Stranger Things Season 5 Completes Its 3-Year Vecna Retcon and Sets Up Final Battle
Stranger Things season 5 fully embraces the show’s major retcon, reshaping the entire series' backstory. The end of season 4 revealed that Vecna, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, had been the true villain all along. This dark psychic, a distorted reflection of Eleven, created the Mind Flayer and took control of the Upside Down.
The question of how much influence Vecna held and how many events he orchestrated in Hawkins has now been answered. Netflix released the complete opening scene of season 5, featuring a striking flashback to season 1.
Revelations from the Season 5 Opening Scene
- Shows a younger Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) during his time in the Upside Down.
- Reveals what happened to Will after the Demogorgon finally captured him.
- Suggests even the Demogorgon acted under Vecna’s control.
- Indicates that Will was intentionally exposed to the Mind Flayer.
This completes season 4’s rewrite, dramatically altering the show’s overall narrative and placing Vecna at the center of Hawkins' multiple crises.
“It was you,” Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven realized when confronting Vecna in season 4. “It was always you.”
This confirmation highlights Vecna as the mastermind behind the darkest threats in Hawkins, setting the stage for a final showdown with Eleven.
Author's summary: Stranger Things season 5 fully confirms Vecna as the mastermind behind Hawkins' horrors, reshaping the series' history and leading to an ultimate confrontation with Eleven.