"Never meet your heroes."
The Boys - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
With great power comes the absolute certainty that you'll turn into a right c*nt.
— Billy Butcher
Context:
Butcher says this in Season 1, Episode 5, during a conversation that lays bare his worldview. It's a foundational line that establishes the show's deconstruction of the superhero genre.
Meaning:
This quote is a cynical subversion of Spider-Man's famous mantra ("With great power comes great responsibility"). It perfectly encapsulates the core philosophy of both Butcher and the show itself: that power inevitably corrupts and that superheroes, by their very nature, are dangerous and morally compromised.
You are not a god. You are simply bad product.
— Stan Edgar
Context:
Spoken during a tense confrontation in Season 3, Episode 4, after Homelander tries to intimidate Stan Edgar, the CEO of Vought. Edgar effortlessly cuts Homelander down to size, asserting his own superior form of power.
Meaning:
Delivered with chilling calm, this line strips away Homelander's entire self-perception. It reframes the most powerful being on Earth not as a deity, but as a flawed asset of a corporation. It's a powerful statement on corporate power dwarfing even superhuman might, reminding Homelander that he is a creation, not a creator.
Since when did 'hopeful' and 'naïve' become the same thing?
— Annie January / Starlight
Context:
This line is from a conversation in Season 2, as Annie grapples with the moral compromises she is forced to make as a member of The Seven and a reluctant operative for The Boys.
Meaning:
This quote captures the essence of Starlight's character and her struggle to maintain her idealism in a deeply cynical world. She questions the prevailing notion that having hope is a sign of weakness or ignorance. It is her declaration that she will not let the corruption around her extinguish her belief in doing good.
I'm Homelander. And I can do whatever the f*ck I want.
— Homelander
Context:
This iconic line is famously delivered at the end of the Season 2 finale, after he has been thwarted but faces no real consequences. He repeats this sentiment throughout the series, but this moment crystallizes his terrifying freedom.
Meaning:
This is the ultimate expression of Homelander's god complex and the terrifying culmination of his character arc. It signifies his final break from any pretense of heroism or accountability. It's a declaration of pure, unchecked ego and power, marking his full transformation into the monster he was always meant to be.