Who is Cate in Gen V and What Are Her Powers?


By - Che Browndon
Written-on - September 27, 2025

Cate Gen v

Source: Gen V

Cate Dunlap is one of the most intriguing characters in Gev V, the spinoff of the Boys. Introduced as one of the most popular students at Godolkin University, Cate becomes central to the story because of her powers. Played by actress Maddie Phillips, Cates ability to control minds through touch and manipulate memories makes her one of the most powerful and dangerous psychic at Godolkin University after Cipher. Cates role in the show as an ally and an enemy makes her character really complex. This article is going to explain who Cate is, what her powers are, and how strong she is in Gen V.


Who is Cate in Gen V?


Cate Dunlap is a student at Godolkin University and she’s one of the main character of Gen V. She’s introduced in the show as a kind and supportive friend to Luke, Andre, Marie, and Jordan Li. She’s Luke or Golden Boys’s girlfriend at the start of the show. Later on in the show, fans came to realize Cate is a much more complex characters. She’s secretly been using her psychic powers to coerce her peers, erase and manipulate the memories of other students. That was the center premise of Gen V Season 1 because Cates actions set up for everything that happened throughout the entire Season. Cates powers also tested the relationship of other characters such as Marie, Jordan and Andre.


What Are Cate's Powers in Gen V?


Cate Dunlap possesses powerful mind-manipulation ability known as “Persuasion” making her one of the most powerful psychics in Gen V after Cipher and one of the most dangerous supes at Godolkin University. Her powers are tied to her traumatic pasts in the show and Compound V which affected all supes in the show. Cate’s power in Gen V is touch-based mind control which lets her control individuals through direct skin-to-skin contact. Her powers enable her to implant commands on another person, induce mental and emotional states, manipulate memories, and empathic manipulation.

Implant Commands: Cate can implant commands as she can compel individuals to perform specific actions ranging from simple tasks to complex directives such as instructing someone to harm themselves. This can be seen in Gen V Season 1 Episode 7.

Induce Mental and Emotional States: Cate’s powers can induce mental and emotional states by altering a person’s emotions and mental state by making them feel fear, guilt, numbness and even Euphoria. This manipulation can render a person docile.

Mind Reading: Cate can read people’s minds in Gen V. She showcased this ability after she stopped taking Shetty’s pills that limited her. She read the minds of Marie and Jordan Li.

Memory Manipulation: Cate’s ability lets her erase, suppress, or implant memories effectively rewriting an individual’s recollection of events. This ability lets her conceal secrets and alter another person’s perception.

Empathic Manipulation: Cate’s has the power to influence how individuals perceive and feel about others therefore manipulating relationships and alliances to her advantage.

Unlike Cipher’s, Cate’s powers can activate involuntarily upon physical contact leading to unintended consequences. In order to solve this issue, Cate usually wear gloves to mitigate this issue. The first time Cate got her powers, she told her brother to go away and never come back. This just explains how dangerous Cates power really is.


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How powerful is Cate in Gen V?


Cate is one of the strongest characters in Gen V and the Boys Universe as a whole. This is because of her Powerful and unique mind manipulation ability known as “Persuasion” which lets her read minds, implant commands, manipulate memory, manipulate a person’s perception of others and manipulate a person’s emotions. This makes her one of the most powerful psychics in the show alongside Cipher and Rufus. What makes Cates powers is deadly is how she can strategically use them in battle. She can get an entire army of supes with the goal of defending her and attacking her opponents just with a physical touch which makes her extremely deadly.


Cate Dunlaps Role in Gen V


Cate Dunlap serves as an important character in Gen V. She was initially introduced as a supportive friend to Marie and the others at Godolkin University but her character evolved unto a complex and ambiguous figure later on in the show. In Season 1 of the show, Cate is a Deceptive Ally. In the first Season of the show, Cate appears to be a close friend to Marie, Andre, Jordan and the others but its later found out she’s been altering her peers memories and action under the direction of Dean Indira Shetty. This betrayal shocks her friends and positions Cate as the primary antagonist of Gen V Season 1. Her actions and decisions in Season 1 make her lose face to her friends but she got another person who stood by her side and his name is Sam.

In Gen V Season 2, Cates character is seen taking a more ambiguous role. Even though she continuous to struggle with her past actions, she also seeks redemption and attempts to build relationships with her former friends. In this season, Cate journey is marked by internal conflict as she has to live with the consequences of her previous manipulative actions to make amends. Cipher is currently the most mysterious character in Gen V Season 2.

Cate’s character throughout the first two seasons of the show has been evolving. Her actions and decisions have far reaching implication on the storyline and her ability to manipulate and control others through her powers make her a formidable force. She is truly one of the most interesting characters in the show.


Who Plays Cate in Gen V?


Cate Dunlap in Gen V is played by Canadian Actress Maddie Phillips. Maddie Phillips has established herself in the Entertainment industry with various notable roles in television series. She plays the role of Sterling Wesley in the 202 Netflix team drama “Teenage Bounty Hunters”. She played the role of Randeen in the Supernatural drama “Ghost Wars”. Maddie also reprised her role as Cate Dunlap in The Boys Season 4.


Closure


Cate is one of the most interesting characters in Gen V with unique powers that make her standout in the Series. Portrayed by Maddie Phillips, she brings depth with her role meanwhile her abilities and influence adds layers on complexity on her character. Understanding her powers, role, and actress behind the character give fans a full picture of why Caste is Significant in the Gen V universe.


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