4 Most Convincing 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Fan Theories That Make Too Much Sense

Following the premiere of Stranger Things' final season, fan theories have evolved from mere entertainment to a legitimate tool for analyzing the upcoming conclusion.

The Duffer Brothers have masterfully woven together the threads of previous seasons, making every detail, from the physics lesson to the numbering of the children, feel like part of a grand puzzle.

1. The Main Antagonist Is the Mind Flayer, Not Vecna

This theory, supported by the Stranger Things prequel play First Shadow, changes our understanding of Vecna's origins. According to the play, the true source of evil is not Henry Creel but an ancient being from the Upside Down – the Mind Flayer.

In Season 4, Vecna supposedly "created" this monster, but he likely merely manipulated a preexisting entity. The play reveals that the Mind Flayer subjugated and corrupted the mind of young Henry, turning him into a conduit for its will.

This raises another possibility: what if, having become Vecna, Henry himself is still a puppet in the clutches of the true master of the Upside Down? Perhaps he will be able to shake off this influence at the crucial moment.

This idea was inadvertently supported by Noah Schnapp in a recent interview – you can read more about it here.

2. Will Byers Will Lose an Eye

This theory is based on Dungeons & Dragons lore. As revealed in the fourth episode of Season 5, Will has the power to control the creatures from the Upside Down. At the end of the episode, he saves his friends by controlling the Demogorgons sent by Vecna.

As the first person kidnapped by Henry, Will may be the key to defeating the main antagonist. The Eye of Vecna, an artifact from the D&D world, grants magic only to those willing to sacrifice an eye.

Perhaps Will, who has strong ties to the Upside Down world, will be forced to sacrifice his own eye to defeat a dangerous enemy.

However, according to D&D lore, artifacts associated with Vecna corrupt their bearer, which would put Will in even greater danger.

3. Wormhole and Time Travel

During a physics class in Season 5, the teacher explains the concept of an Einstein-Rosen bridge, or a wormhole that allows one to traverse space and time, to the children.

Fans immediately noticed that the schematic drawing on the board looked like the Vecna plan that Will drew in the barn.

This sparked the theory that Henry Creel's ultimate goal might be time travel. Perhaps he kidnaps children to build a time machine and go back in time to undo the tragic events that turned him into a monster.

The number of his victims, twelve, may not be a coincidence, as it symbolizes the numbers on a clock face – the image of a clock has been a constant companion to Vecna since his first appearance.

4. 11+8+1

In the fourth episode of Season 5, Kali Prasad, the test subject number 8 last seen in Season 2, returns to the narrative. She is currently imprisoned in the Upside Down under heavy military guard.

In the same episode, Vecna refers to Will as the first kidnapped child, effectively assigning him the number one. The numbers of the main characters involved in the experiments – Eleven (11), Kali (8), and Will (1) – add up to 20.

According to the Dungeons & Dragons rules, this die roll result represents a critical success and the maximum possible damage. Furthermore, in Season 4, the characters managed to defeat Vecna in a board game thanks to a similar stroke of luck.