As fans dove into the mysteries of “Stranger Things” Season 4, many speculated that Season 5 would see Vecna, portrayed by Jamie Campbell Bower, setting his sights on Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp. Those suspicions were spot on. The latest season reveals that Vecna has been the puppet master behind all the chaos from the very start. Astute viewers may have noticed hints, albeit some retconned, threaded throughout the series. A recent video from Looper delves into how Vecna has been pulling the strings all along.

One characteristic that defines Vecna is his obsession with clock imagery, a motif that was prominently highlighted in Season 4. During a chilling exchange with Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, Vecna declares, “Where others saw order, I saw a straitjacket. A cruel, oppressive world dictated by made-up rules. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades.” This fascination with timepieces manifests in the frequent appearance and sound of clocks whenever Vecna is near, a detail that has been subtly woven into the storyline from the very beginning.

The opening moments of “Chapter One: The Crawl” present a scene where Vecna infuses Will with a mysterious substance, suggesting a connection that longtime fans might have already suspected. Those who revisited the series after Season 4 would recall that within the initial episode, “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers,” a clock chimes just as Will encounters a Demogorgon, around the six-minute mark. While it was unclear then whether this sound was intentional, in light of recent revelations, it can now be interpreted as Vecna’s first mark on the series.

Throughout “Stranger Things,” clock chimes have sporadically accompanied moments where Vecna’s shadowy presence could be inferred. In Season 2, Episode 4, titled “Chapter Four: Will the Wise,” Hopper, played by David Harbour, ventures into the Upside Down to the sound of a chime. This auditory cue returns in Season 3 when Billy, portrayed by Dacre Montgomery, is pursued by the Mind Flayer. These sound motifs, though subtle, underscore the long-standing manipulation by Vecna.

“Stranger Things” has random clock chimes at other times when Vecna’s presence could be assumed to exist. During Season 2, Episode 4 — “Chapter Four: Will the Wise” — Hopper (David Harbour) enters the Upside Down to the tune of a chime. It comes back during Season 3 when Billy (Dacre Montgomery) gets targeted by the Mind Flayer. But even overlooking all these subtle sounds, it’s not the only sign Vecna was quietly manipulating everything from the beginning. 

For example, the pilot episode opens with a scientist running away from a Demogorgon, only to find the monster already there. It’s odd the Demogorgon would know where the scientist was heading, but if it’s being controlled by Vecna (who spent a lot of time in the Hawkins lab), he could likely surmise where the Demogorgon needed to go. That first episode has a lot of hints about the existence of Vecna in retrospect, as we see the Demogorgon telekinetically open a door. Most viewers probably didn’t think much of it at the time, because the Demogorgon is already an otherworldly creature, but Vecna possesses telekinesis. It’s possible he was the one who actually opened the door, so his pet could get inside. 

Additionally, back in Season 2, Will refers to the Mind Flayer (that we discover is also being controlled by Vecna), as “He.” The Mind Flayer is an eldritch abomination that you probably wouldn’t instinctively attach a gender to, but Vecna was a man prior to his transformation. It makes far more sense for Will to use “he” when talking about any Upside Down creatures because they all lead to one entity — Vecna. These clues are only the tip of the iceberg, so make sure to watch Looper’s video above to learn more about how Vecna has always been the endgame.