Every Confirmed Superpower of Billy Butcher In The Boys Season 5, Ranked Weakest to Strongest

Billy Butcher is one of the most intriguing characters in The Boys. Equal parts The Punisher and Batman, William Butcher has shown time and time again that he remains one of the most dedicated characters in the show, sticking to the single goal that he has in mind to kill Homelander and all Supes. Despite his hatred for Supes, Butcher has not been above shooting up some forms of V, which have given him different powers.

Be it him receiving heat vision or the sentient tumor that hasn’t become inseparable from him, Billy Butcher has always been a threat to the superhero community. As Homelander would say, not all superpowers are equal, and therefore, some abilities have proved to be less than useful for Butcher when combating Supes, as compared to others. These also include his own natural abilities, which has been able to employ more than the average human being, and therefore are worth including on the list. Here they are, ranked.

10 Expert Marksmanship Fails Against Durability

As we have seen in the show time and time again, Supes, almost regardless of the powers that Compound V gives them, end up being very durable. Being an expert marksman might be a great skill for Butcher to have when he was in the Royal Marines, but against supes that routinely tank bullets from point-blank range, there is little use for him that he could have had of being an expert marksman, other than maybe catching a few supes off-guard and annoyed.

9 Hand-to-Hand Combat Does Little Against Supes

Before he had the powers from Compound V, Butcher was an expert hand-to-hand combatant thanks to his background as an ex-military. While this skill must have come in use when infiltrating and dealing with regular mooks, Butcher had stronger and more well-protected enemies that merited stronger weapons. Given that his objective was to take down Homelander, before there was access to Compound V or Temp V, hand-to-hand combat might not have been a very useful skill for the leader of The Boys.

8 Superhuman Reflexes Have Saved Butcher Multiple Times

Superhuman Reflexes were an ability that Butcher developed when he was first taking Temp V, the one that granted him heat vision. Having the ability to react in real time would have come quite handy in a scuffle, given that even if Butcher did not have durability or speed, this power would have increased the chances of Butcher’s survival immensely. Superhuman reflexes definitely allowed Butcher to get out of a scrap or two, whether it be dodging lasers from Homelander or ducking out to take cover during a firefight.

7 Superhuman Hearing Is Dangerous In The Hands Of A Spy

Being a secret government operative, Butcher thrived on using his superhearing. Perhaps the most lethal weapon that Butcher could have had (save one), there was a lot that Butcher could do with his superhuman hearing. Superhuman hearing was useful for Butcherto listen in on conversations that he ought not to have, but it also allowed him to detect if a person was lying, much like Homelander does, by listening to thier heartbeat.

6 Superhuman Healing Aids In Fighting Destructive Supes

When dealing with enemies that outclass you every step of the way, it makes sense to have something like a regenerative healing factor in your back pocket. It’s the reason why Wolverine can fight Apocalypse and come out on top, it is the reason why Allebn the Alien is as tough as he is. It is also the reason why Billy Butcher has not outright died, thanks to some of the encounters that he has had. When dealing with characters that are psychologically deranged and have superpowers is like dealing with a monkey with a gun. Regenerative healing factor would definitely be handy in these situations.

5 Superhuman Durability Makes Butcher Battle Ready

Now, regenerative healing factors are backup plans. The idea is not to be hurt at all in the first place. As seen when Butcher was fighting with Homelander after receiving his own brand of heat vision, superhuman durability can be very handy when dealing with someone like the leader of the Seven. Tanking Homelander’s heat vision, which has torn through steel and concrete, definitely gave Butcher a leg up and also caught Homelander off guard. After all, you gotta be at least that durable to go ‘scorched earth’ against Homelander.

4 Superhuman Strength Is A Must When Fighting Homelander

One of the things that really works out in Homelander’s favor is that he is very much akin to an evil One-Punch Man in The Boys universe. What really allows someone like Butcher to deal damage to Homelander in a head-on fight is his superhuman strength. Allowing him to damage most heroes that would otherwise be unphased by him, Super Strength, combined with Butcher’s skills as a hand-to-hand combatant, gives him a leg up that most superheroes do not see coming.

3 Heat Vision Did The Most Damage In Butcher’s Hands

Butcher’s heat vision was a result of the Temp V that he was shooting up, which allowed him to dish out the same type of punishment that Homelander does. When the duo clash, it is clear that Butcher, even with his limited experience and training with heat vision, was able to go toe to toe with Homelander, which really goes to show how powerful a weapon it was in the hands of Butcher.

2 Billy Butcher’s Sentient Tumor Is His Most Versatile Power

Butcher’s most often used power, the sentient tumor that has developed thanks to the abuse of Temp V that he inflicted upon himself, remains the greatest weapon that he has put to use against the likes of Homelander, Victoria Nueman, and Vought. Often causing him a lot of pain, this power has been able to put a lot of strong characters on thier backs, and in the hands of a trained military man like Butcher, it remains a weapon to be reckoned with regardless of where you stand in the hierarchy of Supes. However, there is one weapon that puts Billy Butcher’s head and shoulders above even Homelander.

1 Billy Butcher’s Strongest Weapon Is His Mind

It takes a lot to dedicate yourself to a lifelong crusade with no happy ending at the end of it. If The Boys emerge victorious with zero casualties, MM goes home to his wife and kids. Frenchie and Kimmiko will travel the world. Annie and Hughie are likely going to start a family. But where is Billy Buther going to go? And despite that, where the options are death or loneliness, Billy Butcher still cannot be stopped when it comes to killing Homelander.

Every step of the way, Butcher has managed to outsmart the strongest person on the planet, who now has the military and the complete support of the United States. Yet, Homelander struggles to figure out what Billy Butcher is doing next, whether he is with his team or not. Butcher might be an expy of The Punisher from Marvel, but there is little doubt that he has been very Batman since the first time he appeared on screen.

Power	Reason for Ranking
10. Expert Marksmanship	Supes are immune to guns, and even heavy-duty ammunition does little damage.
9. Hand-to-Hand Combat	Most supes are resistant to blows, making the skill useless.
8. Superhuman Reflexes	Has aided Butcher in evading attacks, but still useless against faster opponents like A-Train.
7. Superhuman Hearing	A brilliant weapon in the hands of a super-spy like Butcher.
6. Superhuman Healing	Massively helpful when dealing with opponents stronger than himself, which he usually does.
5. Superhuman Durability	Helps him stand up to top tier heroes like Homelander.
4. Superhuman Strength	Allows him to deal damage to Supes head on.
3. Heat Vision	Strongest weapon yet to be used against Homelander.
2. Sentient Tumor	Versatile weapon in the hands of a seasoned veteran.
1. Intelligence, Grit, and Willpower	Has routinely outsmarted a man with superhearing, who also has access to state of the art governemtn surveilence tech, and the United States military under him.

Which power do you think Billy Butcher has used most effectively in The Boys? Let us know in the comments!

The Boys Season 5 is currently streaming on Prime Video.