Who is Victor Creel in Stranger Things 4? His horrifying story explained

27 May 2022, 14:17

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Victor Creel, played by Robert Englund, plays an important role in Stranger Things 4. [Contains spoilers up to episode 4!]

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Stranger Things 4 has finally arrived, and it's brought some incredible new characters along with it – including the mysterious Victor Creel.

Victor Creel, played by horror legend Robert Englund (who portrayed Freddy Krueger, in A Nightmare on Elm Street), is a key figure in Stranger Things 4. Both his character and his former house play a huge part in the Hawkins storyline.

Teased ahead of the release with a first look glimpse in the trailer, Victor Creel is a man who has spent the last three decades locked away in a psychiatric hospital after being accused of a "gruesome murder" in the '50s.

Now that Stranger Things 4 is finally here, Victor Creel's storyline has been revealed – and it's much more horrifying and heartbreaking than fans initially thought it would be.

This explainer about Victor Creel's story contains spoilers up to episode 4, so if you haven't watched yet, save this page and come back when you're caught up!

Who is Victor Creel and what happened to him?

Who is Victor Creel in Stranger Things 4? Picture: Netflix

WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 4.

If you have not watched Stranger Things 4, episode 4 yet, save this page and come back later.

WARNING: Stranger Things spoilers ahead. Picture: Netflix

So, Victor Creel... Who is he? What happened to him? What does he have to do with Vecna? What happened to his eyes?

Viewers first hear Creel's name when Nancy interviews Eddie's uncle at the trailer park following a gruesome murder. Eddie's uncle then stresses to Nancy that he knows who did it, naming Creel, and theorising that he broke out of the psychiatric hospital where he's being held to commit murder.

In episode 3, Nancy and Robin set off to the library to find out more about Creel. They come across an old newspaper article detailing the Creel murders and find out that Creel initially claimed a demon was behind the murders of his wife and two kids.

Victor believed his house was haunted by an ancient demon, who ended up killing his family. No one believed his story, he was accused of murder, he took a plea deal, and later ended up in Pennhurst mental hospital.

Nancy and Robin then quickly realise that the demon was probably Vecna.

Stranger Things 4: Nancy and Robin visit Victor Creel. Picture: Netflix

How did the Creel family die?

In episode 4, Nancy and Robin manage to scam their way into Pennhurst to speak with Victor directly and find out more about what happened to him and his family.

In a flashback to the '50s, we see the Creel family move into their brand new home (later known as the Creel house), and things start to get very creepy very quickly. The family start to experience nightmares, dead animals, hallucinations and all sorts of weird happenings.

One night, Vecna begins in his attack by killing Virginia Creel at the dinner table as the family watch on. Victor tries to escape the house with his kids but is soon caught in a trance.

In his dream-like state, he's transported back to the horrors of the war. He manages to escape the trance after hearing his favourite song playing on the radio in the dining room. But as his consciousness returns to the real world, he turns around to find his daughter dead and his son gravely ill. He then says his son dies a week later in hospital.

What happened to Victor Creel's eyes?

After being accused of their deaths, Victor is taken to Pennhurst psychiatric hospital and put in a cell. He then gouges his eyes out himself, wanting to join his family, but he is ultimately saved and stitched up.

Stranger Things 4: Who is Victor Creel? Is he connected to Vecna? Picture: Netflix

Despite playing an important role in the season when it comes to understanding what and who Vecna is, Englund's Victor Creel only appears in one episode. (Englund also appeared to confirm that fact in another interview back in March.)

It's still unclear if we'll see or hear anymore of present-day Victor in Volume 2 as the plot for the final two episodes is still under wraps.