Dungeons & Dragons has always been a central theme in Netflix’s hit sci-fi show, Stranger Things. However, according to one of the show’s creators, the show’s finale was heavily influenced by the popular D&D games developed by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3.
WARNING: There are spoilers ahead for the Stranger Things finale.
Matt Duffer, co-creator of Stranger Things, revealed that he was immersed in Baldur’s Gate 3 during the production of the final season. He implied that the climactic fight with Vecna and the Mind Flayer shared substantive similarities with both D&D and Baldur’s Gate 3.
Duffer noted that the show’s entire cast of characters found ‘self-acceptance’ through the story and entered into the final battle ‘absolutely primed’. ‘They’re the ultimate team, and it’s the party working all together to defeat this thing. And they each have their own individual skills, right?’ Duffer stated. He drew parallels with Dungeons & Dragons, and specifically, Baldur’s Gate, as the means to vanquish monsters that otherwise seem invincible.
A prominent feature of Baldur’s Gate 3’s appeal is its distinctive party members such as Astarion and Shadowheart; each with their own engaging narrative arcs. Similarly, the characters in Stranger Things face and overcome challenges, evolving significantly throughout the show’s five seasons.
The decisive battle against two main adversaries in the show takes place in a setting called The Abyss, a desert wasteland in an alternate dimension. The cast of characters ventures there via the Upside Down to engage Vecna and the Mind Flayer. They manage to defeat the Mind Flayer with a coordinated assault employing a mix of firearms, Molotov cocktails, a flare gun, and sheer raw force.
There are evident parallels between Stranger Things and Baldur’s Gate 3. Many of the show’s characters are keen D&D players and often assign names to the creatures and villains they encounter based on characters in D&D, like Demogorgons, and in this case, Vecna and the Mind Flayer. Mind flayers are also significantly featured in Baldur’s Gate 3’s narrative.
Duffer also noted that ‘lots of video game references were applied to that final battle,’ without detailing these instances. One apparent reference earlier in the season was an arguably inaccurate scene featuring the old-school game, Ghost ‘n Goblins.
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