A Breakdown of Every Monster In "Stranger Things"
Warning: Stranger Things spoilers ahead.
Season three of Stranger Things unsurprisingly had its fair share of creepy creatures, adding to the growing list of slimy friends. It can get a little confusing, honestly, so, to ease you through your season three withdrawal, or to help make sense of all of the monsters as you make your way through the show, I've got a breakdown of everything in Hawkins that might keep you up at night.
The Mind Flayer
Nope, that's not a giant spider (which honestly sounds even more terrifying than the Mind Flayer), that's just a giant Shadow Monster that can take over people's bodies in order to cause destruction to Hawkins (OK, I think I would prefer it to be a giant spider).
The Mind Flayer rules the Upside Down, but it has come to Hawkins with one goal: to kill Eleven, the only one who has the power to destroy it. Of course, the Mind Flayer also just wants to wreck havoc on mankind, because it's evil and all.
In order to do this, the creature takes over people's bodies, like he did with Will in season two and Billy in season three. When the Mind Flayer is done with one of these bodies, they decompose into goo and become part of the larger monster.
At the end season three, we see the Mind Flayer die in the Starcourt Mall after Joyce Byers is able to close the Russian's gate to the Upside Down, but it's unclear if this is truly the end of the Mind Flayer, or if he will be back for more flaying is season three.
The Demogorgon
But, the Mind Flayer doesn't do all this work alone. It has the demogorgon. A race of terrifying, Venus fly trap-looking monsters that follow the orders of the Mind Flayer. Because of that, they aren't as intelligent as their boss, but they do have an incredible sense of smell, bulletproof bodies, and they aren't afraid to kill.
In season one, a demogorgon made it's way into Hawkins, kidnapping people and bringing them to the Upside Down, and sometimes killing them (RIP Barb). In season two, we see different stages of the demogorgon, like Dart, who Dustin takes in as a pet, of course until he killed Mrs. Henderson's pet and revealed himself to be a member of the murderous species.
Dart
Let's talk about Dart a little more. Also know as D'Artagnan, Dustin adopts the little creature after finding him while out trick-or-treating in season two. Things were going fine until Dart ate Mews, Mrs. Henderson's cat. This, of course, made Dustin realize that his little friend was actually pretty dangerous and even possibly a demogorgon.
While at one point, Dart joins in on an attack with other demogorgons against some of the kids, in the end, he helps Dustin and the rest of the group escape the underground tunnel, proving that he may be a demogorgon, but he can also be man's best friend. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), Dart dies after Eleven successfully closes the gate to the Upside Down at the end of season two.
Vines
Vines might not seem like a monster, but the ones in the Upside Down are pretty dangerous. Also know as tendrils, the vines grow throughout the Upside Down, making their way into the underground tunnels as well.
They seem to have a mind of their own, as well as the ability to bind and tangle up things. They string up Will in season one, and tangle up Hopper in the tunnels in season two. The vines do have a weakness, though, they don't like heat or fire. So, if you ever find yourself stuck in a hoard of tendrils, make sure to grab a lighter.
The Hospital Creature
Season three brought one new monster to Hawkins, the Hospital Creature, creatively named because it emerges at the Hawkins Memorial Hospital.
Created from Flayed and deceased bodies, the Hospital Creature, aka the Thrall, attacks Nancy and Jonathan and chases after them through the building. The creature is under control of the Mind Flayer, and it has the ability to shape shift. At one point, when Nancy closes a door on it, it simply melts down and enters through the crack at the bottom.
Luckily, Eleven appears and defeats the Thrall and it eventually slips into a sewer to go back to the Mind Flayer. See ya!
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