Tragic Eddie Munson was “always doomed,” Stranger Things creators say

Eddie Munson may have suffered a tragic death at the end of Stranger Things Season 4 – but if he had survived, things would likely be no less grim.

When Season 4 of Stranger Things ended at the beginning of this month, many fans were devastated at the loss of new character, Eddie Munson.

Eddie, played by Joe Quinn, had swiftly become the MPV of the season when he first appeared, but as per typical Stranger Things fashion, newly introduced male characters don’t tend to make it very long.

Thus, Eddie suffered a tragic death scene during the fight against Vecna. In order to save Dustin and the others, Eddie sacrificed himself by distracting the Upside Down bats – after performing a sick Metallica guitar solo, of course. He bravely held his own, completing his character arc of no longer running away from things, but the death was still sad – especially considering he died saving a town that believed him to be a demonic serial killer.

Stranger Things creators say Eddie was always “doomed”

While many fans have reacted poorly to Eddie’s passing, some even signing petitions to have the character come back to life in the next season, but according to Stranger Things co-creators the Duffer Brothers, Eddie’s fate would still be as tragic even if he hadn’t died.

In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, Matt Duffer stated that they “sort of saw Eddie as a bit of a doomed character.”

Matt even revealed what would have happened if Eddie had survived the Stranger Things Season 4 climax: “Even imagining the flipside of that, where he does survive that final battle, there’s not a great life waiting for Eddie in the right side up either, so he was really designed from the get go as a doomed character.”

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Ross Duffer went into further detail, showing a life that would be just as sad as his death: “He was always going to be a tragic character. There was no other arc for him. He would have wound up in jail – this fantasy that he would have be in Milwaukee graduating sadly was never an outcome for him.”

So the fans petitioning for Eddie to come back to life, redeem himself in the eyes of the town and graduate with the other characters, are clearly fighting a losing battle.

Even if Eddie did return in Season 5 – which the Duffer Brothers are extinguishing any hope for – he wouldn’t get to do any of the other things that fans wish for him. He is truly a tragic figure.

Stranger Things 4 is currently available to stream on Netflix.