As the villainous leader of The Seven in The Boys, Homelander is supposed to be despised rather than celebrated. Instead, the reverse has happened, with the Supe being lauded as one of the best TV characters in recent times. It helps that a new age of antiheroes and antagonists had already been ushered a few years ago, with evil characters appealing more and more to fans.
Often seen as a "Superman for Adults" Homelander has been more than glad to engage in all forms of debauchery. And as a corrupt superhero, he isn't just a one-dimensional character. There is plenty of depth to Supe that never takes of his uniform and Reddit is the best to find out why fans really adore him.
10 Unpredictability
Redditor Lego812's admiration for Homelander stems from the fact that it's always impossible to tell what he'll do next. One moment he's greeting citizens, the next he is is slicing bodies with lasers from his eyes.
Homelander's unpredictability has made him a more terrifying villain. Instances, when it appeared like he would do one thing only to do the other, have been plenty. For example, when Blindspot, the new Vought recruit meets Homelander, it appears as though The Seven leader will welcome him with open arms. Instead, he bashes his ears in, making him lose his Super Hearing. Doppelganger's romantic gesture towards Homelander should have been appreciated too but instead, the Supe-In-Chief kills him.
9 He Is Imperfect
The best-written characters don't always have everything going great for them. Redditor Matkkdbb explains why Homelander's imperfection makes him appealing. According to them, he struggles to find a purpose because he is too capable. He is feared, doesn't need money, and can literally do whatever he wants. This places him in a desperate struggle to make life meaningful.
As the poster boy of The Seven, Homelander is in a position many people would envy. However, he isn't satisfied because he has never lived a normal life. He has never had a proper job or family. That's why he forcefully attempts to be a father figure to Ryan Butcher. Sadly, that backfires on him. Eager to find love, he also allows himself to fall for the equally evil Stormfront.
8 Anthony Starr's Performance
Anthony Starr is also part of the reason why fans love Homelander. According to raffire, the Australian actor nails everything from facial expressions to dialogue.
The Redditor is right since there is hardly any review of the Amazon series that criticizes Starr's performance. His performances might not be Emmy-worthy but they are what's needed for the genre. Whether it's Homelander wearing a fake smile or frowning before lasering someone, Starr makes it all believable.
7 Great Costume
According to ivene-adlev, Homelander has one of the coolest costumes in The Boys. The Redditor specifically loves the cape, that's actually an American flag.
Homelander's American flag cape is symbolic as it shows how Vought International is deceiving the general public. It also reminds viewers of Captain America. The blue tights and red boots, on other hand, have Superman written all over them. The leader of The Seven is a parody after all and his costume communicates that he shouldn't be taken too seriously.
6 There Is Justification For His Actions
Homelander might be despicable but sacha8uk argues that it's easier to understand and love him because he is a product of his background. The Redditor states that Superman, for example, is only good because he was raised by loving parents in Smallville. If he had been manufactured in a lab and raised by shady cooperate executives like Homelander, he'd be no different.
It would definitely be illogical to expect Homelander to be a righteous person, given his background. The claim makes sense because there is an example to back it up in The Seven. Starlight, who joins The Seven as an adult, is more of a good person because she was raised by her own mother. If she'd grown up at Vought like the rest of the Supes, her personality might have been different.
5 More Intelligent Than The Comic Version
Homelander is given an intelligence boost in the Amazon series. Redditor jockeyman notes that the TV version is less goofy and at least weighs outcomes before making a decision.
In the series, Homelander understands that public opinion holds much power so he tends to avoid acting recklessly and also does a good job of covering up his sins. The best example of this is when he considers lasering the crowd that's booing him but decides against it since he knows it'll make unpleasant headlines. The comic book version of the character has had no reservations about killing members of the public in broad daylight.
4 Great Dialogue
A good number of the best quotes in The Boys belong to Homelander. Fan Leo-FouLu likes the fact that his lines are so well written that even scenes being dominated by another character end up tilting in his favor.
Homelander's words tend to be outrageous but they always give the desired effect of making viewers laugh or astonished. Whether he is telling The Deep to cover up his gills because they look disgusting or engaging in a war of words with Stan Edgar at the Vought boardroom, Homelander never misses the opportunity to showcase his conversational brilliance.
3 His Relationship With Stormfront
Homeland and Stormfront have only been together for a short while but they already have a case for inclusion among the best TV couples of the last 10 years. Fans on Reddit love the complicated dynamic of their relationship. N_Zabad specifically loves the fact that Homelander becomes mellow when he's with her.
Homelander and Stormfront are not only entertaining to watch but are also perfect for each other. They are always in agreement whenever evil deeds need to be done. Stormfront doesn't develop a conscience like Queen Maeve. It's also hard to forget that they brought a whole new meaning to spicing up intimacy by making love while flying.
2 He Exercises Restraint
Redditor retal1ator brings up another reason to love the villain, stating that his self-control is admirable. Homelander's powers are enough to make him take over Vought International and destroy the world but he chooses not to do that.
Most villains would definitely do more damage if they had the same kind of powers as Homelander. The Supe is rarely even seen flying. His colleagues have offended him too on several occasions but he rarely contemplates assaulting them despite being way stronger than them. Deep inside, he just wants to live a normal life.
1 He Makes Work Easier
In a point that's mildly related to the one above, Homelander normally relies on his laser powers whenever he needs to do some damage. While some fans find this lazy, others think it's smart. Why fight when you can simply laser an opponent to death? JayEsBeeSTL holds such an opinion.
Throughout the history of comic books, superheroes have been shown to punch and chase for several minutes when using one of their powers would have gotten the job very quickly. While opting for the harder work makes things more interesting, Homelander comes off as more realistic by relying only on his laser vision.
https://ift.tt/2SRDiQj
August 07, 2021 at 12:00AM
