This Is How The Boys: Diabolical Finale Connects To The Boys Season 3

Fans have been waiting for the arrival of Season 3 of "The Boys" for some time. Thankfully, the popular Amazon series will premiere this summer. In the meantime, viewers can satiate their taste for blood and dark humor with the anthology series "The Boys: Diabolical." With eight episodes, each is a different story in the world of "The Boys," all using different animation styles and themes. Though the episodes vary wildly in tone, each episode demonstrates the consequences of Vought dispensing Compound V to both the willing and unwilling.

Upon first watch, it may seem as though the characters of "The Boys" are a little different in animated form. For one, the appearances of Hughie and Butcher are not exactly how they are portrayed in the live-action show. But don't let the stylistic changes fool you. This animated series definitely takes place within the same canon as the flagship series, and one episode in particular has big plot implications for "The Boys" Season 3.

Homelander's (Antony Starr) origins aren't exactly a secret. He was tended in a Vought lab as a child and raised to be the hero we now know and fear. But one of the more mysterious aspects of Homelander is what he was like before all the fame and fortune. Was he always the despicable monster we've come to loathe on "The Boys"?

The last episode of "The Boys: Diabolical" answers that question. When Homelander is first accepted into The Seven, it seems that there is hope for him. But this is immediately dashed thanks to Madelyn Stillwell's (voiced by Elisabeth Shue) expert manipulations and Homelander's penchant to fly off the handle. In his first mission as one of The Seven, Homelander overreacts in a hostage situation, ultimately murdering everyone he was there to protect. In an interview with Variety, showrunner Eric Kripke explained in no uncertain terms that the story is canon. 

"[Director Simon Racioppa] just did such a good job writing and directing it, that watching it, I was like, 'This is for sure what happened,'" Kripke said.

The story not only shows that Homelander was always a little unhinged, but also serves as a kind of meet-cute between him and Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell). At the start of the episode, Madelyn attempts to control Homelander by pitting him against Black Noir. She states that he is only there to make sure Homelander doesn't mess up. But during the hostage crisis, Homelander learns that he can depend on the other Supe.

After Homelander kills the hostages, the two come up with a plan to protect themselves as well as grant good publicity for Vought. This is an important moment for the two characters who are arguably the most loyal to Vought in the live-action show. As Kripke states, this is an event that connects to "The Boys" at large. 

Kripke went on to say: "There is a certain amount of background setup of really understanding the relationship between Homelander and Black Noir and giving us a deeper understanding before Season 3." The audience has seen what both Black Noir and Homelander will do when it comes to protecting Vought. This has promising implications for those concerned about Black Noir as well. Though he was recovering from anaphylaxis at the end of Season 2, this seems to imply that he will remain significant in Season 3 when it returns.