Stranger Things Theory Claims The Upside Down's Villain Was Always Vecna

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 4.

A new Stranger Things theory claims that season 4's villain Vecna has been the mastermind pulling the strings in the Upside Down since the very beginning. Introduced in season 4, Vecna (Jamie Campell-Bower) is later revealed to have been exiled to the Upside Down by Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) after he killed the kids at Hawkins Lab. Subtle hints in seasons 1-3 suggest that Vecna isn't a late addition to Stranger Things, but actually the secret big bad who's been pulling the strings all along.

In the 1950s, Victor Creel and his family move into a sizeable home in Hawkins, Indiana after coming into some money. Victor grows to suspect that the house they'd moved into is haunted by some demonic presence, misidentifying his son Henry's budding psychic powers as an outside influence. Before long, Henry becomes disaffected with humanity as a whole and kills his sister and mother, fainting before he's able to finish off his father. Victor is convicted for the murders and Henry is turned over to Dr. Martin Brenner, becoming One and being set on a path that would eventually have him stuck in the Upside Down as Vecna.

With the revelation that Vecna has been in the Upside Down since long before the start of the series, there is a very real possibility that he's been actively trying to escape since Eleven accidentally opened the portal to the upside in Stranger Things season 1. Though the series offers up the idea that Vecna is a sort of five-star general for the Mind Flayer, there are hints that this might not be the case. Vecna was planned by the Duffer Brothers since season 1 (via Netflix Tudum) and themes that tie him to the Upside Down in season 4 have appeared in Stranger Things since the first episode of the series, suggesting that Vecna is more to the Mind Flayer than a subordinate.

The Duffer Brothers Planned Vecna In Season 1

When the Duffer Brothers first started working on Stranger Things, executives at Netflix requested background information on the series. The Duffers said that they had the Upside Down figured out, but wished to keep it as mysterious as possible in order to ramp up the horror. Reportedly, Netflix agreed that was fine, but asked them to write it all out for their benefit. A 25-page mythology document was created that explained the background of Hawkins Lab, Dr. Brenner's experiments, and the Upside Down. According to the Duffers, they have wanted to reveal the backstory of the lab and One for a long time but felt they couldn't reveal it right away without hurting their storytelling process. That means Vecna has been on their minds since the outset. The reveal in Stranger Things season 4 volume 1's finale has been more than 6 years in the making.

Vecna's Presence Can Be Found In Stranger Things 1, 2, And 3

A figure in the road in season 1 of Stranger Things.

Perhaps because of Vecna's presence lurking in the Duffers' minds, his themes can be found seeded in seasons 1, 2, and 3 of Stranger Things. The first hint of him is found in season 1, episode 1 "The Vanishing of Will Byers." While riding home from a particularly long D&D session at Mike's (Finn Wolfhard) house, Will (Noah Schnapp) is run off the road by a frightening figure in the road. This is supposedly the first time the Demogorgon is seen on screen and while the figure certainly matches that description, its appearance is silhouetted and unclear and could just as easily be argued to be Vecna. The moment Will falls off his bike, chimes not unlike the sounds of Vecna's grandfather clock can be heard ringing out. Will is then chased to his home and the being chasing him is shown to unlock doors with its mind in its pursuit of him, something never again seen from the Demogorgon.

In Stranger Things season 2, episode 4 "Will The Wise," Jim Hopper (David Harbour) spends a large amount of the episode trying to dig down into the tunnels the Mind Flayer has built under the area surrounding Hawkins. When he finally breaks through and drops down, he sees that the Upside Down has come to Hawkins and is infecting the land. The episode ends with the very distinctive chime of a bell, not unlike what is heard by victims of Vecna's curse in Stranger Things season 4.

Stranger Things season 3, episode 2 "The Mall Rats" shows Billy (Dacre Montgomery) being pulled into the Upside Down forcibly by the Mind Flayer when he tries to contact 911 using a phone booth on the side of the road. In his first moments in the Upside Down, four chimes ring out that sound even more like Vecna's grandfather clock than the previous examples. He is then confronted by the Mind Flayer before the scene cuts to black. It's possible that this theming is entirely coincidental. Chimes and bell sounds can add a creepy ambiance to a scene. Perhaps that's all that's happening in these examples. Even so, the fact that Vecna was planned so early and theming that equates with him in Stranger Things season 4 is so present and tied to the Upside Down in the previous seasons gives ample reason for extra consideration.

Does Vecna Serve The Mind Flayer?

The Mind Flayer in Stranger Things season 2.

Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) speculates toward the end of Stranger Things season 4 that Vecna serves as a five-star general to the Mind Flayer. He's basing this merely on the group's past experience with the Mind Flayer and making the assumption that the Mind Flayer is the big bad of the Upside Down. He has no evidence of these facts—in fact, no one really knows much at all about the Upside Down, the Mind Flayer, or Vecna at this point. There is perhaps as much evidence that the Mind Flayer serves Vecna as there is evidence that Vecna serves the Mind Flayer.

What Was The Upside Down Like Before Vecna?

Nancy in the Upside Down in Stranger Things season 4.

In the Stranger Things season 4, volume 1 finale, it's revealed that Eleven opened a portal to the Upside Down in 1979 in order to banish One after he killed the children in Hawkins Lab. The Upside Down he arrives in is substantially different than what is shown in the present. It's a formless place of raw elements, lightning, and magma. It quickly shapes him into Vecna, ridding him of many of the characteristics that make him obviously human. That the Upside Down seen in the present resembles Hawkins suggests the possibility that Vecna shaped it to his will after his arrival. Perhaps, using his powerful mind, Vecna created a simulacrum of the town that had become familiar to him. What is certain is that at some point between 1979 and 1983, the Upside Down changed dramatically.

Did Eleven Run Away From Hawkins Lab Because Of The Demogorgon Or Because Of Vecna?

One (Henry Creel) becomes Vecna in Stranger Things season 4.

Eleven opens a portal to the Upside Down on November 6, 1983—the same day Will vanishes. This means that she escaped Hawkins Lab on the same day the portal was opened. Presumably, she left because she was afraid of the Demogorgon. Eleven's escape route from Hawkins Lab had been revealed to her by One in 1979. Before 1983, she saw no reason to use it to get away from the lab, despite her ill-treatment there. The Demogorgon quickly got out of Hawkins Lab. It seems odd that Eleven would run from it when it didn't stick around. Though she blocked out many memories from her early childhood, it's possible that some part of her recognized One's presence on the other side of the portal and fled the lab to get as far away from him as possible.

The Mind Flayer eludes to plans to break into reality and kill Eleven so it can take over, but never gives any explicit motivations for it. Vecna has reasons to hate Eleven. He has a reason to want to get back into his own reality. He even gives a reason to want to assimilate and kill everyone on earth. It's likely that Vecna is meant to be the overarching villain of Stranger Things—and it's likely that's been the plan since the very beginning.

Next: Stranger Things 4 Explains 6 Mysteries From Season 1

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