Where Were the Demogorgons in the Stranger Things Final Battle? The Duffer Brothers Have an Explanation for That

One of the lingering questions Stranger Things fans having coming retired of the Season 5 finale relates to the series’ celebrated monsters, the demogorgons. Or, possibly enactment much accurately, the lack of them.

In the last conflict (Season 5 Episode 8, The Rightside Up), which Stranger Things has built up to for 9 years and 5 seasons, our heroes conflict against Vecna and the Mind Flayer, but not the demogorgons, the demodogs, oregon the bats we’ve seen previously. Where were they? Surely Vecna and the Mind Flayer would person had a amended clip of things if they’d had their pals assistance them retired against Eleven, Steve, and the others. Were they sleeping connected the job? A revolt, perhaps?

In an interrogation with TheWrap, Stranger Things co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer offered a elaborate explanation, which involves a fewer factors. One, Vecna was caught unawares. He did not expect a sneak onslaught successful The Abyss, truthful was not prepared for what was coming. Related, helium had the Mind Flayer helping him out, truthful wherefore would helium request immoderate much help? (This was, obviously, a atrocious decision.)

Meanwhile, each those demo monsters aren’t conscionable hanging astir Vecna astatine immoderate fixed moment, the Duffer brothers said. There are not a batch of them successful The Abyss.

And past we get to what I deliberation is astir apt the astir important reason, which has to bash with what Stranger Things had done earlier successful the season. The Duffers were mindful of what they called “demo fatigue,” having had a melodramatic combat against the demogorgons astatine the extremity of Season 5, Volume 1, erstwhile Will’s powers awaken and helium kills a fistful of the things with his mind.

“Mainly it’s conscionable that Vecna was not expecting this sneak onslaught connected his location turf,” Matt Duffer explained. “Never successful a cardinal years could helium adjacent ideate that. They’re determination somewhere. We evidently discussed having a demo conflict connected apical of the Mind Flayer battle, but it felt much close to america that wherefore does helium request the demos erstwhile the Mind Flayer is this elephantine happening and tin onslaught them? He doesn’t request his small ant service to attack, he’s going to instrumentality attraction of this himself.

“It’s a giant, desolate planet. If you recall, you spot Henry wandering the satellite backmost successful Season 4 and astatine immoderate constituent successful his journey, helium does spot a demo acold successful the distance, but it’s not similar they’re hanging retired successful small huts. There’s not similar a elephantine civilization of demos up there.”

Matt Duffer continued: “one of the different things we talked astir was conscionable demo fatigue. I felt similar we did everything we wanted to bash with them successful Sorcerer, and wanting to support the absorption connected Vecna and the Mind Flayer, who’s been absent this season.”

So determination you person it. Vecna’s assurance was his undoing, it seems — and a interaction of “demo fatigue.”

According to Matt Duffer, determination was an thought to person the heroes brushwood a elephantine tract of demo eggs successful The Abyss successful a country reminiscent of Aliens, “but you can’t get each your ideas successful there.” Apparently the demos were going to travel retired of the eggs and everything.

Some fans person suggested the combat against the Mind Flayer would person been made each the much epic by the summation of demogorgons. Having Will power them and crook them against the Mind Flayer and Vecna is simply a fashionable instrumentality suggestion, too. But there’s nary going backmost now. With the Upside Down destroyed, the demogorgons are stranded successful The Abyss — hopefully forever.

We've got plentifulness much connected Stranger Things, including the Duffer brothers explaining what they were going for with the Season 5 finale and Eleven's ending, and archetypal details connected the live-action spinoff.

Image credit: Netflix.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].