4 Stranger Things Characters Who Could Now Beat Vecna, Ranked by How Powerful They Are

The monumental conclusion to the cultural phenomenon that is Stranger Things has finally begun, and the release strategy for this final season ensures that the hype train will not slow down anytime soon. Netflix has opted to split this massive final chapter into three distinct volumes, turning the holiday season into a prolonged event for fans worldwide. The first batch of episodes dropped on November 26, with the second installment arriving on Christmas Day and the grand finale scheduled to ring in the New Year. The anticipation for this premiere was so intense that the influx of viewers caused Netflix servers to crash for thousands of users mere minutes after the episodes went live.

Warning: Spoilers below for Stranger Things 5, Volume 1

This first volume of Stranger Things Season 5 reintroduces us to our favorite characters and completely upends the series’ status quo. Hawkins is now a militarized quarantine zone, isolated from the rest of the world and living under the shadow of the Upside Down. However, while Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) initially seemed invincible at the end of Season 4, the new episodes reveal that the heroes of Hawkins have leveled up, as there are now several contenders who possess the power or tactical advantage necessary to take down the dark wizard of the Upside Down once and for all.

4) Max Mayfield and Holly Wheeler

For a long time, the fate of Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) was the biggest question mark hanging over the series. The new episodes reveal that while her body remains in a coma, her consciousness is deep within enemy territory. Max has been trapped inside the mind of Vecna for nearly two years, navigating the twisted maze of his memories to survive. This horrific circumstance has actually given her a unique advantage that no other character possesses. She has discovered a specific location within his mindscape, a memory involving a rock wall and a cave, that Vecna is genuinely afraid of and cannot enter. This safe haven allows her to hide from him and, more importantly, plot against him.

Max’s chances of success improved significantly with the arrival of Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher), who was kidnapped by a Demogorgon and brought to Vecna’s lair. Holly was rescued by Max and brought to the sanctuary of the rock wall. Now, you have two resilient characters operating directly inside the villain’s psyche. While they may lack physical strength, their position is strategically invaluable, potentially disrupting his concentration at a critical moment. If Vecna is distracted battling heroes in the real world, an attack from Max and Holly on his own consciousness could be the fatal blow that leaves him vulnerable.

3) Kali Prasad

One of the most genuinely shocking twists in the first volume of Season 5 is the return of Kali Prasad (Linnea Berthelsen), also known as 008. Her storyline from the second season was often considered an outlier, but the Duffer Brothers have woven her back into the narrative in a crucial way. The military forces occupying Hawkins, led by the ruthless Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton), captured Kali and were exploiting her unique psychic abilities to power their sonic weaponry against Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). The fact that her power output alone was sufficient to fuel devices capable of crippling other powerful psychics suggests that her raw potential is far greater than previously demonstrated.

Now that she has been discovered by Eleven, Kali is a wildcard that Vecna may not be prepared for. While she might not have the telekinetic brute force to crush bones, her ability to cast hyper-realistic illusions can warp reality in ways that could confuse or blind Vecna during a confrontation. Furthermore, if she joins the fight alongside the Hawkins team, her powers could mask their movements or trick Vecna into exposing his physical form.

2) Eleven

Eleven has spent the time between Stranger Things seasons in rigorous training, pushing her mind and body to the limit on a specialized obstacle course designed by Hopper (David Harbour). She is no longer the frightened girl reacting to trauma but a disciplined warrior preparing for a specific enemy. Her telekinetic abilities remain the gold standard for raw power in this universe, and she is the only person who has successfully engaged Vecna in direct psychic combat and lived to tell the tale.

While the new episodes expose her vulnerability to military-grade sonic weaponry, they also highlight her growing tactical discipline. She successfully tracked a Demogorgon back to the Upside Down and discovered a massive, regenerating flesh wall that she believes is shielding Vecna from her psychic reach. Furthermore, she demonstrated a terrifying ability to invade the mind of a captured soldier to extract intelligence, locating a secret enemy base within the alternate dimension. Although she has yet to breach Vecna’s defenses, she has located his perimeter and possesses the rawest form of telekinetic strength on the board. 

1) Will Byers

For years, Will Byers’s (Noah Schnapp) connection to the hive mind was a source of pain and trauma, a way for monsters to spy on him. However, the final moments of the first volume of Stranger Things 5 flip this dynamic on its head. During a major Demogorgon attack, Will taps directly into the hive mind and exerts his will over the creatures. In a display of power that rivals anything we have seen from Vecna, he freezes the monsters in mid-air and snaps their bones with a mere thought, mirroring the brutal killing method Vecna uses on his human victims.

Will effectively have administrative access to Vecna’s own army. If he can control the Demogorgons and potentially the Mind Flayer particles, he creates a threat that Vecna cannot simply overpower. In other words, Will is inside the network, capable of turning the villain’s weapons against him. This untapped connection to the hive mind suggests that Will Byers has surpassed his friends in potential danger, making him the one person Vecna should truly fear.

Volume 1 of Stranger Things 5 is currently streaming on Netflix. Volume 2 arrives on December 25th, with the final episode following on December 31st.

Who do you think will strike the final blow against Vecna in the series finale? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

Read more of ComicBook‘s essential Stranger Things Season 5 coverage:

• Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 1 Ending Explained: Will & Vecna, All Twists & What’s Next?
• Stranger Things Season 5: All the Confirmed New & Returning Cast & Characters
• Vecna’s Plan In Stranger Things Season 5 Explained: Everything We Know (& What’s Next?)
• Why Stranger Things Brought Back That Divisive Character Explained by the Duffers
• What Happens When You Call The Phone Number In Stranger Things Season 5 (It Continues A 6-Year Trend)