Homelander strangled A-Train to death in the woods during the season 5 premiere of The Boys. Jessie T. Usher, who plays A-Train, told TVLine the demise was 'a long time coming' after his character ran out of allies. Co-stars reacted with shock while defending the storyline's bold risks.
The season 5 premiere of The Boys ended with a major twist: Homelander, on a warpath against other Supes, killed A-Train by strangling him in the woods. The violent scene capped A-Train's arc, which saw him turn heroic in recent seasons, including saving Hughie multiple times and earning forgiveness for killing Hughie's girlfriend in season 1. Usher had anticipated the end, approaching showrunner Eric Kripke at the close of season 4 to discuss his character's dire situation. 'Every decision he made dug his hole a little bit deeper,' Usher recalled telling Kripke, who deferred the resolution to season 5. In that moment, Usher knew it signaled 'the start of the end.' He expressed gratitude that A-Train lasted this far and confronted Homelander one last time. Jessie T. Usher kept A-Train's death secret from co-stars for about a year, surprising them when they read the script. Karan Fukuhara, who plays Kimiko, said it 'stopped me in my tracks,' texting Usher immediately: 'I'm devastated.' She laughed at his nonchalant response despite her tears. Antony Starr, portraying Homelander, defended the killing without apology. 'Whoops?' he quipped to TVLine. 'One thing I love about this show is that it's never been afraid of taking big swings... it makes for good TV.' Jack Quaid, who plays Hughie, appreciated the forgiveness arc in season 4, noting A-Train's growth and soul-turn. Usher praised his character's final choice to die for the greater fight.