What is Kimiko’s backstory in The Boys, and how did she develop her superhuman abilities? In Garth Ennis’ comic book The Boys, the fifth member of the group is simply known as The Female, but viewers of the show know her as Kimiko. Kimiko, a mysterious, violent, and quiet character, is likely the most significant alteration Eric Kripke makes to the foundation of The Boys, changing not just the character’s name but also her origin story and fighting ability. Despite Butcher’s early suspicion of Kimiko, Frenchie continued in defending the girl’s good heart and empathizing with her wish to return home.
Kimiko Is Named “The Female Of The Species” In The Comics
The Boys Season 1’s Episode 4 Is Also Titled After Her Comic Name
One of the biggest differences with Kimiko is her name, which was entirely invented for TV. In Ennis’ version of The Boys, the character is simply known as The Female or The Female of the Species. Another major alteration is Kimiko’s superpowers since the rules surrounding Compound V are somewhat different between the two mediums. Notably, the Billy Butcher of the printed world pumps himself and his fellow Boys with diluted Compound V to compete with supes on an even level. Meanwhile, though Compound V also created Supes in the show, Butcher and Hughie use Temp V instead to gain powerful but temporary abilities.
In the comics, The Female’s backstory takes place in her native Japan. The daughter of a negligent employee at a Japanese company similar to Vought, Kimiko one day falls into a vat of Compound V. Having been completely immersed in the blue super-juice as an infant, The Female was granted enhanced strength, agility, and resistance, but at the cost of an insatiable bloodlust. Following her incident, The Female was used as a guinea pig by Japanese scientists looking to recreate Vought’s superhero success, until she was rescued from captivity by The Boys.
“Just like Fukuhara’s character, the original iteration of The Female was prone to outbursts and mercilessly violent.”
Kimiko’s Background & Origins Explained
Kimiko Endured Many Tragedies & Immense Pain Before Becoming A Supe
Kimiko’s tragic origin follows the comic story of The Boys in broad strokes but makes a litany of changes along the way. Hailing from Japan, a young Kimiko lived happily with her brother, Kenji, and their parents in a quiet village by the sea. One night, the Shining Light Liberation Army attacked the village and forcibly recruited Kimiko and Kenji as child soldiers for their cause after 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing their parents — the trauma from this is the reason why Kimiko can’t speak in The Boys. Kimiko remained close to her brother during their Shining Light enslavement, with the pair desperately helping each other to stay alive.
“Drugged full of Compound V while held captive by Chinese Triad members, Kimiko developed the abilities of a supe and was kept caged by the gang underneath a grocery store.”
Kimiko’s Powers Explained
From Superhuman Healing To Impressive Hand-To-Hand Combat S𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s, She Has It All
- Superhuman Strength
- Short Bursts Of Speed
- Regenerative Healing
- Superhuman Hearing
- Superhuman Durability
- Close-Range Hand-To-Hand Fighting S𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s
As mentioned previously, The Female’s superpowers in the comic telling of The Boys are entirely accidental — the result of poor parenting and terrible security. She’s certainly not a “supe” in the traditional sense, but she does possess inhuman strength, enhanced toughness, and improved agility and speed, and these abilities are permanent, rather than when her colleagues in The Boys take a hit of Compound V for a temporary boost. But on-screen, Kimiko is the only member of the Boys with Compound V, not just Temp V, coursing through her veins.
“Meeting The Boys finally breaks Kimiko away from that hardship, and gives her a semblance of something resembling friendship.”
Why Kimiko Chose To Restore Her Powers In The Boys Season 3
Kimiko Wanted To Protect Frenchie
Kimiko initially feels happy about losing her powers. But, in hindsight, she starts seeing the benefits of being a supe when she struggles to overpower Little Nina and her henchmen. Realizing that she needs her powers not only to protect herself but Frenchies as well, she decides to restore her supe abilities. Frenchie, too, is initially hesitant about her regaining her powers. However, he eventually sees eye to eye with her and supports her when she injects the compound V she got access to from Starlight.
How Powerful Kimiko’s Regenerative Healing Is
Kimiko Has Survived Many A Fatal Blow
Kimiko’s regenerative powers in The Boys seem far superior to most other supes. She has recovered from several grave injuries throughout the series, including fatal gunshots to the head. In one of the early seasons of The Boys, Black Noir even slaughtered and disemboweled her using his knives. Still, she managed to recover from the fight, though it took her a while to completely retain her health.
“Although her powers disappear after she gets beamed by Soldier Boy in The Boys season 3, the fact that she even survives shows her body’s extraordinary resilience.”
How Powerful Kimiko Is Compared To Other The Boys Supes
She Isn’t As Powerful As The Top Supes But Ranks Above The Average Ones
Although the power scaling in The Boys have always been erratic and ambiguous, Kimiko appears fairly powerful compared to most other supes in the series.
“…She would have been able to land a spot in the Seven if she was not on Billy Butcher’s team in The Boys.”
Kimiko’s history indicates that she was a soldier for the Shining Light Liberation Army, where she honed her gun-handling abilities. Despite lacking Gunpowder’s faultless marksmanship, she possesses above-average precision shooting abilities. Overall, Kimiko might not be among the best supes if a power tier ranking was created. Despite being on Billy Butcher’s team in The Boys, she had the potential to join the Seven due to her regeneration talents, close-range combat capabilities, and resilience during showdowns.
