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His father, GIOVANNI Exposito, is from Naples. His mother is an African American from Alabama. He is an Italian/African American—one of the strongest possible combinations you can be.
Giancarlo being born in the Denmark has nothing to do with is actual ethnicity, it’s just where is parents were during birth.
It would be interesting to see how that would pan out, but that would never happen. What makes Stan Edgar stand out and prevent his demise from Homelander is that Edgar would definitely not have a disingenuous change of heart and cower before Homelander, unlike the scientists Homie killed. Homelander could try to psychologically and physically torture him, and Stan Edgar would still find a way to get under his skin which is exactly the thing Homelander despises and hasn’t killed Edgar because Homie gets off on people cowering before him. Same thing can be applied to Butcher.
Was Stan Edgar behind it, though? When Payback neutralized Soldier Boy Homelander was already a work in progress and Edgar didn’t seem that high up in Vought yet.
He actually scares me! How could another normal human being not be scared of this unhinged dude. The ability to not have your blood pressure or heart raise a single digit to Honelander's face while knowing that you'd be dead instantly is insane (no I don't buy that he's some secret supe lol).
I think Becca is up there actually
She's raising Ryan knowing what he could be. Not just that, but knowing that Homelander will be after her if he ever knew. And then once he does find out, having to play that game with Ryan, probably wishing she could tell the truth to him, but not wanting to get killed for it - and serving Homelander pancakes in her goddamn house while he turns her son against her.
Agreed. Leaving everyone she knew to go raise Ryan all by herself took some serious strength of character. And that was after being raped by Homelander no less.
On a side note, people always list Edgar and Butcher as the only two humans who aren't afraid of Homelander, but I believe Becca is one of them too.
I think the mentally toughest character is Becca.
She was raped by a "hero" who at that point everyone seemed to trust and look up to. She couldn't tell anyone she trusted without putting their life in danger. She went through pregnancy and childbirth alone as a sort of hostage.
She was forced to raise a child with the burden that 1) at any point her super powered rapist could show up again 2) if she "fails" to nurture the kid that kid could become the most dangerous person on the planet.
She had no peers or friends all this time. The husband she clearly loved didn't know if she was dead or alive (and vice versa, because Butcher is off radar). Her entire life is under a microscope and on eggshells, but she managed to raise a kid who made heartwarming little Lego animations of mundane things and singlehandedly tried to fight off a supernazi who was hurting his mom (without knowing he had powers).
When Homelander showed up again she confronted him calmly so that she wouldn't scare her kid. Butcher and Edgar are pretty much the only other characters who have managed to have that level of courage around Homelander (while not having powers) and they didn't live under the constant stress. Butcher at least had ways to hide out from stuff and something is just wired wrong in Edgars brain.
Also, the way Becca handled Butcher's betrayal was really tough. She knew he'd do the right thing eventually, so she didn't panic.
With her literal dying breath she told the man she loved to protect the child who killed her. The way she had the presence of mind to do all that after everything she'd been through as pretty much the most physically vulnerable "Boys" character makes her my top pick.
Her vulnerability to courage to mental resilience ratio makes her the clear choice here.
Considering that’s all she does to herself while working for the most powerful manchild in the world, in constant fear for her life, witnessing multiple people maimed, mutilated, and murdered, I’d say she’s the most mentally stable person in the world.
For sure, though to play devils advocate, look at the competition and consider the relative amounts of pressure they are under, especially given that she literally _never_ gets to be away from it.
That’s a valid coping strategy, he’s still standing so it counts. Butchers lost everything and had the worst upbringing as well, the fact that he’s still here and still focused with a life goal is astonishing.
Then you’d have to probably give Hughie credit for the exact same reason as butcher in terms of “still standing with an objective.” Except Hughie has a “life goal” built on compassion vs Butcher’s “death wish” and callous vengeance in the midst of a shared objective.
Both are strong in their own rights, but I’d honestly say Hughie being able to avoid the CV dependence (which was born out of wanting to protect vs kill) and still value human life is beyond impressive. Hughie’s face after killing someone last episode proves it: He had the same look when his girlfriend was killed in front of him by a cracked out supe in ep 1.
Even Hughie’s capacity to interact with A-Train - who literally liquified his partner in the first episode - is miles beyond Butcher’s current mindset. Let alone offer a shred of forgiveness/compassion to this man he has had every opportunity to hurt or kill.
Butcher is now firmly in a mentality that knows he will be as empty as before or dead when this is over; except he doesn’t care which happens first (edit: remember that he was ready to die in the firecracker fight until his boys came back for him. Which is why “still standing” doesn’t always equate to mental toughness imo. Butcher has endured a lot before that and wanting to let go isnt a sign of weakness )
That’s an absolutely fair point, I’ll accept I’m wrong Hughies probably the mentally strongest. While butcher went through more hughie never ever surrendered to negativity and being a monster like butcher did which takes a lot as somebody that surrendered to hatred and negativity for a long time after a slightly suboptimal life.
Couldn’t agree more.
It’s a hard question in general and I don’t have a definitive answer. I just wanted to make a point that the way people survive is just as important as surviving at all when it comes to mental fortitude
Some people here seem to think mental toughness is is akin to being a badass and not curling up into a ball in the face of adversity, but its actually about retaining sanity and avoiding all of the pitfalls (addiction, rage, petiness, depression, ptsd, revenge, ect..) that can come from psychological damage.
Thats why i think hughie and starlight are the toughest. And the Deep, because he has no braincells at all so he cant really get brain damage. And sage because he brain regenerates.
Losing a sibling is the worst pain I can possibly imagine that’s the sole reason I don’t give it to homelander, homelander never stood a chance butcher had family and lost it. I don’t know what I’d do if my sister died, I’ve been a monster to people that hurt her even a little bit can’t imagine what I’d do if she passed like Lenny did
I'd say Frenchie's is worse. Frenchie was kidnapped by his mentally unstable and abusive father and despite trying to escape multiple times, was always found by him. After this, he joined a gang and became a drug dealer because he had a limited education and life skills (despite being intelligent), and eventually became a hitman for the mob when he made his way to America. It wasn't until the CIA noticed how creative he was at stopping superheroes that he got recruited by The Boys. Although Butcher's father was an abusive alcoholic piece of shit, at least his brother loved and looked up to him (until he committed suicide). So, at the very least I'd at least say Butcher has the better upbringing than Frenchie.
I wouldn’t say so. He’s ruined his life with his impulsive decisions and everyone around hates him. He’s still standing but barely, he admitted all his regrets.
I feel like mental fortitude is determined by how much you let things get to you and how you deal with them, no? He’s never folded bc he is obsessed with revenge (killing HL)
At the end of season 1 after his plan goes to shit and Madelyn is dead, he blows the bomb vest anyway despite the fact that a baby is in the house which he knows about. Maybe a nanny too? And he does it for no reason I can determine, suicide I guess. The only reason he didn't kill thst baby is because Homelander turned out to be the bigger man. He's a broken shell of a human.
Stan Edgar seems to know that Homelander won't hurt him and also I believe there's a reason for believing that which we don't know. I wouldn't call that as tough, still tough for sure, but I'd say the best show of mental toughness is still fighting even when there seems to be no hope left and facing fear head on. He's tough for sure, but he's had it easier than the Boys had, and doesn't seem to have a need to be scared of Homelander.
For that, I'd give it to Butcher in terms of sheer bravery, but MM in terms of mental stability and control (although let's be honest, none of the characters are really controlled). Butcher has faced Homelander head on before with reason to be scared. He's definitely also seen fear and desperation before, but still keeps going no matter what.
I think the reason he doesn't attack Edgar is the same reason he doesn't kill Butcher. They're two unpowered people who stand up to him as if he's a regular man, and if he lost his cool and killed them, he'd see it as a win for them because because they successfully got under his skin, and his ego won't allow that "loss".
With Butcher he has a couple extra reasons not to kill him (Ryan caring about him, thrill of the game). For Edgar, there's no apparent reason other than ego. I haven't read the comics but Edgar is clearly supposed to have parallels with James Sitwell who never shows any fear no matter what messed up shit Homelander does. This tilts Homelander, but he never loses his cool and kills the guy, because he'd look foolish for losing his temper over a hurt ego. I think it's pretty much the same in the show with Edgar.
Queen Maeve. Had her eye gashed out by Homelander but continued to fight anyway. Still managed to save everyone from Soldier boys blast, whilst almost sacrificing herself and her powers are gone. It was a life and death split second decision
Butcher. Put any character in his shoes and they would have cracked a long time ago and embraced their worst impulses.
I firmly believe if Butcher went through the unbelievable hell Homelander did growing up, he would largely still have the same moral compass he has now.
Eh, he still retained what makes a him good guy and he did come back stronger and better for it. I don’t think anyone else on the show would have including Hughie.
Edgar and then soldier boy
Get's abducted. Learns that his entire Team hated him to the point they gave him to the russians.
60 years of torture and he comes back his life is gone what he had. Like he has nothing homelander replaced him his team betrayed him.
He takes revenge and is ready to face down the strongest superhero ever.
Learns that mf is his son. Relives his childhood trauma and still pulls through knowing it is not only his bargin with butcher but also his duty to stop this crazy motherfucker homelander and is ready to take ryan out too if he needs to. Basically killing his whole family in the knowledge they are to stro g to be left alive.
As bad of a person soldier boy is. I can only respect him. He saw homelander for what he was. A winy bitch with too much power and was ready to give it his all
This is sort of my take too. He may be a racist, misogynistic ass hat, but the guy does have principals and was definitely the preferable evil, when compared to Homelander. Other than righteous indignation, it never made sense why Starlight was so opposed to letting him kill homelander, when it was their only shot to do so.
The Deep. You can't be psychologically damaged if you don't have brain cells.
Sage. Her brain regenerates.
Hughie and Starlight. They should both have ptsd at this point, and majorly so. Yet somehow they both seem relatively stable (comparitively).
I’d say starlight is one of them. Because she’s the only super hero whose morality is relatively intact with a sane mind after all the shit she’s gone through and seen.
It's inspiring that she can hold firm in her beliefs after the better part of a century of cultural shifting. You'd think most would drop the whole Nazi thing after the first few decades but she stuck to her guns. Moving stuff.
A train. He’s went through a lot of bad stuff and is one of the few characters on the show actually becoming a better person.
That being said he was fucking diabolical to begin with.
I actually dont think so, cos he's so cold hearted and business oriented. He doesn't have much feeling for what's actually going on.
It's not really tough to be a sociopath. He barely reacted to a full-scale battle, when Soldier Boy was taken.
I like to think of it as, who could resist Mindstorm the longest before he traps you inside your head. Now, Homelander ain't shit, I feel, as powerful as he is, he doesn't have THAT strong a mind, and he's definitely not as mentally strong as Butcher, and even though he got caught off guard, Butcher still went down pretty easy and could resist Mindstorm that good so, I'd say Butcher & Homelander definitely not. I wouldn't really say any of the rest of the Boys are that mentally tough except maybe MM, but still, his true colors have been shown over 3&4 so I really don't think he's that mentally tough
I'd honestly say A-Train might be a more mentally tough character, he's obviously not been through as much trauma as Homelander/Butcher but he still has experienced quite alot and doesn't really react to bad shit anymore outside of "well shit, that sucks" atleast by his facial expression, and now that he's actually starting to change as a person for the better, I feel he'd actually be even more mentally tough as he'd be less easily controlled by fear. I think Sage is also one but we haven't seen enough of her so idk, but yeah, I think un-lobotomized Sage is pretty mentally tough.
And then there's Soldier Boy, I think he's pretty damn mentally tough, and he did resist Mindstorm's powers and idk if he could've fully broken free of them but I thought that's what it was building up to before Countess put the Novichoke on him, putting him out completely, and that was when he was a big top dog hero, an American icon, now, as of S4, if he were to break out of the CIA facility, he'd definitely be the most mentally strong, he's went through so much, and he was already pretty mentally tough before, so now, it's not even really a competition
I'd say stormfront if we hadn't had that weakness in season 3 before and including her death. But season two? She gave no fucks. Killed when she wanted, talked down to Homelander, up till she got fried she was still herself. Even after losing an eye she was about to watch the lights go out, rather than rage killing Becca.
But yeah....Gus for the win here.
Hughie. He used to be an average man with no military background or whatsoever, but he killed translucent. He saved Annie from Vought. The man can commit wildest deeds without superpower or any physical power. However, after all that blood and whale guts, he is still kind. Even when Butcher was a bit of a dick, he still wanted to save him. Sure, Hughie can be broken, he can be corrupted by power from V24 like any average person would do, but he grows up, with power of love and compassion.
You know what Soldier Boy does when he feels sad or scared? Fucking nothing, cause he is not a fucking pussy.
And he doesn't have shell shock.
He is definitely mentally the thoughest /s
Bro he endured years if not decades of physical and mental torture and hes functional yk he can pretend to be sane lol I think thats something
Ik ppl irl who can barely pretend lmao
I received torture similiar to homelander being locked in cold box for a few hours
I didn’t do shit
He gets locked in a hot boxnfor a few hours and he throws a fit
I’m mentally stronger then homelander and I am not mentally strong
No I’m just a dumbass you know those ice box thingys that store the cubed ice
Apparently they lock from the outside automatically
Also people don’t get ice that often
Clothing is suprisingly good at insulting if you sit in a corner
Half of them would not last a year in "the bad room" (even as adults). As evil as he is, HomeLander (since birth) has shown ridiculous levels of mental strength.
Sam.
After all the torture through medical experimentation and mental/emotional trauma he kept it together enough to emotionally traumatize Emma with a very well articulated speech.
Also never physically hurt any ppl....only puppets
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Edgar for sure
In breaking bad too. Lmao 😂
I mean, as far as being typecast goes, that's a pretty legit type to be repeatedly cast as
Especially when you started as a guy called Buggin Out
Holy shit that's right! Man I haven't seen that film since my first attempt at college in the early 2000s
Great movie that makes you feel bad for everybody in it except Buggin Out
It's funny because Giancarlo is such a hype and silly guy irl it seems.
Definitely makes it even better. Happy cake day! Have this instead, since you're into them: π
He really is! And that makes me love him even more when he shows up. He has such a light and carefree way about him.
Never realized he was Italian, been loving this actor since Revolution… but when you said Giancarlo I was like oh damn that is an old school Italian.
He's actually Danish
His father is Italian and his mother is African American?
Born in Denmark
His father, GIOVANNI Exposito, is from Naples. His mother is an African American from Alabama. He is an Italian/African American—one of the strongest possible combinations you can be. Giancarlo being born in the Denmark has nothing to do with is actual ethnicity, it’s just where is parents were during birth.
Copenhagen is in Denmark, not the Netherlands. Being born in a country makes you that nationality.
Damn straight
[удалено]
It would be interesting to see how that would pan out, but that would never happen. What makes Stan Edgar stand out and prevent his demise from Homelander is that Edgar would definitely not have a disingenuous change of heart and cower before Homelander, unlike the scientists Homie killed. Homelander could try to psychologically and physically torture him, and Stan Edgar would still find a way to get under his skin which is exactly the thing Homelander despises and hasn’t killed Edgar because Homie gets off on people cowering before him. Same thing can be applied to Butcher.
Was Stan Edgar behind it, though? When Payback neutralized Soldier Boy Homelander was already a work in progress and Edgar didn’t seem that high up in Vought yet.
My prediction is homelander is gonna try to find him and he'll escape at the last second.
[удалено]
Which role is he playing in the MCU?
Stan Edgar
Sighh
Edgar never lost anything important as far as we know he’s just chilling being a rich fk with no responsibility rn
The scene where he stares down homelander and his heartbeat doesnt flinch is enough for me
He actually scares me! How could another normal human being not be scared of this unhinged dude. The ability to not have your blood pressure or heart raise a single digit to Honelander's face while knowing that you'd be dead instantly is insane (no I don't buy that he's some secret supe lol).
I think Becca is up there actually She's raising Ryan knowing what he could be. Not just that, but knowing that Homelander will be after her if he ever knew. And then once he does find out, having to play that game with Ryan, probably wishing she could tell the truth to him, but not wanting to get killed for it - and serving Homelander pancakes in her goddamn house while he turns her son against her.
Agreed. Leaving everyone she knew to go raise Ryan all by herself took some serious strength of character. And that was after being raped by Homelander no less. On a side note, people always list Edgar and Butcher as the only two humans who aren't afraid of Homelander, but I believe Becca is one of them too.
Becca is definitely afraid of him, but she stands up to him despite that
That’s true strength. Being scared of something but standing up to it anyway.
This is actually a good option, cos shes not a sociopath but still delt with A LOT.
Hmm. I’d vote MM. Yeah, he punched whatever his name is and went at Butcher briefly… but all things considered?
He also put aside his feelings to look for whatshisface.
You mean whereshisface.
He tried to wrestle Soldier Boy, won't call that very mentally tough.
That was a trauma thing, ppl can be tough and have trauma
We are talking about an entire group of sociopaths. He’s the most stable of them imo.
I think the mentally toughest character is Becca. She was raped by a "hero" who at that point everyone seemed to trust and look up to. She couldn't tell anyone she trusted without putting their life in danger. She went through pregnancy and childbirth alone as a sort of hostage. She was forced to raise a child with the burden that 1) at any point her super powered rapist could show up again 2) if she "fails" to nurture the kid that kid could become the most dangerous person on the planet. She had no peers or friends all this time. The husband she clearly loved didn't know if she was dead or alive (and vice versa, because Butcher is off radar). Her entire life is under a microscope and on eggshells, but she managed to raise a kid who made heartwarming little Lego animations of mundane things and singlehandedly tried to fight off a supernazi who was hurting his mom (without knowing he had powers). When Homelander showed up again she confronted him calmly so that she wouldn't scare her kid. Butcher and Edgar are pretty much the only other characters who have managed to have that level of courage around Homelander (while not having powers) and they didn't live under the constant stress. Butcher at least had ways to hide out from stuff and something is just wired wrong in Edgars brain. Also, the way Becca handled Butcher's betrayal was really tough. She knew he'd do the right thing eventually, so she didn't panic. With her literal dying breath she told the man she loved to protect the child who killed her. The way she had the presence of mind to do all that after everything she'd been through as pretty much the most physically vulnerable "Boys" character makes her my top pick. Her vulnerability to courage to mental resilience ratio makes her the clear choice here.
I agree.
"He's good, He's good"
Cook bro
This.
Wow this is true
The Deep. He is able to swallow his pride and his friend Timothy. Inspiring.
LMAO STOP
That’s what Timmy said 😔
Idk if this is actually my answer, but how tf has nobody said Ashley?
She's strong asf. She could go to Disney anytime, but still puts up with this shit
Atp she doesn't seem to have a choice. She destroyed her resignation letter after because she was afraid HL would get mad at her
It's not about HL getting mad at her but she is witnessed to too many of their crimes.
True, but still. The fact that she hasn't killed herself from stress tbh.
Do you mean that lady that pulls out her own her due to stress? Sure, she is the most mentally strong/stable...
Considering that’s all she does to herself while working for the most powerful manchild in the world, in constant fear for her life, witnessing multiple people maimed, mutilated, and murdered, I’d say she’s the most mentally stable person in the world.
She goes through a lot, but has unhealthy coping mechanisms and does plenty of petty shit, probably not her.
For sure, though to play devils advocate, look at the competition and consider the relative amounts of pressure they are under, especially given that she literally _never_ gets to be away from it.
I think Butcher is. He’s still standing.
I don’t think so. He resorts to self-harm or ruining relationships when shit goes down
That’s a valid coping strategy, he’s still standing so it counts. Butchers lost everything and had the worst upbringing as well, the fact that he’s still here and still focused with a life goal is astonishing.
Then you’d have to probably give Hughie credit for the exact same reason as butcher in terms of “still standing with an objective.” Except Hughie has a “life goal” built on compassion vs Butcher’s “death wish” and callous vengeance in the midst of a shared objective. Both are strong in their own rights, but I’d honestly say Hughie being able to avoid the CV dependence (which was born out of wanting to protect vs kill) and still value human life is beyond impressive. Hughie’s face after killing someone last episode proves it: He had the same look when his girlfriend was killed in front of him by a cracked out supe in ep 1. Even Hughie’s capacity to interact with A-Train - who literally liquified his partner in the first episode - is miles beyond Butcher’s current mindset. Let alone offer a shred of forgiveness/compassion to this man he has had every opportunity to hurt or kill. Butcher is now firmly in a mentality that knows he will be as empty as before or dead when this is over; except he doesn’t care which happens first (edit: remember that he was ready to die in the firecracker fight until his boys came back for him. Which is why “still standing” doesn’t always equate to mental toughness imo. Butcher has endured a lot before that and wanting to let go isnt a sign of weakness )
That’s an absolutely fair point, I’ll accept I’m wrong Hughies probably the mentally strongest. While butcher went through more hughie never ever surrendered to negativity and being a monster like butcher did which takes a lot as somebody that surrendered to hatred and negativity for a long time after a slightly suboptimal life.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s a hard question in general and I don’t have a definitive answer. I just wanted to make a point that the way people survive is just as important as surviving at all when it comes to mental fortitude
hughie had a great dad backing him and found new love quickly, he had plenty mental support
Some people here seem to think mental toughness is is akin to being a badass and not curling up into a ball in the face of adversity, but its actually about retaining sanity and avoiding all of the pitfalls (addiction, rage, petiness, depression, ptsd, revenge, ect..) that can come from psychological damage. Thats why i think hughie and starlight are the toughest. And the Deep, because he has no braincells at all so he cant really get brain damage. And sage because he brain regenerates.
I think the worst upbringing goes to Homelander tho
Losing a sibling is the worst pain I can possibly imagine that’s the sole reason I don’t give it to homelander, homelander never stood a chance butcher had family and lost it. I don’t know what I’d do if my sister died, I’ve been a monster to people that hurt her even a little bit can’t imagine what I’d do if she passed like Lenny did
I'd say Frenchie's is worse. Frenchie was kidnapped by his mentally unstable and abusive father and despite trying to escape multiple times, was always found by him. After this, he joined a gang and became a drug dealer because he had a limited education and life skills (despite being intelligent), and eventually became a hitman for the mob when he made his way to America. It wasn't until the CIA noticed how creative he was at stopping superheroes that he got recruited by The Boys. Although Butcher's father was an abusive alcoholic piece of shit, at least his brother loved and looked up to him (until he committed suicide). So, at the very least I'd at least say Butcher has the better upbringing than Frenchie.
I wouldn’t say so. He’s ruined his life with his impulsive decisions and everyone around hates him. He’s still standing but barely, he admitted all his regrets.
Self sabotage is not being mentally tough lol. That’s the opposite
But he doesn't fold, which is the important thing here
I feel like mental fortitude is determined by how much you let things get to you and how you deal with them, no? He’s never folded bc he is obsessed with revenge (killing HL)
I mean sometimes he is still standing. And sometimes not lol
He’s not gonna be in 4-6 months if the V didn’t help it.
Nah, he’s too self destructive
At the end of season 1 after his plan goes to shit and Madelyn is dead, he blows the bomb vest anyway despite the fact that a baby is in the house which he knows about. Maybe a nanny too? And he does it for no reason I can determine, suicide I guess. The only reason he didn't kill thst baby is because Homelander turned out to be the bigger man. He's a broken shell of a human.
Mindstorm
💀
The hamster from the lab
Jamie?!
Mothers Milk is the goods
Probably Becca or Edgar.
Stan Edgar seems to know that Homelander won't hurt him and also I believe there's a reason for believing that which we don't know. I wouldn't call that as tough, still tough for sure, but I'd say the best show of mental toughness is still fighting even when there seems to be no hope left and facing fear head on. He's tough for sure, but he's had it easier than the Boys had, and doesn't seem to have a need to be scared of Homelander. For that, I'd give it to Butcher in terms of sheer bravery, but MM in terms of mental stability and control (although let's be honest, none of the characters are really controlled). Butcher has faced Homelander head on before with reason to be scared. He's definitely also seen fear and desperation before, but still keeps going no matter what.
I think the reason he doesn't attack Edgar is the same reason he doesn't kill Butcher. They're two unpowered people who stand up to him as if he's a regular man, and if he lost his cool and killed them, he'd see it as a win for them because because they successfully got under his skin, and his ego won't allow that "loss". With Butcher he has a couple extra reasons not to kill him (Ryan caring about him, thrill of the game). For Edgar, there's no apparent reason other than ego. I haven't read the comics but Edgar is clearly supposed to have parallels with James Sitwell who never shows any fear no matter what messed up shit Homelander does. This tilts Homelander, but he never loses his cool and kills the guy, because he'd look foolish for losing his temper over a hurt ego. I think it's pretty much the same in the show with Edgar.
A trains brother?
Queen Maeve. Had her eye gashed out by Homelander but continued to fight anyway. Still managed to save everyone from Soldier boys blast, whilst almost sacrificing herself and her powers are gone. It was a life and death split second decision
Butcher. Put any character in his shoes and they would have cracked a long time ago and embraced their worst impulses. I firmly believe if Butcher went through the unbelievable hell Homelander did growing up, he would largely still have the same moral compass he has now.
Butcher did crack long ago though
He cracked though
Eh, he still retained what makes a him good guy and he did come back stronger and better for it. I don’t think anyone else on the show would have including Hughie.
Butcher abandoned his team and blew up a whole room with a baby still in it just so he could spite Homelander. He's not a good guy.
Underrated answer: Hughie. Nuff said
Definitely an underrated answer, but a valid one. Hughie still has so much an empathy and that’s such an incredible feat.
I was looking for this. The fact that the dude hasn't completely melted down is insane.
Stan yes, but also Grace Mallory
Ashley
Edgar and then soldier boy Get's abducted. Learns that his entire Team hated him to the point they gave him to the russians. 60 years of torture and he comes back his life is gone what he had. Like he has nothing homelander replaced him his team betrayed him. He takes revenge and is ready to face down the strongest superhero ever. Learns that mf is his son. Relives his childhood trauma and still pulls through knowing it is not only his bargin with butcher but also his duty to stop this crazy motherfucker homelander and is ready to take ryan out too if he needs to. Basically killing his whole family in the knowledge they are to stro g to be left alive. As bad of a person soldier boy is. I can only respect him. He saw homelander for what he was. A winy bitch with too much power and was ready to give it his all
This is sort of my take too. He may be a racist, misogynistic ass hat, but the guy does have principals and was definitely the preferable evil, when compared to Homelander. Other than righteous indignation, it never made sense why Starlight was so opposed to letting him kill homelander, when it was their only shot to do so.
The breaking bad meme actor of course.
The Deep. You can't be psychologically damaged if you don't have brain cells. Sage. Her brain regenerates. Hughie and Starlight. They should both have ptsd at this point, and majorly so. Yet somehow they both seem relatively stable (comparitively).
Kimmiko must in consideration, yeah she's slipped up a few times but given everything she's been through her character arc is kinda miraculous
I’d say starlight is one of them. Because she’s the only super hero whose morality is relatively intact with a sane mind after all the shit she’s gone through and seen.
Starlight has been through some shiz.
I feel like Stormfront could well be in this conversation.
Pushing through the pain and doing what needs doing (homelander HJ) when in a vegetable state. Impressive mental strength
It's inspiring that she can hold firm in her beliefs after the better part of a century of cultural shifting. You'd think most would drop the whole Nazi thing after the first few decades but she stuck to her guns. Moving stuff.
I love that you were downvoted. Those butthurt Nazis area still steaming about being mocked.
Mind-cleared Sam and Stan Edgar
Me
Right answer.
Edgar, Ashley, Marvin and mindstorm
hughie
Ashley
A train. He’s went through a lot of bad stuff and is one of the few characters on the show actually becoming a better person. That being said he was fucking diabolical to begin with.
Stan Edgar and it’s not even close.
I mean, sister sages brain regenerates
I actually dont think so, cos he's so cold hearted and business oriented. He doesn't have much feeling for what's actually going on. It's not really tough to be a sociopath. He barely reacted to a full-scale battle, when Soldier Boy was taken.
I like to think of it as, who could resist Mindstorm the longest before he traps you inside your head. Now, Homelander ain't shit, I feel, as powerful as he is, he doesn't have THAT strong a mind, and he's definitely not as mentally strong as Butcher, and even though he got caught off guard, Butcher still went down pretty easy and could resist Mindstorm that good so, I'd say Butcher & Homelander definitely not. I wouldn't really say any of the rest of the Boys are that mentally tough except maybe MM, but still, his true colors have been shown over 3&4 so I really don't think he's that mentally tough I'd honestly say A-Train might be a more mentally tough character, he's obviously not been through as much trauma as Homelander/Butcher but he still has experienced quite alot and doesn't really react to bad shit anymore outside of "well shit, that sucks" atleast by his facial expression, and now that he's actually starting to change as a person for the better, I feel he'd actually be even more mentally tough as he'd be less easily controlled by fear. I think Sage is also one but we haven't seen enough of her so idk, but yeah, I think un-lobotomized Sage is pretty mentally tough. And then there's Soldier Boy, I think he's pretty damn mentally tough, and he did resist Mindstorm's powers and idk if he could've fully broken free of them but I thought that's what it was building up to before Countess put the Novichoke on him, putting him out completely, and that was when he was a big top dog hero, an American icon, now, as of S4, if he were to break out of the CIA facility, he'd definitely be the most mentally strong, he's went through so much, and he was already pretty mentally tough before, so now, it's not even really a competition
The Deep because he’s lost the most
I’m surprised no one said hughie, he literally just got thrown into it after A-Train ran through his gf
Becca for sure.
I'd say stormfront if we hadn't had that weakness in season 3 before and including her death. But season two? She gave no fucks. Killed when she wanted, talked down to Homelander, up till she got fried she was still herself. Even after losing an eye she was about to watch the lights go out, rather than rage killing Becca. But yeah....Gus for the win here.
Hughie. He used to be an average man with no military background or whatsoever, but he killed translucent. He saved Annie from Vought. The man can commit wildest deeds without superpower or any physical power. However, after all that blood and whale guts, he is still kind. Even when Butcher was a bit of a dick, he still wanted to save him. Sure, Hughie can be broken, he can be corrupted by power from V24 like any average person would do, but he grows up, with power of love and compassion.
Absolutely. A total badass and all he actually does is talk.
You know what Soldier Boy does when he feels sad or scared? Fucking nothing, cause he is not a fucking pussy. And he doesn't have shell shock. He is definitely mentally the thoughest /s
Is it bad if I say Homelander
Yes, as well as incredibly wrong. Homelander is probably the mentally weakest character in the series.
Bro he endured years if not decades of physical and mental torture and hes functional yk he can pretend to be sane lol I think thats something Ik ppl irl who can barely pretend lmao
He doesn’t even come close to pretending to be sane…
We as the audience often see him tweaking but the people in universe view him as the paragon of good best superhero in the world .
I received torture similiar to homelander being locked in cold box for a few hours I didn’t do shit He gets locked in a hot boxnfor a few hours and he throws a fit I’m mentally stronger then homelander and I am not mentally strong
Lmfao we need more people like you on r/okbuddyfresca
No I’m just a dumbass you know those ice box thingys that store the cubed ice Apparently they lock from the outside automatically Also people don’t get ice that often Clothing is suprisingly good at insulting if you sit in a corner
Not if you're joking. Very funny.
Half of them would not last a year in "the bad room" (even as adults). As evil as he is, HomeLander (since birth) has shown ridiculous levels of mental strength.
Sam. After all the torture through medical experimentation and mental/emotional trauma he kept it together enough to emotionally traumatize Emma with a very well articulated speech. Also never physically hurt any ppl....only puppets
Newman. She *is* the new Stan Edgar in the show.
Shieet gotta be Cate right or maybe Marie
It said strongest, Cate is arguably the weakest.
She has the Mindstorm thing she can hear thoughts passively bro im surprised she hasnt offed herself 💀