Stranger Things' Most Menacing Upside-Down Monsters, Ranked

One of the cool things about Stranger Things was how it managed to totally captivate us with the Upside Down's creepy creatures. While season 5 isn't coming out anytime soon, let's rank those monsters from petrifying to downright nightmare-inducing.

5. The Demogorgon

The Demogorgon was the first critter from the Upside Down that made us jump off our seats in season 1. A tall, lanky humanoid with a petrifying, gaping mouth instead of a face is not exactly a friendly guy.

It's fast, it's powerful, and it's tough to take down. It was Eleven who was able to vanquish this creepy crawler using her own telekinesis abilities. But ironically, she's also kinda the reason why this beastie was in Hawkins in the first place.

4. The Hospital Monster

Next up is the ghastly Hospital Monster, a horrifying creature that came to be from the leftovers of Flayed humans. This critter gave Nancy and Jonathan a run for their lives in the hospital until El came to their rescue.

3. The Spider Monster

Spider Monster is a giant, spine-chilling embodiment of the Mind Flayer that terrorized the gang in the Starcourt Mall.

This thing was like a monstrous creation ripped right from a Stephen King novel, having grown from dormant particles inside our dear Will Byers into a colossal spider-like beast.

It's been lurking, spying through its connection with Will, and waiting for its chance to wreak havoc once again. And its sneaky, predatory behavior only adds to the chills.

2. Mind Flayer

The big bad of Stranger Things, the Mind Flayer, is the puppet master of the Upside Down. Introduced in season 2, this monster got inside Will's mind after he was nabbed by the Demogorgon.

And even though El managed to lock it away at the end of that season, this vile beast is still a big threat.

1. Vecna

He may not have been born in the Upside Down, but this human-turned-monster sure did make a name for himself there.

Also known as Henry Creel, Vecna's got a knack for picking out victims he can mentally mess with, and feeds off their pain and trauma. Then he kills them in ways that are seriously nightmare-inducing.