Season 5 of Stranger Things finally revealed the answer to a long-standing question that’s puzzled fans since the very beginning. The show has become increasingly epic over the last two seasons, and the final season promises a world-ending battle. Considering how huge things have become, it’s surprising to remember that everything started with the disappearance of Will Byers – a young boy who vanished on November 6, 1983, and whose abduction set off all the trouble in Hawkins.
Fans have long wondered why Will Byers survived his encounter with the Demogorgon, while Barb didn’t. Both were taken to the same place and experienced a strange process, but Will was changed, becoming connected to the Mind Flayer and developing supernatural abilities. Barb, however, died, and her body was found in the Upside Down. A new theory attempts to explain this difference, suggesting why Will lived when Barb did not.
The Key Lies in Vecna’s Season 5 Plan
Vecna views Will as a test case, and he’s trying to recreate the process that made Will connected to the Upside Down with the twelve children he abducted in Season 5. Unlike before, Vecna wasn’t quick to pick his victims. He appears to have been watching them from March 1986—when the gates opened at the end of Season 4—until November 1987. The questions are: why did it take Vecna so long to choose these twelve children, and what made them specifically stand out?
When Vecna talks to the children, he says he chose them because they possess hidden abilities. While audiences generally assume Vecna is lying, the most convincing lies often contain some truth. The show’s creators, the Duffer brothers, have frequently taken inspiration from X-Men comics, and the idea of individuals with dormant powers is central to that universe. In X-Men, these ‘latent mutants’ don’t develop abilities unless something external triggers them.
The Broadway show Stranger Things reveals that Vecna gained his powers as a child when he was exposed to a place called Dimension X – this is now confirmed as part of the show’s official storyline. Similarly, Will Byers developed abilities after being exposed to the Upside Down, and is now considered a ‘Sorcerer,’ meaning he has natural, inherent powers. It’s also been revealed that Dr. Brenner’s experiments, aimed at creating powerful individuals like Eleven, involved exposing babies to the blood of Henry Creel – a process similar to what happened to Vecna.
Looking back, it seems Will survived and Barb didn’t because Will unknowingly had hidden abilities, while Barb didn’t. This is similar to what we see with Dr. Kay’s experiments in Stranger Things Season 5. Kali explains that Dr. Kay’s experiments were harming those she experimented on, not because of Kali’s blood itself, but because Dr. Kay couldn’t identify individuals who had the potential for children with powers.
Stranger Things Season 5 Has Already Set Up Its Spinoffs
If the show’s creators are planning spinoffs, they’ve been hinting at them quite clearly. In Season 5, Volume 1, Mike told his sister a story about “Holly the Heroic,” introducing a new group of characters who play Dungeons & Dragons. He gave Holly the same character class as Will – a Cleric – and described her as having the ability to open portals to other dimensions. This feels like a very direct signal of what’s to come.
If Vecna is even partially honest with the children he’s captured, he’s awakened abilities in them similar to his own and Will’s. He’s replicating Dr. Kay’s experiments, attempting to create more people with powers, but with the intention of controlling them. Most of these children have fallen under Vecna’s influence, becoming like the Cult of Vecna from Eddie’s Dungeons & Dragons game. However, Derek understands what’s really happening, and Holly is determined to fight against Vecna’s control.
Kali revealed to Eleven that she believes anyone with powers should be eliminated once the Upside Down is defeated. Many viewers have observed Kali’s strange behavior, and it’s possible she understands why Vecna targeted those twelve children and plans for them to die. This would mean the heroes of Hawkins have a dangerous enemy within their ranks, someone likely to betray them when it matters most. However, if anyone with powers does survive, Kali may be right – the dangerous pattern will just start all over again.
Fans have observed that Nell Fisher’s character, Holly Wheeler, is getting a lot more attention this season, even more than some of the show’s main stars. Some believe this is intentional, suggesting it’s a way to set up a future spin-off series. The idea is that the show is transitioning to a new group of younger characters, and any of these survivors could lead a new story – the possibilities are endless.
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2025-12-29 16:16