Why Will Is Connected To Vecna (It Could Be Key To Season 5)

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 4, volume 2.

Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 revealed a connection between Vecna and Will that could be key to Stranger Things season 5. Stranger Things season 4's finale confirmed many theories while simultaneously raising fresh questions about what season 5 will entail. In particular, the Netflix series bombastic season 4 ending proves Will's connection to Vecna will be important in Stranger Things season 5.

Will and the Upside Down have been connected since the very first episode of Stranger Things. After a marathon session of Dungeons and Dragons, Will rides his bike home only to be intercepted on the way by a Demogorgon on the hunt. He runs, ends up in the Upside Down, and is able to hide for the better part of the season before finally being rescued. Stranger Things season 2 shows a returned Will as still connected to the Upside Down, with his time spent there and the particles of the dimension that entered him acting as a sort of anchor that keeps bringing him back into the realm.

Will takes a back seat in Stranger Things a lot in the series' first four seasons. While he's a major focus in season 1, due to his status as being stuck in the Upside Down, he's barely in the show. In season 2, Will gets more screen time but really just acts as a vessel for the Mind Flayer. Season 3 uses him relatively less still, abandoning a storyline about him feeling neglected by his friends in favor of the rising action of the season. In comparison, Stranger Things season 4 uses Will's character more and gives him some powerful moments, but he's still distinctly in the background. Yet Stranger Things season 5 not only has the opportunity to change how it has been handling Will's character - but feels distinctly as though it's being set up to do so via his connection to Vecna.

Will's Connection To Vecna & The Mind Flayer Explained

The ending of Stranger Things season 4 reveals that Vecna has been the intelligence behind the Mind Flayer — and the rest of the Upside Down — since the very beginning. Exploring the new world he's become trapped in, One encounters the Hive Mind particles and bends them to his will, connecting himself to the realm and becoming its master. While trapped in the Upside Down, Will either ingested enough of its particles to gain a connection to the realm or was purposefully granted a connection to Vecna in a way not yet fully established.

That connection was enough in Stranger Things season 2 to drag Will back into the Upside Down and allow the Mind Flayer to enter his body and use him as a host. While the collected Stranger Things cast was able to work around the Mind Flayer using Will as a host and get the portal closed in season 2's finale, Will's connection lasted into season 3 and has now been shown in season 4. The fact that season 4 ends with Will sensing something, and the whole crew runs to see the Upside Down encroaching on Hawkins suggests that what started with Will in season 1 might well end with him in Stranger Things season 5.

What Will's Connection To Vecna Means For Season 5 (Why It's Important)

Will now occupies a very unique role: he's connected to Vecna, but not part of the Hive Mind, meaning he isn't hurt when other parts of the Upside Down are. This connection may well prove to be Vecna's undoing, giving the team insight into his plans and a heads-up before he acts. In this way, Will being taken in Stranger Things season 1 may well prove to be Vecna's forgotten Achilles heel.

Knowledge is power, and having a character who might be able to act as a spy against Vecna and his forces may well tip the battle in favor of the Hawkins crew. Stranger Things season 5 is sure to be about the main cast's struggle to kill Vecna and close the Upside Down off from the real world forever. Vecna's access to monsters and superior numbers doesn't bode well for the main cast, so having Will's help to spy on the villain's plans might be the only way to beat him. Will's connection to Vecna might also paint a target on his back as it's one of the few edges the Hawkins crew have on Vecna that the villain doesn't have any control over.

The Duffer Brothers have yet to begin writing on Stranger Things season 5. Yet no matter how Stranger Things will end, season 5 has an opportunity to give Will the spotlight the character has deserved for so long and use him to fill a valuable role in the struggle against Vecna.

Next: Will That Max Change Be Reversed In Stranger Things Season 5?

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