After a promising introduction in the first season of The Boys, Starlight's character has largely been relegated to the sidelines, and season 3 would benefit by giving her a meatier, more redeeming narrative arc. Starlight had so much potential upon ing the Seven, an elite group of superheroes run by Vought International, because of her unbridled optimism and good Christian nature. Though Vought has broken her down over the course of two seasons and she's become more of a secondary character, Starlight deserves to have a leading role in future seasons.
The Boys hasn't given Starlight much of a chance to shine, in both a literal and figurative sense. At the very beginning of the series, it appears as though her disenchantment with the Seven will be the crux of the story, especially when Starlight's sexually assaulted by the Deep after her initiation. Later on, Starlight starts to question Vought's whole operation when her costume is rebranded into something less than wholesome and she begins to work with Hughie and the Boys to uncover Vought intel. Though she's completely disillusioned with Vought in season 2, future episodes still have the chance to bring back Starlight's commitment to being the superhero she always wanted to be.
The Boys juggles several characters and plotlines at once, and while this works, for the most part, superheroes like Starlight need to have a bigger role in order to remain relevant and satisfy established arcs. Season 3 should at the very least have Starlight dealing with her past trauma and learning to foster hope again. Many a time in the first two seasons, she is relegated to a ing character, assisting the Boys, sneaking around Vought Corporation and Homelander, having her faith destroyed by both, building another new relationship with Hughie, and reacting to horrors happening around her. She has had great character moments wielding her powers, especially when she, Kimiko, and Queen Maeve gang up on Stormfront, but it would be even more impactful if she were to stand against another superhero alone in an epic showdown. She hasn't confronted the Deep in an extended scene, either, which could lend to her healing process.
Starlight is the purest and most well-intentioned newbie in Vought's exclusive cast of superheroes. It makes sense for her character to find peace and belonging in those values and use them to rise above the seediness and corruption she's been brought into. Her turn to cynicism is warranted after what she's experienced as a pawn of Vought. However, it would be a waste if she were to become as ive as Queen Maeve is, though Maeve has proven there is some goodness left in her yet as she actively battled Stormfront. Starlight has the potential to become a leader against Vought and its superheroes and enact some real change. As Homelander becomes more unhinged, for example, it would be a really interesting dynamic if Starlight were to grow more committed to her past idealistic worldview and fighting for the good of all people.
Billy Butcher may now be compromised by the death of his wife at the hands of her and Homelander's son. It would be best to bolster Starlight's involvement and have her take on a principal role within the Boys. As someone who has seen how Vought and Homelander manipulate its contingents, Starlight has the distinct advantage of heading efforts to dismantle the corporation in The Boys season 3.