The death of A-Train was one of the biggest shocks of The Boys Season 5, and it was not something that was planned from the beginning. Erik Kripke was initially reluctant about axing A-Train so early in the final season as the creator and showrunner had bigger plans. The writers’ room had mapped out an alternate storyline where A-Train would help the Boys throughout Season 5, with the death potentially happening in episode three. But Kripke’s team had other ideas, and they weren’t shy about pushing back.
Speaking to Polygon, Kripke stated,
“My writers convinced me by saying, ‘Look, you need to show is the final season dangerous or not? And if it’s really going to be dangerous, you have to do it right up top so then you realize that anyone is vulnerable,’ which I thought was a very strong argument.”
What makes the death particularly devastating is how it’s a callback to his arc in the beginning. We see him getting caught by Homelander because he swerves to avoid hitting an innocent bystander, a callback to the series premiere when he carelessly killed Hughie’s girlfriend. Kripke finds the moment deeply moving, as he said that “it really just really underlines the human he’s grown into”
Further he added,
“Someone in the writer’s room said, ‘Well, the first time we met him, he carelessly ran through a woman. So the last time we meet him, he should carefully avoid one and really show the bookends of how he’s changed as a character…”And even though it cost him his life, he really went out as a hero.”
A-Train’s legacy on The Boys
From the very first day, A-Train was the villain who led the story into what it has become today. His accidental killing of Robin Ward sparked Hughie’s vendetta and launched The Boys’ mission. For years, he embodied toxic celebrity culture, greedy, careless, willing to murder to protect his status but something shifted soon enough.
By Season 5, A-Train had transformed into something The Boys rarely allows: genuine redemption. Kripke called his decision to swerve and avoid hitting an innocent woman a “really moving signpost” of his journey as he spoke to Nerdist about how it’s the most heartbreaking moment of the show, and fans would surely agree.
Jessie T. Usher’s performance was perhaps the best part about the character, as he transformed A-Train from a cautionary tale into the show’s most unexpected hero. He will surely be missed in the upcoming episodes, and it would be interesting to see how his absence affects the story.
The Boys is streaming on Prime Video.
Edited by Nibir Konwar