Stranger Things Season 2 – 10 Dungeons and Dragons Monsters We Want to See
Matt Molgaard
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Netflix has scored an astronomical hit with their coming of age throwback monster story, “Stranger Things.” It’s a captivating piece of work that leaves viewers lost in a nostalgic nightmare that grows increasingly more infectious as each episode ends.
We love this show. And we love to contemplate the villain in waiting. It looks obvious that we’ll see another monster introduced in season two, which hasn’t begun production as of now, but has been confirmed by Netflix execs. But which monster will we meet next, assuming this nasty exists in the world of Dungeons & Dragons?
We’ve got 10 ideas for you!
Hydra (Thessalhydra)
Our number one pick is a no-brainer, if you watched “Stranger Things.” If you didn’t watch “Stranger Things” you should probably note that this following paragraph will certainly qualify as spoiler material.
Anyhow, in the fading moments of the final episode of “Stranger Things” we see the gang gathered around a table, playing Dungeons & Dragons. The game reaches conclusion when a certain beast is successfully banished with a fireball (“fireball that son of a bitch”). That beast is a Thessalhydra. And that feels like a very obvious nod to the villain of season two. Interestingly enough, if you’re not a “D&Der” (I’m not, so research was indeed invested in this list) you may never notice any hint being dropped, but if you put your thinking cap on, and then return to the opening few minutes of the entire series, you’ll realize the camera circles around the same table, all the kids present, when the great nemesis of that game is revealed to be the… drumroll: Demogorgon, which you likely know, is the actual villain of the season.
I spent some time attempting to learn a bit more of this Thessalhydra, as it’s not one of the common variations of the monster (cryohydra, Lernaean hydra, and pyrohydras would all qualify as more common assortments of the Hydra). But my search really did turn much up. So, is a Thessalhydra an actual monster in the game, or is it a new, slightly modified version of the Hydra? Reddit gave me a half dozen different answers.
What I can tell you about Hydra, however, is that’s a reptile, or at least sports some reptilian traits. It is, of course, a magical creature and it does have a whole handful of heads. They’ve been spotted with as few as five heads, and as many as a dozen. Apparently anytime a Hydra has one of its heads decapitated, two grow back. He’s a big bastard and he’s typically found near small bodies of waters, like marshes, or he could be dwelling beneath the surface, as the Hydra doesn’t mind setting up shop in subterranean stretches.
The gut says the Duffer brothers keep their mystifying and foreshadow filled tale moving in the same fluid direction, with hundreds of cinematic nods and an extra big wink at Dungeons & Dragons to come. Don’t be shocked to learn that the Thessalhydra will stalk the inner workings of Netflix before too long.
Basilisk
The Basilisk is one of the more recognizable villains of Dungeons & Dragons. I have no idea if that’s because it’s a nemesis frequently encountered, or encountered early in the game, but we’ve seen plenty of movies with “D&D” nods and Basilisk references.
Hell, didn’t Harry Potter fight one?
The Basilisk, like the Hydra is reptilian in nature with a stone cold gaze. Yeah, the stare of the Basilisk really turns rivals into stone. This can also grow up to eight legs and spit poison at folks. He doesn’t sound too friendly.
This could be a very real option, as we’ve seen the creature generated for film on a handful of occasions, which gives creature designers a point of reference from which to work. It doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility to see the creative crew come together to give us a slightly tweaked version of this familiar freak. Having said that, the term “creative crew” is particularly important in this article, because the gang responsible for the monster presented in season one were awfully damn creative.
Lycanthrope
If you’re on Dread Central, you know what the topic of debate is when the word “lycanthrope” comes up. We’re jumping into werewolf territory, a place I love to be. Unfortunately for those of us who damn near worship the werewolf, “Stranger Things” is a series that probably won’t welcome too many werewolves into its fold.
This feels like something of a long shot, to be honest. Even if we do see a lycanthrope from the series, it may not be in the form we’re accustomed to seeing, as in the world of Dungeons & Dragons there are a great number of variations of the werewolf, including half-man, half-cat, half-man, half-Tiger, half-man, half-bear and half-man, half-boar. So, we could in theory get the lycanthrope treatment but be baffled to learn that some guy doesn’t transform into a half-man, half-wolf, but a half-man, half-cat… which is kind of weird. I know, I’ve seen The Island of Dr. Moreau.
In the off chance that “Stranger Things” introduces a lycanthrope, I’m hoping to the high heavens it’s half-man, half-boar. That shit in The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows just left a shitty taste in my mouth. There’s no way in Hell Netflix sinks to those visual lows.
Manticore
Years ago the SyFy channel introduced me to the Manticore. While whatever that SyFy Original was, it was damn forgettable, the Manticore was cool enough to linger in the memory bank, still to this very day.
I’ll break down the Manticore for you, in case you missed that terrific film I caught. It’s a big son of a bitch, for one, it also has a lion’s body, big ole bat wings and, get this, a human head. Most renditions also feature a spiked tail, in some cases reminiscent of a scorpion’s tale, in some almost dinosaur-like in nature. It’s a freakish amalgamation of terrifying animals, and while it’s looked a little silly on screen (from what I’ve seen), I wouldn’t put it past the executives at Netflix to gift us an entirely new vision of the monstrosity, much, much darker in vibe and simplified for the believability factor.
Will we see the Manticore in “Stranger Things?” It’s hard to answer that question. We’re not even entirely certain of when the second season of “Stranger Things” will take place, let alone what hideous creations they’ll bring to the table. The Manticore seems a bit too over the top, so I’m comfortable betting against it. I’ll happily eat crow if a giant lionbatmanscorpian jumps into frame.
I’ll also pop a pricey bottle in elation and celebration.
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