Stranger Things has always hit home for Potterheads. Over the years, fans have drawn parallels between the two franchises — the tightly-knit group of friends at the centre, the sense of destiny, and the big bad guy wanting to reshape the world.
These echoes have found a more solid footing in Season 5 of the Netflix series, which premiered on 27 November, paving the way for an epic climax to a story that has endured the streamer’s longest build-up yet.
Here’s a look at five similarities between the monster-mayhem of Stranger Things Season 5 and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
(spoilers ahead)
A ‘Chosen One’ inevitably connected to the villain’s mind
Both stories focus on a protagonist unwillingly linked to the villain’s consciousness.
In Harry Potter, a physical and mental link was created between Harry and Voldemort after the latter’s killing curse rebounded, leading to Harry involuntarily seeing his memories. That connection forms one of the most haunting aspects of the story.
Will Byers in Stranger Things Season 5 is revealed to have a similar bond with Vecna’s psyche, allowing him to see through the perspective of Henry Creel and the demogorgons.
Just like Voldemort mistook the link as a sign of weakness, Vecna also underestimates Will’s newfound abilities. Be prepared for an epic showdown in the finale because Will just channelled the main character energy he deserved since 2016.
The power of seeing through the villain’s eyes
Harry’s connection to Voldemort deepened as the story progressed — from feeble third-person visions in Goblet of Fire to crystal-clear flashes by Deathly Hallows. Harry could even see through Voldemort’s eyes as he tracked down the thief who stole the Elder Wand.
For those who have already binged on the new season of Stranger Things, it is no surprise that Will shares a similar gift, or rather a curse, as Harry. His link to Vecna’s mindscape had hints throughout the franchise, but was never fully spelled out until now.
This connection is the biggest reveal of Season 5, and it is a delight to see Will finally letting go of his fears and weaponising his link with Vecna to save Hawkins one last time.
A mother’s love
J.K. Rowling has always said that Harry Potter is rooted in a mother’s love for her child. This idea also forms the beating heart of Stranger Things — but in a darker, gorier world.
Like Lily Potter sacrificed herself to protect Harry, Joyce Byers too fought government labs and ruthless demigorgons with her unwavering courage. Her confrontation with Vecna to safeguard Will without an inch of fear in her veins in Season 5 is cut from the same cloth.
The way Lily anchored Harry, even in death, and Joyce shielded Will from the ugliness of Hawkins proves that a mother’s love is the greatest magic of all. It’s a spell that doesn’t break even when the entire town is fissured and it looks like the end of the world.
Happy memories reigning over the encroaching evil
In Harry Potter, hope is not a tease, unlike Maggie Smith's famous words in Downton Abbey. Instead, Professor McGonagall, Smith’s iconic character in Rowling’s magical world, has a hopeful mindset. Enter: the Patronus charm, the powerful defensive spell that conjures a protective guardian made of pure happiness and hope.
Harry learnt to cast his Patronus in a bid to defend himself against the lingering Dementors. A happy memory of his parents and a burst of “Expecto Patronum” enabled him to reign over the darkness.
Voldemort’s Netflix counterpart Vecna draws his strength and creates his world by feeding on pain, fear and traumatic memories. Will was his first-ever victim. For Will, who has struggled with self-acceptance all his life, embracing his true self and recalling happy moments was the key to unlocking his own psychic powers.
Will’s happiest childhood memories — such as his makeshift fort, Castle Byers, and his friendship with Mike Wheeler — helps him fuel his newfound abilities and save his friends from a vicious demogorgon attack. Is his awakening the key to defeating Vecna once and for all?
Villains shaped by troubled childhoods
There are a lot of similarities between Voldemort and Vecna. For instance, they are both referred to as Dark Wizards. Voldemort can control the Basilisk the same way Vecna manipulates the Upside Down creatures. They can both read and enter people’s minds.
Not to mention, readers and viewers are initially unaware that Tom Riddle and Voldemort are the same person, similar to Henry Creel and Vecna.
Voldemort and Vecna might be oceans apart, but they share past wounds that they never healed from. Lonely childhoods, complete abandonment and a growing fascination with power shrouded both the minds, eventually turning them into the villains as we know.
We get an even clearer picture of Vecna’s childhood in Season 5, Volume 1, further unraveling his misanthropic, nihilistic and genocidal psyche that rings a bell. Another bonus point: both antagonists were battled by teenagers — Harry winning the fight against Voldemort and Will on his way (hopefully) to bring Vecna down in the Stranger Things finale.