The Boys: Diabolical Episodes That Are Canon To The Live Action Series
Amazon Prime Video has found an exciting way to expand on "The Boys."
After launching the satirical superhero series in 2019, the streaming giant quickly commissioned a spin-off animated series titled "The Boys Presents: Diabolical," which explores the chaotic, lesser-known side of the world's most popular heroes. An anthology series, each episode of "Diabolical" is led by an entirely new creative team, making each short as unique and diverse as the last. Flirting with different genres and animation styles, "Diabolical" is the perfect vehicle to tell exciting stories in "The Boys" universe... but not all episodes are canonical.
While each episode of "Diabolical" exists within the confines of the pre-established "Boys" universe, not every short has made an impact on the main-line live-action series. Attending a "Diabolical" press panel, The Hollywood Reporter was able to learn from showrunner Simon Racioppa that only a handful of the show's eight episodes are canonical to the main series. Most of the shorts streaming on Amazon Prime Video are concerned with detailing just how chaotic and messed up the world of "The Boys" is, which is more of a feature than a bug.
The canonical episodes include "One Plus One Equals Two," which features Homelander (Antony Starr) joining The Seven, the Billy Butcher-oriented (voiced by Jason Isaacs) "I'm Your Pusher," and the Andy Samberg-penned "John and Sun-Hee," considered the best "Diabolical" episode. "One Plus One Equals Two," "I'm Your Pusher," and the Awkwafina-created "BFFs" all feature cast members from "The Boys" returning to voice their characters, making them key viewing for those who wants the full "Boys" experience.
The Diabolical showrunner was told to go crazy with the anthology series
The main emphasis from "The Boys" showrunner Eric Kripke was for Simon Racioppa, the creator of "Diabolical" to have fun in the world. "Eric was like, 'Let's go crazy. There's almost no guardrails. Let's do something big and amazing and awesome.' I think his only request was [that] it had to be great," Racioppa said at the panel attended by THR. Take a look at the list of episodes that were released and it's clear that Racioppa took Kripke's advice to heart. Episodes range from full-blown comedic to sharply serious, with no middle ground.
Perhaps the most important of the aforementioned "Diabolical" episodes is "One Plus One Equals Two," which directly ties into the third season of "The Boys." In addition to expanding on Homelander's beginnings, the episode also features an early look at Black Noir. What particularly sets "One Plus One Equals Two" apart from the other canonical episodes is how Racioppa specifically consulted with Kripke to ensure the depiction of Homelander was as accurate as possible. "It's a story created just for 'Diabolical,'" Racioppa told Den of Geek. "... I worked with Eric on the script just to make sure it matched up with what his version of Homelander was from the television series, just to make sure that it fit with that world."