The first instalment of the fifth and final season of the hit Netflix show, Stranger Things season 5, dropped on November 27, plunging the Hawkins gang back into a desperate battle to save their world and ours.
Picking up after their defeat at the hands of Vecna, the group is on the back foot, facing a seemingly all-powerful foe who has been meticulously planning his assault since the very beginning.
The Reign of Vecna
The new episodes continue to detail the profound evil of Vecna, also known as Henry Creel. Jamie Campbell Bower's character is shown to have orchestrated Will Byers' original disappearance in season one and is now holding Max Mayfield prisoner within his own twisted memories.
In a chilling escalation, he has begun kidnapping children from Hawkins, including the young Holly Wheeler, proving that no one is safe from his reach.
A More Terrifying Threat Emerges
However, a shocking new fan theory suggests that Vecna may not be the ultimate evil the heroes must face. During a pivotal scene in season five, Max, while fleeing from Vecna within his mind, stumbles upon a mysterious cave that Vecna himself is too scared to enter.
This has led viewers to a compelling conclusion: the true mastermind lurking in the shadows is the Mind Flayer from season three.
One fan passionately argued online, "Guys mind flayer is the real enemy, much bigger than Vecna." This colossal, spider-like entity previously possessed Billy Hargrove, forcing him to kidnap Hawkins residents before brutally tearing him apart in front of his stepsister, Max.
The fan further speculated, "Vecna was legit scared when he approached that cave. The only question is why was he able to control the mind flayer or assemble it like a spider?"
Decoding the Dungeons & Dragons Lore
Another key piece of evidence comes from the show's consistent use of Dungeons & Dragons mythology. As character Dustin Henderson has explained, in the game, Vecna is a powerful lich who often serves as a general in the army of the Mind Flayer.
A fan pointed out, "Those D&D descriptions tend to be accurate and help the audience quickly understand a creature/monster’s role in the show."
This theory is bolstered by the fact that the Mind Flayer existed in the Upside Down before Henry Creel ever arrived. It seems the entity actively reached out to Henry as a child, even drawing him to spiders, and later took on a spider-like form to connect with him, suggesting a deep, symbiotic relationship rather than one of pure domination.
While some see Vecna as the Mind Flayer's general, others believe he is merely a tool for an even older evil: the Shadow Monster from season two, which was a smoke-like version of the Mind Flayer that possessed Will Byers.
One viewer summed it up: "Personally, I think the shadow monster is the ultimate evil of the show. The parasite invading our world using Vecna as its face." This sets the stage for an epic power struggle in the final chapters of the beloved series.
