Warning! There are spoilers in this article for Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1! You should read at your own risk!
The primary enemy of Stranger Things Season 4 Vol. 1 is as evil as the Mind Flayer, whom Dustin and Eddie nicknamed Vecna after a character from the Dungeons & Dragons game they play. The series has now exposed his true identity, which comes as a complete shock to everyone. It also reveals why Eleven is humanity’s only hope.
Throughout Stranger Things Season 4 Vol. 1, Vecna has been threatening and claiming victims in Hawkins, and it has been Eddie who has been blamed for his actions, with the townspeople not believing in the supernatural, except for Dustin, Max, Lucas, Steve, Robin, Nancy, and Eddie himself, who have discovered the true villain.
Vecna hooks on to individuals who are suffering, preying on them and murdering them in a horrible method that involves shattering their bones and removing their eyeballs. Even Max was on the verge of falling into his grasp, but she was saved by the others, who helped her escape by playing her favorite music.
Vecna‘s true identity was revealed in the Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 finale. It turns out he’s Henry Creel, the son of Victor Creel, a newcomer to Hawkins at the time of the Creel family’s murder. Henry grew fond of the Black Widows who lived in their home, and while Victor Creel believed the mansion was cursed, it was only Henry who was to blame.
Henry didn’t appreciate it when people seemed to be kind on the surface while they were actually being rude like he had witnessed with his parents. He wanted to be more than a Black Widow, a predator at the top of the food chain, so he developed the ability to be telekinetic, first with animals, then with his mother and sister. Thanks to the music, his father was able to survive.
Henry has a connection to Eleven, to everyone’s amazement. It turns out he was also one of Dr. Brenner‘s offspring — the very first, One. To the other kids, One is a legend, but it turns out he was right there with them the whole time. After seeing Eleven being bullied by others who were threatened by her success and power, he decided to help her.
It was this person who functioned as Eleven‘s constant guide and assisted her in escaping. He told Eleven that he was implanted with a “Soteria,” a tracker that limits a patient’s ability. In gratitude for his assistance, Eleven snatched it from him. He demonstrated to Eleven why they are so similar — he is One, and every time he kills another, he grows stronger.
Eleven grew enraged when she saw what he had done to the whole institution, and she became a threat to One. Eleven managed to pin One to the wall and incarcerate him with all her power, causing a gap between time and space, which Dustin named: the Mothergate.
One didn’t die there; instead, he flew into the Upside Down and was hit by lightning, transforming into Vecna.
Now we can watch Stranger Things Season 4 Vol. 1 on Netflix. On July 1, 2022, Vol. 2 will be released.
