When it comes to The Boys, Billy Butcher is head honcho of the whole vigilante operation. He recruits people into this group to fight against 'supes', the nickname he's given corporate superheroes of Vought International who may not have the best interests of the public at heart.
Although he sells a great story about them being good friends who are doing the right thing, he may not care about them all. The first season sees him recruit Hughie, a man who's lost his girlfriend to the supes, and invite him into the fold. But he doesn't always seem to have Hughie's best interests at heart...
Billy Doesn't Actually Care About Him — Or Does He?
Billy just doesn't seem to care about Hughie for most of the show. When Hughie is in danger, Billy will come to his rescue only if there's another benefit to action. For example, towards the beginning of all the unfolding events, he comes to rescue Hughie when he's attacked by Translucent in his place of work — but only to capture Translucent. He doesn't seem to do many selfless things.
His First Priority Is His Wife
Perhaps it's because he doesn't care, and his first priority will always be his wife. His wife disappeared years ago (but reappears at the very end of the season) after she was assaulted by Homelander. Billy has rightfully always blamed Homelander for her 'death', and his main motive is getting revenge. He doesn't have much room to care about anyone else.
It'll be interesting to see how this has changed now that she knows alive, with a son that is almost definitely Homelander's.
Hughie Lied To Him About Starlight
Hughie lies to Billy over Starlight, claiming he's just using her to infiltrate Vought International. The truth is, Hughie is initially using her but later thinks she might be able to help the Boys with their mission since she's also skeptical of the superheroes and eventually becomes completely disillusioned with them. Hughie also completely falls for her.
Billy Will Never Be Supportive Of That Relationship
Hughie does try to introduce Billy to the concept of Starlight helping them but even though Starlight has done him no wrong, Billy is not open to the idea of her help at all. It's stubborn, of course — she could be a real asset — but if he's not open to her helping with the group, then he's not exactly going to be supportive of Hughie dating her. He isn't a fan of the idea of split loyalties.
Hughie Has Almost Been Killed Because Of Billy
Hughie is been put in some truly dangerous situations because of Billy — not least of all bugging Vought International. If he's caught, he'll "disappear" — or possibly be tortured for information about who he's working for — but Billy makes it quite clear that he's more interested in succeeding than worrying about Hughie being caught.
Thanks for caring, Billy!
Billy Uses Robin Against Hughie
It's not as dangerous as anything else he puts Hughie through, but he uses Robin against him far too much and it's just insensitive.
The show starts out with Hughie's girlfriend Robin dying gruesomely in front of him because A-Train runs straight through her, which is what leads Hughie to the Boys. Billy isn't afraid to use this when he doesn't think Hughie is stepping up, or doing enough for the team. The incident would be utterly traumatizing for anyone, so maybe he should lay off a bit.
Billy Has Threatened Him Multiple Times
Billy isn't exactly above threatening Hughie, even after he's done a lot for them. When he finds out he's still seeing Starlight, he threatens to tell her everything and there's more implied in the way he speaks to Hughie. It makes viewers realize that if it came down to it, Billy would utterly sell Hughie out — or possibly get rid of him.
Don't put anything past Billy Butcher. He's ruthless.
Billy Doesn't Seem Capable Of Real Friends
Billy has had such horrors happen in his past (and committed more as a response) that it seems he just isn't capable of true friends and connections. Even Frenchie, who he's known for a long time and been through a lot with, is reluctant to get involved with him again. Billy is a madman barrelling towards a cliff, and the people around him know they might get dragged off the edge if they stick too close.
Billy Is Just Too Prejudiced
Ultimately, he's too prejudiced towards supes to be able to see any shades of grey, and Hughie is a little more nuanced in his opinions. Where Hughie is willing to accept that not every superhero is an awful person, Billy thinks anyone with Compound V in their veins is inherently bad and this causes them to clash awfully.
Billy Has Made Hughie Commit Terrible Acts
Not only has Billy put Hughie through some danger, he's made him commit some truly terrible acts. He made him assist in the kidnapping of Translucent and then unwittingly forced him into murdering the superhero without ever showing any regret. Billy may be well-used to murder and see nothing traumatic about this but for a man who isn't used to this sort of thing, that is understandably horrific.
Don't expect sympathy from Billy Butcher, though.