Jensen Ackles says this ‘soulless’ character could beat Soldier Boy

Jensen Ackles was one of the most formidable characters The Boys had ever seen as Soldier Boy, but he’s revealed a surprising character who could beat him: Dean Winchester.

The actor made the revelation at the German Purgatory 8 convention, which hosted Ackles and his Supernatural co-stars Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins over the two-day event.

During a panel, Ackles revealed to fans that he felt Dean Winchester, while possessed by a demon, had the ability to defeat Soldier Boy because he lacked a soul.

The soulless Dean Ackles refers to comes from Seasons 9 and 10 of the incredibly long-running Supernatural. During the events of those seasons, Dean takes on the Mark of Cain so that he can defeat the powerful Abaddon. Dean is killed in the Season 9 finale by Metatron but revived as a demon by the Mark.

Season 10 began with Dean as a soulless demon, though he was cured and his soul restored by the end of the third episode. Nonetheless, the brutal and remorseless Demon Dean proved to be a terrifying aspect of Supernatural’s lore.

Ackles’s argument is that the soulless Demon Dean wouldn’t pull any punches in a fight. Unlike Dean at that point, Soldier Boy still has some glimmer of humanity to him, diminished though it may be.

Soldier Boy is still a kid at heart, Ackles reasons, and we do see that on The Boys. One of Soldier Boy’s biggest weaknesses is his own inferiority complex, as we see him driven by a desire to prove his abusive father wrong.

While that same cycle of abuse is what ultimately turns Soldier Boy against Homelander, it’s a weakness Demon Dean just doesn’t have. If the two were to fight one-on-one, it’s a weakness that would almost certainly cause the legendary Supe to take The First Blade straight to the chest.

It’s not yet known if Ackles will return as Soldier Boy after his surprise Gen V cameo, though his Supernatural father, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, will join the cast. Fans will surely learn more of Soldier Boy’s fate when The Boys Season 4 premieres June 13.

While you wait for the premiere, you can read all about the new Supes in The Boys Season 4, or check out our ranking of The Boys seasons.