With The Boys season three well underway, one can't spend much time online without seeing some of Billy Butcher's quotes and and best moments referenced by fans of the series. The character instantly became an icon upon the show's debut, exemplifying the witty antiheroes whom superhero lovers have come to love in the 2010s.
Performed by Karl Urban, an actor who'd already played a number of memorable characters in major franchises, his starring role in the show is easy to love. Fans on Ranker have voted on their favorite quotes, based on a plethora of often vulgar lines.
Billy Butcher On Happily Ever After
"Expecting a happy ending, were we? Well, I'm sorry, Hughie. It ain't that kind of massage parlor."
Billy and Hughie's relationship is complicated, as Billy's cynical and often sadistic world views create a conflict of interest in how the two plan to take down Vought and the Seven. Season two of The Boys peaked their conflict so far, as Billy's hatred for Starlight causes a major rift.
Billy always keeps a condescending tone towards Hughie, treating him like a less informed little brother. "Expecting a happy ending were we? Well, I'm sorry, Hughie. It ain't that kind of massage parlor," he says, hilariously adding his own twist to a common entertainment trope, as the characters in The Boys so often do.
Billy Butcher On Religion
"I'm saying if there is some geezer up there with a big white beard, he's a world heavyweight c---."
As mentioned before, Billy has a cynical world view, and religion is no exception. The Boys attend a religious convention in Season one called the Believe Expo, where fans get to see how Billy and other characters feel about organized religion.
Billy says "I'm saying if there is some geezer up there, with a big white beard, he's a world heavyweight c---." In the short scene with Billy talking to a Priest, he manages to leave the old man astonished with only a few sentences. The provocative comments are well aligned with the nature of the show, which often aims to shock its viewers.
Billy Butcher On Dumb Superhero Code Names
"You're a moron. 'Translucent' doesn't even mean 'invisible.' It means 'semi-transparent.'"
The capturing and killing of Translucent alone is rich with hilarious, character defining quotes, making it the perfect scenario for the premiere episode. Billy's hatred for the supes is already extremely high at the start of the series, making him cherish the moments he has to verbally torture Translucent.
Before the invisible superhero is killed, Billy lets him have a piece of his mind, saying "I'll tell you who you are, you're a moron. 'Translucent' doesn't even mean 'invisible,' it means 'semi-transparent.'" The joke not only mocks the character, but is a meta reference to the writing of superhero entertainment.
Billy Butcher On Sticking To The Plan
"Well, now we've got to kill him."
Like with Homelander, some of Billy's funniest moments are when he's simply acting like a normal person, being sarcastically positive. Homelander also has tons of great quotes. When meeting the mind reading hero Mesmer in season one, Billy puts on his lovably sarcastic charm and pretends to be a fan.
It might've been a nice moment for Mesmer, had Billy not been planning to murder him later in that episode. Billy says "Wow. Mesmer. Hello. Big Fan. Be with you in a minute," before turning to Milk and saying "Well, now we've got to kill him."
Billy Butcher On Hitting Rock Bottom
"Don't worry. It can get a lot more horrible."
In another loving moment with Hughie, Billy shares some of his hardened, worldly insight. Hughie is still new to the team at this point, and after some of their first rough experiences together, he says "Just when you think this s--- can't get any more horrible..."
"Nah, don't worry. It can get a lot more horrible," is the only appropriate Billy Butcher response, and he delivers it perfectly. Billy reminds Hughie of the violent nature of their mission, telling him that the worst is yet to come. Having already seen some shocking things in the first few episodes, the audience is warned at this point about what's left to come.
Billy Butcher On Romance With Supes
Just what? F--- off to Epcot? The Hamptons? Maybe pump out a few flying babies?
The relationship between Hughie and Starlight creates a rift between him and Billy fairly quickly. Billy's hatred for supes doesn't discriminate, and he's immediately distrustful of Starlight, despite her having the best intentions.
Hughie tries to reason with him, and Billy responds in the most Billy way possible, saying, "Just what? F--- off to Epcot? The Hamptons? Maybe pump out a few flying babies?" Suggesting the two of them go off on a romantic vacation and add to the problem by birthing more supes.
Billy Butcher On Supes
"People love that cozy feeling Supes give them ... but if you knew half the s--- they get up to. F---ing diabolical."
At the start of The Boys, Billy Butcher is not only the tour guide of the universe for Hughie, but also for the audience. It's his quote in the first episode that summarizes what the plot of the show is going to be about, and the type of personality its characters will have.
"See, people love that cozy feeling Supes give them... but if you knew half the s--- they get up to. F---ing diabolical," he says. The quote is the most Billy Butcher way possible to sum up the show.
Billy Butcher On Probing Questions
"I just had to pop down to the shop. I was running a bit low on mind your own f---ing business."
Billy Butcher isn't a man who often has to explain himself, or answer questions, even to his closest friends and allies. When Milk asks him to explain where he disappeared to, Billy responds with "I just had to pop down to the shop. I was running a bit low on mind your own f---ing business."
The Boys is filled with quotes that feel relatable to its viewers. In a sense, Billy often says the words that fans are thinking — relative to the world he lives in, that is — which is part of what makes him so enjoyable to watch.
Billy Butcher On Hostage Treatment
"We didn't bring him here for a f---ing Happy Meal."
Another hilarious quote from the initial encounter with Translucent, and Hughie's truest introduction to what the Boys would be doing. Hughie, still shocked at the situation he's found himself in, asks, "You're going to kill him?"
Calmly, Billy replies with "We didn't bring him here for a f---ing Happy Meal." For many, this could've been one of the lines that sold fans on the show, as the humor makes it one of the best dark comedy shows airing right now, while also providing some fun superhero drama.
Billy Butcher On Righteous Anger
"Where's your f---ing rage, your self-respect? Sitting here in your little share circle, having a little whinge and a moan. ... Just a bunch of scared f---ing rabbits."
One of the more inventing ideas in The Boys was the idea for AA-like meetings for folks whose lives had been affected by superheroes. Billy is shocked to find out that despite their lives having been ruined by the heroes, the meeting attendants were still gushing over having had any sort of experience with the celebrity supes.
Billy goes off on them verbally, instantly producing a paragraph long monologue on why everyone in the room was pathetic for not taking up arms against the supes like is. "Where's your f---ing rage, your self-respect? Sitting here in your little share circle. Having a little whinge and a moan," he says.