Stranger Things Season 5 Nearly Brought Back Demogorgons for Final Showdown

Netflix is set to pull back the curtain on the making of Stranger Things ' final season, and one surprising revelation stands out: the original plan for the climactic battle in Hawkins included a swarm of Demogorgons. However, the script was reworked after concerns arose about overwhelming viewers with the iconic monsters.

In the upcoming documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, director Martina Radwan captures a pivotal moment in the writers' room. The creative team, deep in discussion, debated whether to feature the flower-faced creatures in the showdown against Vecna and the Mind Flayer.

"I like the conversation, because it obviously changed, right? And so having them sit there and really explore that – to me, the writers' room is so fascinating, because you see them thinking. I love that they were so sure about the Demogorgons in the final Abyss – except Ross was like, 'Mmm, maybe there's some fatigue, Demogorgon fatigue.' And [writer/executive producer] Kate [Trefry] agreed,"

Radwan shared. She added,

"And you're like, 'Oh, OK – so this is not the last conversation. They disagree, and they will resolve it on some point.' We, in the doc, left it open because at the time the doc comes out, everybody knows there are no Demos in the Pain Tree."

Creative Choices and Fan Fatigue

While the series has leaned heavily on Demogorgons in past seasons, the decision to leave them out of the final battle is a bold one. Earlier in the season, Dustin—Hawkins' resident science whiz—figured out that these monsters didn't actually originate from the Upside Down, as everyone once thought. Instead, they hailed from The Abyss, using the Upside Down as a passageway to the real world.

Given that Vecna had long been shown to control the Demogorgons through a hive mind, it seemed natural for them to play a role in the last fight. Vecna's ability to command the creatures was a key part of his villainy, with past incidents like the abduction of Holly Wheeler and other local kids serving as chilling examples.

Character Arcs and Missed Opportunities

Will Byers' journey in season 5 centered on learning to tap into the hive mind and harness Vecna's power to defeat the monsters. For many fans, it’s puzzling that this development didn’t culminate in a final confrontation involving the Demogorgons. The absence of these creatures in the ultimate showdown left some viewers questioning the creative direction, especially after so much build-up around their connection to both Vecna and The Abyss.

All episodes of Stranger Things are now available to stream. For those who have already finished the season and are looking to make sense of the finale, there are detailed breakdowns and reviews to help unpack every twist and turn.