Everything We Know About the New Monster in ‘Stranger Things’

Popular Netflix sci-fi series looks to be getting upgrade on Season One's 'Demogorgon'.

June 8, 2017 5:35 pm

Ever since it hit Netflix last year, Stranger Things has had a near-constant presence in the news—whether it’s been the cast’s kids goofing off on Fallon or the stirring speech actor David Harbour gave at the SAG awards.

Then, of course, came the Season 2 trailer that ran during the Super Bowl, which gave audiences their first, brief glimpse of the new monster. It looks like a cross between a giant, hairy-legged spider and octopus—and its head sort of looks like a scarier version of Woody Woodpecker.

Only onscreen for about three ticks altogether—once crashing through a window near the beginning of the trailer (which we’re assuming is attacking Jim Hopper); another, in a kid’s drawing; and lastly, as it’s lit against a blood-red horizon—the monster has set off a number of fan theories as to its identity.

Here’s what we know so far:

There Are at Least Two Monsters – As co-creator Ross Duffer told Variety, “Hiding the monsters can be more effective than seeing it, so restraint can be a good thing….I can’t talk too much about them, but they’re cool.” Maybe last season’s ‘Demogorgon’ isn’t actually dead and is coming back for Round 2?

One Monster Looks Like This:

Is Will Byers a Monster? – In the Season 1 finale, Will, freshly saved from whatever being was preying on him in the Upside Down, was spitting up some pretty nasty-looking, alien-like matter in the sink, so one monster could actually be growing inside him—or actually be him.

It Might Be Called ‘The Shadow Monster’ – Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers, spilled to TV Guide, “It’s horrifying.” Finn Wolfhard, who portrays Mike Wheeler, said, “The Shadow monster, the new one, the big one in the sky, that was crazy for us.”

Might It Be a Thessalhydra? – As io9 notes, in the Season 1 finale, the kids are playing Dungeons & Dragons and fighting that type of monster.

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