Over the past seven years of watching The Boys, there is no doubt that A-Train has become my favorite character in the superhero satire. Sure, there are some great all-around figures like Kimiko and Hughie who always try to do the right thing, but no one has proved themselves as much as the super-fast Supe, which made the culmination of his redemption arc that much more emotional in the final season's premiere.
Warning: the following contains major spoilers for The Boys season 5 episodes 1 and 2, so turn back now if you're not caught up with the Prime Video show.
Going into season 5, I knew no one was safe, and that probably most of the characters I have come to love would perish either at the hands of a tyrannical Homelander or V-d up Billy Butcher. However, I think I speak for most Boys fans when I say that A-Train's death in episode 1 came as quite a shock.
But it's not the way that Jessie T. Usher's Supe died that rocked me. It's the fact that his whole story came full circle in those final moments, tying up the most satisfying character arc since Game of Thrones' zero-to-hero Jaime Lannister.
You can't stop the A-Train
Let's think back to when we first met A-Train, real name Reggie Franklin, way back in the first scene of The Boys season 1. As Hughie leaned in to kiss his then-girlfriend Robin, A-Train came in at breakneck speed on his way to save a civilian. The Supe ran right through her, killing her in an instant, and the kicker was, he wasn't even on his way to save anyone. It was all a setup to look good for the cameras. Classic Vought. In that moment, I think we all made up our minds about the runner.
After Robin's death, Vought made A-Train apologise to smooth over his image, but Hughie knew he wasn't being genuine. "You just get away with everything, don't you? Just running past all the broken people you leave behind," said Hughie later in season 3. That's just the kind of guy A-Train was. He only cared about how he looked. He never really saved anyone, which was pointed out to him by his brother several times. Even when he tried to avenge his brother after Blue Hawk put him in a wheelchair, the Supe went about it all the wrong way, murdering the villain when his brother specifically said not to.
However, in season 4, A-Train started to see the light. The Supe began to feed the Boys inside information from Vought. Then, in Gen V season 2, he went full outlaw, joining the resistance alongside Starlight and Marie Moreau. Although he kept himself at arm's length at the start of season 5, the Supe didn't let the Boys down. He showed up at the last minute and literally saved the day. This took me right back to that scene in season 4, episode 7, where A-Train reveals that saving Mother's Milk, away from the cameras and fans, was the best feeling in the world, adding, "For once, I didn't hate myself."
The ultimate sacrifice
In The Boys season 5 episode 1, after saving MM from the camp's guard and pushing Hughie out of the way of Homelander's laser beams, the Supe puts himself right on the Seven leader's chopping block. In a tense final chase, Homelander pursues A-Train, and at one point, it looks like he might get away, but when a woman starts to cross the road, he has a choice: run through her like he did Robin, or dodge her and face Homelander's wrath. In the most beautiful full-circle moment (hats off to you, Eric Kripke), A-Train sacrifices himself to save the woman, proving he is not the same man we met in season 1 episode 1.
In a way, I have always had a soft spot for A-Train. He was constantly fighting an uphill battle. Yes, he was a privileged, arrogant member of the Seven used as a pawn by Vought, but he was constantly put between a rock and a hard place, trying to please both his employers and his family. But he managed to right all of his wrongs in his last moments.
There has been a lot of discourse online as to why Homelander was able to catch up with A-Train in that final chase. Even before A-Train dodged the pedestrian and fell into the forest, the laser-eyed baddie was hot on his tail, which was confusing, as A-Train is supposed to be the fastest Supe out of the bunch. However, I don't think that was a mistake. I believe A-Train wanted Homelander to catch him and kill him. He just needed to get far enough from the camp to ensure Butcher and co. would make it out alive. But in the end, A-Train knew that as long as he was on the run, his family would never be safe, so he made the ultimate sacrifice. And that is why A-Train is the best The Boys character.
The Boys season 5 continues weekly on Prime Video. See our The Boys season 5 release schedule for exact timings, and check out our guide to the best Prime Video shows.
