Why Did Ryan Leave Butcher & Mallory in The Boys Season 4?

It seemed like we were finally going to get some sort of redemption and homecoming arc for Ryan, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Here’s why Ryan left Butcher and killed Mallory in The Boys Season 4.

Why Did Ryan Kill Mallory in The Boys Season 4?

Let’s start with the big one. In The Boys‘ Season 4 finale, Ryan pushes Grace Mallory so hard that he twists her neck and kills her. Then he leaves.

There’s a lot to unpack here. While Mallory has always been like a grandmother to him, she did also trauma dump on Ryan at a crucial moment, and it was just too much for him to take at the time. Ryan has only just learned that Homelander had sexually assaulted Becca, that Butcher had been working on a virus that could kill Supes, and that they wanted Ryan’s help in stopping Homelander.

And to make things worse, Ryan also learns that they essentially lured him into a CIA safehouse that was built to keep in Supes like him. Ryan immediately associates this with what Vought did to Homelander: manipulating and trapping him into doing their bidding, and Ryan wasn’t going to stand for that.

When it became clear that Mallory wasn’t just going to let him leave, Ryan pushed her away, killing her. This last bit is important too, as we’ve just spent the whole season watching Ryan learn just how strong he is. He must’ve known that his push would kill Mallory, but did it anyway. While Ryan is certainly more humane than Homelander, it’s also important to keep in mind that Homelander has spent a very long time teaching Ryan that humans are just puppets and toys to play with. This must have played some part in his actions as well.

Why Did Ryan Leave Butcher?

As for why Ryan still decided to leave Butcher in The Boys Season 4, it seems that this comes from a simple lack of trust. He can’t stomach the fact that Butcher has continued to hide things from him and tried to manipulate him, and he’d much rather be with Homelander, who has been upfront with him at the very least.

This also sets off a chain of events where Butcher finally accepts Kessler and the part of him that wants to kill all Supes. If he couldn’t even convince Ryan, then there’s no point in holding back anymore.

And that’s why Ryan chose to leave Butcher and Mallory in The Boys Season 4. Be sure to search up The Escapist for more news and information on the show, including what happened to Ashley in the finale.