One of the most entertaining shows on television right now is the darkly comedic superhero series one of the best villains in recent memory.
Despite acting as the noblest superhero in the world, there is no doubting that Homelander is a bad guy and capable of doing some horrific things. However, even a character like this might not be completely evil. Though he has plenty of terrible traits that are easy to see, there might also be a few redeeming qualities to him as well.
Worst: Self-Obsessed
One of the most disturbing and funniest scenes in season two was Homelander's rendezvous with the shapeshifting supe, Doppelgänger. While Homelander initially wants Doppelgänger to help him recreate fantasies with Madelyn Stillwell, Doppelgänger eventually tries to please him by turning in Homelander himself.
It is a hilariously twisted moment, but one that speaks to Homelander's main issue. The only thing he really cares about is himself, and his superior attitude is the reason for a lot of his most atrocious behavior.
Best: Powerful
The idea behind the character of Homelander is basically a superhero who is as powerful as Superman, but almost pure evil. That is a scary notion for sure, but it's also hard not to be a little impressed with how powerful Homelander really is.
There are other supes in the show who are capable of amazing things, but none of them come close to standing up against Homelander. It is an intimidating power level for sure, but it's hard to deny it makes him more interesting.
Worst: Uncaring
Perhaps because of his incredible power, Homelander looks down on humanity. At best, he views them with indifference, and at worst he has contempt for how weak they are compared to himself. It is this detachment from humanity that allows Homelander to do such terrible things.
Looking at the scene in which Homelander and Queen Maeve try to save a hijacked airplane is a perfect example of how little he cares. He is not the slightest bit bothered by the fact that he is leaving a plane full of people to die for no reason.
Best: Cares About His Son
Another aspect of Homelander's hatred for humanity is that he is lonely. This doesn't really make him sympathetic at all, and actually makes him somewhat scarier. But he finds hope for ending his loneliness with his son, Ryan.
Despite being abusive and evil to Ryan's mother, he attempts to raise Ryan as his own and seems genuinely proud that he is developing as a supe. Homelander is not a good father by any means and the relationship is very twisted, yet it is rare to see him seem to love someone who isn't himself.
Worst: Psychological Tormenting
The show has proven many times that Homelander is more than capable of inflicting terrible violence on anyone who angers him in the slightest way. But his terror does not simply manifest itself in a physical way, but also in a psychological way.
He holds Ryan's mother Becca hostage and makes her live in fear of ever trying to abandon him. He also has a stronghold over Queen Maeve and subtly threatens to kill her if she ever tries to find happiness with someone else.
Best: A Leader
The psychological torture of his teammate Queen Maeve is not really a good argument for Homelander's leadership skills. It's true that he is not the kind of leader most people would want, but there is no denying that he is indeed a leader.
While the superhero group known as the Seven is filled with all sorts of powerful people, most of them are also pretty awful. However, they are also all terrified of Homelander. Without the fear of what their leader might do, these supes might have been out-of-control.
Worst: Prejudicial
It is not just that Homelander is a violent man with superpowers, but he also has some ugly prejudice against certain people. Stormfront reveals herself as a Nazi and murderous racist, but that only makes him like her more, which is a bad indicator of his own beliefs.
He also rejects a blind superhero from ing the Seven because he doesn't want to be associated with someone with a disability. He also seems to be against the fact that Queen Maeve is bisexual, just to add some more hatred into the mix.
Best: Restraint
It is hard to give Homelander credit for anything considering he is such an evil person. In fact, one of the few defenses that comes to mind is that, well, he could be worse.
Homelander is probably the most powerful being on the planet, and he could wipe out entire armies single-handily if he wanted. The fact that he holds back doesn't make him a good guy, but it shows that he could be much more devastating if he really wanted to.
Worst: Needlessly Cruel
When it comes to fighting crime and being a superhero to the public, Homelander is virtually unstoppable. Given his incredible strength and powers, there is no reason he would ever have to kill anyone, and could save the day with minimal effort.
But Homelander just doesn't care about collateral damage or needless violence. In some cases, he seems to like it. When meeting the blind hero, Homelander brutally renders him deaf just to prove a point. Horrific violence is like breathing to him.
Best: Pretends To Do Good
Though he is quite clearly a bad guy, Homelander presents himself to the world as the noblest of heroes. He hides his true self while pretending to be the protector of humanity and a beacon of justice. Again, it speaks to how awful he is that these lies are among his best qualities.
Homelander could be an evil supervillain who terrorized the world, but he desperately wants the people to think he's the hero. That desire to be loved is about the only thing that is keeping this unhinged supe in check.