Stranger Things easily dominated as one of the most popular series of 2022. The show, which had lost a little bit of its cutting edge since the first season, drastically improved in quality in its fourth installment and added new depth to the narrative, so much so that some of the 'chapters' of Season 4 were as long as feature films. That's as good a sign as any that something clicked this past season. Since "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers" was resolved, nothing in Hawkins felt quite as tense or engaging — until this latest season. And, as much as there were many contributors and characters who added to Season 4 of Stranger Things, none were more responsible for rectifying this than Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), the horrifying new antagonist. His origin story, character, portrayal, and motivations gave evil such a grounded and terrifying embodiment that what was previously dwindling reignited in excellence.

Who Is Vecna in 'Stranger Things'?

Vecna, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, in the attic in 'Stranger Things' Season 4
Image via Netflix

Vecna is the catchiest name of the character's three names (Vecna/Number One/Henry Creel). Vecna was named after, in typical Stranger Things fashion, a villain from the Dungeons and Dragons franchise. He is firstly identifiable in the season as the rather gruesome-looking entity with an inverted nose and tentacle fibers responsible for graphically murdering Hawkins residents. One powerful reveal shows that Vecna was a boy called Henry Creel, who discovered he had powers such as telekinesis and a form of mind control, which he used to kill his family. His father, Victor Creel (played by horror icon Robert Englund), was blamed. He was then treated by Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine), whom Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) constantly refers to as Papa, and became "One (001)." He stayed in the lab, under the control of Brenner, until he manipulated Eleven into breaking a chip planted in his neck that managed to suppress his powers. He then murdered all other subjects aside from El, who, enraged, defeated him in battle and sent him into the Upside Down. Henry wanders through the new land until he stumbles upon the Mind Flayer and chooses to connect with it in search of revenge. Vecna has supposedly been responsible for many problems in the second and third seasons of Stranger Things. Although it is plausible, this is the only part of the story that seems patchy. It's almost as if the show is atoning for the error it recognized and sought to correct with Vecna, mainly, having an antagonist with a known motive — Henry/One/Vecna is not merely a monster, but a damaged and malignant being.

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Why Was Vecna So Terrifying in Season 4 of 'Stranger Things'?

Vecna, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, in Season 4 of 'Stranger Things'
Image via Netflix/Rodeo FX

On top of his generally disturbing physical appearance, which carefully balances a touch of anthropomorphic quality with grotesque features, Vecna also has distinctly frightening powers. His telekinesis, which is entirely believable considering Eleven's powers, is used in the worst ways, targeting victims with shame and trauma for his own gain. He lifts his helpless victims in the sky, from the Upside Down, and out of nowhere, causes them to lose control of everything in their bodies. He rolls his victims' eyes to the back of their heads, suffocates them, and then cracks their bones in quick, violent bursts so that they, too, lose their human appearance, as well as their life. His murders are so visual that they cannot be forgotten easily. This, and how graphic and believable it is compared to, say, a giant floating spider-like entity entering your every orifice, is slightly more imaginable and makes the horror that much more severe, giving it the much-needed edge to balance out the more light-hearted, youthful innocence of the characters in their moments of fun.

Vecna also has habits that make him so much more intimidating and fascinating. His walk is slow and deliberate, and as much as speed can be scary, his assurance and lack of need to rush make his actions feel that much more purposeful. Often, his haunted moments are accompanied by a sinister clock chime, almost as if time is dying, which, combined with his phrase "it's time for your suffering to end," is brilliant. Clocks continuing to tick serves as a marker of reliability and mimics how the young characters presume that their lives will go on because they should; they're young. The chime dying and stopping time early is an audible masterstroke that concisely interlinks them to premature death.

Vecna's attacks are not only physically painful, but they are also emotionally poignant. He preys on shame and guilt, something entirely relatable. In the most iconic scene of the season, Max (Sadie Sink) shares a written letter over Billy's grave and courageously pours out her emotion. Vecna then takes control, infiltrates her mind, and accuses her of lying. He has access to her suicidal thoughts and suggests that the darkest feelings she has are the most authentic. His tendency to turn the nihilistic, plausible thoughts of the characters and exploit them adds to his dimensionality as a villain. His threat is physical and mental, and it feels that much more important for the characters to overcome him.

With the combination of Vecna's origin story slowly unfolding and his targeted attacks, Stranger Things Season 4 was incredibly watchable. A lot was going on in the season, but having an antagonist with reasoning and motivation for his actions made a huge difference. Instead of fighting random supernatural mysterious forces that seemed purely to reappear to restart the plot, the narrative had direction. Eleven, Max, and the rest of the gang had a horrific and compelling opponent who moved with calculated, sinister steps, threatening to destroy them and everything they held dear for his own twisted reasons. There were even some moments where Eleven believed she could help Vecna, believed she might be able to change his mind, and, in a way, the hope in these moments made the heartbreak of his continued cruelty that much more painful. His presence was so influential in the season that the audience had no choice but to be more supportive of the young teens and their race against time. He may have wreaked havoc on Hawkins, but Vecna saved Stranger Things.