If you’re a Stranger Things fan who is plugged into social media and Reddit, there’s a really good chance that you’ve seen the fan theory that Eddie Munson will return as a vampire in season 5.
The theory is rooted in the idea that Eddie didn’t really die in season 4, and that he’ll return in a vampire-like form sometime in the final season. There are two key elements to this theory.
First, there’s the fact that Eddie was killed by demobats, which are bat-like creatures from the Upside Down. Then there is the D&D lore of Kas the Bloody-Handed, a human lieutenant who is transformed into a vampire after betraying Vecna. Mashing these elements together, fans believe that Eddie could emerge as a vampire in the final season with a twist to the Kas lore.
Through the first four episodes of the season, there was no hint whatsoever of this theory having any merit. While Eddie’s death is mentioned and plays a key role in Dustin’s arc this season, it’s looking highly unlikely that the fan theory about Eddie will come to fruition. We don’t see Eddie appear in any capacity in the first or second part of the season, and there’s really no point in bringing him back as a vampire randomly in the series finale when there is so much already going on.
Interestingly enough, though, the second part of the season does include a mention of a vampire in reference to an unexpected character with no direct connection to Eddie.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Kali calls Dr. Kay a vampire in Stranger Things season 5 episode 5
After being rescued by Hopper and Eleven, Kali gets the chance to catch up with Eleven in episode 5 as she explains the circumstances that led to her capture and why Dr. Kay took her.
Much to Eleven’s surprise, Kali reveals this wasn’t about revenge but rather that Dr. Kay needed her blood, and her need was endless. Dr. Kay just kept taking more and more blood from her, and at a certain point Kali admits she began to think of her as a kind of vampire. Things were so bad that Kali has no knowledge of how long she was being held captive, but she did come to learn why Dr. Kay wanted her blood.
Dr. Kay did not take the blood to consume. She took the blood to continue Dr. Brenner’s experiments and was infusing pregnant women with the blood. It seems her hope was that Kali’s blood could be used similarly to how Brenner used Henry’s blood, only it wasn’t proving successful. This is why Dr. Kay has been after Eleven and did not want her harmed: she needed her alive in order to obtain her blood.
In the context of the scene, it seems that Kali was simply calling Dr. Kay a vampire figuratively due to the manner in which she just kept taking Kali’s blood. We don’t see the show making her an actual vampire. Still, it was interesting that Kali used the term vampire to describe Dr. Kay, and is certain to give fans pause when watching.