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.
Minotaur
We’ve seen tons of Minotaurs on the tube. This is one of the “easier” monsters to work with. It’s also frequently presented in a positive light, as an ally to man as opposed to a rival. That takes away from the idea, or the realization that the Minotaur is a monster, not just some upbeat little animal. I’s a damn monster!
Where Netflix could win big here comes in how they handle something like the Minotaur. Off the top of my head I can’t list one film in which a genuinely menacing, certifiably terrifying Minotaur jumped into the scene. I can name a couple flicks that feature Minotaurs in them, some even featuring villainous Minotaurs, but they’re never scary. In 2016 the technology to make a mean ass, relentless, little boy chewing Minotaur a reality is ready and available.
Just the idea of a terrifying Minotaur makes it an immediately cool contender for new show nemesis. I’d hate to see any one of the kids actually die on the show, but if it has to happen, please, television god, make that happen at the long, razor sharp incisors of a mother-effin-Minotaur.
Baphomet
Minotaurs worship this bastard, that’s how bad he is. Seriously, the Minotaur view Baphomet as some god-like being. And, to an extent they’re kind of right in doing so, as he is a demon ruler of the Endless Maze, some layer in the great Abyss… whatever the hell all that means. It sounds pretty vicious though, right? Sounds… I don’t know, noble, in an evil kind of way.
Baphomet seems like such a sublime character that an appearance this early (this is a series with the potential for a number of additional seasons, which we’ll hopefully get) cries premature. A little growth from the bunch, and some more experience in monster hunting might serve them well in a fight with Baphomet.
There’s a degree of ambiguity in regards to Baphomet’s powers and skill set, and one has to wonder how much we’re expected to assume from the Medieval deity applies to this creature, who is quite different. But what I can read of this one, he’s perceived as an extremely powerful being.
I wouldn’t keep my breath held while waiting for Baphamet to show up.
Wraith
I think tangling with the Wraith may actually be a step backward. I mean no offense to the Wraiths of the world, but fighting a near apparition just seems like a downgrade from the Demogorgon, who was very, very tangible and awfully terrifying. That said, we could see a sharp turn into the mysterious and utilize these strange, undead creatures.
The problem with an idea like the Wraith, for today’s audience, is that the potential for loud, shocking scares is very limited. And while many of us aren’t too keen on the old jump scare, there’s an entire crowd out there that live and die by the jump scare. “Stranger Things” is a bit more complex than that and a creature known for being about as thick as the wind with the ability to essentially drain life forms of all energy, probably won’t make for many jarring sequences.
I’d actually love to be proven wrong, here.
Displacer Beast
Now this right here could be a money shot in the making. A six-legged puma like beast with weird tentacle-ish tails sprouting out of its shoulders? Seriously, sign us up, like yesterday!
The Displacer Beast is no doubt a formidable foe for whoever happens to cross it on a bad day, I can’t begin to imagine how a small handful of kids will handle this monster. Especially if Elle, or Eleven is out of the picture for any reasonable amount of time.
The Displacer hasn’t received much love in commercial entertainment, and that seems absurd. The very idea of this thing is just horrifying, then you contemplate the look of the beast, which is absolutely bad ass, and you’ve got to wonder how this thing hasn’t worked its way into society in much more prominent fashion.
While this may be a very long shot, I’d love to see the Displacer Beast featured in season two of “Stranger Things.”
Sahuagin
This idea is one of the least likely, as the rural community featured in “Stranger Things” isn’t exactly surrounded by an enormous body of water. That said, there is water in the area, and that means you can’t immediately rule out the existence of a water creature, or as these nasties are best known, “Devil Men of the Deep.” They’ve been likened to sharks, and descriptions would almost indicate that these creatures are similar to a werewolf in the sense that the Sahuagin is half shark and half man.
The question, for me, immediately becomes this: how would one go about keeping a water-based villain a constant threat to a group of kids who love riding bikes and playing Dungeons & Dragons? They stay away from the water, they’re safe, right?
Told you it was a tough sell, even if the damn thing does sound really cool.
Mind Flayers
This is the kind of villain I’m hoping sees introduction very soon. Not only does it look absurdly awesome, it’s dangerous for a whole slew of different reasons. The creature looks and moves like a man, but utilizes the brain power of 10. And speaking of brain power, this bastard actually wraps three big tentacles around its victim’s heads and drains the cranium of all matter, leaving just a hollow shell behind.
You can’t tell me that doesn’t sound wildly awesome and ridiculously promising.
As much as I enjoyed the introduction of the Demogorgon, I’d really, really enjoy watching these savvy young heroes duke it out with a hyper-intelligent monster. Especially one that favors brain food, literally. Can they out-think a Mind Flayer? Can they match the monster in a physical sense? Maybe we’ll soon have answers.