The Demagorgan came first, followed by the Mind Flayer, but now Eleven (Millie Bobby
Brown) and the citizens of Hawkins must confront a far more terrifying foe.
Vecna, as the creature is named by Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), is a brand-new
adversary for Stranger Things Season 4, and it may be the most terrifying yet.
Here's everything you need to know about the new Big Bad in the Stranger Things world,
from its origins to its motives, and how it links to Season 4's first half.
What is Vecna's name?
The opening half of Stranger Things' fourth season is dominated by the issue of who Vecna
is and why the monster is terrorizing Hawkins.
Vecna begins his reign of terror as the series goes, targeting those who have a deep, dark
secret they don't want anyone else to know about, and he utilizes awful visions to warp
the truth and inflict misery on them.
Vecna then takes his victims into their own personal hell, tormented by their inner demons
while he hunts them down, despite the fact that the horrible experience is entirely in
their heads due to the creature's hypnosis.
Vecna murders them from the inside out by removing their soul while their body in the
actual world is shattered in grotesque angles and their eyes are gouged out once the monster
catches them, as he always does.
It's not immediately evident why Vecna chooses his victims, but after viewers learn about
his background and motives, it becomes clear.
Vecna's genesis tale turns out to be more familiar than fans may imagine, thanks to
his connection to Eleven.
Vecna, like Eleven, was previously human and has exceptional abilities; in fact, he is
One (Jamie Campbell Bower), the first of Dr. Martin Brenner's (Matthew Modine) research
subjects.
He, like Eleven, possesses psychokinetic and telepathic skills that enable him to influence
people around him, as well as the ability to look into the brains of his victims and
unearth their deepest secrets.
Vecna's backstory is revealed in two ways in the series finale: in a recollection of
a conversation he had with Eleven and when he targets Nancy Byers (Natalia Dyer), with
whom he tells his narrative through flashbacks while she is in a trance.
Victor Creel's (Robert Englund) house is haunted by Vecna, who is Victor's son and was never
a ghost haunting the family.
One considered humans as "pests" as a youngster, and he despised the thought of leading a "regular"
existence and following the order and mundanity of ordinary life, such as having children,
going to work, and dying, according to Eleven's memories.
Vecna needed more than that to become a predator, so he began to put his powers to the test
in order to become a predator "for good," like he did with his beloved Black Widow spiders.
As he tortured numerous creatures, he grew stronger and stronger.
When his parents realized something was wrong with their son, they intended to take him
to the doctor.
However, One refused to be admitted to a mental facility and instead murdered his mother and
sister, then attempted to kill his father but passed out from exhaustion.
Victor was caught and convicted guilty of the killings, and shortly after, Dr. Brenner
kidnapped One and sought to control him.
When that failed, he implanted a chip in One's neck to prevent him from using his abilities
and began a program to create additional children like him, including Eleven, and it is only
when Eleven removes the chip that he is able to unleash his fury once again.
The slaughter depicted at the start of the season wasn't carried out by Eleven; instead,
One was responsible for the deaths of all the children and staff at the facility.
Rather of joining One in his attempt to extinguish mankind, Eleven confronts him and thrusts
him into the Upside Down, creating the first doorway into the parallel reality.
Then, while he was plummeting down the Upside Down, lightning hit him, changing his skin
and turning him into the monster he is now.
In Stranger Things, does Steve die?
The most recent season picks up shortly after the Battle of Starcourt, when the group is
separated for the first time.
The Byers family and Eleven had fled to California, leaving the rest of the group in Hawkins.
They quickly realized they weren't out of the woods yet, since inexplicable deaths were
occurring.
Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) and his companions realized that the fatalities were
caused by a particularly malevolent creature called as Vecna.
Near the end of the first volume, Steve made the decision to hunt for another entrance
to the Upside Down so that they might destroy the monster.
e dove into the lake and discovered the portal, then surfaced to inform Nancy Wheeler (Natalia
Dyer) and the others.
However, a massive tentacle grabbed him and dragged him into the Upside Down, where he
was assaulted by horrible monsters.
Nancy and the rest of the gang dove in to find him, and episode seven confirmed that
they did.
His companions were concerned that he had been poisoned by Vecna's wickedness since
he was seriously harmed.
He began to appear weak and was having difficulty standing, and Nancy saw that he had a very
nasty wound.
Thankfully, he was still alive by the end of the first book.
However, with two more episodes to show before the season's finish, his fate might alter.
Steve was thinking about rekindling his love with Nancy while the gang sought to discover
weapons to combat the creatures.
In a terrible turn of events, this may have been an indication that something horrible
was going to happen to Steve.
Nancy discovered the firearms had been flung back in time when she arrived at her residence
to recover them.
She discovered an old diary from back when she and Steve were an official couple.
They were able to use lights to communicate with the actual world.
Steve began coughing just as supporters were beginning to feel optimistic about their escape.
This might be a sign that his health is failing.
While Eddie (Joseph Quinn) and Robin (Maya Hawke) were able to return to the real world,
Nancy was kidnapped by Vecna, leaving Steve to save her.
In other news, viewers discovered Vecna's actual identity at the end of the final episode,
and it was shocking.
Vecna was revealed to be Peter Ballard (Jamie Campbell Bower) from Hawkins Lab throughout
Eleven's quest.
After discovering his nefarious designs, Eleven had thrown him to the Upside Down after a
massive struggle.
Vecna was revealed to be subject number one, the first person to be experimented on in
Hawkins Lab, at the end of the episode.
Throughout the season, Number One was addressed, but it was never disclosed who he was.