Netflix’s Stranger Things has enjoyed bringing alternative versions of villains from the Dungeons & Dragons universe into their series. It ties into our child protagonists’ own love of the game and the nostalgia surrounding the good moments of that game (sans, of course, the Satanic Panic). That has continued in the recently released first half of the penultimate fourth season.
As the series eventually comes to an end with the fifth season, which villains should make some sort of appearance in the endgame of this world? In the world of Stranger Things, their D&D lore exists between 1983 and 1986, so we need characters that play a role in that era. Here would be my five picks.
Asmodeus
Sharing the name of a demon prince of Hell is a good sign of power. In the world of Dungeons & Dragons, Asmodeus’s true form is that of a wingless scaled serpent, but he has humanoid devil versions of himself walking around. He is an unmatched, powerful schemer and strategist.
We have seen the Upside Down and the evil of the world portrayed with a political slant mixed with the sci-fi horror. One of the most clichéd aspects of the show has been the Red Scare/”Russia is evil” aspect of it. Even though Russia is certainly a politically relevant punching bag, it would be interesting if the big bad in that world was someone whose code name was Asmodeus—representing the person who is that lawful evil mixing with the power of a military-industrial complex.
Zuggtmoy
Zuggtmoy has been a major D&D villain for decades and was the second demon lord to be introduced in the game. She is known as the Demon Queen of Fungi. Her spore abilities allow her to spread rot and disease. Like many demon lords, there is cult-like worship around her. Those who have been “blessed” by Zuggtmoy have fungi spread across their bodies, devouring their flesh and warping them into vectors of poison that make them look like zombies.
Hmmm? What does season 4 villain Vecna look like? A zombie. What was he really into in his human form? Spreading death. Every alternate universe needs a creator. How about a demon mommy? Or just cults. The ’80s loved the idea of mystical cults.
Tharizdun
First introduced in The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun (1982), Tharizdun is the god of Eternal Darkness, Decay, Entropy, Malign Knowledge, Insanity, and Cold—so not a great guy.
Their goal is the destruction of the universe itself, and they were imprisoned in a Demiplane of Imprisonment by other gods. We’ve always wondered what else would follow if the Upside Down spread. Since things keep trying to get out, what other darkness lies deeper within this world? We’ve been told it will destroy everything. Sounds like a god of Eternal Darkness.
Graz’zt
The Dark Prince, the Prince of Pleasure, and one of the most chaotic figures. He is a minor demon lord, so I don’t think he would be the best endgame big bad. However, we have never had a figure in Stranger Things that actually tried to be a seductive force. Well I guess, that depends on how you feel about Billy.
We haven’t really had a great non-telegraphed bad guy reveal on the show, and a “Graz’zt”-like character would be interesting. I mean, if he’s dangerous enough for the Demogorgon, he’s clearly got something going on.
Tiamat
The Mother of Dragons, and I’m not talking about Daenerys Targaryen. Tiamat is a 5-headed draconic goddess who is named after the primordial goddess of the sea in Mesopotamian mythology. Tiamat is a very clichéd version of a dragon—loves shiny things and is greedy, arrogant, hateful, and vain. Everything about her is just greed personified. Wealth is the ultimate good—well, you know, canonically, Wall Street will come out next year, in the Stranger Things universe, and declare “Greed is Good.”
Tiamat can be either an actual dragon (boss), or the villain can be transformed into someone who uses the Upside Down as a tool to make money. Either one works. Dragon is probably better.
Those are just a few ideas. What D&D villains do you think would fit into Stranger Things? And How?
(featured image: Netflix)
Published: May 29, 2022 12:00 pm