Billy Butcher’s New Powers From The Boys Season 4 Finale Explained

The Boys Season 4 finale introduced brand-new powers for Karl Urban's Billy Butcher, taking a major departure from his previous abilities.

Warning - This article contains major spoilers for The Boys Season 4

During the entirety of Season 4 of The Boys, Billy Butcher is helplessly dying due to taking Temp V in Season 3, causing a black mass to begin covering his brain.

Outside of his impending death, Butcher also wanted to get his stepson Ryan to return to him after scaring him off to join Homelander at the end of Season 3. In addition, Butcher's goal since Season 1 has been to kill Homelander and most of the supes on Earth.

This season, the path toward super destruction was through a virus introduced in Gen V with the capability to kill super-powered beings. However, audiences who watched the entirety of Season 4 know that that plan did not work out and Butcher had to once again become what he hates most: a supe.

Billy Butcher’s New Powers Explained

Nearing the end of The Boys Season 4 finale, Hughie brought in Victoria Neuman after she was outed as a supe by Homelander and was looking to switch sides.

However, Billy Butcher enters the scene with different plans. For audiences, his appearance was alarming as he had previously been seen nearing death in a hospital.

Hughie asks Butcher to trust him and proceed with working with Neuman, but instead, he pushes him to the side and unleashes several tentacles from his chest, using them to wrap around Neuman.

His intent quickly becomes lethal as he wisely covers her eyes to prevent the supe from using her head-popping abilities and pulls her apart into two halves.

His new powers are so strong he is able to attack her (supe) daughter Zoe and the security guard while keeping Kimiko and Starlight away from stopping him.

This display of his power marks the first time viewers witness Butcher's true capabilities, showcasing a previously hidden ability that adds a new dimension to his character.

Fans will remember back in Episode 4 Butcher killed Ezekiel, but audiences were not shown the scene and he blacked out during the bloody attack.

The question every fan was asking themselves was, "How did Butcher get these new powers?"

The final scene of Butcher this season shows him driving away with the hallucination of Joe Kessler giving him an approving nod. It also reveals a blue vial of what fans can assume is Compound V that Butcher shot himself off with in between the hospital and the surprise attack on Neuman.

Butcher's power evolution appears linked to his history with Temp V and the new dose of Compound V, possibly fighting back against the fatal tumor. 

His Temp V powers in Season 3 were similar to Homelander with super strength and the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes. It's unclear if he still has those capabilities on top of the new tentacles headed into Season 5.

How Will These New Abilities Factor into Season 5?

The finale of The Boys Season 4 set the stage for a dystopian Season 5, with Butcher potentially emerging as a blood-thirsty antagonist. His erratic actions, including multiple killings and seizing the supe-killing virus, foreshadow a relentless pursuit of Homelander's demise. 

It's hard to say whether or not this super-Butcher could take on Homelander one-on-one but it certainly seems like it is based on him taking out Neuman in just a few seconds.

Meanwhile, Sage's mysterious agenda, advancing to 'Phase Two' after influencing Martial Law, promises further intrigue in Season 5. 

Season 5 must also address the whereabouts of Homelander's son Ryan and A-Train (not seen in the Season 4 finale), alongside unraveling Frenchie's brainwashing.  

With the entirety of The Boys split up, the greatest advantage they have is Butcher's new lethal capabilities.

All four seasons of The Boys are streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. 

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