Stranger Things appeared to foreshadow Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) eventual defeat as early as the debut of Season 4, when Erica (Priah Ferguson) rolled a natural 20 to overpower the villain during a Dungeons & Dragons campaign with the Hellfire Club.
While it initially seemed like an innocent game, the moment takes on new meaning considering how the Duffer Brothers have long used D&D to shape the show’s mythology, story structure, and character arcs — including monsters like the Demogorgon and Vecna.
In hindsight, that single roll effectively revealed the mathematical formula that secretly set up the supervillain’s ultimate downfall
What Does Erica’s Roll of 20 in Stranger Things Mean?
Stranger Things Season 4 opened with Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) rolling an 11 against Vecna during a D&D session.
Representing El (Millie Bobby Brown), the roll fell short – prompting Erica to take her turn. She rolled a perfect 20, instantly defeating Vecna in the game.
Sure, Eleven has always been positioned as Vecna’s primary opponent. But Season 4 also showed that her powers alone weren’t enough to bring him down. In fact, she even lost to him during their confrontation inside Max’s (Sadie Sink) mind.
So, what does this roll of 20 mean?
Now that Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) has returned in Stranger Things Season 5, revealed to be the “kryptonite” Eleven sensed in the military research facility in the Upside Down, her presence becomes significant. As Eight, her number combined with Eleven’s equals 19.
That still leaves them one short. But another major reveal of the final season shows that Will (Noah Schnapp) also possesses immense power: he stops the Demogorgons from attacking Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Robin (Maya Hawke) by breaking their limbs, mimicking the way Vecna kills his victims in their minds.
This positions Will as representing “One” – both because he was Vecna’s first victim and due to his deep psychic connection to Henry Creel, also known as One.
With his ability to influence the Mind Flayer and sense Vecna’s movements, Will appears to be the missing piece that completes the roll of 20 needed to defeat Vecna.
Thus: Eleven + Eight + One = 20, the same critical hit Erica rolled that foreshadowed Vecna’s downfall.
What is Will’s Connection to Vecna?
It was also in Stranger Things Season 4 when Will’s connection to Vecna intensified. He began to sense the powerful, lich-like entity, and the finale even revealed his growing psychic link to him.In Season 5 Volume 1, Will is shown tapping into the hive mind and using it to their advantage, allowing the group to anticipate and understand Vecna’s next moves.
“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,” Ross Duffer explained to Variety when discussing Will’s abilities. “The powers aren’t within him. He’s able to channel these powers from Vecna and use it, sort of puppeteering.”
Matt Duffer added that Will can “manipulate anything within the hive” by tapping directly into its mind.
“You’ll see how far he can take it as you continue to watch,” he continued. “But that’s how he’s able to manipulate the monster. He can’t open a door, because the door is not part of the hive mind.”
So, if the roll-of-20 theory holds true, fans could see Eleven, Eight, and Will combining their powers to finally defeat Vecna in the continuation of Stranger Things Season 5.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 (Episodes 5–7) drops on December 25, followed by Volume 3 (Episode 8) on December 31.
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