Stranger Things Season 5: Vecna’s Entrance Was Inspired by an Iconic Star Wars Scene — Once You See It, You Can’t Unsee It

Stranger Things is finally back after three years, and yes, volume 1 wastes zero time putting Vecna front and center. The big bad reenters the chat in a way that feels both familiar and nastier than ever, and there is a very specific reason it hits the way it does.

Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 5 volume 1.

That entrance

Season 5 episode 4 doubles as the midseason finale, and the last stretch is all about the reveal. After lurking in plain sight under a new disguise — the whole 'Mr Whatsit' deal, as in Holly Wheeler’s imaginary friend (and yes, that is Vecna, aka One, aka Henry Creel, playing pretend) — he finally steps through a gate from the Upside Down into the real world. What we see: a new, evolved form of Vecna who just shrugs off a barrage of gunfire from soldiers like it is nothing. The point is clear: he is stronger, scarier, and not remotely worried about you.

The Star Wars of it all

Matt and Ross Duffer didn’t stumble into that moment by accident. Ross told Netflix’s Tudum that they designed the scene to land like a true capital-M Moment — and they had a specific reference in mind.

'We knew that when he arrived, we wanted it to feel like this huge moment. The minute he walked out of that gate, you felt the power of Vecna. You felt how scary he was.'

The inspiration: Darth Vader’s corridor massacre at the end of the 2016 prequel Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. You know the one — panicked rebel soldiers in a dark hallway, Vader igniting the saber and mowing through them without breaking a sweat. Vecna’s stroll has that same icy inevitability. The look and vibe also echo another TV mega-villain: the Night King from Game of Thrones, with the spiky silhouette and the dead-eyed calm while chaos erupts around him.

So what is Vecna actually doing?

Volume 1 lays it out: he is collecting kids in the Upside Down, starting with Holly Wheeler, and he is not shy about the plan when he talks to Will. The goal is to 'refashion' the world. The method is creepier: he wants 12 children he calls 'weak' and 'perfect vessels' — people he can mold and control. That is the shopping list.

The good news for humanity: by the end of episode 4, Will taps into Vecna’s own power and uses it to take out Demogorgons, which suddenly makes Henry Creel’s grand plan look a lot less guaranteed.

Where it sits now

Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 is streaming now on Netflix. Volume 2 lands on Christmas Day.