Summary
One of the most popular characters inThe Boys, Billy Butcher showcases a brutal Brit who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and break all the ethical rules to get what he wants against his war with Supes. Both Karl Urban’s version of the character and the written version in the comic display aspects of a complex character worthy of discussion.
Throughout the comic’s run, Garth Ennis and co-creator Darick Robertson created acompelling and mysterious character with Billy Butcher. The character has his vendetta against Supes and his plan for every single one of them, but it seems that both versions of Butcher are going different routes.
Updated on July 30, 2025, by Jake Fillery:Billy Butcher is an extremely important character in The Boys, and both fans of the comic and live-action show can see this, especially as The Boys heads into the final season with Season 5. The Boys is at a crossroads with Butcher, where much of his character has changed and will continue to do so. As such, it’s a good time to look at both versions and see how Butcher is different in The Boys' comic and show.
Spoiler warning for Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys
Butcher Doesn’t See Familiar Faces As His Morality
Butcher doesn’t need an angel and a devil on his shoulder to make his own decisions. In fact, many of Butcher’s decisions directly result in cruel actions, which he seems to take pride in and use the excuse of how it’s what his dead wife would have wanted. Butcher is motivated by himself and his violence, whereas the show’s version is far more ethical, to a degree.
In the show, Butcher has a tumor that makes him see his dead wife Becky, and an old friend, Kessler. Both of which act as an angel and a devil on his shoulder. The fact that V gave Butcher a tumor, and the fact that it has given him delusions, showcases a truly different Butcher.
11Committing Supe Genocide
Butcher’s Ultimate Plan Involves Killing Anyone With Compound V
Billy Butcher doesn’t just want Homelander dead. In fact, he wants all Supes dead. Butcher manages to develop a virus that can kill anyone with Compound V in their veins. The problem with that is, that all food products seem to have traces of V, meaning Butcher’s attempted terrorist attack is genocide that could kill millions of innocent people just to get rid of a few harmful Supes.
Butcher is faced with this decision in Season 4 when he kidnaps the developer of the V-Virus, Sameer Shah, and tasks him with making a virus strong enough to kill Homelander, only it would be too powerful and become contagious, going airborne. Butcher resists this temptation, whereas the comic Butcher would do it without hesitation.
10A Clean Shaven Brit
Butcher Doesn’t Sport Facial Hair
Fans of the TV show from Amazon Prime Video might immediatelynotice the difference between Billy Butcherfrom the comic and the version played by Karl Urban. Whereas Karl Urban’s Butcher has messy, styled hair, and a beard, Butcher from the comics is entirely clean-shaven, with short hair. Butcher’s lack of beard makes his sadistic smile even more present during his battles with Supes.
Butcher’s clothing is a lot more fixed in the comics, in which characters wear the same outfit and costume every single day, almost like it’s a superhero costume to wear a black jacket and t-shirt. Butcher in the show has a more varied wardrobe.
9Discharged From The Royal Marines
Frequent Bar Brawls Would Cost Butcher His Job
Much of Butcher’s private life and backstory was kept a mystery, even with the conclusion ofThe Boyscomic. Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson reunited in 2011 to shed some light on this area story inThe Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker. This mature reading is the origin many fans wanted to see from the violent Brit.
Butcher was a part of the Royal Marines and was discharged after multiple bar fights with fellow Marines. His violent outbursts were his own doing, and despite the fact Billy was respected as a Marine, with even the colonel offering to speak at his court-martial, Butcher rejected him and put this life behind him.
8Butcher Is A Supe
Butcher Has Compound V In His Veins
From its inception,The Boyshas featured a V’d up Billy Butcher, whereas the show only did this in Season 3, and with serious repercussions. Whilst Butcher is extremely confident, Compound V running through his veins makes him square up with Supes like Homelander without a raise in his heart rate.
This power lets the user withstand great falls, punches, and kicks. When Hughie was given Compound V, he killed his first Supe by punching him through the stomach, entirely by accident. This shows how much strength The Boys have, and how controlled Billy is with his rage to not become like the Vought Supes.
7Friends With Love Sausage
Butcher’s Russian Supe Friend
A fan-favorite character who makes a few important appearances inThe Boysis the Russian Supe, The Love Sausage. The name itself is innuendo that alludes to his power, and just why he is called such a thing. The Love Sausage is notable for his weight and the intimidating and comedic size of his sexual organs. Love Sausage would be a greatly feared characterin Herogasm.
This ex-Supe runs a bar in Moscow and is famed for his favorite alcohol beverage: brake fluid. Love Sausage’s Kryptonite is that he cannot run straight while he is aroused, which fits perfectly in the bizarre world ofThe Boys. He is on good terms with The Boys, and they actively work together to stop some Supes.
6Butcher Meets Becky On The Subway
Becky Laughs At His Injuries And They Fall In Love Instantly
Fans of The Boys, in both mediums of comic and TV, should know how important Becky Butcher is to Billy. As the love of his life, she meant the world to him. Becky was one of the few things to humanize Butcher.
Becky and Billy first met on the subway, where Billy was sitting next to her beaten and bloodied. Becky found his state amusing and said he looked like a panda with his black eyes. It was love at first sight, and Billy laughed at her jokes and listened to her. As they got to know each other in a bar, Billy got up to get into a bar fight, but Becky’s gentle touch on his hand calmed him.
5Terror The Dog’s Fate Determines A Scorched Earth
If Terror The Dog Dies, Butcher Has Nothing Left To Lose
Terror has made a few appearances in the Amazon Prime Video show, but not as often as he appears in the comic. Butcher’s beloved bulldog is unlike other dogs. Whereas other dogs are taught tricks like “sit” and “roll over”, Terror is taught a rather vulgar command, to which he will respond by attacking whatever it is he has been told to.
Terror is regarded as one of the Boys, rather than just Butcher’s pet. Butcher loves Terror, and when Jack from Jupiter kills Terror in the comics, Butcher releases all incriminating photos and videos he has on Homelander to essentially start World War 3 against all Supes.
4Killed The Baby That Killed Becky
Butcher Fights The Newborn That Was Created From Homelander’s Assault
Butcher’s life became even more tragic than what it already was when he returned to London. His wife, Becky, seemed distant and always turned away from him. He couldn’t understand what he had done wrong until three months passed, and he was awoken by Becky’s dead body as a super-powered fetus cut its way out of her.
Billy immediately sprung to life and killed the newborn with his hands and a desk lamp. He had been shot with heat vision, and judging by the infant’s strength, Butcher knew that only one man could have done this to his Becky: Homelander, this world’s version ofan evil Superman.
3Veteran Of The Falklands War
Butcher Was The Sole Survivor Of His Platoon
As part of the Royal Marines, he was present during the time of the Falklands War. In 1982, Butcher was a participant in the war and got his first taste of the thrill of killing during the battle on Mount Kent. This war was the very event that proved to Billy just how much of a necessary evil he could be if the world needed it.
After his entire platoon was killed, Butcher was left alone, and it was up to him to enact revenge for his fallen brothers-in-arms. Butcher managed to wipe out an entire unit in a small foxhole and killed every one of the Argentinian troops.
