Stranger Things is just packed with mysteries, most of which unfolded in season 4. Take the Demogorgon, for example. How does it decide who to snack on? Over three seasons, it's been all over the place, chowing down on both humans and animals with no apparent rhyme or reason. And seriously, why Will Byers?
The Demogorgon and the Upside Down remain a complete enigma. Especially for its fans. There are a lot of theories in many fandoms and communities about almost everything in Stranger Things. Be it the reason behind an upside down, Vecna's existence, and more. Similarly, fans (on Reddit) have been speculating about how the Demogorgon operates and why it targeted Will Byers as its next victim. Let's look at why.
The dangers in Stranger Things
Ah, the Demogorgon—Season 1's delightful addition to the world of Stranger Things. Thanks to Eleven who accidentally opened the gate to the Upside Down, we all got introduced to this charming monster. After it had a field day massacring people at Hawkins Lab, it decided to venture out and target poor Will Byers.
Sure, there are some vague ideas milling around for how the Demogorgon picks its prey on Stranger Things. But the real million-dollar question stands: why in the world did it go after Will Byers? Buckle up, because here are some of the wild speculations on why the Demogorgon chose Will over any other.
The Demogorgon Has a Blood Fetish in Stranger Things
In Season 1 of Stranger Things, Nancy deduced that the Demogorgon has a thing for blood. Barb conveniently cut herself before being snatched, leaving a handy trail at Steve’s house. When Nancy and Jonathan decided to set up a trap at the Byers’ house, they cut their hands to lure the creature, and surprise, surprise, it worked.
Will was just minding his own business, riding home after a Dungeons & Dragons session at Mike’s house, when he had the misfortune of crossing paths with the Demogorgon. In a panic, he crashed his bike, ran home to find no one there, hid in the shed, and got dragged into the Upside Down. He must have bled a little when he fell off his bike, and that tiny bit of blood was enough to catch the Demogorgon's attention.
Eleven's Superpowers: The Demogorgon's Personal Beacon
Many fans of Stranger Things also think that the presence of blood was merely coincidental, noting that there were instances where the Demogorgon attacked without any blood being involved. They think that Eleven's superpowers, rather than the blood, were what attracted the Demogorgon's attention. A user wrote;
"One thing your theory would answer for me that’s always bothered me about season 1 is why Will was taken in the first place since demogorgans are attracted to blood. There’s no blood at the scene when Will was taken. The best explanation I could think of was “wrong place, wrong time.”
So, the Demogorgon has a flair for targeting anyone near a gate. But if Eleven is busy showing off her superpowers, the Demogorgon doesn’t care if she's nowhere near a gate, it’ll still come after her, and anyone else nearby can consider themselves collateral damage. So basically, if Eleven’s around, everyone’s at risk—talk about a superpower with side effects!
The Demogorgon found Will at Castle Byers because Eleven was busy flexing her powers through the void. There is no real explanation for why Will got snatched, but it does explain why the Demogorgon is so hell-bent on crashing Eleven’s party.
It wasn't Demogorgon After all?
However, the most prevalent speculation among fans is that it wasn't the Demogorgon but Vecna who was responsible for it all on Stranger Things instead.
"I noticed this also. The silhouette on the road is too humanoid, with the weird distended arms. Also, it hunts more like Vecna. The demogorgon could have just caught Will on foot, it wouldn’t have “evil slow-walked” after him".
Another fan theorized that Vecna took Will because he felt a natural affinity towards him. According to this theory, Vecna didn't intent to kill Will and handed him over to the demogorgon to babysit—not murder. When Eleven and Will both left Hawkins, he needed to find a new connection, but all the people he's killed so far aren't compatible.
If Will ends up returning to Hawkins Vecna might try and take him and use him. And maybe the reason why Will doesn’t remember being kidnapped by Vecna is because he blocked out that traumatic memory believing it was just the demogorgon. Another angle to the Vecna speculation was when a fan expressed;
Strange times ahead
The mystery of why Will Byers was taken to the Upside Down remains one of the most tantalizing questions of Stranger Things. Each theory provides a different perspective, and perhaps the truth lies somewhere between them. Blood, Eleven’s powers, and proximity to gates all play a role in understanding the Demogorgon’s behavior.
Want to relive every twist and turn in Will's life, and catch up on the endless drama of Hawkins? Well, lucky you! Just tune into Netflix, where all your favorite Stranger Things characters are still muddling through their supernatural messes. Just grab some popcorn, settle in, and prepare to binge-watch the most chaotic, nostalgic trip back to the Upside Down.
