In Stranger Things, Dungeons & Dragons holds a very important place in the show. For example, the series began with a fictional D&D battle against the Demogorgon, with that name then being later used to identify one of the most chilling monsters to appear throughout the story.
What exactly are the monsters in Stranger Things? We may not be able to answer that down to specifics, but we can give you a full guide on their origins in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Everything you’ll need to know about these creatures has been outlined in the guide below.
Demogorgon
In D&D, Demogorgon is an 18-foot-tall demon lord with two baboon heads, a lesser deity who is extremely powerful and hard to beat. That may not sound like the Demogorgon we all know, but there is a reason these two beings share a name.
In the first episode, we see the kids in the middle of an in-game battle, and it’s revealed by Will afterwards that the Demogorgon got him. This is all right before Will is actually taken by the creature from the Upside Down, that thus ends up being called the Demogorgon.
The Mind Flayer
Fans of Baldur’s Gate 3 will be familiar with what a Mind Flayer is, but for those who aren’t, don’t worry. These Illithids are notorious for using mind control and having hive minds, using minions to do their bidding.
This fits pretty solidly with the Mind Flayer in Stranger Things, even if the appearances differ greatly. One big example showing their similarities is how they used Billy Hargrove and others as puppets, even using Will as a spy.
Vecna
The mastermind of the Upside Down is named after the iconic D&D villain, Vecna. In the game, Vecna was a man who was transformed by his master of magic and greed for power into a lich, eventually also becoming a god.
One very notable thing about D&D’s Vecna is that he’s missing his left eye and left hand, which are two incredibly powerful artifacts in the game’s lore.
While Henry Creel may not be missing any body parts, he is someone who was consumed by his power and transformed into something monstrous. Becoming someone truly befitting of the name Vecna.