Despite only having any real character development in season 2 of The Boys, it’s undeniable that Becca Butcher has been one of the most important elements of the Amazon Prime superhero series from the very start.
Prior to the finale of season 1, it was believed that Becca was dead. But Billy and Homelander discovered that she had ghosted her own life because she had actually had Homelander’s child, and was raising him in secret for years. And although Becca played a major part in season 2, her character arc ended with her very real death in the season finale. But why was it the right time for her to die, and why was killing her off a mistake?
Needed To Die: Because Ryan Needs To Escape Vought
Becca seems to be a very good mother, and would obviously sacrifice anything for Ryan in the most literal sense. However, in her desire to escape Homelander she had to make a deal with the devil in business form, also known as Vought.
While she did the best she could with the cards that she was dealt, it’s clear what happens to children who wind up in the control of Vought, so getting out was Ryan’s only hope for a better future.
Was A Mistake: Because She Got No Character Development
Probably the biggest flaw of Becca Butcher’s character arc is that she really didn’t have one. She seems to be more of a piece in a puzzle instead of an actual person, and given that Billy is supposed to be the pseudo-hero of the show, she deserved more.
She seemed to be there to propel Billy’s storyline and Ryan’s storyline, but didn’t get any development beyond that.
Needed To Die: Because She Was Making Billy The Worst
Billy isn’t exactly pleasant even on his best day, but he really used Becca’s faked death and then her imprisonment with Vought as an excuse to be the worst version of himself that he possibly could be.
And ultimately, it seems like his hurt feelings weren’t even about Becca as a person, he seemed to treat her more like something that belonged to him that he needed to get back no matter what, and he had little regard for her wants and needs.
Was A Mistake: Because Billy Deserved Better
While Billy can be an ass, beneath that extremely thick and prickly exterior he actually is a very caring person, and it’s clear that the loss of Becca the first time irreversibly traumatized him.
So then, it’s even worse that he momentarily got her back and had some hope that he could be who he was before, only for him to lose her again and literally have to watch her die.
Needed To Die: Because The Show Was Taking Her Character Nowhere
Becca’s return was definitely a shocking twist to end the first season, but once she came back it seemed like the show didn’t quite know what to do with her. She was just stuck in this holding pattern, being pulled between Ryan, Vought, Homelander, and Billy the entire time.
The show seemingly had no idea of how to move her forward, and letting her go is better than leaving the character in a permanent stasis.
Was A Mistake: Because Ryan Deserved Better
It’s actually pretty horrifying that Becca devoted her entire life to ensuring that Ryan never turned out like Homelander, and now Ryan will forever associate his superpowers with accidentally murdering his own mother.
It’s certainly the kind of dark twist that people have come to expect from The Boys, but it’s still devastating that Becca’s entire life’s purpose was nearly demolished because of one mistake.
Needed To Die: Because She Was Trapped In A Terrible Life
Being a permanent prisoner of Vought, raising the child you had as a result of a sexual assault, and doing everything you can to ensure that he never turns out like his biological father is a pretty miserable existence.
Becca had to spend her life completely alone, lying to her son all the time, trusting everything she cared about in the hands of a truly evil corporation. Death isn’t necessarily better, but she wasn’t losing much of a life worth living either.
Was A Mistake: Because She Deserved Better
Becca’s life may have been incredibly depressing, but that doesn’t mean her life could never get better either. It’s legitimately tragic that she was trapped in such a difficult situation, and despite the fact that things got even worse when Homelander showed up, there was a possibility that things could have gotten better soon too.
Obviously the government would have protected Ryan, and Becca would have finally had an opportunity at a life that isn’t quite as mired in fear.
Needed To Die: Because Billy Needed To Move On From His Obsession
Having Becca die for the sake of Billy moving is a horrible reason to kill a character, but it’s also a valid one given the circumstances. Billy let his obsession with Becca completely overtake his life and turn him into an awful person.
Now that Becca is truly gone and Ryan is out of Homelander’s hands, that at the very least allows Billy to move past some of the issues that have been plaguing him for so long.
Was A Mistake: Because They Fridged Her Twice
The most obvious issue with Becca’s death, both her fake death and her real one, is that her character was killed off twice for the sake of moving the story arc and character development of male characters forward.
Becca’s death has been the motivating factor for Billy since the beginning, it will undoubtedly fuel him even further now, and Ryan’s characterization will now be motivated by her death as well. And Becca deserved to be more than a prop for other characters.
