Warning: Spoilers for Stranger Things season 4 volume 2

The final battle with Vecna in Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 confirmed six theories about the show’s villain. The final two episodes of the season, which spanned nearly four hours, finally brought all of its storylines together as the main characters’ plan to defeat Vecna went into action. Over the course of the two episodes, a number of twists and turns offered several big reveals about Number One’s intentions and what he’s been up to in the Upside Down.

For a while now, the creature – nicknamed Vecna by the Hellfire Club members – has been the subject of the season’s biggest mysteries. His motivations for brutally murdering teenagers, his connection to the Victor Creel case, and why he had waited until now to make his big move were some of the most important questions concerning season 4’s story. Through the shocking revelation that Number One, Henry Creel, and Vecna are all one and the same, quite a lot about his character and his plans were uncovered within season 4’s first seven episodes. However, the events of Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 proved that the show was still holding back some massive twists.

Related: Did Stranger Things Season 4 Hide A Pretty Important Character Death?

As the show’s multiple plotlines in Strangers Things season 4 slowly converged, a clear picture was painted of Vecna’s masterplan and what it all means for season 5. And though the conclusion to the season managed to offer numerous surprises, it’s true that at least some of the last two episodes’ big twists weren’t completely unexpected. Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 confirmed seven huge theories about what would happen in the final battle. Here’s what they all were.

Vecna Created The Mind Flayer

Stranger Things Mind-Flayer

Ahead of the release of the final two episodes, there were fans who speculated that the Mind Flayer was an extension of Vecna or a creation of the villain. That’s the opposite of what Dustin suggested, which is the idea that Vecna is the Mind Flayer’s “five-star general”. As it turned out, there truly was a connection between them; it just wasn’t what the characters were thinking. What Stranger Things revealed in volume 2 confirmed fans’ suspicions that Number One used his powers to make the Mind Flayer, which explains why it looks like a spider (arachnids were an obsession of Henry Creel’s) and why the Mind Flayer has abilities similar to those used by Eleven and Number One. The Mind Flayer was a weapon of Vecna and not the other way around.

Vecna Was Responsible For Everything

Stranger Things has pitted the main characters against multiple villains, including the Demogorgon, the Mind Flayer, and now, Vecna. Each of these stories felt separate from the other, but it was suspected during season 4 that despite that, Vecna would stand revealed as the driving force behind all their problems since day one. That would mean that Vecna was connected to Eleven accidentally opening the first Gate in season 1 and that he was also linked to the Mind Flayer in some way. How all of those things could be true was unclear, but by the end of Stranger Things season 4, it was no longer a secret that Vecna really was responsible for everything. Not only did they find out that Vecna created the Mind Flayer, but he was also the reason why season 1’s story happened. Eleven corrected deduced that Dr. Brenner’s search for the Upside Down – which triggered the opening of the Gate and Will’s kidnapping – was fueled by his desire to find Number One.

The Mind Flayer Stole Eleven’s Powers

Stranger Things Season 4 Eleven

For a reason that wasn’t properly explained in Stranger Things season 3, Eleven discovered that her abilities were gone after the fight with the Mind Flayer had concluded. When that happened, one possible explanation posited by fans related to the worm that infected Eleven at Starcourt. The worm was removed, but it felt plausible that it had already fulfilled its purpose, which was to enable the Mind Flayer to strip her of her abilities and take them for its own. All it was trying to do in season 3 was to siphon away her powers for the benefit of Vecna's season 4 plan.

Related: How David Harbour Lost So Much Weight For Stranger Things Season 4

Vecna Is Stranger Things 5's Villain

Stranger Things Season 4 Vecna

As powerful as Vecna is in the series, his death felt like a real possibility for the finale. After all, the kids’ plan to defeat him made a lot of sense. If they could successfully sneak into his lair in the Upside Down and attack him while he was entranced, Vecna could fall and Stranger Things could move on to a new Dungeons & Dragons-inspired monster for season 5. But while this sounded like the ending the show was working toward, there were theories that Vecna would survive the final battle. The idea was that going in this direction would allow Vecna to serve as the overarching villain of the entire series and the final threat for the main characters to face. And, of course, that’s exactly what happened. The plan nearly succeeded, but Robin, Steve, and Nancy failed to finish him off.

The Purpose of the Gates

Stranger Things Steve Underwater Upside Down Gate

The kids in Hawkins weren’t the first to figure out why Vecna was making Gates in Stranger Things. Before the show explored their purpose, it was theorized that Gates forming in the aftermath of his victims’ deaths wasn’t an unintended consequence of his killing spree. It made sense from the beginning that creating additional doorways to Hawkins was what he wanted all along. Some went further with this and postulated that Vecna’s entire plan was to use the Gates to terraform Hawkins. In Stranger Things season 4 volume 2, the show confirmed this theory, and in doing so, drastically raised the stakes of the final showdown with Vecna in the Upside Down.

Stranger Things 5 Is Bringing The Upside Down To Hawkins

Hawkins being invaded by the Upside Down

Stranger Things did more than just threaten Hawkins with an Upside Down takeover. With the show’s ending on the horizon, many believed that in spite of everything the characters were doing to stop Vecna, the conflict with the villain would culminate in the Upside Down and Hawkins colliding just in time for the final season. Unfortunately for the main characters, this very scenario came to pass in season 4’s ending. Eleven did bring Max back to life, but her death (even if it didn’t last) was enough to give Vecna the victory he craved. Now, the bleak future that so many believed was bound to happen in Stranger Things is set to be the story for season 5.

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