Major spoilers ahead for Stranger Things Season 5’s first four episodes.
If you have made it through the first four episodes of Stranger Things’ final season, which just landed on the 2025 TV schedule, you are probably still trying to steady yourself after that major Will Byers twist. And, honestly, same. If you have not watched Episode 4, “Sorcerer,” this is your last chance to bail. I think we’re alone now, and it is just us Upside Down die-hards now. On that note, the Duffer Brothers finally explained what the twist actually means. I get it now, and you probably will too.
During a recent interview with Variety, the creators broke down what is really going on with Will’s sudden discovery of powers, the one that made him look like he went full Eleven and snapped those Demogorgons like they were action figures. The internet immediately started asking the same question. Did Will gain powers that mirror Eleven’s? Ross Duffer stepped in with the clarification fans needed, telling the outlet:
It’s different in that he’s able to channel Vecna’s powers. But they’re all related. Vecna and Eleven, their powers are similar. The powers aren’t within him. He’s able to channel these powers from Vecna and use it, sort of puppeteering.
If you need a quick reminder of where things stand, the Hawkins crew hits a serious low point at the end of Season 5’s initial four-episode run. Vecna makes a dramatic entrance, zeroes in on Will, calls him weak, and then lets loose a pack of Demogorgons on the group. Just when it looks like the nightmare is about to hit its peak, Will taps into abilities he never realized he had, freezing the creatures and taking them out using the same bone snapping technique we have seen from Vecna himself.
After the dust settles, Will swipes away a nosebleed, echoing a signature Eleven move, which raised the question of what his powers actually are. Matt Duffer broke down the logic behind it, explaining:
He taps into the hive mind, and then he can manipulate anything within the hive. You’ll see how far he can take it as you continue to watch. But that’s how he’s able to manipulate the monster. So he can’t open a door, because the door is not part of the hive mind.
In other words, Will is not a second Eleven, but is instead a conduit to the hive mind, using Vecna’s strength against him. His powers depend on proximity to the hive, and they only exist because Vecna once hooked him into it. Had Will never been taken in Season 1, this never would have happened.
The Duffers also confirmed that Will’s emotional arc is central to why he unlocks these abilities now. His biggest shift is internal. His connection to Robin, his growing acceptance of himself, and Mike’s encouragement all feed into this breakthrough. Ross Duffer noted that the early drafts of Episode 4 were missing that emotional clarity, which is why the team added the home movie flashback montage. It visualizes Will’s change in a way the story needed.
And Vecna’s mistake? Matt Duffer says the villain simply underestimates Will, as many characters have since the beginning. That will not hold for long, especially as we head into Volume 2’s release, with episodes 5, 6 and 7 dropping for everyone with a Netflix subscription on Christmas, December 25.