In The Mind Of A Villain: Soldier Boy from 'The Boys' Season 3

In this entry we’ll be taking a closer look at the mind of Soldier Boy from "The Boys", as played by Jensen Ackles.

Thanks for stopping by. If you have any feedback or suggestions feel free to let me know below!

#theboys #vought #homelander #jensenackles

[mondo_visualz]

The reason I like soldier boy is because he actually has some forms of morals and keeps his word even if he shows it in a strange way

[yeezuslean]

I think people misunderstand Soldier Boy at the end, he didn’t want to kill his son or grandson if you watch the scene he has emotion in his eyes and prior to confronting Homelander he was drinking to cope with the fact that he has to kill him. This show just shows that SB is a jerk but a man of his words and a True Soldier because he puts the mission above everything even his personal feelings.

[thegifting]

I don’t think Soldier boy wanted to kill his grandson. What do I think then? He believes when he agrees to do something it should be followed through.

Now why did SB try killing Butcher? I think it’s because SB was more than willing to put his emotions aside and make the sacrifices necessary to take out Homelander, but then Butcher stopped him. Basically Butcher is a hypocrite that was just using SB and SB realized that.

[fettbub]

Soldier Boy was a great character. Gave the show a wild card, third party villain that is willing to team up. Anime fans know what I'm talking about.

[themagikarp]

Homelander is a demon with emotions and Soldier boy is a demon without emotions. He shut down any emotions as a "shield" until the very end when he saw that Homelander is just like him (his "shield" was broken).

[jordanhowe]

An excellent analysis, really well done. I like how you remembered the part where Soldier Boy actually agreed that he and Homelander are basically the same person. It's a powerful moment that seems to get overlooked.

[oldwise]

I loved the Soldier Boy character! My favorite scene is when he first meets Homelander and diss him. I hope we see him again. Btw, I don’t think he is as bad as his son.

[anthonyvigil]

I love soldier boy. He is tough, cool, charming, hilarious, has great taste and is quick wit. Like that part where he said killing gunpowder was like killing Emanuel Lewis. That was so hilarious

[cosmicspacething]

I think he’s a tragic fallen hero. His fatal flaw ultimately being wrath. He ends up causing a lot of collateral damage including the cost of innocent lives. We see how he’s affected MM kinda like how A train affected Huey.

[FutureBusinessTech]

I rarely see this level of quality put into the analysis of a character on YouTube. Because of the high number of viewpoints, use of vocabulary, etc., I can tell a lot of thought went into writing for this video. This is excellent content.

[armondoserna]

Soldier boy keeps people scared because he is a bomb.And he is.That should not be taken lightly.Thats some good writing.

[fett]

9:28 This moment specifically is what makes Soldier Boy such a compelling sorta-antagonist for me.

One could argue that Soldier Boy is just slamming Homelander for being emotionally vulnerable here but I think it goes much deeper than that. SB's father first called him a "disappointment" because he displayed neither virtue nor strength growing up. Bad dad or no, he was basically right to consider his son a "fuckup." To address his own weakness, and hopefully gain a semblance of honor in the eyes of his father, SB ultimately became a Supe and "fought" in WWII. However, this did nothing to improve his character; instead it allowed him to put on all the theatrics of heroism without really exhibiting it. Take away the facade and the chemically induced superpowers and he's still the same loser with no real accomplishments to his name. This truly puts his catchphrase, "you guys are the real heroes, " into new perspective.

SB's powers gave him a sense of honor, a new self-image, but it was one rooted in popularity rather than the exercise of true virtue. This partially explains his obsession with keeping all the other members of his team down, as it's his sense of notoriety that gives him a perception of self-worth. The consequence of this attitude, as the show demonstrates, is a cruel and domineering attitude toward his own teammates.

I think it's in his encounter with Homelander that SB finally sees the failures of his own worldview. Homelander's powers and public image are EVERYTHING to him, but this doesn't magically transform him into a man of character. Instead his glory only disguises a lack of achievement, and his apparent strength belies a man so weak that he relies on others for validation. SB notices all of this, and it's what makes the words "I'm you" so heartbreaking for him. Deep down, he knows he never really became strong; all the bragging and domineering only served to compensate for his taking a "shortcut" to hero status.

Ultimately this is why SB's such a great character to me. He might not show much honor but he knows what it is, and he knows that superpowers don't suddenly confer it onto a person. His actions may be deplorable but there's still some level of moral sense underlying his motivations. Hopefully he can come back, somehow, in later seasons.

[damianstarks]

Awesome/accurate analysis of this boys character who was one of the best things of this 3rd season. Soldier boy is definitely Homelander’s dad.

[ghostwriter]

The sheer defiance in his eyes when butcher betrayed him was a golden sample of acting by Jenson!

Great video!

I’d be interested in seeing a video on Shane Walsh from the walking dead tv show. I always thought the was a sympathetic antagonist who often stole any scene he was in.

[twodotsmma..]

Soldier boy was on billboard top 100 for rapture and Logical POV . Certainly a man of many talents.

[mandelorean]

Intriguing: "they had it coming, all of 'em."

That's reoccurring from The Punisher

[geraldlahey]

Soldier Boy is my favorite supe due to him being a badass. I think he can still beat homelander for I think SB is evolving with his new found powers. Once he masters it and whatever new powers he might get (BIG IF), he'd be a super badass.

[DrasserC]

After watching S3, I've got to say Soldier Boy was the best part of it. Jensen Ackles was the right pick for the character, he just oozes charisma.

About who is the most evil villain, definitely Homelander. As much as he might be an a-hole, Soldier Boy at least acknowledges the fact of killing civilians as bad. Homelander has such a god complex that he feels everyone should worship him even if he killed their whole family. One of the things I loved Soldier Boy for this last season is because he proved something most suspected about Homelander: he is an unmitigated coward. Their fight in S3 was the first time both of them found an adversary on their own level of strenght. When SB got hit by HL, he looked surprised, but he started hitting back, stoic as a rock. Homelander, though? He had never met someone who could actually kick his rear, and when he realized he didn't have the power superiority he usually has... he cowers. He tries to play the family card, even putting Ryan in danger so he didn't have to fight him. Hell, he even tries to recruit Maeve, after everything he's done to her, to fight SB (and Maeve just laughs in his face).

Am I hoping to see him in the series again? Yes. Hell ****ing yes. Now he has a bone to pick with the Boys, after they put him on ice again. You can say what you want about Soldier Boy, but he is a man of purpose and a man of his word. If he gets out of hibernation, he would be on the warpath, both against the Boys and against Homelander. With all due respect, I believe Soldier Boy is the villain this series deserves. Plus, I'd love to see some interaction between Soldier Boy and Mallory, just to see how he reacts xD.

[xifyction]

I really hope for a return of Soldier Boy. Imagine waking up another 50 years or even 100 years later... his life is a tragedy haha.

[DaLegion]

This reminds me of the Evil Eye channel. I can't get enough. Thank you for this