Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers on Stranger Things, has discussed how Will and Vecna’s relationship is developing in season 5, and he says it feels similar to the dynamic between characters in Harry Potter. The new season began streaming on November 26, 2025, and takes place 18 months after the events that nearly destroyed the town of Hawkins, Indiana. While the main group has been searching for Vecna, Will has a unique connection to the villain that creates new challenges. Warning: This article contains significant spoilers for the first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5.
Noah Schnapp recently told Deadline that exploring the connection between Will and Vecna reminded him of the relationship between Harry Potter and Voldemort. He even re-watched the Harry Potter movies for inspiration. The parallels between the two pairs became clear in the fourth episode of Stranger Things season 5, “Sorcerer,” and could foreshadow difficult times for Will.
What Will & Vecna Being Like Harry Potter & Voldemort Means for Stranger Things’ Upcoming Episodes
In the episode “Sorcerer,” Will Byers discovered he could control his link to Vecna. He used Vecna’s own psychic abilities to save his friends from three Demogorgons, even destroying them in the same gruesome way Vecna harmed people in Stranger Things season 4. This was a particularly strong and memorable moment for Will – arguably his most impactful scene in the whole series. The deep connection between Will and Vecna is reminiscent of the link between Harry Potter and Voldemort, where Harry was one of the pieces of Voldemort’s soul, a Horcrux.
Just as Harry Potter had to die to destroy Voldemort because he was a piece of his soul, Will Byers in Stranger Things might face the same fate to defeat Vecna. The close connection between them suggests Will may need to sacrifice himself, which would be a poignant and fitting end to his story, but also incredibly sad. With the final season releasing in two parts this holiday season, the possibility of Will’s death looms large.
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things still needs to answer many questions. We don’t yet fully understand Will’s connection to Vecna – how Vecna draws power from him, and how this will affect Will. The details of Vecna’s overall plan also remain a mystery, as does the outcome of the final battle between Vecna, Will, and the rest of the group. Like the Harry Potter series, Will’s life could be in danger, but he might also be the one to ultimately defeat Vecna.
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2025-11-29 15:11