Is the Mind Flayer, Not Vecna, Stranger Things’ Real Villain? The Duffers Promise an Answer Is Coming

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In Season 2, a giant smoke monster from the Upside Down arrives in Hawkins, which the kids refer to as “the Mind Flayer.” It eventually starts influencing people around town, including Max Mayfield’s brother, Billy, leading to his tragic death. However, the Mind Flayer takes a back seat when Vecna starts showing his ugly mug, as Eleven’s former housemate, Henry Creel, sure feels like the Big Bad of the whole series. The Duffer brothers aren’t ready to commit to that idea, keeping their options open heading into the home stretch.

“You’re asking a question that will be answered in the final episode,” Matt Duffer said after being asked by Variety whether Vecna or the Mind Flayer is the real villain of Stranger Things. He also mentioned that he would be more than happy to talk through the whole situation once the show is over, but he may not have to, since the truth seems to be already out there.

Stranger Things‘ Spinoff Explores Vecna and the Mind Flayer’s Relationship

Ahead of the release of Stranger Things 5, the series took to the stage with Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a play that follows Henry’s childhood in Hawkins. Obviously, he’s not like other kids, as he has abilities that let him enter people’s minds and engage in other unsavory activities. But the show reveals that Henry wasn’t always a monster hellbent on getting revenge, but a normal kid who stumbled upon technology that sent him to another dimension and allowed a dark entity to influence him. The entity sure seems to have a lot in common with the Mind Flayer, which appears to put the mystery to bed.

Of course, there will be plenty of naysayers who claim that a play that’s not readily available to the public can’t have much impact on a TV show. However, Season 5 is already going out of its way to emphasize its importance by visiting its setting in an episode of Part 1. While the Duffer brothers are sure to have a few more tricks up their sleeve, the identity of their main villain may not be one of them.

Stranger Things Season 5, Part I is streaming on Netflix.

What do you think the real villain of Stranger Things is? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!