Stranger Things season 4 twist explained: Was [SPOILER] the real villain all along?

Stranger Things season 4, part 2 has come to an end but not before making a real jaw-dropper of a revelation about who this show’s main villain really is.

It hasn’t been quite as long coming as the first installment of season 4 was, but the one month wait between parts 1 and part 2 of Stranger Things‘ most recent season undoubtedly had a lot of fans uneasy. But that wait has now come to an end, as viewers have been treated to the final two episodes of Stranger Things season 4, including a bumper-length season finale.

Coming just one month after part 1, the second batch of episodes saw Hawkins’ finest characters battle the terrors of the Upside Down, Vecna, his curse and everything else that the alternate dimension threw their way.

*** Contains major spoilers from Stranger Things season 4, part 2 ***

But it was eventually revealed that Vecna was actually Number One, the first child that Brenner experimented on. And from there, Part 2 added more layers to the mystery (and some major shocks), giving us so much more clarity about the Upside Down, what it is and who is the real threat to Hawkins is – or, well, the biggest.

Read on for explanation (and spoilers. lots of spoilers).

Who created the Upside Down in Stranger Things season 4?

Stranger Things season 4, part 1 revealed that Eleven sent One to the terrifying dimension, and part 2 added so much more depth to that mystery. While neither Eleven nor One created the world, the latter was able to use his powers to shape and mold the land – a land he felt was untainted by humans.

As a result, he morphed a portion of thick, grey and lively clouds into the creature we now know as the Mind Flayer, creating that hive mind that the Upside Down is known for. And with that, he may have taken it one step further to evolve the uncharted territory into the Hawkins lookalike that it is.

Is One Stranger Things’ main villain?

It has yet to be explained why the Upside Down looks like Hawkins, but this could be the key to us getting those answers in season 5. The real jaw-dropper, though, is that the season 4 finale revealed that Number One, Vecna, is not the Mind Flayer’s lieutenant, he’s not the Demogorgon’s hellish colleague; no, he’s the one calling the shots.

Every single terror from the Upside Down answers to Vecna. And that means that he was the threat terrorizing Hawkins all this time, pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

We know he still has some fight left in him, meaning that season 5 is going to be a final battle for the ages, with One and Eleven likely facing off again (with the soul of Hawkins hanging in the balance!).

Find out all you need to know about Stranger Things season 5 here.

What did you think of Stranger Things season 4, part 2? Are you looking forward to season 5? Let us know in the comments below!