WARNING, THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE INCLUDES SPOILERS FROM STRANGER THINGS: SEASON 3!
When Stranger Things first began, the main antagonist of the show was Dr. Brenner, Eleven’s twisted father-like figure before she was adopted by Hopper. With his supposed death at the hands of the Demogorgon, a new antagonist was introduced for Season 2 called the Shadow Monster. Later known as the Mind Flayer, this appearing to be the only sapient being within the Upside-Down.
The Mind Flayer has shown dominance over beings from the Upside-Down and with psychic abilities. With these abilities, the Mind Flayer can communicate with beings and even possess beings across dimensions. This was proven by how he made Will and later Billy his human host. Once the Mind Flayer gets Billy under its influence, it begins making a new physical form to directly challenge Eleven.
To create a physical form, the Mind Flayer adds rats, humans, and other mammals to its hive-mind control. Those under its influence begin to consume fertilizer and other chemicals. This helps prepare the bodies for assimilation into a physical form the Mind Flayer can use to interact with the real world. As the show explains it, the real Mind Flayer is still locked in the Upside-Down and sends the new physical body commands treating it as a remote device. This is why the body stopped operating once the gateway to the Upside-Down was closed again. But what were the Mind Flayer’s plans?
The Mind Flayer’s plan appears to have 3 main steps:
- Create a physical presence and minions in the real world
- Find and kill Eleven and her friends
- Kill all humans and invade the real world
The creation of a physical presence kickstarts with the possession of victums for a hive mind. Long term, this would help with infiltration into key positions of power including world governments. It also helps with providing the Mind FLayer with avatars that can get resources and equipment it needs for the next steps in its plan. When enough people and other mammals are under the Mind Flayer’s control, it will alter the body’s substance using chemicals in order to assimilate the bodies into a remote body in the likeness of the Mind Flayer. This part of the plan is accelerated during Stranger Things: Season 3, resulting in a smaller remote body because Eleven and her friends realize the Mind Flayer has returned.
As the Mind Flayer tells Eleven, “You let us in. And now you are going to have to let us stay…And now it’s time. We are going to end you. We are going to end your friends. Then we are going to end everyone.”
This quote perfectly outlines the remainder of the Mind Flayer’s goals. Did you enjoy watching Stranger Things: Season 3? Let us know your thoughts and if you think the Mind Flayer will return in the comments!
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