Stranger Things has held many plot twists over the course of its four seasons. However, season four played a huge role in revealing massive details or creating plot twists for the story and characters. The plot twists ranged from being vital to the main characters, such as how Max Mayfield ended up being so central to the plot, to creating theories over what year the Upside Down is frozen in. In addition, Stranger Things’ fourth season leads to a massive finale, with many episodes that build to the season’s final confrontation between Vecna and everyone else wishing to defeat him.
However, Stranger Things decided against making Vecna a one-note, no-motive antagonist. He is not just a random and angry villain from the Upside Down wishing to take over Hawkins or kill others for no reason. Instead, one of the biggest plot twists of the fourth season of Stranger Things finds the series diving deep into its central villain, revealing the truth about who Vecna really is, how he ended up that way, and how he is connected to the overall story. Some of the plot twists were not just vital for the fourth season, either. They also played into cliffhangers that season five would have to address. There are spoilers ahead, so beware!
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6 Max Is Vecna’s Next Victim
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Max enters the fourth season, still reeling from Billy’s death. She has broken up with Lucas, headphones blast music into her ears, and she appears to have a bit of a headache. Seeing the school guidance counselor portrays insight into how Max is doing. However, after the deaths of two other students who had visited the same councilor and experienced similar symptoms as Max, the Hawkins group makes the terrifying realization that Max is next on the list.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Max has her first encounter with Vecna during “Dear Billy,” an episode that places Max in the center as she prepares for what it could mean if she can not escape him. The episode even leads to one of the best moments of the season as Max rushes to escape Vecna, using her happy memories brought about by her favorite song, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” to gain control.
5 The Upside Down is Stuck in 1983
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Nancy’s certainty she knows where her gun is in the Upside Down’s Hawkins equivalent disappears when she realizes her bedroom matches up to how it was in 1983 when the gate opened, and Will was taken. The realization ties Will’s disappearance to the vital significance of the Upside Down. The change meant that Nancy did not have her gun yet, and that the group must figure out another way to escape. But, while a massive plot twist when it comes to understanding the Upside Down, it may also be a plot hole. Given Eleven had sent Vecna into the Upside Down years before Will’s disappearance, why is the Upside Down not trapped in that year?
4 Bigger Additions to Eleven’s Backstory
Stranger Things had already revealed Eleven’s traumatizing backstory. But, season four takes it a step further, revealing details even Eleven had forgotten years ago. The other children had bullied Eleven for not showing as much power. But, she was encouraged by One to keep trying. An escape attempt eventually ended in tragedy when One killed all the children. Eleven then sent him into the Upside Down. Re-discovering the horrifying truth helped Eleven gain access to her powers again in the present day.
3 Vecna Takes Nancy
As the final minutes of Stranger Things 4 Volume 1 concluded, a massive plot twist occurred. Nancy has been taken by Vecna as Steve desperately tries to shake her awake. Considering Max has been Vecna’s previous target, it was shocking to Nancy to be the one Vecna takes to show his life story. Luckily, this plot twist gets resolved relatively quickly in the following episode. First, Nancy is shown Vecna’s entire backstory and then is given a horrifying glimpse of what is to come, ensuring Nancy is the one to deliver the message.
2 Vecna’s True Identity
Who is Vecna? Well, throughout multiple episodes, that truth is slowly unraveled. Vecna may be a creepy Upside Down villain, but that was not always the case. As a child, Vecna was just Henry, a young boy with powers unlike anyone else. Henry had been the one to kill his mother and sister while his father was left in a facility. Henry’s identity changed when he was taken away, and he became known as One, the first of many kids with psychic abilities. When One pushes Eleven too far, she gets rid of him, sending him into the Upside Down.
1 The Destruction Of Hawkins
Although Nancy reveals that the town’s destruction is coming, it does not seem like it is truly something that could occur. Yet, in the season finale, Vecna follows through on his word, creating dangerous breaks throughout the town, causing many deaths, as there are now frightening connections between Hawkins and the Upside Down. Will reveals that his link to the Upside Down is still present, and a massive battle seems inevitable.
