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Being an ardent Stranger Things fan and a hardcore introvert, I couldn’t help but feel miserable for Will Byers becoming the victim time and again. His character goes through a lot—from being taken by demogorgons to having to hide his queer relationship and face a long distance relationship from his close friends. His character even had a funeral before even his death, making him the most tragic and wretched characters of Stranger Things.
What really happened to Will Byers?
On November 6, 1983, a quiet, artistic kid named Will Byers disappeared from Hawkins, Indiana. One second he was biking home, the next he was gone without a trace. While the town searched, fans knew something darker was at play. A creature called the Demogorgon had taken him. But here’s the question that still haunts us: Why Will?
Was it just random? Or is there a deeper meaning behind the Demogorgon’s choice? Let’s explore.
Who or what is the demogorgon?
In Dungeons & Dragons, the Demogorgon is a powerful demon prince—a chaotic creature of madness and destruction. In Stranger Things, it’s a humanoid monster from the Upside Down with no eyes and a face like a petal-shaped mouth full of teeth. It hunts silently, tears through dimensions, and thrives in darkness.
But the Demogorgon isn’t just a monster. It follows rules. It stalks. It selects. It may even serve a greater purpose.
Why Will Byers? Coincidence or plan?
Will wasn’t the only kid in Hawkins, but he was the one who got taken. And that makes people wonder:
Possible reasons why demogorgans took Will first
- Wrong Place, Right Time: Will just happened to cross paths with the Demogorgon first.
- Sensitive To Other Realms: Will may have had a natural sensitivity to other dimensions, making him an easier “beacon.”
- Psychic Energy: Some fans believe Will had low-level psychic abilities, which attracted the creature.
- Experiment Gone Wrong: His location near Hawkins Lab made him an accidental victim.
There’s a theory that the Demogorgon senses fear or loneliness. Will, riding alone on a dark road, feeling anxious and isolated, might have emitted the exact kind of emotional frequency the creature locked onto.
Was the mind flayer already influencing events?
Here’s where things get deeper. Later seasons introduce the Mind Flayer—a massive, shadowy entity with hive-mind control over all creatures in the Upside Down. So was the Demogorgon acting alone? Or was it already under the Mind Flayer’s influence?
Some clues:
- Will becomes the Mind Flayer’s vessel in Season 2.
- The Upside Down begins to “infect” Hawkins after Will’s abduction.
- The Demogorgon seems to hunt with more purpose than pure animal instinct.
This suggests Will’s kidnapping may have been step one in a much bigger plan.
Psychic powers, portals, and will’s connection to eleven
There are parallels between Will and Eleven that fans can’t ignore:
- Both experience the Upside Down firsthand.
- Both can sense creatures or events from the other dimension.
- Both have moments of psychic-like intuition.
Some fans believe Will may have latent psychic abilities, just like Eleven. His ability to communicate with lights, draw detailed maps of the tunnels, and sense danger all point to something deeper, which makes sense that he might have special powers even before he got abducted the first time.
Fan theories about the Demogorgon and Will
When we dug deeper into the internet for fan theories about Stranger Things and Will, we found many interesting theories.
This is where things get deep. Reasons why Will become the first prey to Demogorgon:
The demogorgon was drawn to emotion
Some fans believe the Demogorgon feeds on emotional energy—fear, sadness, trauma.
Will, being in emotional pain and isolation, may have emitted more of that energy.
Will was “marked”
There’s a theory that Will was subconsciously marked by Vecna long before we met him.
This would explain his long-term connection to the Upside Down and why he’s still linked to it years later.
Will was meant to be a host
The Mind Flayer later uses Will as a host.
Was this the plan all along? Did the Demogorgon take him to prepare him?
He’s a mirror to Eleven
Eleven escapes the lab. Will gets pulled into the other side.
Both are quiet, sensitive, and unique.
Some fans suggest they’re like “opposites”—linked by fate.
The Demogorgon was controlled by Vecna
In Season 4, we learn Vecna is the true mastermind.
That makes fans wonder—was the Demogorgon just a pawn from the beginning?
If Vecna sensed Will’s potential, maybe he ordered the Demogorgon to act.
Will himself is a demogorgon
This is one of the theories circulating on Reddit, which slightly crawls away from Stranger Things’ original plot, but is still interesting to read and imagine.
Some Reddit theories and discussions about Will where you can be a part of too:
What the Duffer Brothers have said (and left unsaid)
The creators of Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer, have said they always intended Will’s disappearance to be the heart of the mystery. But they’ve been tight-lipped about whether the Demogorgon acted on its own or was part of a larger system.
In interviews, they tease that everything connects. That there are no wasted choices. So Will’s abduction? Definitely not random.
Final Thoughts – Is Will the true key to the Upside Down?
As we head toward the final season, one thing is clear: Will Byers is central to the story. His connection to the Upside Down, to Eleven, and to the creatures of that world, keeps evolving. And if the Demogorgon really did choose him for a reason, we might finally learn why.
Will’s journey from quiet kid to trauma survivor to potential psychic link is one of the show’s most compelling arcs. The Demogorgon didn’t just take him. It marked him. And through Will, we might finally understand the Upside Down itself.
Drop your theory in the comments. Do you believe the Demogorgon had a plan? Or was Will just the first unlucky soul to cross paths with the darkness?