Some Boys Fans Hated The Season 5 Premiere's Big Death. I Don't Agree

Spoilers ahead for the Season 5 premiere of The Boys.

Superhero TV shows and movies are everywhere, but The Boys stands out thanks to its gory violence and R-rated humor. Those with an Amazon Prime subscription were recently treated to the start of Season 5, which will be the final chapter in the beloved series. The Season 5 premiere saw the surprising death of A-Train, and while some fans are mad about the character's ending, I've got the opposite feelings. Let's break it all down.

The Boys Season 5 is finally here, and the stakes couldn't be higher for the series, which is one of the best Amazon shows to binge-watch. While some folks were confused by A-Train's death, I think it was the perfect way or the season to begin, and confirm that no one is safe during this final batch of episodes.

A-Train's Death Raised The Stakes For All Of Season 5

A-Train's story has been a fascinating one throughout The Boys. The show opened with him accidentally killing Hughie's girlfriend, kickstarting the entire story of the series. But he's been seeking redemption in the more recent seasons, aiding Annie and the Starlighters in resisting Homelander and his authoritarian rule.

This redemption definitely made the death of Jessie T. Usher's character especially tragic, and the resistance lost a huge ally after Homelander killed his former colleague. Personally I thought this twist was super effective, mainly because it showed how no one was going to be safe in the show's fifth and final season.

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While The Boys is known for its wild practical effects and gory violence, most of the main cast has stayed safe throughout its time on the air. Killing A-train off in the Season 5 premiere was a big change, and immediately raised the stakes for the entire series. And now each fight scene has more weight because it feels like the comic book adaptation could actually kill off its main cast any any point. That's exactly what we need to make the final set of episodes especially effective.

Personally I'm hoping that we get to see more major character deaths in Season 5 prior to the series finale. I want the stakes to feel urgent throughout its final season on the air, and with Homelander becoming even more unhinged, it feels like no one is safe. We'll just have to see how things shake out, and if The Boys joins the ranks of shows that actually ended well.

New episodes of The Boys air Wednesdays as part of the 2026 TV schedule. There are just a handful of episodes left, so the pressure is on for the cast and crew to stick the landing.