A spiky, armored shell that reminds you of a prehistoric fish.
A splattering of tiny, beady eyes.
A terrifying bloody mouth.
Yep, as it turns out, the alternate character designs for Stranger Things' Vecna are even
more horrifying than the version that made the final cut.
After a nearly three-year hiatus, "Stranger Things 4" came back better, longer, and most
importantly, darker.
This season, the Hawkins underdogs struggle with the horrors and complexities of depression,
trauma, and isolation, which called for an equally complex and dark monster.
To achieve this, they turned to the series' senior concept illustrator, Michael Maher
Jr., who gave us all the nightmare fuel known as Vecna.
"Before…I kill you…I want you to watch."
For most viewers, the dark wizard checks all the necessary boxes for a memorable monster.
Vecna's entire body resembles an open wound with snaking vines that protrude from his
back, which he uses to capture and choke his victims.
A deep, soul-penetrating voice combined with an intimate knowledge of your deepest fears
and regrets makes this a frightening creature, but he wasn't the most visually creepy monster
in Maher's imagination.
"I…would very much…like to show you…where I'm going."
On his Instagram, Maher shared alternative character designs for Vecna, and they are
pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel.
One early version of Vecna is based on a prehistoric fish and includes beady, yellow eyes, and
spikes that Maher describes as an "armored shell."
In this design, the artist theorized that the harsh environment of The Upside Down might
spark such an evolutionary change.
It's a solid addition.
Shockingly, the artist made no comment on that bloody crater of a mouth, which will
probably haunt many nightmares for weeks to come.
"I am still very much in Hell."
On his website, Maher revealed this early version of Vecna, quote, "has a very direct
Hellraiser influence to it," which can be seen in the creature's bloody, lipless mouth,
and the scarring around the multiple button-like eyes.
While the artist wandered off into Cenobite territory here, there are subtle hints at
the finished character hidden in this design.
Look closely at the individual features, and you can see a resemblance to the final Vecna
in the scorched skin and absent nose.
Another design is also "Hellraiser"-inspired.
The large right hand with fingers capable of crushing a skull is certainly familiar,
and will appear in Maher's finished Vecna design.
This version has a network of what appear to be red veins all over his body, but Maher
revealed that they're actually scars where segments of skin have been sewn together over
his emaciated body.
If you look closely at the monster's nose, or lack thereof, you can see a flap of skin
stretched over the empty space.
Moving on to another design, it's unclear where Maher was going with this one — but
it looks more like a Creepypasta creation than an early Vecna.
Instead of a nose that's been cut off or covered by a flap of borrowed skin, this guy never
seems to have owned one to begin with.
This one bears no resemblance to the final Vecna at all.
Some might find these earlier designs more frightening than the final character, but
Vecna needed to be more than visually terrifying.
As Maher explained on Instagram, the dark wizard "needed to be expressive," which the
earlier designs wouldn't have allowed.
Don't let these alternative designs fool you: The Vecna that made it on-screen continues
to be a terrifying sight.
"You have already lost."
There's no doubt that creatures with protruding spikes, bloody maws, and patchwork skin are
enough to plant nightmare-inducing images in any sane person's head.
It could be argued that the scrapped designs are more visually terrifying than the final
concept.
One thing's for certain: You wouldn't want to run into any of the alternative Vecnas
in a dark alley.
But grotesque features are not the only thing that make a monster.
The creepiest thing about Vecna is not only his looks, but his ability to directly interact
with Eleven and her friends.
Any of the creatures we've looked at in this video could stalk and kill our beloved Hawkins
brood, but the majority of the earlier concepts didn't allow for human expression.
In the end, the final Vecna needed to be able to sneer, glare, and smile while torturing
children.
That's far more horrifying than a creepy face or blood-covered mouth.
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