Is Stranger Things Season 5 Setting Up One Character To Become More Powerful Than Eleven?

This post contains spoilers for "Stranger Things" season 5, episodes 1-3.

For four seasons, "Stranger Things" often had its issues resolved with a wave of Eleven's (Millie Bobby Brown) outstretched hand. Be it an inter-dimensional meat spider or Jamie Campbell Bower's Vecna, El's been powerful enough to save the day with her incredible abilities, sometimes with only a nosebleed to show for it. Now, though, after volume one of "Stranger Things'" final season, it's clear that we might need more than one telekinetic "teenager" to win the day. Who might this new challenger be, though? Which hero could arrive at the last minute with a Hail Mary to give El some support? Well, from what we've seen so far, and factoring in one character's history in the show up until now, her ally with extra abilities might be hiding in plain sight.

Since the beginning, one person with a connection to the Upside Down that's as strong as El's has been Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). His disappearance into that crimson-colored dimension was the primary focus of season 1, after all. Now, almost a decade on, that first trip was revisited (albeit via some questionable CGI) in the opening of season 5's first episode. It turns out that since 1983, Vecna has maintained a psychic link of sorts with Will. This secret infiltration has allowed the former Henry Creel to keep some connection to the Byers boy, and by extension, his friends. As revealed in these first three episodes, though, Vecna isn't the only one with the inside track on the opposition.

In season 5, episode 1, "The Crawl," Will began experiencing visions from the perspective of Demogorgons. It felt like both a blessing and a curse for the poor guy, whose trauma through these events seems endless. Nevertheless, it's allowed our heroes to have a fighting chance at keeping up with their powerful enemy, who is back for revenge. It's also turned Will into a far more useful character than he has been in the past.

But what if it doesn't stop there? While he might only be able to see through Demogorgons for now, could this be teeing up an even greater upgrade for Will? Getting into the head of a Demogorgon is one thing, but what if, to turn the tide against the Upside Down, Will can control them as well? 

It might sound like a wild theory, but the evidence so far suggests it's entirely plausible. It's well established that Demogorgons and Demodogs can be controlled. Not only has Vecna had them under his command, but we also saw the Mind Flayer control them as early as season 2. It's also worth noting that for a brief period, Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) almost domesticated a Demodog of his own with D'Artagnan, which was able to resist the Mind Flayer's control. Putting this all together, Will potentially taking charge of a creature from the Upside Down could be a power move even El couldn't match. We just hope that if it happens, it doesn't lead to comparisons with a recent sci-fi hit that used the same plot device.

FX's "Alien: Earth" dared to give one of its characters the ability to communicate and control the scariest space creatures in cinema history. It's a bold decision that, besides evoking memories of "Alien: Resurrection," worked pretty well in the spin-off series. What's concerning is that it may have beaten "Stranger Things" to taking a similar route.

If events regarding Will do play out as expected, they might be overshadowed by what Wendy (Sydney Chandler) has already achieved in "Alien: Earth." Seeing Will send a Demogorgon or Demodog into action might seem exciting, but it'll be hard not to compare it to the recent sight of a Xenomorph being ordered to tear through people just last September. That's not to say it isn't still the kind of game-changing story beat "Stranger Things" could use in its final moments. Maybe all it needs to set itself apart is an extra bit of tragedy.

It feels certain that some "Stranger Things" characters aren't surviving the final season. Unfortunately, poor Will Byers feels like he's set to be one of them. While it might be sad to see him go, maybe having him finally stick it to Vecna by turning his own underlings against him could be a redeeming exit. Doing so could finally bring some justice to a character that, until now, has only been remembered for a bad haircut. We'll just have to wait for volume 2, which is scheduled for release on December 25, followed by the series finale on December 31, to find out.