This Stranger Things Season 5 Theory Explains A Huge Upside Down Mystery, But Makes Will’s Story More Tragic

The final season of Stranger Things is surrounded by all types of theories, including one that explains a huge mystery about the Upside Down, but at the same time, it makes Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) story more tragic. Despite still having many more mysteries to solve and questions to answer, Stranger Things is ending with its fifth season. Stranger Things season 4 ended on the biggest cliffhanger of the show, with Max (Sadie Sink) in a coma after her encounter with Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), which, in turn, triggered the latter’s big plan.
After an earthquake hit Hawkins, massive cracks opened across town, through which the Upside Down started bleeding into the human world. What’s known about the plot of Stranger Things season 5 so far is that it’s set in the fall of 1987 and will see Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) going missing. It’s unknown what’s next for the rest of the characters, which has sparked a variety of theories about their possible fates. One theory is all about what will happen to Will in season 5, which also solves a major Upside Down mystery.
Stranger Things Season 5 Theory Better Explains Will’s Connection To Vecna
Will Still Has A Connection To The Upside Down
Will Byers has been at the front and center of Stranger Things since the show’s first episode – after all, it was his disappearance that led to the main characters discovering the Upside Down, the Demogorgon, and part of the horrors of Hawkins Lab. Will spent a week in the Upside Down and that had consequences, as it was revealed in season 2 that he had developed a psychic connection to the Mind Flayer, causing him episodes where he seemed to be in a trance while he had visions of the Upside Down and the Mind Flayer.
Although Will was set free from the Mind Flayer’s control at the end of Stranger Things season 2, the finale of season 4 revealed there’s still a lingering connection between them, as Will could feel the Upside Down’s presence right before spores began to fall from the sky and the other dimension started bleeding into the human world. This has led to the belief that there could be something more dormant in Will, and it will be triggered during the events of Stranger Things season 5.
Will’s time in the Upside Down and direct exposure to this environment could have given him something more than a psychic connection to the Upside Down.
A theory shared on Reddit suggests Will acquired powers similar to those of Eleven and Vecna while he was in the Upside Down. The author explains that Will fell from his bike before being captured by the Demogorgon, and through that wound, he could have come into direct contact with all the mysterious spores and more in the Upside Down. It was shown in Stranger Things season 4 that, while Henry Creel already had powers before being banished to the Upside Down, the environment of the other dimension and his connection to the Mind Flayer led him to develop other abilities.
With this in mind, Will’s time in the Upside Down and direct exposure to this environment could have given him something more than a psychic connection to the Upside Down. The author also points out similarities between Will and Henry Creel, with both being loners, artistic, etc., so it’s easy to see why he would have been targeted and possibly given powers by keeping him in the other dimension for so long, though exactly what these powers could be is unclear.
Stranger Things Season 5 Theory Also Explains Why The Upside Down Is Stuck In 1983
Stranger Things Season 4 Revealed The Upside Down Is A Copy Of 1983 Hawkins
Another big reveal in Stranger Things season 4 was that the Upside Down isn’t a real-time copy of the human world. Instead, the Upside Down is stuck on November 6, 1983, when the Demogorgon escaped Hawkins Lab and Will went missing. Stranger Things didn’t explain why this happened, but it has been theorized that Eleven opening the gate that triggered the entire show created a copy of Hawkins in the Upside Down, while others believe Vecna had been replicating the town but stopped that day due to the opening of the gate and Eleven’s presence.
It has also been theorized that the Upside Down being stuck on November 6, 1983, is a projection of Will’s trauma.
The author of the theory adds that Will’s injury and contact with the Upside Down through it not only gave him powers but also led to the other dimension being stuck on that specific day. It has also been theorized that the Upside Down being stuck on November 6, 1983, is a projection of Will’s trauma, which would make more sense combined with this theory, as Will would have begun to develop some powers that, without control, led him to project his memories onto this dimension.
Stranger Things Season 5 Could See Will Becoming Vecna’s Final Host
Will Might Be The Final Piece In Vecna’s Big Plan
If Will has powers after his time in the Upside Down and these created the copy of Hawkins in the other dimension, all this must have a purpose – after all, Vecna isn’t a man who does things just for the sake of doing something. The final piece in Vecna’s big plan could be getting a human host, through which he can further take over the human world, and his target could be Will. Another Reddit user suggests that, as Vecna’s body isn’t in good condition, it wouldn’t handle being in the human world, so he needs a fully human host.
Vecna possessing Will would go a lot further than when he was under the Mind Flayer’s control in season 2, as Vecna’s plans are more destructive. Will once had the power of true sight, which could still be dormant in him or make a return once Vecna takes over, and it would be very useful to Vecna in his plan to take over the human world. Unfortunately, Will becoming Vecna’s host puts him at great risk and could give him a very tragic ending.
Could Stranger Things Season 5 See Will Byers’ Death?
Stranger Things Season 5 Might See Some Big Deaths
Supposing Will truly is the final piece in Vecna’s plan and he will become his human host, Will could be the key to defeating Vecna… but that isn’t exactly good. Hurting Will would hurt Vecna, thus killing Will could be the way to get rid of Vecna. If Will could channel his humanity amid Vecna’s control, he could choose to sacrifice himself to save his friends, family, and Hawkins, making this a full circle moment after his disappearance in season 1 triggered the rest of the show.

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Of course, there could still be a way to harm Vecna through Will without killing the latter, as Will’s death would be too tragic and even risky. Killing Will in Stranger Things season 5 risks wasting his rescue in the first two seasons and everything his friends and family did to save him. It’s unlikely Stranger Things’ final season won’t do anything with Will, especially after teasing his connection with the Upside Down at the end of season 4, but hopefully, the show won’t be predictable and Will won’t die.
Source: Reddit.

- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Showrunner
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
- Directors
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
- Writers
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Paul Dichter, Kate Trefry