Stranger Things season 4, episode 7 reveals that Vecna, the monstrous villain lurking inside the Upside Down and killing teens, was actually once human. Vecna started life as a boy named Henry Creel, son of Victor Creel, who developed psychic powers and an affinity for black widow spiders. Henry became more and more unhinged, eventually killing his mother and sister, and framing his father for the crime. Dr. Brenner studied Henry's abilities, christening him experiment number "One". However, as the Hawkins Lab started to undertake experiments on more and more children, One manipulated Eleven into removing his chip, allowing him to massacre the entire facility, save for Brenner and El. The more powerful Eleven opened the Upside Down gate, banishing One who over time transformed into the monstrous Vecna.

Related: Was Stranger Things Season 4 Worth The Wait?

At the start of season 4, Vecna reappears and starts killing teenagers who have previously suffered with trauma, such as Chrissy Cunningham and Fred Benson. Vecna takes over the minds of his foes, making them see illusions of their past and a grandfather clock from his old family home, before brutally killing them by levitating them, horrifyingly distorting their bodies, and removing their eyes. This act is remarked by Dustin Henderson to resemble Freddy Krueger's method of killing, whereby he enters the dreams of his victims, highlighting the first comparison between the two villains.

Vecna And Freddy Krueger's Stories Are Paralleled

Vecna's narrative journey is remarkably similar to Freddy's. As established in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series, Freddy is a child murderer who is caught by the townsfolk and burned to death by an angry mob. While the people of Hawkins, Indiana do not know that the supernatural evil entity, Vecna, is behind the horrors the town experiences, they do send an angry mob after Eddie Munson after the death of Chrissy, in much the same way. Freddy is then resurrected, as his spirit leaves hell to kill the people of Elm Street, just as Vecna is able to communicate with the real world from the Upside Down, murdering the people of his hometown.

Both villains also delight in killing teenagers, specifically. Freddy hones in on Nancy Thompson and her friends, while Vecna torments a variety of Hawkins' teens, from school paper journalists like Fred Benson to jocks like Patrick McKinney. Freddy and Vecna prey on the vulnerable, with Freddy targeting young people and Vecna entering the minds of people who have dealt with major trauma. This is why he is able to attack Max Mayfield, who is recovering from the trauma of witnessing the Mind Flayer murder her brother, Billy Hargrove, in season 3. While not exactly the same, Dustin is correct in his comparison between the way Vecna and Freddy kill their victims. Freddy uses his powers to torture the teens using their biggest fears, anxieties, and past traumas in much the same way Vecna does when he briefly takes on the appearance of the people of Hawkins in his victims' minds.

Vecna's Look Is Reminiscent Of A Nightmare On Elm Street

The influence of Freddy Krueger on Vecna's design is immediately apparent, even before Dustin Henderson makes the comparison between the two. Vecna is transformed by the Mind Flayer into an other-worldly creature with large tentacles and deformed skin. Similarly, Freddy is presented with a heavily scarred face, owing to his fiery death at the hands of the people of Elm Street. However, it is Vecna's long claw that he uses to taunt the traumatized Max Mayfield while impersonating her mother that signals his biggest similarity to Krueger. Freddy is famous for his glove knife, which is clearly paid homage to with Vecna's spiked fingers.

Related: Stranger Things 4: Everything We Already Know That Happens In Volume 2

While Vecna does not share Freddy's twisted sense of humor, he has more personality than Stranger Things' other villains: the Mind Flayer, the Demogorgon, and the Demodogs. Like Krueger, he also targets teens specifically, showing contempt for young people in particular. Vecna appears to also be driven by revenge and a twisted system of morality, whereby he feels people should be punished for their past sins. He delights in showing images of his victims' past trauma, such as when he conjures an image of the decaying Barbara Holland to torture Nancy Wheeler. Equally, Vecna most likely wants to get back to the real world to punish Eleven, Dr. Brenner, and anyone associated with the Hawkins lab for keeping him prisoner for so many years.

Robert Englund's Connection to Vecna

There is a common misconception that Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund plays, or at least voices, Vecna in Stranger Things season 4. This is incorrect, as the character is played by Jamie Campbell Bower, who also plays Vecna's human counterpart. However, Vecna is still connected to Robert Englund in Stranger Things. Englund portrays Victor Kreel, Vecna's father and one of the few people to survive an encounter with him. While not a monster and an innocent man, Kreel is driven mad by witnessing the supernatural deaths of his family, eventually stabbing his own eyes out in an attempt to be with them again.

Having Robert Englund portray Victor Kreel, the father of the main villain is both subversive and interesting. In many ways, Freddy Krueger is the spiritual father of Vecna, as he is so clearly heavily inspired by him, so the casting could not be more appropriate. Furthermore, as Stranger Things is so inspired by 80s media such as A Nightmare On Elm Street, it makes sense to both cast Englund in a dark role within the series and nod to his most famous character. Some viewers may be disappointed that Englund does not portray the main villain, but this link proves Krueger's influence on the direction of the character and makes Stranger Things season 4 the most terrifying season yet.

Next: Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 Easter Eggs & References

Stranger Things season 4, volume 2 releases on Netflix on July 1.

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