Warning: Spoilers for Stranger Things season 4, volume 1!

New creatures of the Upside Down were introduced through Stranger Things season 4, volume 1 in the form of Demobats. The threatening species served as secondary antagonists alongside the installment's main villain, Vecna. While Stranger Things has a tendency to debut new monsters from the Upside Down, the existence of Demobats presents the question of where they've been in the first three seasons.

As the world of the Upside Down started to bleed into the world of Hawkins after Eleven inadvertently opened a gate to the Upside Down, new threats emerged. First, it was the Demogorgon, a large bipedal creature, who wreaked havoc in Stranger Things season 1. The next season revealed more regarding a Demogorgon's lifecycle by showing in the pollywog and Demodog stage. The latter of which played a greater role as Demodogs were set loose in Hawkins while the season's main antagonist, the Mind Flayer, took control. The Mind Flayer, who also served as the primary antagonist in Stranger Things season 3, is the leader of the Upside Down. The "Shadow Monster," as it's also called, is a sentient being made up of dust particles, but it has the power to control other beings within the Upside Down as well as human hosts.

Related: Stranger Things Season 4's Episode Lengths Are Ridiculous

While Vecna seems to do the Mind Flayer's bidding, causing severe problems for the group in Hawkins, the Demobats are also proving to be a problem. The large bat-like creatures are shown in Stranger Things season 4 near the Upside Down version of the Creel House. However, they aren't closely shown until "Chapter Six: The Dive," when they drag Steve Harrington away from the "water gate." Unlike normal bats, the Demobats have tendril appendages that can strangle victims. They can also bite, which Steve quickly finds out when several attack him. With the help of Nancy Wheeler, Eddie Munson, and Robin Buckley, the group is able to fight off the group of Demobats before another horde reaches them in "Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab." That begs the question: where have these Demobats been since Stranger Things season 1?

Why Weren't Demobats Seen Before Stranger Things Season 4

Stranger Things Upside Down Demobats

It seems strange that the Demobats have never appeared in Stranger Things before season 4. That said, mysteries regarding the separate dimension are still emerging, including the existence of powerful forces like Vecna. As the Mind Flayer's "general," it's plausible that the Demobats exist to protect and watch out for Vecna, similar to the flying monkeys and the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Interestingly, Demobats are primarily shown when the show teases Vecna's evildoings, especially near the Creel House, his headquarters of sorts. When Steve, Nancy, and the group travel through the Upside Down to the trailer park in episode 7, a Demobat watches before going to warn Vecna. Therefore, the species probably wasn't seen because Vecna wasn't a threat yet.

Unlike the pollywog and Demodog, Demobats aren't a stage of the Demogorgon's life cycle, so there truly wasn't a reason to show them until Stranger Things season 4. Though they may seem smaller than Demodogs, their act of flight is something new for the Hawkins group to deal with. Their existence is also a good reminder that the Upside Down is still full of surprises and, unfortunately, unseen creatures.

More: Stranger Things 4 Fixes Everything That Went Wrong In Season 2

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