Mr. Whatsit Unmasked in Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1: Twist Explained

Stranger Things is back, sort of. Season 5, Volume 1 just dropped, and the show immediately tosses a new 'friend' into the mix with a name that screams trouble: Mr. Whatsit. The final season picks up right in the fallout of the Season 4 finale, and this mystery weaves straight into the chaos.

So... who is Mr. Whatsit?

Short answer: Mr. Whatsit is Henry Creel, a.k.a. Vecna. Yep, the big bad. The show plays coy at first, but that is where it lands.

How we meet him

We first hear about Mr. Whatsit from Holly Wheeler, Mike and Nancy's younger sister. She seems to be the only one who can see him, and she treats him like a real buddy. Early on, she spots him outside while she is setting up breakfast and cheerfully greets him from inside the house. We do not see him clearly, just a silhouette that appears to return her greeting. Holly is convinced he is real, even telling Mike that this mysterious friend promised to keep her safe from Hawkins monsters. The adults are not buying it, though — especially her mom, Karen Wheeler, who brushes the whole thing off as an imaginary phase.

"imaginary friend"

How the reveal unfolds

• At school, Holly gets in trouble after a teacher spots her at the fence talking to nobody. Since no one else can see Mr. Whatsit, it looks like she is chatting with thin air, and Karen gets called into the office to discuss her behavior.
• Back home, Holly is in tears while her parents argue about the Mr. Whatsit situation. Then things go from odd to dangerous: a Demogorgon attacks, and Holly is dragged into the Upside Down. Karen and Ted try to protect her, and Karen is injured in the attempt.
• Nancy and Eleven show up too late to stop the abduction. They team up with Mike and the rest to figure out who or what Mr. Whatsit really is.
• Mike and Nancy later have their mom — still recovering from that Demogorgon injury — write down the real name Holly gave for Mr. Whatsit: Henry. That is the tell. Mr. Whatsit is Vecna, hiding in plain sight via Holly's eyes.

Where the season stands

Volume 1 is four episodes, and it is streaming now on Netflix. Volume 2 is three episodes and lands on Christmas, December 25, 2025. The finale drops a few days later on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2025.