The Duffer Brothers have given us enough hints since last year, but they were too cryptic to make sense. Now that the latest trailer has dropped, we think we have an idea about who’s the big bad this season. The hint is in the title of Stranger Things episode 2, and the unnamed entity that you see in the trailer. And no it’s not the Demogorgons or the Mind Flayer. We think it’s Vecna, the lich turned God in Dungeons & Dragons that’s pulling the strings in Stranger Things season 4. 

Who is Vecna in Stranger Things?

Vecna is a powerful sorcerer who turned himself into a lich, an undead creature, and then eventually became a God in D&D. Although he bestows immense powers on its users, they often find out quickly that it’s a curse. 

It seems like he is the one controlling the Mind Flayer, who in turn controls the Demogorgons. We think it’s the grotesque rotten corpse that opens the trailer with the spine-chilling voiceover, “You have lost.”

“You’ve broken everything. Your suffering is almost at an end.”

The Hand of Vecna and the Eye of Vecna are two things that lend his powers to the users. The Hand of Vecna allows its users to levitate and cast the Finger of Death spell. 

We saw Max gain the power of levitation. Maybe she is using Vecna’s Hand or under his influence somehow.  

On the other hand, the Eye of Vecna is more powerful than the Hand. It enhances the user’s hearing ability and allows them to move in and out of reality. It also has a rare spell, Clairaudience. To use it one has to insert it into their eye sockets. But it’s a curse because once inserted, the user can’t remove it. 

Is the D&D character the villain this season?

All hints point toward Vecna as the malevolent force in Stranger Things season 4. Heck, even ep 2 is titled Vecna’s Curse! But there’s a problem. Netflix has to take permission from D&D’s publisher, Wizards of the Coast to avoid copyright claims.