Warning: Spoilers for Stranger Things to follow.
Vecna had a pretty good run as the Stranger Things big bad over the course of season four, in no small part to the creature’s murderous sentience and one of the show’s best performances by actor Jamie Campbell Bower. But, as great of a villain as he was, some folks are all too eager to see the Hawkins gang face off against the Mind Flayer, who many believe is the true head honcho of all their troubles.
Fans over on r/StrangerThings have begun drooling over what the Mind Flayer may have in store for the protagonists, as the final scene of season four made it clear that this won’t be just another Battle-of-Starcourt scenario, especially now that Vecna is in the picture alongside it.
One user pointed out a particularly eye-catching piece of information about Dungeons & Dragons, where the Mind Flayer and several other Upside Down residents get their names, which may serve as an omen for the Mind Flayer’s intentions. If it turns out to be true, then Vecna’s in for a world of hurt.
This would lead to a classic power struggle trope that we’ve seen in the likes of Spider-Man 2 via Doctor Octopus and his malignant arms.
Another user pointed out perhaps why Vecna isn’t instilling the same fear into our hearts the way he did initially, comparing him to the Mind Flayer’s myriad of unknown qualities, which is where much of humanity’s fear stems from.
And with so much still left to learn about the Mind Flayer, there’s no telling what terrors it could pull out over the course of season five. But whatever they are, we’ll be watching with collective deep breaths, all while bracing for a major character death. Taking prisoners likely isn’t part of the Mind Flayer’s plan.
Stranger Things season four is currently available to stream on Netflix.