Devoted Stranger Things enthusiasts have unearthed a fascinating historical revelation about Hawkins High School's most notorious club, sparking widespread discussion across fan communities.
The Name That Divided Hawkins
As fans eagerly await Stranger Things season 5's release on November 26, many have been rewatching earlier seasons, with one particular detail catching their attention: the curious naming choice for the school's Dungeons & Dragons club. The Hellfire Club, led by the charismatic Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson, becomes central to Hawkins' turmoil when residents wrongly blame the club for the murder of student Chrissy Cunningham, portrayed by Grace Van Dien.
Eddie passionately defends the Hellfire Club against accusations of being a cult, insisting it's merely an innocent fantasy tabletop role-playing game for the school's social outcasts. However, fans have questioned why he would select a name that seemingly reinforces the very satanic panic stereotypes he's trying to combat.
Fan Debate Ignites Online
On the popular platform Fandom, one viewer posed the crucial question: "Was 'Hellfire Club' a poor name choice?" They elaborated: "If D&D was already notorious for supposedly having Satanic roots, and if Eddie really wanted to convince people that it was merely a fantasy game rather than a cult, why did they call themselves Hellfire Club? I would be wary of a name like that, too."
The discussion generated diverse perspectives from the fan community. Some argued that Eddie simply stopped caring about public perception, with one user noting: "I think Eddie probably realised that people weren't gonna change and was like 'Oh well, might as well name it something cool' and normal." Another suggested the naming decision might predate Eddie's leadership of the club.
The Surprising Historical Truth Emerges
The revelation that has stunned fans traces back to 18th-century British and Irish history. Contrary to satanic associations, the Hellfire Club takes its name from exclusive aristocratic gentlemen's clubs frequented by wealthy rakes - aristocratic men devoted to pleasure-seeking with little regard for traditional morality or law.
According to a statement on PocketMags written by Callum McKelvie, these historical Hellfire clubs combined "blasphemy with excessive drinking and sexual deviancy", scandalising British society through their secretive nature and defiance of conventional morals. The powerful positions of their members spawned legends about them being malevolent organisations.
Enlightened fans quickly connected these historical dots. One responded: "Probably just provocation from Eddie, as it should be, plus the historical Hellfire Club is a British aristocratic gentlemen's club from the XVIIIth century. So it's definitely cool." Another expressed surprise at finding someone else who knew the true origins, highlighting how this historical context had been largely overlooked until now.
