8 Scariest Stranger Things Monsters, Ranked

Stranger Things is loaded with absolutely terrifying monsters, with each season bringing new creatures that vary in how scary they are in terms of design, threat level, and powers. Stranger Things has become one of Netflix’s most popular original series, helping the streaming giant bolster its reputation for producing quality TV shows of its own. In addition to Stranger Things‘ compelling cast, unique blend of genres like horror and comedy, and non-stop 1980s references, the sci-fi TV show is recognized for its horrifying monsters and threats from the “Upside Down,” many of which are inspired by creatures from Dungeons & Dragons.

Part of the Netflix show’s success in the horror department is due to its ability to create terrifying monsters that are unique to Stranger Things‘ world. These monsters are a highlight of the show, and more uniquely frightening monsters are a high priority on Stranger Things season 5 wishlists. Even if Stranger Things season 5 doesn’t add any new monsters, however, there is already a highly impressive catalog of nightmare-inducing creatures in the show’s first four seasons. Within that catalog, there are eight monsters that stand out as the show’s scariest beings.

8 Demobats

Stranger Things Season 4

One of the scariest additions to Stranger Things season 4 is the demobats. These terrifying creatures cause Eddie Munson’s tragic death, and while they might not be as scary individually, they are extremely deadly in a large group. These creatures fly wickedly fast and attack as a unit, making one person trying to fight them off alone virtually doomed from the start. Even so, the demobats are not as terrifying as some of the larger monsters from the Upside Down who are capable of killing large groups of people all by themselves.

7 Vines

Stranger Things Seasons 1-4

Vines appear in some capacity in every season of Stranger Things, and they are horrifying. Vines are a type of hybrid between plant and animal, and they often grow out of the interdimensional portals that link the world to the Upside Down. They can also be seen at the end of Stranger Things season 4 linking to Vecna’s back spikes and enhancing his power. These creepy tendrils can kill someone easily, but they are also used by various other monsters, like the Mind Flayer, to trap or contain people. While they’re not the scariest creatures in Stranger Things, their hive mind capability still makes them a terrifying threat.

6 Demodogs

Stranger Things Seasons 2 & 4

While demodogs in Stranger Things are technically the adolescent form of demogorgons, they are different enough to warrant their own classification. In Stranger Things season 2, Dustin finds one in a trash can outside his house and keeps it as a pet for a time. While they are not as scary at the age Dustin finds “Dart” at, they become much more terrifying as they grow. Their wicked teeth and uniquely shaped heads make them extremely deadly, and they are faster and stronger than any human. They may not be as scary as demogorgons, but the demodogs’ ruthlessness and pack mentality terrifyingly led to Bob Newby’s tragic death in Stranger Things season 2.

5 The Hospital Monster

Stranger Things Season 3

The Hospital Monster appears in Stranger Things season 3, forming out of the remains of Bruce Lowe and Tom Holloway. It is a thrall to the Mind Flayer, carrying out its whims with vicious delight. One of the scariest things about the Hospital Monster is its ability to melt itself into a puddle of liquid and reform moments later. This happens in Stranger Things season 3 when Nancy closes a door in the hospital while fleeing from it, and the monster simply melts and slips through the crack in the door.

Even after Eleven arrives and defeats the monster, it melts into the Hawkins sewer system and adds itself to the Mind Flayer’s body. While this disturbing creature is one of the scariest in Stranger Things, its reliance on the Mind Flayer lands it behind several other monsters. If it thought for itself, it would be even scarier, although there is something to be said for its mindless killing spree, which is terrifying in its own right.

4 Demogorgons

Stranger Things Season 1-4

Demogorgons appear in their adult form in every Stranger Things season, albeit only briefly in the season 3 finale’s mid-credits scene. Demogorgons are one of the most terrifying creatures in Stranger Things, and they are almost impossible to kill. They are incredibly fast and strong, and they have dozens of wicked teeth in their flower-shaped heads. They are also strongly resistant to gunfire, but with enough bullets, they can be killed.

The biggest thing holding the Demogorgons back is their relative lack of intelligence. They are also subservient to the Mind Flayer, which in turn serves Vecna. Despite their lack of intelligence, they are some of the most deadly creatures in Stranger Things, and they are scarier than the majority of monsters in the show.

3 The Spider Monster

Stranger Things Season 3

The Spider Monster from Stranger Things season 3 is also a servant of the Mind Flayer, and in many ways, it’s a proxy reincarnation of the Mind Flayer itself. While it becomes inanimate if there is no gate to the Upside Down for its psychic link to pass through, it’s capable of growing to virtually any size if its link is active. The Spider Monster melts down creatures like rodents or humans, using their bone and cartilage to form its own body.

With enough flesh, it can grow as large as it likes, making it incredibly dangerous. However, it’s weakened by its need for a psychic link to the Mind Flayer. Even so, the Spider Monster’s ability to grow to any size makes it an absolutely terrifying monster.

2 The Mind Flayer

Stranger Things Seasons 2-4

The Mind Flayer is one of the most important monsters in Stranger Things because it is the head of the hive mind that connects all the creatures in the ​​​​​​Upside Down. As such, it controls virtually every creature from the Upside Down, except for Vecna (though, it should be noted Vecna is not originally from the Upside Down). This monster is somewhere around 50 stories tall, sporting a spider-like body that looks to be straight out of a nightmare.

Its form was designed by Henry Creel, or Vecna, who used his powers to reshape the massive cloud of particles into one coherent creature. He then used it to control the other monsters in the Upside Down, and also used it to take over human minds in Hawkins. The Mind Flayer’s ability to control human minds is one of the scariest things about it, and it would be the scariest monster in Stranger Things if not for its even deadlier master.

1 Vecna/Henry Creel/Number One

Stranger Things Season 4

Vecna, formerly Henry Creel, or Number One, is the overarching antagonist in Stranger Things, though he is not revealed until season 4. Vecna is a terrifying being with similar powers to Eleven and mastery of the Upside Down to boot. His humanoid form is horrifying, and his control of all the other petrifying monsters in the franchise makes him easily the most dangerous monster in Stranger Things. His ability to infiltrate minds and eventually kill his victim is probably the scariest ability in Netflix’s series, and Vecna does it with ease. With his psychological manipulation, gory ruthlessness, and takeover of Hawkins, there is no doubt that Vecna is the scariest monster in Stranger Things.