Who controls the upside down?

Control of the Upside Down in Stranger Things is complex, primarily attributed to Vecna (Henry Creel), who manipulates the larger, shadowy entity known as the Mind Flayer, shaping its hive mind and creatures for his own purposes, though the Mind Flayer also acts as a powerful, vast intelligence, originally linked to the planet Abyss. Vecna essentially acts as the "brain," directing the Mind Flayer's power, which previously controlled the realm through a hive mind, creating a layered control system.

Who is the main ruler of the Upside Down?

As Vecna, he eventually used his powers in order to control the monsters and became the ruler of the Upside Down, serving as the general and hive mind to all the creatures of the dimension.

Does someone control the Upside Down?

The Mind Flayer exercised supreme control over the Abyss and the Upside Down via a psychic link, with Demogorgons, vines, and Demobats forming a shared hive mind; for a period in 1985, possessed humans known as "the Flayed" also comprised part of the hive mind.

Who is Billy possessed by?

In Stranger Things, Billy Hargrove is possessed by the Mind Flayer, the monstrous entity from the Upside Down, who uses him as a key host to control other people (the "Flayed") and build a massive physical body in Season 3. While under the Mind Flayer's control, Billy acts as a powerful servant, leading others to gather victims, but ultimately, the Mind Flayer itself was later revealed to be under the control of Vecna (Henry Creel/001).
 

Is the Upside Down just Hawkins?

No, the Upside Down isn't just Hawkins; it's a dark, decaying, parallel dimension that mirrors Hawkins and serves as a gateway to the Abyss, a deeper, more alien realm where creatures originate, with Hawkins' version being a corrupted echo created by Eleven's powers. While it's a reflection of Hawkins from 1983 when the gate first opened, it's not the entirety of the dimension, but rather a local manifestation of the larger, hostile universe beyond.
 

Why The Upside Down Is Stuck In 1983 | Stranger Things Season 5

Who is LGBT in Stranger Things?

The main LGBTQ+ characters in Stranger Things are Will Byers, confirmed to be gay and in love with his best friend Mike, and Robin Buckley, who is a lesbian and comes out to Steve in Season 3, forming a popular queer/straight friendship dynamic. The series heavily explores Will's closeted feelings, with actor Noah Schnapp also coming out as gay after the show confirmed his character's identity.
 

Is D'Artagnan a baby Demogorgon?

Yes, D'Artagnan (or "Dart") from Stranger Things is essentially a baby Demogorgon, a juvenile form of the larger monster from the Upside Down, which Dustin Henderson found as a small slug-like creature and raised, calling it a "Demodog". Dart's growth stages showed him evolving from an adorable pollywog to a dog-sized version of the Demogorgon, though he maintained a unique bond with Dustin, even as he developed predatory instincts.
 

Why did Max cry when Billy died?

Max was sad about Billy's death because of complex grief, guilt over secretly wishing him gone due to his abuse, trauma from witnessing his sacrifice, and the loss of potential for their relationship, all exploited by Vecna to fuel her PTSD and depression in Stranger Things Season 4. She mourned the brother she never truly had, especially after his heroic final act, realizing he died protecting her and others.
 

Why is Vecna obsessed with Will?

Vecna is obsessed with Will because Will mirrors Vecna's own sensitive, outsider nature, making him a perfect vessel for the Mind Flayer, a potential psychic successor, and a pawn to get to Eleven; their psychic bond formed in Season 1's Upside Down connection, giving Vecna a unique access point to Will's mind for his plans to conquer reality. 

Which is the saddest death in Stranger Things?

While subjective, Eddie Munson (Season 4) and Bob Newby (Season 2) are consistently cited as the saddest deaths in Stranger Things due to their heroic sacrifices, lovable personalities, and the heartbreaking ways they died, with many fans devastated by losing the new fan-favorite Eddie and the innocent, helpful Bob. Other contenders for saddest include Alexei (Season 3) for his innocent joy and sudden murder, and Barb Holland (Season 1) for her shocking and brutal demise, notes Collider.
 

Was Barb's body ever found?

Yes, Barb's body was found in the Upside Down in Stranger Things Season 1 by Eleven, and later by Hopper and Joyce, though they couldn't recover it, leading to her having a funeral without the body, which will be addressed in the final season (Season 5) where the physical body is confirmed to return, say Refinery29, Reddit users, and Time Magazine, Gizmodo.
 

Did the Mind Flayer possess Henry?

Yes, Henry Creel (Vecna) was significantly influenced and essentially "infected" by the Mind Flayer's particles as a child, which granted him powers but linked him to the entity, making him its first major servant and eventual avatar, though he later asserted his own dominance and became the true orchestrator, even while using the Mind Flayer's power. He became a vessel for its will, committing atrocities like killing his family, but also developed his own malevolent identity, eventually leading to a complex dynamic where Vecna acts as the primary force, using the Mind Flayer as a tool.
 

Is the abyss another planet?

Based on everything we were told in ep. 7, the abyss is just another planet.

Why did 001 turn into Vecna?

001 (Henry Creel) became Vecna after Eleven banished him to the Upside Down (Dimension X), where the hostile environment's energy warped and disfigured his human body over decades, fusing him with the dimension and allowing him to connect with and control the Mind Flayer, eventually emerging as the powerful, monstrous entity known as Vecna, as shown in Wikipedia.
 

Who is the actual villain in Stranger Things?

The actual main villain in Stranger Things is Vecna, whose human name is Henry Creel (or One), revealed in Season 4 as the mastermind behind the Upside Down's evil, orchestrating events, including the Mind Flayer's attacks, to reshape reality, making him the overarching "Big Bad" connecting the entire series. While the Mind Flayer was a major antagonist in earlier seasons, Vecna is the true source, a powerful psychic who originated from the Upside Down and uses trauma to kill victims.
 

Did the demogorgon impregnate Will?

Yes, the Demogorgon essentially "impregnated" Will Byers by implanting a larva into him, using his body as a host to grow more creatures for the Mind Flayer's hive mind, which resulted in slug-like creatures (later demodogs) developing inside him before being coughed up, acting as a method of spreading the hive's influence and reproduction, not traditional impregnation. 

Who does Nancy lose her virginity to?

While Nancy Wheeler loses her virginity to Steve Harrington, Barb Holland awakens in a waterless, dark version of Steve's pool, every surface covered in fleshy black vines.

Is Will LGBTQ in Stranger Things?

Yes, Will Byers is LGBTQ+; Stranger Things Season 5 confirms he is gay, a long-building arc that culminated in him explicitly coming out to his friends in the penultimate episode, "The Bridge," and expressing his love for Mike. Actor Noah Schnapp, who plays Will, publicly came out as gay in 2023 and used his own experiences to shape the emotional depth of Will's storyline, which has resonated with many fans.
 

Did Mike realize he was Will's crush?

"Once Will is talking about Tammy and all that and his experience, yeah, it's Mike — and his friends — all realizing and understanding now for the first time, even if Mike has been somewhat oblivious over these years, what his friend is saying," Ross says.

Why is Billy so abusive to Max?

Billy is abusive to Max in Stranger Things primarily because he's repeating the cycle of abuse he suffered from his own father, Neil Hargrove, using Max as an outlet for his repressed anger and frustration, viewing her as a symbol of his forced new life and a challenge to his control, and sometimes fueled by underlying racism towards Lucas, who Max befriends. His behavior stems from his father's physical and emotional abuse, which made him feel powerless, leading him to become controlling and aggressive with Max to assert dominance. 

Did Susie get Billy killed?

She did not cause Billy's death! He was already being possessed by the Mindflayer so he was good as dead. And they wouldn't have needed to contact Susie had Murray confirmed that the code was correct which was HIS job!

Did Billy's dad leave Max's mom?

Yes, Billy's dad, Neil Hargrove, left Max's mom (Susan) and Max after Billy's death in Stranger Things, divorcing Susan and abandoning them, which forced them to move into a trailer park as Susan worked multiple jobs, unable to cope with the grief and financial strain.
 

Who says the f word in Stranger Things?

Characters who say the "f-word" in Stranger Things include Will Byers, Billy Hargrove, and Joyce Byers, with Will first uttering it after a fight, Billy using it aggressively while possessed, and Joyce saying it to Vecna in a powerful moment, though it's used sparingly overall despite the show's rating.
 

Does Dart recognize Dustin?

Yes, Dart recognizes Dustin in Stranger Things Season 2 and forms a unique bond with him, allowing Dart to defy the Mind Flayer and spare Dustin and his friends in the tunnels by accepting candy, showing he viewed Dustin as a caretaker rather than prey, highlighting a capacity for emotion beyond the hive mind.
 

Where did the Russians get the Demogorgons from?

The Russians got their Demogorgon by opening their own gate to the Upside Down, likely using technology derived from Hawkins' gate, and capturing young Demogorgons (Demodogs) that grew in their Kamchatka facility, feeding them prisoners to strengthen it, though one account suggests it came from the Starcourt gate itself. They stored these creatures in tanks and used a powerful, growing Demogorgon to guard their prisoners, including Jim Hopper.