The Stranger Things documentary has arrived – and it's here to remind us how much scarier Vecna could've looked on screen.
In the documentary, VFX Art Director Michael Maher Jr. explains that the team went through "maybe 100 different looks" for Vecna (played by Jamie Campbell Bower), including one that is pretty clearly Cenobite-inspired (specifically the Cenobite known as Chatterer, who only communicates through the clicking of his teeth) (via WhatsOnNetflix). Another design sees him wearing a cloak, which is maybe a little on the nose, given the Grim Reaper of it all (i.e. Vecna bringing about the end of everyone's lives), while another sees him looking maybe a bit too close to the Mind Flayer with some spider-like limbs.
"Finally, we used some vines as a diseased aspect, and it clicked," Maher explains. You can check out the photos below.
Some of the early concept designs for Vecna in STRANGER THINGS. pic.twitter.com/7zASJDd9WIJanuary 12, 2026
It's worth noting that the Vecna featured in Stranger Things isn't too dissimilar from his Dungeons and Dragons counterpart. In some designs from the tabletop game, Vecna is pretty skeletal and rib cage-y, though he's also depicted as having bright red eyes and a mask/headpiece of sorts. The Mind Flayer's DND counterpart is also more cephalopod-like (think Dracula meets a literal squid).
One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 is available to watch on Netflix now – and no, there is no ninth episode or Conformity Gate. For more, check out our Stranger Things season 5 finale review, or, keep up with our list of new TV shows.
