While Eleven is incredibly powerful, recent seasons suggest Will Byers might be stronger due to his deep connection to the Upside Down and hive mind, potentially allowing him to access Vecna's powers, and Vecna (Henry Creel/001) himself remains a major threat, with some theories pointing to Mind Flayer being the ultimate source, though Eleven often defeats these forces through sheer will and positive memories.
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As the hive mind has grown stronger, so has Will. Meaning he can now influence multiple monsters at the same time… just like Vecna himself. In theory, he could have the same level of control as Vecna in the upside down, whilst Eleven only has telekinesis and psychic abilities. He's also able to use love as power.
But Will will be so much more powerful because this happened in The Upside Down where he has the powers of Vecna, not from Henry in The Right Side Up (Earth). So, Will is essentially 019 and has greater powers than Eight and Eleven.
Both have help by others, but one definitely is stronger than the other. That person is Will.
Henry Creel, often referred to as Vecna, One (spelled 001), and Mr. Whatsit, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Netflix science fiction horror television series Stranger Things, portrayed by Jamie Campbell Bower.
Using her powers takes a physical toll on her body. When using her powers to perform more menial tasks, Eleven usually only suffers from nosebleeds. Based on how her powers are executed, it is likely the source of this blood is actually her brain.
So far, El's only weakness has been her own limitations when using her powers. The toll of incarcerating Henry Creel in the Upside Down proved to be so great that Eleven went into a coma and woke up only to lose her memories altogether.
Ross Duffer has subtly supported this idea, explaining that Will's abilities are not like Eleven's, he is not suddenly telekinetic. Instead, he channels Vecna's energy directly, almost like a puppet-master. But there is a catch: he needs proximity to the hive mind to fully access it.
Eleven's "kryptonite" in Stranger Things Season 5 is a military-developed sonic weapon, often called the "Hedgehog," which emits a crippling, high-pitched frequency that overloads her psychic powers, causing intense pain and nosebleeds, possibly linked to the powers of Kali (Eight). This technology, developed by Dr. Kay, specifically targets psychics, effectively neutralizing them in ways her own emotional limitations or physical strain (like nosebleeds) couldn't, and it's the first time she's been completely shut down by an external force.
Before they embark into the Upside Down, Will comes out as gay to his family and close friends, explaining that Vecna showed him visions of his failed and distant relationships with his loved ones after they learnt the truth.
In its five seasons, "Stranger Things" killed off a handful of named characters. We ranked all the major deaths in the series by their level of sadness. Fan-favorite characters like Barb, Bob, and Eddie suffered some of the most heartbreaking fates.
Eleven's primary love interest in Stranger Things is Mike Wheeler, with their relationship evolving from a deep friendship to a romantic bond, often called "Mileven" by fans, marked by mutual support, shared trauma, and declarations of love, though their dynamic faces challenges like distance and insecurities about losing each other.
In Stranger Things, several characters say the F-word, including Will Byers, Billy Hargrove, and most notably, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) in a significant Season 4 moment when confronting Vecna, delivering a rare and impactful "You f***ed with the wrong family". Other instances come from characters like Billy (often possessed), and even faint or muffled uses have been noted from others like Jonathan.
In Stranger Things, 'Jane Ives' is the birth name of the character known as Eleven, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown. Jane was born with special psychokinetic abilities due to her mother, Terry, being experimented upon in the controversial government program known as 'MKUltra'.
The four boys are probably a tossup in terms of school smarts but Mike has the best-rounded intelligence, understanding emotions and other people's needs more intuitively.
Yes, Will Byers from Stranger Things is canonically gay, a truth strongly hinted at since Season 1 and explicitly confirmed through his internal struggles and eventual coming-out in Season 5, where his feelings for his best friend Mike Wheeler become central to his character arc and even his powers, resolving years of "queerbaiting" accusations from fans.
When Nancy is talking with Mrs. Holland on the phone, she tells her a lie about Barb being at the library. Ironically, this would turn out to be true, as her corpse was found in the Upside Down version of the library.
His brother, Ross, clarified that Will's powers come through channeling/puppeteering Vecna's powers, and that they're similar but not identical to Eleven's.
In the "Stranger Things" prequel book "Suspicious Minds", a man named Andrew Rich is Terry's boyfriend and is said to be Eleven's father but the book is told from Terry's point of view and she would have no reason to think any one but Andrew was the father.
Just as mysteriously as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) arrived in Hawkins, she was gone. In the final episode of Stranger Things, the teen sacrifices herself to break the dangerous cycle of military scientists using supernatural children for evil.
Terry Ives is the biological mother of Eleven in the popular series Stranger Things. Terry was desperate to get her daughter back after she was kidnapped at birth by Brenner. Despite Eleven initially having no knowledge of her mother, she eventually learns about her through the Void and defies rules to meet her.
There's no single "saddest" death, as it's subjective, but Eddie Munson, Bob Newby, and Alexei (Smirnoff) are consistently cited as the most heartbreaking due to their heroism, innocence, or tragic circumstances, with fans often debating Eddie's heroic sacrifice vs. Bob's pure-hearted loss or Alexei's joyful demise. Other significant sad deaths include Barb Holland, the first major character loss, and Billy Hargrove's complex redemption.
Brenner, who is Eleven's 'dad' in the series, starts as a main antagonist but returns in a more morally ambiguous role in the fourth season.