Will's Strange Connection with Vecna

Stranger Things began with Will Byers mysteriously disappearing into the Upside Down. The first episode of Season 1 is titled "The Vanishing of Will Byers," which tells us he's a key character and will likely play a big part in stopping Vecna.

Will Byers seems to have a strange connection with Vecna. In Season 4, he could sense Vecna's presence, feeling a strange sensation on his neck whenever Vecna was nearby. But there's more to this feeling than meets the eye.

For starters, Vecna's younger form, Henry Creel, shows an obvious resemblance to Will. Both were sensitive kids who faced bullying and family problems. While Henry's family didn't show him much care, Will suffered emotional pain from his dad Lonnie, who seemed to simply not care about his well-being. This was portrayed when Lonnie showed little concern when Will "died," seemingly only interested in insurance money.

In Stranger Things, there are numerous scenes that highlight the similarities between Will and Henry. They both enjoyed drawing and even both drew the Mind Flayer picture. However, unlike Henry, who was isolated and ultimately harmed his family with his powers, Will had the love and support of his family and friends. Also, it was recently revealed in the Stranger Things play called “The First Shadow” that young Henry Creel was transported into an alternate dimension and this is how he got his powers. One could argue the same exact thing happened to Will and his powers haven’t been revealed yet.

Will Could Potentially help Defeat Vecna in Season 5

Henry may have seen something of himself in Will and desired that human connection. This could be why he tried to recruit Eleven initially but ultimately abducted Will and took him to the Upside Down in Season 1, especially after Eleven turned against him. Still, there's much we don't know about what truly happened, and hopefully, Season 5 will shed some light on these mysteries.

Since returning from the Upside Down, Will still seems connected to that world, particularly to Vecna. This is why he senses Vecna at the end of Season 4. Some speculate they're linked simply by chance, given Will was Vecna's first victim, but it could also be that Will was somehow chosen for a special role.

Now, in Season 5, there's a possibility that Will might be tempted to join forces with Vecna. He's dealing with feelings of rejection from Mike Wheeler, who doesn't show the same feelings. A lot of the Stranger Things community fear this could push Will down a darker path. However, I believe he's more likely to stand by Mike and their friends, choosing to help rather than harm. Hopefully, Will will be the one to defeat Vecna. Despite their similarities, the crucial difference lies in the love and support Will receives, while Henry was neglected. Sort of representing good vs evil. One thing is clear: the parallels between Will and young Vecna are undeniable. In my opinion, this was a purposeful choice by the creators, and Season 5 will likely dive deeper into these connections.

Not only will Season 5 most likely dive deeper into these connections, but potentially revealing Will Byers also has powers. If that's the case, this could give Eleven enough help to defeat Vecna. In season 4, Dr Brenner insisted on the fact that Eleven was not powerful enough to defeat Vecna, but with double the help, she could finally finish it once and for all.

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