Gen V Season 2's New Villain Is The Boys Franchise's Best Since Homelander
By Dan Bibby
September 25th, 2025
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Gen V season 2, episode 4, "Bags."
Gen V and The Boys continue to go hand-in-hand as two shows that combine to create an entire saga, and the spinoff has recently introduced a bad guy who gives Anthony Starr's Homelander a run for his money. Currently in its second season, Gen V is already no stranger to making endless references to its parent show. However, it's also made some great original contributions to Amazon's superhero franchise.
Although both shows are filled with characters of varying villainy, Homelander has been the gold standard since The Boys kick-started the live-action adaptation in 2019. Since then, no one has come along to legitimately dethrone Starr's character as the series' best big bad. I'm not saying that this has now happened, but it could be a close-fought thing.
Although both shows are filled with characters of varying villainy, Homelander has been the gold standard since The Boys kick-started the live-action adaptation in 2019. Since then, no one has come along to legitimately dethrone Starr's character as the series' best big bad. I'm not saying that this has now happened, but it could be a close-fought thing.
Cipher Is Already Giving Homelander A Run For His Money As The Boys Franchise's Best Villain
After debuting in the Gen V season 2 premiere, Hamish Linklater's Cipher has made an immediate impact on the show. Hamish's performance as Godolkin University's enigmatic dean paints the character as intense, charismatic, and deeply unsettling - sound familiar? While his true motives are yet to be revealed, watching him take root as the most senior figure at God U has been a great ride so far.
I'll clarify by saying that I don't think Dean Cipher is a better villain than Homelander, but I'm struggling to think of another bad guy from the saga who has drawn me in quite so immediately as Anthony Starr's character. I trust almost nothing Cipher says, but I love every second he's on the screen. If that's not the formula for an awesome TV villain, I don't know what is. I just hope it all pays off.
I'll clarify by saying that I don't think Dean Cipher is a better villain than Homelander, but I'm struggling to think of another bad guy from the saga who has drawn me in quite so immediately as Anthony Starr's character. I trust almost nothing Cipher says, but I love every second he's on the screen. If that's not the formula for an awesome TV villain, I don't know what is. I just hope it all pays off.
Cipher Has An Edge Over Homelander For Fans Of The Boys Comics
The Boys, and by extension Gen V, began as a series of comics by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. So, for those watching The Boys who were already familiar with the source material, the already rapid reveal of Homelander not being the hero he seems to the public would have been spoiled in advance. In other words, part of his arc is already ruined going in.
Cipher doesn't have those issues. While The Boys has certainly made some pretty big changes to the comics so far, Gen V has been given even more creative license than its parent show. Gen V consists almost entirely of original characters and storylines, and this includes Cipher. Therefore, it's impossible to accurately predict what's in store for Linklater's Gen V character, which could make him a more compelling villain for OG fans of The Boys comics.
Cipher doesn't have those issues. While The Boys has certainly made some pretty big changes to the comics so far, Gen V has been given even more creative license than its parent show. Gen V consists almost entirely of original characters and storylines, and this includes Cipher. Therefore, it's impossible to accurately predict what's in store for Linklater's Gen V character, which could make him a more compelling villain for OG fans of The Boys comics.
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