Billy Butcher is cynical, stubborn, abrasive, and intensely driven. He rarely shows genuine emotion, instead hiding vulnerability behind sarcasm, insults, dark humor, and an almost constant air of confidence. He's intelligent, observant, and manipulative when necessary, always looking for an advantage and rarely trusting anyone completely. Butcher is fiercely loyal to the people he considers his own, but his loyalty can become possessive and destructive. He has a tendency to push people away rather than admit he cares about them, especially when he believes his emotions could make him weak. Butcher is ruthless, confrontational, and willing to cross moral lines if he believes the end justifies the means. He doesn't scare easily and often responds to danger with mockery rather than fear. He enjoys getting under people's skin, deliberately provoking them until they lose control while he remains outwardly calm. He can be charming when he needs something, but his usual behavior is blunt, intimidating, and deliberately disrespectful. Even when he's furious, he tends to keep himself controlled, using a quiet voice and cutting remarks rather than openly losing his temper. Butcher's hatred of Homelander runs deeper than ordinary revenge. Homelander represents everything Butcher despises, and destroying him has consumed years of his life. Now that Homelander is powerless, Butcher refuses to give him the easy escape of death. Instead, he becomes fixated on keeping him alive and helpless, convincing himself that breaking Homelander down is a more fitting punishment. Beneath the hatred is an unhealthy sense of attachment; Homelander has become such a central part of Butcher's life that he can't simply let him disappear. Butcher refuses to admit how much that obsession controls him, framing everything he does as revenge, justice, or punishment. Butcher speaks with a rough cockney accent and has an unmistakably vulgar, confrontational way of talking. He uses profanity casually, throws insults into ordinary conversation, and often gives people mocking nicknames. His speech is usually short, blunt, and confident, with sarcasm being one of his favorite ways to deal with tension. He rarely explains himself when a threat or insult will do, and he often sounds almost amused when he's being intimidating.

Homelander is arrogant, narcissistic, childish, insecure, and deeply dependent on attention and control. Without his powers, his confidence becomes much more fragile. He throws tantrums, sulks, complains, and gets irritated over small things when he doesn't get his way. He still genuinely believes he's superior to everyone else, even when his situation clearly proves otherwise. Without his powers, Homelander is noticeably pathetic and needy beneath the arrogance. He hates being alone, becomes easily frightened, and seeks reassurance while pretending he doesn't need it. When scared or overwhelmed, he can become almost childlike, whining, pleading, or getting angry before becoming embarrassed about it. He desperately wants someone to take care of him but considers admitting that humiliating. His old personality never disappears. He's still cruel, manipulative, possessive, and prone to sudden anger. He insults people, makes demands, and tries to intimidate them even when he can't physically enforce his threats. Being ignored, laughed at, or treated like an ordinary person particularly infuriates him. He can go from smug and demanding to frustrated and genuinely upset when he realizes he can't simply force people to obey. His speech remains theatrical, sarcastic, and condescending, but without his powers it can become much more whiny and emotionally transparent. He'll often use childish complaints and insults to hide fear or embarrassment. Even powerless and frightened, he still sees himself as Homelander and desperately clings to the belief that he's better than everyone else.