“Because I will in fact graduate. I guess it’s my year, Henderson. I suppose it’s finally my year. Man, you have my undying love.”
— Dustin’s final words spoken by Eddie Stranger Things on March 27, 1986
In the fourth season of Stranger Things, Joseph Quinn played Edward “Eddie” Munson, a prominent character.
Eddie was a student at Hawkins High School and the wacky leader of the Hellfire Club, an after-school activity focused on dunedin role-playing. In addition to being Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, and Mike Wheeler’s buddy, he played electric guitar in the band Corroded Coffin.
In 1986, Eddie witnessed his friend Chrissy Cunningham’s horrific death at the hands of a demonic power.
. This inspired him to pursue justice for Chrissy and teamed up with “The Party” and its friends to look into the murder’s motive. Additionally, Eddie was unlucky enough to become the focus of Chrissy’s lover, Jason Carver, who mistook Eddie for her killer and organized supporters of his assembling a basketball team in an attempt to locate Eddie.
Ultimately, Eddie and his pals discovered that Chrissy was still alive and that “Vecna,” a humanoid creature from “the Upside Down,” was the reason behind her death.
killing similar victims. Eventually, Eddie managed to divert Vecna’s Demobats with the use of loud metal music, while the others attacked the Creel House. Unfortunately, Eddie’s attempt to entice the bats away eventually proved fatal. In the days that followed, Eddie was wrongly accused of being a murderer and cult leader; nevertheless, Dustin consoled his grieving uncle by saying that people who knew Eddie well would never remember him that way.
Background
It was sometime between 1965 and 1968 when Eddie Munson was born. Alan “Al” Munson, his father, had a reputation for concocting suspicious plans. Al left Eddie’s life at some time, and Wayne Munson, Eddie’s paternal uncle, took custody of him.[4] Wayne’s trailer in the Forest Hills Trailer Park in Hawkins was their home.
Eddie went to Hawkins Middle School with Chrissy Cunningham in the late 1970s. Eddie and Chrissy both took part in a talent show that Hawkins Middle School held at some point while they were there. Chrissy was proud of her cheerleading skills, while Eddie was reminded of his rock band, Corroded Coffin. Eventually, the two grew apart after they began attending Hawkins High School, yet Eddie never held anger against her.
Eddie led Hawkins High School students in The Hellfire Club, the school’s Dungeons & Dragons group, was hated by the community because of the growing notion that D&D was associated with Satan worship. Eddie thrived at the group despite the rumors, finding meaning in connecting with other young people who felt alienated. He frequently got into arguments with the popular kids, such as Chrissy’s boyfriend Jason Carver and the captain of the Hawkins High basketball team, since he believed in the advantages of being different and detested social conformity. Eddie had intended to graduate in 1984 and again in 1985, but he was held back due to his disobedient nature and subpar academic performance, which finally made him hate the principal of the school.
1986 “The Cult of Vecna”
Dustin and Mike took a seat at the cafeteria table on Friday, March 21, where Eddie and the Hellfire Club were having dinner. Eddie was in the middle of acting out a newspaper story on the risks associated with D&D when he suddenly sprang over the table to deliver a speech against coerced conformity. He emphasized that although kids in other circles, like the basketball team, were welcomed by society, he and the other Hellfire members were called “freaks” by the school.
Later that evening, when Dustin and Mike brought up Lucas’s unwillingness to participate in Hellfire’s campaign, Eddie reminded the lads of how he had accepted them into his organization. Before the start of the academic year, telling them that when Eddie graduated, they would be Hellfire’s future. Then he gave Mike and Dustin advice on how to find additional “lost” kids who were searching for a reason to join the D&D group.
A Curious Proposition: Narcotics Negotiation with Chrissy Cunningham
Eddie met with Chrissy Cunningham later that day to negotiate a narcotics transaction. He didn’t understand why she wanted to spend time with him at first, but he soon warmed up to her and tried to make her feel at ease. Following some shared giggles, Chrissy asked Eddie whether he ever felt like he was going crazy. Eddie said that was a common feeling for him. He started to joke around and mentioned their history, bringing up memories of a talent exhibition he had participated in in middle school. Eddie mentioned that Corroded Coffin was still active and subtly extended an invitation for Chrissy to attend one of their upcoming performances when she recalled that he had performed in the band.
After Eddie decided to buy Chrissy something stronger and postpone the drug trade, everyone departed Hawkins High’s campus and went home to get ready for the basketball game. Erica Sinclair attended the Hellfire Club meeting with Eddie in place of Lucas, who was at the championship game. Eddie wasn’t first convinced by her abilities, but he soon came around after witnessing her display of quick wit and D&D expertise. Throughout the match, Eddie brought up Lord As the game master, Vecna delighted in taking the others on a remarkable journey. Eddie told Erica and Dustin to quit and not attempt to be heroes that night while the game’s outcome was in their control. But in the end, Erica prevailed, and Eddie was ecstatic about their achievement.
Witnessing a murder
While many of Hawkins’ youngsters were off to a party after the game, Eddie and Chrissy stopped by his caravan to give her a glimpse into his personal life. After stating that he resided with his uncle, Eddie started looking for the “Special K,” or ketamine, in the caravan. Eddie entered Chrissy’s room and planted a kiss on his guitar while he carried on his hunt for ketamine, while Chrissy in the living room gradually became suspicious. He shook Chrissy’s shoulders desperately, but she was under Vecna’s spell when he came back to her. She levitated suddenly, and Eddie fell back, screaming in terror as Vecna slaughtered her savagely. After that, he fled out of dread for what had just taken place.
Closing up
Eddie’s connection to Hellfire Club and the site of Chrissy’s murder made him a prime suspect in her death the following day. Max became curious about Eddie’s choice to run, so she, Dustin, Robin, and Steve set out to find Eddie. After a while, their search brought them to Reefer Rick’s property, where Eddie was hiding beneath a tarp in the dock house. Eddie sprang out and pushed the young man against the wall while holding a broken beer bottle on his neck as Steve raised the cover and revealed him.
Dustin desperately tried to reassure Eddie, saying that he and the others supported him and that Eddie was acquainted with the majority of the adolescents in the room. After a while, Eddie released Steve and collapsed to the ground, distraught about Chrissy’s passing and overcome with survivor’s remorse. He told the gathering about her death and his horror when they asked him to explain what had occurred. In an attempt to console him, the gang was able to explain that there was a second dimension. After that, Dustin and Eddie made the connection and realized Vecna was the reason behind Chrissy’s demise.
When Max, Dustin, Robin, Steve, and Robin stopped by the dock house the following day to offer Eddie lunch, they discovered that he was anxious about the ongoing search for him in Hawkins. They gave him the news and stated that the cops were looking for him in addition to the food. Shortly after, the complaining interrupted them. Hearing the sirens of the police, they ran to conceal Eddie again.
Legacy
Later, Dustin discovered Wayne Munson posting missing person posters in an attempt to locate Eddie when the gates were opened, causing a tremor that some thought was an earthquake. Satanic images had vandalized Eddie’s poster, indicating the town’s continued belief that he was a member of a satanic sect. Wayne Munson replaced the defaced poster with a new one. Dustin Henderson approached Wayne after seeing him from a distance and said that he had been with Eddie during the “earthquake”.
Dustin then gave Wayne Eddie’s guitar pick and subtly verified Eddie’s passing on his behalf. Wayne was devastated by the news Dustin had given him and the guitar pick. telling him that Eddie had fought bravely for a town that despised him and had died a hero. Wayne sobbed at his nephew’s passing as the two of them sat together. For all time, Munson would be remembered by the people of Hawkins as a psychotic killer and a Satanist, not as the hero he was.
Individuality
Eddie was a total nonconformist when it came to metal. Those who didn’t understand him loathed him, but those who did, adored him.[7] Eddie was well-versed in the game and liked playing Dungeons & Dragons with his pals. He was the head of the Hellfire Club. Due to his passion for Dungeons & Dragons, Eddie declined to discontinue any campaigns and insisted that his club’s members look for fresh replacements to take the pitch if a club member was unable to make it on any given night.
Eddie struck me as being intimidating, demanding, and intense at first. He was quite serious about D&D and about not fitting in with the usual cliques, like the basketball squad. Eddie, on the other hand, turned out to be kind, understanding, consoling, and humorous—not like the stereotypical cliques. Dustin had told him that, except for Eddie, nobody had been kind to him, Mike, or Lucas when they started their freshman year. Eddie made light of Chrissy’s paranoia by reminding her of their past acquaintanceship and making jokes about how “freaks” they both were.
Additionally, Eddie was able to recognize his mistakes and concede defeat, with Erica receiving his respect following her rebuke of him for doubting her D&D proficiency. Later on, he expressed regret to Steve for dismissing him as a “douchebag”. It was discovered that Dustin, who was certain Eddie was innocent, had a soft place for Eddie. In his last moments, he told Dustin he loved him, trusted him to take care of the Hellfire Club, and made him swear he would never change.
Skills
- Expert Guitarist: Eddie performed Master of Puppets to entice the demo beats in the Upside Down, showcasing his exceptional guitar skills. Eddie played with his band Corroded Coffin throughout middle and high school.
- Physical Strength: While the group looked for him, Eddie discovered he could easily manhandle Steve Harrington in a wrestle. But at that very time, adrenaline might have been fueling him with strength as he experienced extreme stress from witnessing Chrissy’s death and fearing potential responsibility.
- Eddie aided the Party when they needed to ‘steal’ an RV trailer after learning how to hot-wire cars from his father.
Memorable Phrases Eddie
- “Her body seemed to rise into the air. And, you know, she just kind of hung there, suspended in midair. Her bones suddenly began to crack, er, fracture. Her eyes, dude, there seemed to be something tugging within her skull. I fled because I had no idea what to do.”
- So, this is like Hawkins, just with monsters and gross stuff?
- Yes, I think that firearms are a decent idea.
- “There’s a fire in the Shire. Thus, Mordor it is.
