To watch The Boys and Gen V in order, you can follow either a simple “essential story” path or a more complete “universe” path that includes the animated spin-off Diabolical.

Best simple watch order

If you just care about the main story and Gen V, this order keeps things clear and spoiler-friendly:

  1. The Boys – Season 1
  1. The Boys – Season 2
  1. The Boys Presents: Diabolical (optional but fun; see below)
  1. The Boys – Season 3
  1. Gen V – Season 1
  1. The Boys – Season 4
  1. Gen V – Season 2

This keeps character arcs and crossovers feeling natural, especially the way Gen V feeds into later seasons of The Boys and vice versa.

Chronological “universe” style order

If you want to squeeze in the animated and short-form extras in a more timeline-accurate way (canon + non‑canon mixed), use this as a guide:

  • The Boys – Season 1
  • The Boys – Season 2
  • The Boys Presents: Diabolical (mixed canon status; treated as a side anthology that broadly sits after early seasons)
  • The Boys – Season 3
  • Gen V – Season 1 (set after Season 3, leading into Season 4 events)
  • The Boys – Season 4
  • Gen V – Season 2 (follows Season 4 implications)

Some sources also mention in‑universe web segments like “Seven on 7” and short clips focused on Butcher that slot between seasons, but these are extras rather than required viewing for understanding The Boys and Gen V.

Release order (easy mode)

If you prefer to experience the franchise exactly as viewers did when it came out, you can simply go in release order, which is very close to the simple order above:

  1. The Boys – Season 1
  1. The Boys – Season 2
  1. The Boys Presents: Diabolical
  1. The Boys – Season 3
  1. Gen V – Season 1
  1. The Boys – Season 4
  1. Gen V – Season 2

Where Gen V fits

  • Gen V Season 1 is designed to be watched after The Boys Season 3 and before or alongside Season 4, since it sets up plot points and characters that pay off in the main show.
  • Gen V Season 2 takes place after the events of The Boys Season 4 and feeds into the lead‑up to the final stretch of the main series.

Quick recommendation

If you just want a clean, modern watch path:
S1 → S2 → Diabolical (optional) → S3 → Gen V S1 → S4 → Gen V S2.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.