Stranger Things 5 establishes that much-loved character, Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), is largely hated in Hawkins when the show picks up. Eddie was introduced in Season 4 of the Netflix show as the leader of Hellfire, the Dungeons & Dragons group to which Will, Dustin, Mike, and Lucas belong at school. After a short but impactful time on the show, Eddie was killed off in the Stranger Things 4 finale, but his legacy lives on in the final season.
The fifth season of Stranger Things features a time jump from the previous season, establishing Hawkins as a quarantine zone after Vecna's actions in Season 4 opened up portals to the Upside Down around town. In almost 18 months since Eddie's passing, the character has become hated among the people of Hawkins, which is a sentiment that was already brewing while the character was alive.
In Season 4 of the show, Eddie was already disliked by several of his classmates as he was perceived as being weird or a "freak" for his interest in Dungeons & Dragons. Eddie was present for Chrissy Cunningham's death, which was orchestrated by Vecna, but Eddie became a person of interest and subsequently went on the run from the police. He particularly gained the attention of Chrissy's boyfriend, Jason Carver, who led a witch hunt against Eddie and riled up the town to think he was a cult leader and Satanist due to his leading Hellfire.
With the town turned against him, and seeking justice for Chrissy's death (whom he'd developed a friendship with), Eddie joined the group on their investigation to find Vecna and went into the Upside Down with Dustin to enact a distraction plan. As the plan went haywire, Eddie sacrificed himself to protect Dustin and buy the group more time, allowing the Demobat swarm to target him and kill him.
While Eddie is confirmed not to return in Stranger Things 5, his presence continues to be felt in the show.
Why Does Everyone Hate Eddie In Stranger Things 5?
In the aftermath of Eddie's death in Season 4, the Hawkins townspeople continued to believe that Eddie was a murderer and cult leader, responsible for the deaths of Chrissy and the teenagers around town, seeing as the real perpetrator, Vecna, continues to operate in secret. While none of this is, of course, true, Jason's smear campaign against Eddie in Season 4 had taken root among Hawkins, and his sentiment has persisted over the 18 months between seasons.
Stranger Things 5 confirms that Eddie is still considered a criminal in town, even after his death. This much to the irritation of Dustin, who was Eddie's closest friend and took his death the hardest. In Season 5, Dustin is still grieving over Eddie's loss, which has led him to become hostile and reckless in his efforts to continue Eddie's legacy.
One day, while entering the school hall, Dustin is targeted by bullies for wearing his Hellfire Club shirt. The bullies threaten Dustin, saying they've warned him before about wearing the Hellfire brand, which leads them to lunge and try to rip Dustin's shirt - until Mike, Will, and Lucas arrive to help.
With the bullies gone, Dustin tells his friends he can't "turn the other cheek while they spread their bullsh*t about Hellfire, about Eddie." Later, Dustin stokes the fires further by painting "Hellfire Lives" on the bully's locker. However, this comes back to bite him at the end of the episode when the bullies corner Dustin at Eddie's grave - which they've defamed with the words "Burn in Hell." The bullies then threaten Dustin, saying, "Hellfire dies with you, Henderson. And it dies tonight," before they beat him up.
The truth of Eddie's fate being withheld from the town has led to Quinn's character being remembered as a villain, rather than as the fallen hero he was. With Dustin trying to preserve Eddie's good standing, he subsequently becomes the target of the town's wrath, particularly as they believe Hellfire to be a Satanic cult and Dustin seems to want to continue that. To them, Dustin appears to want to uphold the legacy of a murderer, but in reality, he's just trying to honor his friend.
