Buzz
With the third season of the Netflix series 'Stranger Things' set to debut next year, the internet is flooded with theories and potential explanations for the show. Given its massive fanbase, it's no surprise that viewers flock online to discuss the mysteries of the Upside Down, the characters' roles, and the creators' choices in various scenes. Created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as executive producers and are avid sci-fi enthusiasts, the show boasts a talented cast including Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, Sean Astin as Bob Newby, and David Harbour as Jim Hopper, among others.
Originally planned for an October 2018 release, Season Three of 'Stranger Things' has now been pushed back to the summer of 2019, sparking a renewed wave of speculation across the web. Here’s a glimpse into ten of the most intriguing theories and explanations currently circulating online.
10. It's All Just a Game
One theory suggests that the entire story is simply a game. This idea is hinted at early in the first episode when Mike, portrayed by Finn Wolfhard, pleads with his mom to let him finish his current Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign. Fans believe that the events that unfold from this point onward are actually Mike and his friends acting out their latest D&D adventure.
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game where participants lead their characters through various magical journeys and quests. Viewers will notice that the language of the game is used often in Seasons One and Two. The series introduces the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer, both of which are central to the D&D universe. One of the strongest pieces of evidence supporting this theory occurs during a D&D game, when Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, encounters the Demogorgon for the first time—mirroring what happens when he disappears into the Upside Down.
In essence, everything stems from the imaginary world these boys have created in their minds.
9. Stranger Things and Stephen King
One theory proposes that *Stranger Things* is set within the world of Stephen King. The eerie and strange happenings in the series bear a strong resemblance to the oddities found in many of King's books.
Have you noticed how the font used for the show's title is similar to that of King's book covers? Does Eleven remind you of a character from King’s novels, like Carrie, or maybe Charlie from *Firestarter*? Additionally, many of King’s stories feature a group of four male friends (*The Body* and *Dreamcatcher*, for instance), which is very much like the core group in the show. *The Mist* also shares similarities with the Upside Down, as both are linked to government experiments gone wrong, opening gateways to alternate realms that invade our world, with both settings sharing a similarly foggy and unsettling atmosphere.
8. A Vampire
This next theory might be a bit far-fetched.
Fans have speculated that Bob Newby could be a vampire. According to this theory (spoiler alert), Bob isn’t truly dead. Instead, he is believed to be the head vampire, seeking darkness to spread so he can roam the Earth freely. This theory has a *Lost Boys* vibe to it. If you squint a little, Bob does bear a resemblance to Max from *The Lost Boys*.
Some fans also point out that Bob’s Halloween vampire costume might be a subtle clue to his true identity.
I’m not sure if I’m convinced by this one—how about you?
7. It’s A Fungus
Another theory we’ll explore suggests that the creatures from the Upside Down might actually be fungi. This could explain the rapid spread of the Upside Down, as fungi are some of the fastest-growing organisms in the world, thriving on decay and death—much like the monsters in *Stranger Things*.
Further supporting this theory, the monsters appear to function with a hive-like mentality, acting as parts of a larger whole. We see this behavior when the creatures in the Upside Down are all drawn to a particular spot with the goal of destruction. These monsters also react to excessive heat, as seen when they try to sweat the evil out of Will. Fungi, too, are sensitive to heat.
6. Hopper’s Daughter Was Also Experimented On
This theory is intriguing and could potentially make sense if you stop and reflect on the mystery surrounding Officer Jim Hopper and the death of his daughter.
At the start of the series, we learn that Hopper lost his daughter to what seems to be cancer. The speculation behind this theory suggests that maybe she isn’t really dead but was somehow involved in the same experiment as Eleven. Since Eleven is named as such, it's reasonable to think there were originally subjects numbered one through ten. This theory is further supported by the introduction of Eight in Season Two. Could Hopper’s daughter have been one of the remaining, unknown numbers? Moreover, if she was part of the same experiments, could she still be trapped in the Upside Down in some way?
5. Eleven Is Hopper’s Daughter
Perhaps Hopper’s daughter isn’t dead after all. Some fans theorize that Eleven could actually be his biological daughter.
This theory does have some inconsistencies. For example, would Hopper fail to recognize her as his daughter, Sara? Some speculate that the lab responsible for the experiments on Eleven and other children may have tampered with Hopper’s memories, abducted his daughter, and planted the false belief that she died from cancer when, in fact, she was taken to participate in their experiments.
Adding another layer to this theory, while we have met Eleven’s mother, the identity of her biological father remains unknown to the audience. However, part of this theory is partially validated as Hopper ends up adopting Eleven at the conclusion of Season Two. So, in a way, she becomes his daughter.
4. The Upside Down Is Eleven’s Dreams
This theory certainly has merit. Fans suggest that the Upside Down doesn’t truly exist—except in Eleven’s mind. This concept is supported by various pieces of evidence within the series.
Could it be that her childhood traumas—whatever they may be—are so overwhelming that she has retreated into a world of her own creation, using it as a way to escape the harsh reality she faces? Sadly, even within her imagined world, things are still terrifying. This idea seems plausible because Eleven holds most of the power in her own narrative.
Alternatively, if Eleven is indeed Hopper’s daughter and undergoing cancer treatment, could the Upside Down be a hallucination triggered by the potent medications she’s receiving? Perhaps the Upside Down is a place she dreams of while in a drug-induced coma as part of her treatment process.
3. Alien
Naturally, there’s a fan theory that takes this path.
Do you remember when Joyce and Hopper are navigating the Upside Down, searching for Will? During their journey, they come across a peculiar, yellow, leathery, veined, egg-shaped object covered in webs. It looks like a large, hatched egg of some kind and somewhat resembles the eggs seen in the Alien movies. Could the egg in Stranger Things be a distant relative of the ones Ripley encounters in the Alien franchise?
Stranger Things hasn’t revealed much to the audience about that egg yet. We do see the Demogorgon interacting with an egg just before Eleven forms a psychic link with the creature. Fans are left to wonder if the monster is eating the egg or if it’s the one that laid it. Either way, we likely won’t know the full truth until the new season drops, and even then, we may not get any solid answers regarding the egg’s purpose.
2. Bob Is From Derry, Maine
This could very well be one of the most compelling theories out there, and it’s yet another reference to Stephen King.
In an earlier episode, Bob Newby shares a childhood fear he had when speaking with Will, mentioning that he was once terrified of clowns but eventually overcame it. Does this storyline ring a bell? That’s right, it mirrors the experience of Pennywise from IT. Maine is a common setting in many of Stephen King’s books, and Bob says he’s from Maine. He even hints that Joyce and the boys should consider moving there with him. Additionally, the timeline aligns—Bob would have been a young boy in the 1950s when Pennywise terrorized the children of Derry, Maine. By the 1980s, he’s an adult living in Hawkins, Indiana.
As a fun aside, the actor who plays Mike also stars in the 2017 IT remake. He even delivers the exact same line in both the series and the movie: 'Holy sh—t, what happened to you?'
1. Eleven Is The Monster
Could Eleven actually be the monster? She herself said it in the season finale.
Viewers are familiar with the idea that the Upside Down serves as a twisted reflection of the real world. In the real world, Eleven is a formidable young girl, but could her eerie counterpart in the Upside Down be the true monster? This could help explain how she is able to recognize both Will and Barb in pictures from the real world—because her monstrous twin has encountered them in the Upside Down.
An intriguing layer to this theory comes from the monster's resemblance to the Demogorgon in the Dungeons & Dragons game. In the game, the Demogorgon is a two-headed creature locked in perpetual conflict with itself. This suggests that despite their mutual dislike, they are dependent on each other for survival. We witness a parallel in the Season Two finale, where Eleven seems to defeat the monster and seal the gate, only for the Upside Down to remain, showing that the battle is far from over.
The connection between Eleven and the monster is undeniable, but the real question remains: Are they truly one and the same?
