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Darkness seduced Vecna as 'Stranger Things' creators weigh in on his redemption

Vecna features as a key antagonist in a tale of ‘Stranger Things’, which ran for five seasons

By The News Digital
January 06, 2026
Darkness seduced Vecna as 'Stranger Things' creators weigh in on his redemption
'Stranger Things' creators on redeeming Vecna: Not possible

In Stranger Things, Billy, who is invaded by the Mind Flayer, heroically turns against him in season three.

But for Vecna, a key antagonist, there was no redeeming. But the creators, the Duffer Brothers, explain that they discussed the idea of showing him returning to the light.

In this regard, glimpses of his cruel childhood have shown that he had an encounter with a Russian spy in a tunnel, which, in turn, gave insight into how he turned toward darkness.

But during a scene, in which he is with Will Byers, portrayed by Noah Schnapp, Henry Creel, now Vecna, reveals he makes his choice to become a vessel, or, as he describes it, a part of the Mind Flayer.

"It showed me the truth. It showed me that this world is broken. That man is broken. I could have resisted, but I chose to join. It needs me, and I need it," Vecna says in the show.

That's what the Duffer Brothers reached a conclusion along with the actor Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays the villain, during the writers' room session.

"We did discuss with the writers' room if he could have a Billy [Dacre Montgomery] moment where he turns against the Mind Flayer [in a] Darth Vader-type situation," Ross tells Tudum.

He continues, "But the more we talked about it with the writers and with Jamie [Campbell Bower], he's gone so far at this point to get here, he has to justify everything he's done. And the only way to justify that is to go, 'I chose this, and I believe in this still.'"

Given this, there was no road to redemption for Vecna. Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix.