The Demogorgon. The Mind Flayer. Vecna. Once upon a time, these were niche monsters known only to those hip to Dungeons & Dragons, but since 2016, Stranger Things has made them into household names as they continue their reign of terror against Hawkins, Indiana.
With the fourth season’s second volume arriving on July 1, and one last season coming eventually, it’s likely Vecna won't be the final villain from the beloved roleplaying game to appear. With that in mind, which villains and monsters could appear before Stranger Things’ inevitable ending? There are plenty of eligible choices.
Bane
No, not that Bane, though he is built the same way. First appearing all the way back in Dungeons & Dragons’ First Edition, Bane is a brutal god of fear and hatred. Generally preferring to rule over his worshipers from afar, Bane could find himself quite at home within the desolate world of the Upside Down.
With the fear and hatred building up to a boiling point within Hawkins, a villain that could truly manipulate that wave of terror and turn it against the heroes of Stranger Things would be absolutely terrifying. Vecna, who was the subject of one of Critical Role's very best fights, may now be inspiring Hawkins’ fear, but a creature who actually uses it would be a formidable foe.
The Great Old One
The Great Old One is one of the more mysterious and faceless entities within D&D lore. Primarily used as a patron to warlocks, the Great Old One is an ancient, alien deity who can reveal the secrets of the universe to its worshipers.
With the origins of the Upside Down now at least being questioned, like how old it is, how it came to be, why it’s a product of the past, it’s possible the answers to its creation may be finally revealed before the end. It would be quite fitting if it actually turned out to be a byproduct of an ancient eldritch being, such as the Great Old One.
The Beholder
One of the most iconic monsters of D&D, the Beholder is a floating cyclops head with eye-stalk tentacles, each one containing awesome and terrible magic. These creatures also happen to be quite intelligent, possessing a vast wealth of knowledge. It's no wonder it appears in many great published D&D campaigns.
Within the context of Stranger Things, the hive mind of the Mind Flayer could create agents to spy on the citizens of Hawkins as it plans it’s eventual takeover of the town, each one possessing its own ability and feeding the knowledge of the collective Beholder.
Mimics
Another iconic D&D monster, though one that’s significantly more annoying than any other one. The adventurer sees a chest. Or a door. Or any other normal object. They touch it. Suddenly– TEETH! And a tongue! It was a mimic all along!
The Duffers have an opportunity to turn this creature into something legitimately horrifying and not just an annoying nuisance. Perhaps a real-world object can be switched with an Upside Down one and, as an alien presence within Hawkins, perhaps it can morph into a Demo-related monster.
Lolth
The demon spider queen worshiped by the dark elves, a chaotic evil deity who lords over the things that live in the shadows. Lolth appears like the spider equivalent of a centaur and twists the minds of those with darkness and dishonesty in their hearts.
Stranger Things 4 has had a slight focus on spiders, black widows in particular, but there seems to be room for more meaning behind them beyond what has been given so far. Perhaps what really twisted the mind of Henry Creel was the Spider Queen herself, acting through the black widows.
Venger
Venger isn’t part of Dungeons & Dragons the game but rather the Dungeons & Dragons animated series from the 1980s, acting as an evil sorcerer and the main antagonist of the show. In many ways, he is D&D’s answer to Megatron or Cobra Commander.
Given that the show ran in the '80s, there’s a high chance the core group of kids have watched it, and it’s no secret that Stranger Things loves its nostalgia. Even with Vecna taking up the mantle of evil undead wizard, who says there isn’t room for a similar sorcerer?
Asmodeus
The Lord of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus is a powerful archdevil who highly values power and dominion. If there is indeed a true origin to the Upside Down, the embodiment of hell within the world of Stranger Things, it’s possible there’s a real devil behind it.
With Stranger Things 4 giving so much focus to the rise of the Satanic Panic, it wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to push that plotline to its ultimate extreme by involving a dyed-in-the-wool devil to torment Hawkins.
The Lady of Pain
Perhaps a deeper cut in terms of D&D villains (and one who hopefully returns to 5th Edition this year), the Lady of Pain has all the powers of a ruthless god, but ultimately despises worship. With an immaculately metal design (literally, with her crown of swords), and her ability to create demiplanes, she is quite the powerful foe, but only if she is crossed.
If such a being exists in the world of Stranger Things, it’s likely she wouldn’t be aligned with the Mind-Flayer or Vecna, and instead just exists content within the Upside Down as long as she’s left alone. But what if the children tried to enlist the help of a Lady of Pain in their fight against their Upside Down enemies?
Tiamat
A dragon of five heads, each one of a different chromatic dragon, residing within Avernus, and once again, the Nine Hells. Obviously an extremely powerful creature given her physical attributes, Tiamat would make for a grand villain akin to a nuclear bomb to the small Midwestern town.
That said, it’s unlikely such a large threat would appear in Stranger Things, as it would make the ever-growing scope too large. On the other hand, it would be quite a sight to see the Upside Down’s scary Silent Hill monster makeover of a giant, five-headed dragon.
Strahd Von Zarovich
The big bad evil guy to end all big bad evil guys in Dungeons & Dragons. Strahd changed the game for vampires in the Forgotten Realms, largely inspired by Dracula and Lord Byron as he employs his specific brand of lust-driven tyranny upon the people of Barovia.
In Hawkins, however, a Strahd-like figure would have to have similar origins to Stranger Things’ Vecna. However, rather than a tortured child who grew up, Strahd could be a particularly older and seasoned man-turned-monster, causing far more damage than this Vecna could ever dream of.