History DeconstructedCharacterArchetype / TheBoys2019

* [[Characters/TheBoys2019BlackNoir Black Noir]] is one of the TeamNormal as demonstrated by Batman. He's the most "normal" of the group in that he chooses to fight with [[FightsLikeANormal bare fists and weapons]] and is responsible enough to not display any vices. It ends up making him ''more'' alien as opposed to humanizing him, due to his enigmatic and robotic nature and knowing that he's still capable enough to keep up with the rest of The Seven.

** Just like [[spoiler:his son]] Homelander, Soldier Boy deconstructs the AllAmericanFace. As a CorruptedCharacterCopy of ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, Soldier Boy was an enlisted soldier who received SuperSerum that turned him into a SuperSoldier who fought for his nation. Unlike Steve Rogers, though, Ben is very much a product of his time, having outdated views on gender, race, masculinity, and homosexuality, resulting in him being a bigoted {{Jerkass}}. [[spoiler:It's also revealed that he was TheBully to the rest of Payback, especially toward Black Noir, whose life he ruined due to an inability to share the spotlight]]. Perhaps most damningly of all, [[spoiler:Soldier Boy's entire combat record was faked, with most of his experience coming from cracking down against Civil Rights protestors]].

* Black Noir is one of the TeamNormal as demonstrated by Batman. He's the most "normal" of the group in that he chooses to fight with [[FightsLikeANormal bare fists and weapons]] and is responsible enough to not display any vices. It ends up making him ''more'' alien as opposed to humanizing him, due to his enigmatic and robotic nature and knowing that he's still capable enough to keep up with the rest of The Seven.

* The Deep is one of what it means to deconstruct the KarmicButtMonkey. [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil The man is horrible for what he did to Starlight]] and in turn, suffers so much terrible things in return. But the fact that so many terrible things constantly happen to him or that he's forced to do, over and over and OVER, it takes said punishment to uncomfortable levels. Put simply: if someone deserves karmic punishment for a crime, just ''how much'' punishment should they suffer before it becomes excessive? Is it actually karmic punishment at that point, or just indulging the audience in a revenge-sadism fantasy?

* Queen Maeve deconstructs the FlawlessToken. For the majority of season 1, Maeve kept her bisexuality a secret and had to enter a relationship with Homelander for the sake of publicity and protecting Elena at the same from Homelander, who jealously murdered a man for hitting on her. When Homelander reveals her sexuality on live television to deflect the question of diversity, Maeve is beyond furious with him and Vought enveloped her by quickly marketing her as an LBGT icon. Vought was incredibly blatant about objectifying her as a gay hero despite Maeve's many attempts to tell them she was actually bisexual and extremely uncomfortable with being solely defined by her sexuality.

* The Deep is one of what it means to deconstruct the KarmicButtMonkey. The man is horrible for what he did to Starlight and in turn, suffers so much terrible things in return. But the fact that so many terrible things constantly happen to him or that he's forced to do, over and over and OVER, it takes said punishment to uncomfortable levels. Put simply: if someone deserves karmic punishment for a crime, just ''how much'' punishment should they suffer before it becomes excessive? Is it actually karmic punishment at that point, or just indulging the audience in a revenge-sadism fantasy?

** Soldier Boy also deconstructs the LivingRelic. Having been around since before the Second World War, Soldier Boy has the mindset of someone who lived through the Great Depression all the way into the Cold War. Instead of having the virtues associated with the era, though, Ben is DeliberateValuesDissonance personified, being insanely toxic to those he works with, has sexist opinions of women, is dismissive of the LGBT community, insults the mentally ill, hates '''any''' display of emotion and vulnerability, and shows disdain for those who prefer diplomacy to violence. In short, while most living relics make people yearn for the so-called "good old days", Soldier Boy shows precisely ''why'' these attitudes [[SocietyMarchesOn were left behind in the first place]].

!![[Characters/TheBoys2019TheBoys The Boys]]
* [[Characters/TheBoys2019BillyButcher Billy Butcher]] is one for the BadassNormal VigilanteMan archetype, particularly the CrusadingWidow EscapistCharacter[[invoked]] form. Billy is excessively violent and treats even his friends with insulting sarcasm, and drips of toxic masculinity, which is the primary reason the Boys are so dysfunctional, and his treatment of them is clearly abusive on his end. Though he justifies his rage by what happened to Becca, it's made clear that he was always a violent person who was just looking for an excuse to go off on a rampage, and what Homelander did just gave him a target. While he's not shown to be as bad as Homelander or Stormfront, he's presented as less sympathetic a character than half the Supes themselves and nowhere near as noble as he thinks himself to be. Uniquely, Butcher is also a {{Reconstruction}}, as CharacterDevelopment causes him to [[TookALevelInKindness mellow out]] and drift away from the worst aspects of this trope, even if he leans toward extremism.

** Just like Homelander, [[spoiler:his son]], Soldier Boy deconstructs the AllAmericanFace. As a CorruptedCharacterCopy of ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'', Soldier Boy was an enlisted soldier who received SuperSerum that turned him into a SuperSoldier who fought for his nation. Unlike Steve, though, Soldier Boy is very much a product of his time, having outdated views on gender, masculinity, and homosexuality, resulting in him being a bigoted {{Jerkass}}. [[spoiler:It's also revealed that he was TheBully to the rest of Payback, especially toward Black Noir, whose life he ruined due to an inability to share the spotlight]]. Perhaps most damningly of all, [[spoiler:Soldier Boy's entire combat record was faked, with most of his experience coming from cracking down against Civil Rights protestors]].
** Soldier Boy also deconstructs the LivingRelic. Having been around since before the Second World War, Soldier Boy has the mindset of someone who lived through the Great Depression all the way into the Cold War. Instead of having the virtues associated with the era, though, SB is insanely toxic to those he works with, has sexist opinions of women, is dismissive of the LGBT community, insults the mentally ill, hates '''any''' display of emotion and vulnerability, and shows disdain for those who prefer diplomacy to violence. In short, while most living relics make people yearn for the past, Soldier Boy shows precisely why these attitudes were left behind in the first place.

* Dr. Frederick Vought's essentially what somebody with the willingness and capabilities to create a super-soldier formula would really be like: lacking in ethics and capitalizing on the success found. Creation of a serum that dramatically changes human genetics requires a basis, so he went to work with human testing. He was able to experiment on several humans under a [[TheSocialDarwinist regime that would allow and encourage]] his operations. In the goal of genetically engineering an army of supermen, he ensured that his formula would [[AvertedTrope not be]] [[DisposableSuperheroMaker limited in its use]]. With the war over, he would go on to create a company centered around this new invention to find further uses for it.
* Stan Edgar is one to the CorruptCorporateExecutive and TheChessmaster. Edgar has been planning for Vought to achieve dominance in America for a ''long'' time, laying foundations for Supes to be in the military and [[spoiler:for Supes under his control to take up political positions to help further his cause]]. Additionally, he also makes sure to check for someone who could be an effective successor, showing that he is well aware of his own limits. He even has the skills and authority needed to cow ''Homelander'' into submission. By the time of Season 3, though, his plans are starting to backfire -- his decision to [[spoiler:[[EnemyMine aid the Boys]] [[GodzillaThreshold to take down Stormfront]]]] allowed them time to recover and find information that might actually be able to hurt Vought. Furthermore, while Edgar was able to put Homelander in his place, the successive blows to his ego from the past two seasons have desensitized the Supe to Edgar's normal methods. In essence, while Stan is still TheChessmaster and able to use his corporate assets to their greatest effects, ''he can't account for everything''.

* Sam Butcher deconstructs the ToughLove, SinkOrSwimMentor father. Sam claims he beat his sons to make them stronger, but it’s present as nothing more then toxic masculinity at best, and an excuse to beat and torment his sons at worst. On the SinkOrSwimMentor side of things, it shows what happens when this type of person gets someone killed, he shows no remorse for his son Lenny’s suicide.

* [[Characters/TheBoys2019BillyButcher Billy Butcher]] is one for the BadassNormal VigilanteMan archetype, particularly the CrusadingWidower EscapistCharacter[[invoked]] form. Billy is excessively violent and treats even his friends with insulting sarcasm, and drips of toxic masculinity, which is the primary reason the Boys are so dysfunctional, and his treatment of them is clearly abusive on his end. Though he justifies his rage by what happened to Becca, it's made clear that he was always a violent person who was just looking for an excuse to go off on a rampage, and what Homelander did just gave him a target. While he's not shown to be as bad as Homelander or Stormfront, he's presented as less sympathetic a character than half the Supes themselves and nowhere near as noble as he thinks himself to be. Uniquely, Butcher is also a {{Reconstruction}}, as CharacterDevelopment causes him to [[TookALevelInKindness mellow out]] and drift away from the worst aspects of this trope, even if he leans toward extremism.

** Soldier Boy also deconstructs the LivingRelic. Having been around since before the Second World War, Soldier Boy has the mindset of someone who lived through the Great Depression all the way into the Cold War. Instead of having the virtues associated with the era, though, SB is insanely toxic to those he works with, has sexist opinions of women, is dismissive of the LGBT community, insults the mentally ill, and shows disdain for those who prefer diplomacy to violence. In short, while most living relics make people yearn for the past, Soldier Boy shows precisely why these attitudes were left behind in the first place.