Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1 closes with Will Byers finally standing his ground against Vecna. It’s a complete reversal from the terrified boy we met back in 1983.  This season finally allows Will to step into his own power, and in doing so, it highlights a long-running comparison fans have made for years.

Stranger Things enthusiasts have drawn parallels between Will’s journey and the dynamic between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, and Season 5 doubles down on those comparisons more than ever. In fact, Episode 4 even includes a direct Harry Potter reference that fans immediately picked up on.

Below, we break down the surprising similarities between these two iconic franchises and how Season 5 Vol. 1 strengthens the connection.

Warning: Major Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1 spoilers ahead!

How Will’s Journey Mirrors Harry Potter’s Destiny

Since the night Will vanished into the Upside Down on November 6, 1983, his life has been on a completely different trajectory. Just like Harry discovering his magical identity, Will’s world changes forever — though instead of finding a home at Hogwarts, he returns traumatized, connected to the darkness in ways no one else truly understands.

Vecna continues to use that psychic link to his advantage, turning Will into an unwilling observer and sometimes even a vessel. Both boys become reluctant links to their terrifying enemies:

• Harry’s scar burns whenever Voldemort is near.
• Will’s neck chills and rises with goosebumps when Vecna draws close.

Both even slip into their villain’s viewpoint, witnessing visions they never asked for.

Fans have speculated for years that Will might have hidden powers. Season 5 finally confirms it. In the episode titled Sorcerer, Will manages to neutralize an entire Demogorgon attack, something previously unimaginable for him.

Before the season aired, many assumed the word “Sorcerer” pointed to Vecna or Eleven, but the twist is that the title was always meant for Will. Just as Harry is the Boy Who Lived, Will has become the boy who survived the Upside Down… and came back changed in ways no one fully understands yet.

Voldemort & Vecna: Two Villains Twisted by Power

The Duffer Brothers have always drawn from 70s and 80s classics, but their more modern nods — like Harry Potter — are becoming harder to miss. The similarities between the two franchises extend beyond Will and Harry. Vecna and Voldemort share an eerie number of traits, starting with the fact that both villains abandoned their original identities — Tom Riddle and Henry Creel — in their relentless quests for power. Over time, both lose their human forms, becoming monstrous reflections of their own ambition.

Their downfall begins when they underestimate someone they consider beneath them. Vecna believes he can control Will, just as Voldemort repeatedly dismisses Harry’s strength. And in a fun meta connection, Jamie Campbell Bower, who brings Vecna to life, also portrayed young Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter franchise.

Understanding their pasts is crucial to defeating them. Voldemort’s journey from Tom Riddle hints at the weakness that ultimately destroys him, while Henry Creel’s childhood trauma holds the key to understanding Vecna’s monstrous transformation. Even the ties between the heroes and villains echo each other. Harry is connected to Voldemort through Horcruxes, and Will shares a psychic link with Vecna — a link that becomes even more dangerous and intriguing in the Vol. 1 finale, where Will taps into the Upside Down for strength rather than fear.

Ultimately, both Voldemort and Vecna fall into the same trap. Their obsession with power blinds them. They believe they are destined to shape the world according to their vision, but they fail to understand the one thing that could stop them.

For Voldemort, it was love — a power he could never comprehend. For Vecna, it’s the unbreakable bonds of friendship and loyalty within the Hawkins group, something he repeatedly dismisses. Both villains underestimate what unites people, and that becomes the very reason they lose.

Noah Schnapp Hints at Will Byers–Harry Potter Parallel

Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1 is now streaming on Netflix, and if Will’s evolution is any indication, the upcoming Volume 2 is gearing up for an explosive showdown. The boy who once ran from monsters is now the one who can face them head-on and even the Upside Down itself seems to recognize that.