In 2019, eager viewers feverishly awaited the end of Game of Thrones, with speculation running wild due to the original source material being finished. Unfortunately, the end result was met with mixed results, to say the least. The revolutionary, critically-acclaimed fantasy series went out with a whimper rather than a bang, rushing a conclusion that left both character and plot threads hanging in an incredibly disappointing fashion Conversely, the grim ending of the comic source material for The Boys has been out in the open for years, and it ends on a similarly tragic and controversial note. With that said, if Eric Kripke and his team decide to adapt this ending for the Amazon Prime show, then they could potentially have a similar type of backlash on their hands.

In the comics, The Boys are all in some way fueled by Compound V, which aids them when going up against various Supes. However, in the closing issues of the series, Butcher decides to take drastic action to make sure that Compound V never again creeps back into the gene pool, including killing millions of carriers via deadly chemical weapons.

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The only people standing in the way of this goal, unfortunately, are the Boys themselves. With his friends against him, Butcher brutally murders Mother's Milk, Frenchie and the Female. He does this not only to wipe any and all Supes from existence, but also to make sure no one prevents him from enacting his twisted plan. Thankfully, Hughie, the lone survivor of the group, kills Butcher, stopping the scheme and saving millions of lives in the process.

This cold, uncompromising conclusion sounds reminiscent of Game of Thrones's notorious ending. Both Butcher and Daenerys Targaryen, beloved if flawed protagonists, take their quest for vengeance too far and lose sight of their original goal, forcing a close ally to murder them. Daenerys's dark side was foreshadowed by her actions in previous seasons, but her ultimate turn in Season 8 seemed rushed and out-of-character. The same could be said about Butcher, and while it may make thematic sense for his character to become so consumed with revenge that he plans a genocide and kills his friends, it definitely wouldn't sit right with fans of The Boys who have become attached to the titular team.

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Now, to be fair to the comic ending, an outside-the-box, bleaker ending could actually be refreshing, especially given the show's adherence to the cynical edge of the source material. In fact, the ending of Game of Thrones could have pulled off a similar feat, had the showrunners taken more time and care with the source material and writer George R.R. Martin's insights into his future novels. There could even be an opportunity to impress critics, especially skeptics, of the show's dedication to its themes. This scenario would likely entail slowly making Butcher's actions throughout the next few seasons more and more deplorable, even at the risk of alienating viewers.

However, there are signs though that the show, which has already heavily diverged from its source material, might not stick with this conclusion. Firstly, in the show, none of the Boys save for Kimiko has any Compound V in their system. There's always the possibility that Butcher would still take out his team just for going against his wishes, but the characters are all so beloved that it would be pretty unthinkable to have The Boys' finale be its version of the Red Wedding.

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Furthermore, Butcher, unlike his comic counterpart, has shown a more tender side, with his love for his wife Becca being the driving force behind both his vengeance and emotional vulnerability. Perhaps it will be this love which ultimately makes him spare his team, especially since killing every Supe with Compound V would include Homelander and Becca's son, Ryan.

If the show decided to adapt the final storyline loosely, then perhaps it could have Butcher prepare his plan, but ultimately not go through with it. Regardless, whatever ending the powers that be decide to choose for The Boys, it will certainly be dark, especially given the implications of Homelander's terrifying trajectory.

Amazon Studios' The Boys stars Karl Urban as Billy Butcher, Jack Quaid as Hughie, Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk, Tomer Kapon as Frenchie, Karen Fukuhara as the Female, Erin Moriarty as Annie January, Chace Crawford as the Deep, Antony Starr as Homelander, Aya Cash as Stormfront and Simon Pegg as Hughie's dad. Season 2 is airing on Prime Video now.

The above article has been edited for clarity since publication.

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