Stranger Things documentary One Last Adventure details the making of Season 5, and also explains why Demogorgons are notably absent from that big battle in The Abyss. SPOILERS ahead…
Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer have already revealed that their climactic battle was inspired by Baldur’s Gate 3, in terms of resolving their characters’ personal issues, then having them work together as a team.
Their fight is with the giant, spider-like Mind Flayer, which ends with Joyce chopping off Vecna’s head.
But there’s no sign of Demogorgon’s during the final conflict, and during One Last Adventure, the Duffers reveal that there was a very specific reason for that…
Why are Demogorgons missing from the final Stranger Things battle?
There are no Demogorgons in the big battle because the Stranger Things creators were worried about “Demo fatigue.”
During the One Last Adventure documentary, there’s a conversation between Matt, Ross, and their writing team about what will happen in The Abyss, with Matt stating that “the thing that’s cool is the giant monster – that’s what’s new.”
They discuss the size of the creature meaning it would easily be able to outrun the teens, and there’s demand for additional monsters, be they Demogorgons, bats, or dogs.
Then Matt gets to the heart of the issue, stating that: “In the MAC-Z, it is insane… insane, and so climactic. And it is climactic because we have six Demos attacking simultaneously.
To which writer and co-executive producer Kate Trefry responds: “I guess I maybe feel… wonder about Demo fatigue.”
Ross agrees, saying “that’s fair,” before adding “like how exhausting, right? It’s a lot.” And the decision is therefore made – no Demogorgons in the final battle.
During an interview with Variety, One Last Adventure director Martina Radwan says: “I like that moment, and I like the conversation, because it obviously changed, right? And so having them sit there and really explore that – to me, the writers’ room is so fascinating, because you see them thinking.
“I love that they were so sure about the Demogorgons in the final Abyss – except Ross was like, ‘Mmm, maybe there’s some fatigue, Demogorgon fatigue.’ And Kate agreed. And you’re like, ‘Oh, OK – so this is not the last conversation. They disagree, and they will resolve it on some point.’ We, in the doc, left it open because at the time the doc comes out, everybody knows there are no Demos in the Pain Tree.”
Stranger Things nearly featured a field of Demogorgon eggs
Another reason for the lack of Demogorgons is the element of surprise, as the Duffers explained to ScreenRant.
“Vecna was not expecting this sneak attack on his home turf,” says Matt Duffer. “Never in a million years could he even imagine that. They’re there somewhere. We obviously discussed having a Demo battle on top of the Mind Flayer battle, but it felt more right to us that why does he need the Demos when the Mind Flayer is this giant thing and can attack them?
“He doesn’t need his little ant army to attack, he’s going to take care of this himself. It’s a giant, desolate planet. If you recall, you see Henry wandering the planet back in Season 4 and at some point in his journey, he does see a Demo far in the distance, but it’s not like they’re hanging out in little huts. There’s not like a giant civilization of Demos up there.”
There was also early talk of a giant field of Demogorgon eggs, but that also wasn’t to be, as Ross Duffer explains:
“We did at some point have that they were going to come across a giant field of Demo eggs in kind of an Aliens thing, but you can’t get all your ideas in there.”
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