The Boys Finally Reveals Why Kimiko Can’t Speak

The fourth season of The Boys has nearly concluded after several weeks of delving into the Prime Video series’ intricate lore. The latest episode, “The Insider,” brought an unexpected revelation about Kimiko Miyashiro (Karen Fukuhara) and her muteness. Throughout the series, Kimiko has been mute, and this episode explained why.

Kimiko reveals that her captors at the Shining Light Liberation Army trained her to move and fight like a “ghost,” threatening severe repercussions if anyone spoke or screamed. This rigorous conditioning led to a moment when Kimiko killed several young girls without making a sound. Eventually, when she was liberated, she found herself unable to speak.

“From initial conversations with [showrunner Eric] Kripke, we spoke about having Kimiko’s muteness not come from a physical attribute because if it was a physical attribute, it’s sometimes impossible to get your voice back after a physical trauma,” Fukuhara explained in a recent interview with TheWrap. “So I said to [Kripke], I don’t think it can be a physical attribute if we want that tinge of hope, if we want to change the storyline or incorporate that in future seasons, and he was really receptive to that early on.”

Fukuhara went on to express her appreciation for Kimiko’s development this season. “I love it because this entire season is about even the heroic characters facing their demons, such as Annie’s past with Firecracker. She was never this cookie-cutter good person that we always expected her to be, and I love that entire storyline and backstory because it gives her a lot more humanity. I think the writers were able to do that with Kimiko.”

“She’s always kind of viewed herself as a victim to Shining Light, a victim to Compound V. A victim to all the s-tty things that have come her way, but Season 4, she had to face her own darkness and own up to all the wrongdoing she did to other people,” Fukuhara continued.

In Season Four of The Boys, the world is on the brink of chaos. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office, under the formidable influence of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only a few months to live, has lost Becca’s son and his role as the leader of The Boys. The rest of the team, disillusioned by his lies, are struggling to unite. With stakes higher than ever, they must find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.

The Boys stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti. Season Four will introduce Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan to the cast.

Source: TheWrap