With a new season of Stranger Things just over the horizon, fans of the franchise are all waiting with bated breath to see what's in store for the motley crew. The series continues with its tradition of including a Dungeons and Dragons-related foe with its reveal of this season's big-bad, Vecna. This has people thinking: what other monsters from D&D could make an appearance in this series?
With the massive library that D&D has cultivated over nearly half a century, there is an almost infinite pool of monsters for the series to choose from. That said, there is a certain atmosphere and aesthetic in Stranger Things, so having a red dragon suddenly appear wouldn't be the right fit. Here is a list of D&D monsters that would slot straight into the world of Stranger Things.
7 Mimic
The creatures of the Stranger Things universe have kept themselves relatively secret from the rest of the world. Yes, the majority of Hawkins has seen one of them, or seen the aftermath of them, but most have been able to fly under the radar by either traversing through the Upside Down or possessing a host. Ironically, these creatures haven't utilized the tried-and-true hiding technique of fleshy masses of hate. Shifting into objects.
There's a reason mimics are the bane of every dungeon-diving adventurer. Not knowing whether an object is real or a horrible monstrosity is probably the most stressful thing about exploring. Having a monster that can mimic the appearance of common household items would add another layer of fear for the young heroes of the Stranger Things world.
6 Cloaker
There hasn't been a flying enemy in Stranger Things thus far, which is a shame because the image of the group running, while demonic monsters dive bomb them like a flock of pigeons with a grudge, is both incredibly funny and terrifying at the same time. Out of the numerous flying creatures that call D&D home, cloakers would be the best fit for the Stranger Things universe.
These monsters are aberrations, as a good chunk of the monsters that have been repurposed for the series and have an innate hatred for mortals — much like the Mind Flayer. Visually, these types of monsters would fit perfectly among beasts like the Demogorgon and Demodogs. As an introduction, a cloaker could suddenly swoop in and 'engulf' a character, while those around them panic.
5 Aboleth
In the world of D&D, one of the most notorious psionic users comes in the form of aboleths. These horrid combinations of squid and eel are infamous for manipulating others into doing their bidding. They do this through mental means, or physically transforming unfortunate souls into their water-breathing servants.
Stranger Things is, no pun intended, no stranger to mind manipulation or physical transformation. Their most recent season featured both, after all. When the dust settles after the end of the upcoming season, it wouldn't be an unwelcome surprise to see such a creature behind the veil, pulling the strings of even the mighty Vecna.
4 Death Kiss
When one thinks of aberration-type monsters in D&D, the beholder comes to mind. It's one of the franchise's most iconic species of monster, and it's appeared in other forms of media. Now, the classic beholder may be a little overpowered in the Stranger Things world, given its wide array of eye beams, but the death kiss would work well.
Unlike beholders, death kisses have several tentacles that end in fanged mouths rather than eyestalks. In combat, these monsters take a more vampiric approach, draining the blood of their foes to both heal and make themselves stronger. Considering the hunting and eating habits of the monsters already in Stranger Things, a death kiss would be among friends.
3 Slaad
Continuing in the vein of monsters corrupting people into doing their bidding, the slaadi are a race that excels in this. A slaad is a frog-like monster from the plane of Limbo, that is made to rip and tear through its enemies. Slaadi, along with being vicious monsters, are capable of inflicting a horrible illness known as chaos phage, that will turn those inflicted into a slaad.
While their amphibious appearance doesn't completely match with the more monstrous appearances of the creatures of Stranger Things, its merciless hunting tactics, coupled with their ability to forcibly change its victims into one of them, would make it a perfect addition to the series' roster. If this next season is gearing up for an all-out war with the denizens of the Upside Down, then having a Slaad present to turn allies into enemies would make for a devastating foe.
2 Cerebral Parasite
While the Mind Flayer had a type of parasitic effect on the townsfolk of Hawkins in the third season, there hasn't been a full-on parasite-type entity as yet. This seems like a missed opportunity as, in D&D, mind flayers, or illithid, employ their parasitic young to make more illithid. That said, as there has been a parasitic-like creature in the series, a different type of parasite would be a welcomed addition.
Cerebral parasites are incredibly small creatures that are invisible to most. While this is cool and all, this creature's main draw is that it infests people with psionic abilities. People like Eleven. Having Vecna send out parasites made specifically to target and drain Eleven would weaken the group's main defense against him, and force the main cast to get creative in their problem-solving.
1 Neothelid
Going back to the breeding habits of mind flayers, a neothelid occurs when an illithid tadpole is left unattended, typically due to mind flayer society collapsing. Without any way to feed themselves, the remaining tadpoles cannibalize one another until just one is left, and then grows into a massive worm that even mind flayers hate.
When Vecna is defeated, and he will be defeated, how cool would it be if the remaining creatures of the Upside Down — without any form of leadership — start to turn on each other until some enormous monster is left? Having the group fight this 'final boss' would be an incredible climax, and serve as a definite end to the Upside Down.