How Iron Maiden and Dungeons and Dragons Could Inspire a ‘Stranger Things’ Characters Return

stranger things season 5 eddie

It’s almost a tradition at this point with Stranger Things that the Duffer Brothers make sure to introduce a loveable supporting character each season that the fandom becomes obsessed with, only to ultimately crush our hearts with their untimely death. It started back in Season 1 with Barb, who still has yet to get her justice, followed by Bob Newby, and then Alexei. So, the show has made sure that we should try our best to not get too attached to new characters even if we still repeat the same mistakes.

Season 4 introduced Eddie Munson, the metal head-loving dungeon master of the Hellfire Club. Like those who came before him, Eddie met his fate in the season 4 finale after being swarmed by Demobats while trying to buy more time for those who went after Vecna. While Eddie is seemingly dead, some evidence and dot-connecting could hint at resurrection for the character, with some help from the lore of Dungeons and Dragons, as well as one of Munson’s favorite metal bands.

Following the death of Eddie, Max seems to be up next on the chopping block, having just barely escaped Vecna’s grasp after Steve, Robin, and Nancy were able to take him down. Unfortunately, due to her wounds, Max does indeed die. At least, that is what we assumed until Eleven miraculously uses her abilities to bring Max back to life. If Eleven can do this, someone with the same powers would be able to do that as well. With Vecna surviving his encounter, he’d most likely be able to bring Munson back to life. However, after being mangled by Demobats, his body presumably being left in the Upside Down, he’s not likely to be the guy we came to love throughout Season 4.

This is where the Iron Maiden and Dungeons and Dragons inspirations come in. Hawkins’ resident metal head shares his namesake with an icon of the metal scene in the ’80s, the undead mascot of Iron Maiden. Of course, the only connection they share is the name and that he’s a fan, protecting their honor and declaring them as real music. Yet, there’s the potential that a resurrected Munson could sport a similar look to the band’s undead mascot, especially after what he went through.

This could lead to a storyline hinted at the beginning of the season, as their current campaign in Dungeons and Dragons always tends to hint at future storylines. At the Hellfire Club’s big session, the group is ambushed by Vecna within the game, and Mike, startled at the monster’s appearance, mentions that Vecna is dead. He was killed by Kas, the human vampire and trusted lieutenant to Vecna, who betrayed and killed the Arch-Lich within their stories’ canon.

In a way, Eddie would be quite the valuable asset in Vecna’s mission of revenge and furthering his invasion into the overworld. At first, he’s used as a ploy to mess with and break those who seek to oppose him. We’ve seen in Season 4 how Vecnas breaks his victim’s minds, and preys on their darkest memories, using them against them. Eddie would definitely be the perfect puppet for him to get into everyone’s head, especially Dustin’s.

The D&D character of Kas was dead. And after spending too much much time near the negative energy plane, he was transformed into a vampire. In Stranger Things, they could use the Upside Down as its equivalent, where Eddie died after fighting off a horde of Demobats. His weapons of choice are also clues. His weaponry is similar to the flaming sword and shield Kas uses, even if Eddie’s don’t ignite, the flaming sword can be seen in the Hellfire Club logo.

Some may also notice his Tattoos may hint at his return, with one being a demon puppeteered by a floating hand, possible as a reference to the hand that Kas cut off of Vecna and the control he would have over a risen Munson. Plus, it also matches the tease of him playing Metallica‘s Master of Puppets during the finale episode of Season 4. On top of all of this, he has a swarm of bats on his arm, foreshadowing his demise and possibly resurrection.

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things has even yet to be written and will most likely not release until sometime late in 2024. Still, in the meantime, we can all theorize just how our beloved metal head could return to Hawkins and further prove to be the hero he never thought he was. Getting one more chance to save his friends would seem like the perfect way to give him one last hurrah.

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