protestor that threw a soda can(?) at him and had his followers cheer him on

[ryangraff]

One other thing I like about Homelander is that they sometimes give him relatable goals and motivations, like wanting to be a good dad. It makes him feel more real, and thus makes his scary side even scarier.

[Thyrussiansanta]

I thought the swat team scene was horrifying, because they all knew they were going to die. There was nothing they could do to save them selves. And that was incredible.

[micahclawrence]

Starr can’t be commended enough. Those lines and being in that suit…it could easily come off as corny. He murders that role.

[Marshmellow]

I think the actor deserves as much credit as the writers. A lot of what makes Homelander so terrifying are the subtle changes in his facial expressions, tone of voice and body language that make him seem unpredictable and chaotic. He really sells the idea of being one mild criticism away from losing his mind.

[guybell]

One of the most terrifying homelander moments is when starlight threatens him and he rants on how he prefers to be loved but its okey dokey for him to have to kill everyone and everything

[kierinhernandez]

Dude Anthony Starr plays him so well, the subtle face changes, Wide eyes, artificial smile and body language is so on point that it makes Homelander the star of every scene he is in. His prescence as the character commands any room he walks into and really adds to the scariness of Homelander.

[aceyspud]

“Being mad doesn’t mean you’ll do literally anything for no reason”

Harley Quinn is at her worst when writers don’t know this.

[txma.]

Antony Starr deserves an award for his performance in this show. A lesser actor would’ve made Homelander look cartoonish or cringe worthy. His mannerisms perfectly portrayed a psychopath down to the slightest of twitches.

[AdultMolester]

One of the things I love about 'the boys', other shows are 'who will win', but with the boys its 'how are they going to survive'