The boys s5, e1-2: a-train's shocking death sets tense tone for final season

The Boys' latest episode started strong, but ended in heartbreak for fans as A-Train met his demise at the hands of Homelander.

A-train's tragic demise sets grim tone for season 5

Viewers had been warned that no one is safe in the show's final season, and the first episode is a stark reminder of that fact. Jessie T. Usher's A-Train, a long-running character, was the first major casualty of Season 5.

In a shocking twist, A-Train was killed by his former ally Homelander (Antony Starr). Having defected from The Seven and joined Starlight's (Erin Moriarty) resistance in Season 4, A-Train had a target on his back going into Season 5. Ultimately, his speed proved insufficient to outrun his vindictive ex-teammate.

Homelander snapped A-Train's neck, but not before the character laughed and ridiculed him, wondering why he'd ever been so afraid of him in the first place. Showrunner Eric Kripke revealed in an interview that the writers had always intended for A-Train to be the first major character to die in the series.

Kripke noted that there's poetic justice in A-Train's death, given his character development. In the series premiere, A-Train accidentally killed a woman while pursuing a criminal, a mistake that led him to join Starlight's cause. In his final scene, A-Train dodges an innocent bystander, losing his footing and falling prey to Homelander. Kripke describes this as A-Train going out a hero, marking a significant bookend to his character arc.

A-Train's death sets a bleak tone for the rest of Season 5, which will see Starlight and her allies lose another powerful ally in Episode 2 with the thawing of Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles). Meanwhile, Billy Butcher and his deadly supes virus may finally turn the tide against The Seven. With much still to unfold, fans will have to wait and see how the series concludes its final run.