I recently finished watching the first season of Gen V, a series that’s generated quite a buzz in the realm of superhero content. While I initially ranked the main characters from my least to most favorite in my preview, this time around, my list has undergone a significant reshuffle after a full season’s journey.
Gen V is a spin-off of the popular series “The Boys,” and it follows in its predecessor’s footsteps as a dark reflection of the superhero genre. Where “The Boys” gave us a twisted take on the Justice League, Gen V delves into an interpretation of the X-Men. All episodes are available to stream on Prime Video, offering viewers a unique and gritty superhero experience.
Ranking the Characters
Before I dive into my updated character rankings, please note that this review contains spoilers as I discuss events that transpired during the season.
7. Golden Boy
After the first couple episodes, Golden Boy just pops up in flashbacks or Sam’s visions. He was really cool for those first episodes. His death was impactful and was definitely an inciting incident for the season.
6. Emma
I really liked Emma in my first list, but her peak really was those first couple of episodes. She was really there to bring us Sam, and after she broke him out, she was kind of a glorified babysitter for him. She didn’t do much that was really cool after that, and she was always scolding him for going off and having his fun. But I’m still interested to see where the story might take her in future appearances.
5. Andre
I really like Chance Perdomo performance as Andre, but we never really got any awesome moments from that character. There was a scene in the ambulance with him and his dad, or the part where he stopped the chopper in the final episode. But none of those were really that impressive to me. His character never really stepped into the forefront, so he dropped a little bit to number five this time.
4. Jordan
Jordan didn’t really have a lot of growth throughout the season, but the concept of their powers was really cool. We got a little of their backstory and how they came to be in the position that they were in within the social hierarchy of the university. They had a little more mystery and mystique, which was what originally drew me to the character in the preview. So they dropped just a little bit on this list.
3. Sam
Sam’s the comeback kid because I had him dead last in my original list because we barely got to see him in the first couple of episodes, but he quickly became an important character. After that, he was kind of the audience’s view into the shady dealings that were happening below Godulkin University. I thought the muppet angle of his powers was kind of weird, but I suppose that someone struggling with having visions like that could be a realistic thing. And I just loved how brutal he was. He disposed of all of his enemies very quickly.
2. Cate
And what a come back for Cate! in my preview. I didn’t think that her character was all that important or that interesting. I just thought that she was a good girlfriend character to the popular kid. I thought she had potential, though, and she realized it for sure, especially in the last handful of episodes when her relationship with Indira Shetty was revealed.
Her powers were a dark mix between Professor X’s and Rogue’s, and I loved it. Her rampage in the last episode was awesome and I love where we leave her at the end. I guarantee she pops up again!
1. Marie
In my preview, I thought that Marie might be my favorite character, and after making my way through the season, that remained to be true. She seemed to have the best intentions out of all the characters and to also be the least corruptible. I was hoping that she would have a moment where she’d take her powers to the next level, but that never really happened. But we see her using them in a lot of interesting ways. It was also cool seeing the parallels between Maria and Olivia Newman with that character kind of serving as a little bit of a mentor for her.
Gen V vs. The Boys: Which Takes the Lead?
While both “Gen V” and “The Boys” are exceptional shows, I found “Gen V” to be even more enjoyable. The series offers exciting cameos and appearances from well-known characters such as Homelander, Soldier Boy, Olivia Newman, and Ashley Barrett. These appearances amplify the series’ importance in the grand scheme of things. With season two already announced, I eagerly anticipate what comes next and can’t believe I doubted the show’s potential based on initial trailers.
Share Your Thoughts on Gen V
What did you think of “Gen V”? Do you consider it a worthy addition to “The Boys” canon? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Until the next one, happy watching!
