Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 4 of the Netflix series, Stranger Things.
The Netflix horror series, Stranger Things, balances the neon lights and perfectly quaffed hair of the '80s with the dark and terrifying Upside Down. The shadowy echo of the small town of Hawkins is wrapped in twisting carnivorous vines, bathed in blood-red light and inhabited by the most vile of creatures who work towards one shared goal: to devour and cause destruction to the once peaceful town. Every season of Stranger Things has brought new, horrifying monsters and villains inspired by the beloved tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. In Season 1 audiences made first contact with the Demogorgon; Season 2 introduced the Mind Flayer, whose melted victims formed the fleshy giant spider monster of Season 3, and Season 4 brought us Vecna, the Lich, Undying King of the Rotten Tower. With Season 5 officially on the way, audiences are already speculating what monster will come next, and with Nancy’s vision in Season 4, the stage has been set for a great battle with multiple new monsters. Season 5 is said to be the last of the series, and many are wondering what the final boss of the Hawkins campaign will be, and if they will finally learn what the Upside Down really is. One D&D monster in particular may answer these questions once and for all.
In Season 4 of Stranger Things, Vecna got ahold of Nancy and showed her a premonition of the town's fate. The vision was not shown on screen, but the young journalist described what she saw, including dead soldiers and the large gaping mouth of an unknown monster. Nancy also stated that this monster is not alone, which means the party is set to face droves of new creatures inspired by their favorite board game as they reach the end of their real life campaign.
In the most recent season of Stranger Things, audiences were introduced to three new monsters from the Upside Down, including Vecna, and the swarm of bats that ultimately brought beloved misfit Eddie to his death. The other new creature easily could have been missed. While Hopper, Joyce and Murray were escaping the Russian prison they found themselves in a room where military officials had been experimenting on creatures from the other side. Within a glass case, an amorphic cloud of dark smoke hovered, seemingly alive. Judging by the look on their faces, Hopper and Joyce had never seen anything like this before, and were terrified when they later saw that the smoke creature had been set free.
The dark cloud is sure to reappear in the coming season, and audiences will learn what this smoke monster truly is. If the Dungeons & Dragons theme continues, the monster could be either a Shadow Demon or a Smoke Mephit. Shadow Demons manifest as clouds of black smoke, which can then take on a humanoid form or that of a fanged, winged beast. They move with ease through the darkness, but are at a disadvantage in bright lights. Alternately, Smoke Mephits are elementals, which have the ability to exhale smoldering ash at their enemies, and temporarily blind their opponents. Mephits are more common, and therefore more likely to join the horde of creatures coming for the town.
Another creature rising from the depths of the Upside Down may have been foreshadowed in the fourth season. While on their way to rescue Eleven, Will gave Mike a painting that depicted the party facing off against a red three-headed dragon. The red dragon may make its way to Hawkins in Season 5, giving the party a monster of their own to battle as Eleven faces off with her mentor turned nemesis.
In D&D, dragons fall into two different categories, Metallic and Chromatic. Red dragons are known as being the largest and most powerful of all Chromatic dragons, and are said to embody the worst of dragonkind, relishing in destruction, death, and ruin. Additionally, three-headed dragons, known as Dzalmus dragons, are known for their voracious appetites and cruel nature. Expert hiders, they prefer to sneak up on their enemies. Fans have wondered if dragons would play a part in Stranger Things since the concept of Dungeons & Dragons creatures was introduced to the story. Additionally, speculation has surrounded the large, unexplained golden egg discovered in the Upside Down in Season 1 that could possibly be housing a fire-breathing tyrant.
Neither of these creatures fit the terrifying description that Nancy gave, though, one Dungeons & Dragons monster that perfectly matches the details of Nancy’s vision could be the answer to what the Upside Down is, and how it came to be.
What we know of the Upside Down so far is that it’s the dark and twisted echo of the town of Hawkins, and home of the most vile creatures imaginable. The dimension existed long before Vecna was sent there by Eleven, with the villain stating that upon his arrival in the dark and desolate land, he found something powerful that would give him the ability to become the predator he dreamed of being. The creatures of the Upside Down work as a hive mind, seeking out flesh to devour while protecting the vast map of tunnels carved out beneath the small town. One terrible creature could be responsible for carving out this intricate map of tunnels, controlling the hungry, root-like tentacles and commanding the hive-minded army of monsters. This monster is known as The Beholder.
The Beholder is a sphere of leathery flesh whose cruel and vile nature can be judged in one glance, but those who lay their eyes upon the horrid beast best hope that it does not lay its eyes upon them. Its large, main eye hungrily stares from above its horrible, gaping mouth filled with long, fang-like teeth which it uses to violently devour its prey. Coming from behind its body are tentacle-like appendages called eye stalks, each with an additional eye at the end, giving the beast the ability to see in all directions at once, making it nearly impossible to sneak up on. The all seeing being is known for living in deep underground caverns, carving its domain underneath cities, and founding vast evil empires while enslaving and commanding a network of agents to operate on its behalf.
Apart from its gnashing teeth and unrelenting appetite, the monster has telekinetic abilities. Its eye stalks can emit rays at its enemies, with the power to drain energy, induce fear, control and kill. Although its many eyes give The Beholder the upper hand of 360-degree sight, it is said to have a diminished sense of hearing, which may be why the creatures of the Upside Down react so strongly to music. Its largest eye has the ability to create a force field that could block Eleven’s powers, meaning that the monster may have to be killed by force by the party. The Behodler is intelligent, and often steps ahead of its enemies, foiling the human fumblings of positions and planned attacks. This means the assault that takes The Beholder out once and for all will need to be something that the all-seeing being won’t see coming. This may be a job for Lady Applejack.
The Beholder’s enslavement and commanding of other beings would explain how the foul creatures of the Upside Down operate as a hive mind, as seen when the Demodogs responded to the fire within the tentacle-like tunnels under Hawkins in Season 2. Audiences have witnessed how the Beholder has carved out his empire through the land, with the atmosphere leaking into pumpkin fields from the tunnels below the city's surface, and rotting out trees where temporary gates to the other side have manifested. The vines of the Upside Down have been seen feasting on the bodies of both Will and Barb, feeding the living entity that controls the alternate dimension. These carnivorous vines are reminiscent of the jointed eye stalk tentacles of the Beholder. These same vines can be seen growing and moving across Vecna’s body, connecting the villain to the land and monster responsible for turning him into a powerful predator. The vines, creatures and the seemingly living tunnels that the monsters inhabit underneath the city are connected to the all-seeing being, who sends his forces to stop those who threaten its ever-growing realm. A realm that is now pouring into the once peaceful town of Hawkins.