The boys' a-train dies in season 5 premiere, homelander's fury explored

The Boys' brutal Season 5 premiere culminates in the shocking death of fan-favorite character A-Train, courtesy of his former teammate Homelander.

Homelander's vendetta against a-train

After defecting from The Seven and joining Starlight's resistance in Season 4, A-Train had a massive target on his back heading into the final season. Showrunner Eric Kripke revealed to IGN that the writers had long decided A-Train would be the first to meet his end, given the depth of Homelander's anger towards him.

Homelander ultimately snaps A-Train's neck, but not before the speedster ridicules him, wondering why he was ever so afraid of him in the first place. This poetic justice echoes A-Train's infamous debut scene in the series premiere, where he accidentally ran through Hughie's girlfriend while pursuing a criminal.

Now, as A-Train goes out a hero in his final moments, dodging an innocent bystander that costs him his life, it serves as a powerful bookend to his character arc. He's grown significantly from that careless, reckless youth to a more human and humane figure.