The Boys’ Saddest Ending Could Bring Back A Cut Comic Murder

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Boys comics that may or may not happen in The Boys season 3.

Reinvigorating a cut comic book death from The Boys could make for the most heartbreaking on-screen ending for the series. With Prime Video's The Boys season 3 set for a June 3rd, 2022 release, the stakes have truly never been higher for Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and his titular band of boys as they are forced to use Compound V to combat Homelander's increasing threat. This narrative sets Amazon's The Boys back on course with its original source material - meaning the Prime Video series could also bring back a version of the comics' most heartbreaking murders.

The Boys has certainly honored its source material in the past but has not always followed suit. The death of Butcher's beloved bulldog and sidekick Terror, for example, directs him on a murderous warpath against those responsible in the comics. This road eventually leads Butcher to take Compound V, before killing Homelander and turning on his friends to become The Boys' final villain.

However, with Prime Video's The Boys seemingly trading Terror's importance to Butcher for a burgeoning relationship with Ryan (Cameron Crovetti), a resurrection of this storyline through Ryan's death could lead to Butcher's darkest The Boys revenge narrative. In the comics, Terror was Butcher's last living reminder of his former wife Becca, who died from a miscarriage giving birth to Ryan. While Becca (Shantel VanSanten) dies accidentally by Ryan's hand in The Boys season 2, Ryan now fulfills Terror's role as Becca's memory for Butcher in The Boys season 3 - meaning his death could mirror Terror's demise and spark The Boys' return to its comic book endgame.

This isn't to say that Butcher and Terror don't share an on-screen relationship, as Butcher finds solace in his company and often engages in one-way conversations with Terror. However, their relationship certainly isn't as strong nor integral to Butcher in the show compared to the comics. For starters, Terror is absent from season one, and Butcher even dismisses his existence despite having dog toys on display in his car. It isn't until season 2 that Terror reappears in The Boys and lives with Butcher's aunt as opposed to him. As such, Terror's death would not spark the same response in The Boys season 3. Terror could certainly become of real sentimental importance for Butcher as the show continues, but for now, it is unlikely.

Ryan's death, however, would make more sense as the spark for Butcher's murderous path of vengeance from the original comics. With Becca's dying words being "You promise me you keep him safe," Ryan is the last living reminder of Becca for Butcher. As a result, with Homelander's instability only continuing to increase in The Boys, it would not be surprising to see Terror's comic book fate substituted for Ryan's on-screen death in season 3. Although his own biological son, Homelander's diabolical nature knows no bounds, and it would not be out of character for Homelander to kill Ryan, knowing it would break Butcher while also eliminating his most significant threat. In this way, The Boys season 3 promises a level playing field due to Butcher attaining access to Compound-V, and with Butcher harnessing Homelander's powers making both men likely to face off once again, Ryan's long-term safety looks particularly uncertain.