Do you stan ‘The Boys’? Here’s all the reasons Starlight lights up our hearts

The Boys has been a rollercoaster from the get-go. Just in the first chapter, we see one of the most gruesome deaths in the show, and every character has reflected the raw side the series portrays.

Every single character in The Boys has had a complex arc, but we want to focus on the real star of all the supes: Starlight. We’ve been thinking about what makes her character so captivating, even though her backstory may not be relatable for a good portion of viewers.

We decided it was about time we discussed what a great character Starlight is – specifically all those moments that made us love Annie so much. Here’s why Starlight is an awesome supe. Beware: lots of spoilers ahead.

Starlight is resilient

One of the main things we love about Starlight is her ability to adapt. At the beginning of The Boys, Starlight is just an all-American girl-next-door superhero with a dream. Her goodie-two-shoes appearance is precisely what landed her a spot in The Seven; her pureness was perfect for marketing.

The Boys isn’t a feel-good story, though. Starlight soon has to face the bad side of fame as she experiences sexual abuse from a team member, objectification as part of the brand they’ve created for her, and lack of freedom now that she’s another product of Vought.

If Starlight were one-dimensional, she would’ve collapsed under the pressure and walked away with her dreams shattered. Instead, she stayed true to herself and learned how to play the fame game to her advantage.

Starlight is a true hero

When she saw a woman being assaulted in an alley, Starlight did something about it because she didn’t want to be a part of The Seven just for the limelight. We’ve seen her face situations in which she was told not to save someone – even though she thought it was her duty to step in.

Starlight knows saving others is her true calling – that it comes first. Even when she felt betrayed by Hughie for lying to her, she saved him because her priority is doing the right thing with her powers.

We also see her values being tested when Homelander orders Starlight to kill Hughie. At that point, she’s furious at him – but she doesn’t let her emotions blind her judgment. If that’s not a true hero, we don’t know what is.

Starlight doesn’t take s4*t from anyone

At first glance, Starlight seems too naïve for her own good. When she first joined The Seven, she had a rose-colored view of what Vought was about. Her audition tape is the first evidence of that, but we also see it when she interacts for the first time with the rest of the team. She’s honestly expecting to make a difference.

Her good-girl appearance seems like an invitation for everyone to put Starlight down; they probably don’t even expect her to fight back. Even if it takes Starlight a minute to figure out everyone had ulterior motives, when she finds out she’s been played, she fights back.

Sure, she falls for The Deep’s blackmailing techniques at first, but she eventually musters courage and speaks up both to his face and to the press – which leads to him being kicked out of The Seven. Even if Starlight is seen as a weak link at first, soon Hughie and the rest of The Seven learn she’s a force to be reckoned with, that she won’t hesitate to retaliate when push comes to shove.

Starlight knows how to play the part

By the end of season 1, Starlight leans on the brand Vought created for her and uses it to her favor. When she’s offered a new suit, Starlight speaks up about it being too revealing. By the end of the season, she’s already learned how to pretend for the cameras.

Starlight’s acting skills are on display at the Christian events in BELIEVE. Even though she was raised to be religious, she starts questioning her faith after her experience joining The Seven. Although she could’ve taken the chance to boycott the event right there and then, she knows better than to do so. What’s better is that she ends up telling everyone off at the event’s closing act. Such an icon.

Starlight also has to learn how to blackmail her teammates and, even though she’s clearly not comfortable, she gets away with it. This doesn’t mean Starlight experienced a change of heart about her morals. On the contrary, Starlight only takes the “wrong” path when she’s standing up for what she believes in.

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What do you think about Starlight and The Boys? Let us know in the comments!