Upside Down are a mystery not only to viewers but to the characters within the series, who haven’t been able to figure out how they work and what their origins truly are.
The Demogorgon was introduced in season 1 of Stranger Things, when Eleven accidentally opened a gate to the Upside Down and let the monster in. After killing many people at Russians’ experiments were successful and they are now keeping a Demogorgon.
What’s known about the Demogorgon is merely speculative, as not even the scientists within the series know about its origins, anatomy, life cycle, etc. Though there are some ideas of how the Demogorgon chooses its preys, there’s still one big question that hasn’t been answered: why did it take Will Byers? Luckily, Stranger Things fans have come up with different theories on why the Demogorgon targeted Will and what draws the attention of the creature – here are some of them.
Stranger Things Theory: The Demogorgon Is Drawn By Blood
In season 1 of Stranger Things, Nancy deduced the monster is drawn by blood as Barb had cut herself prior to being attacked by it, leaving a trace at Steve’s house. When setting up a trap for the Demogorgon at the Byers’ house, Nancy and Jonathan cut their hands to attract the creature and it worked. Another argument to this is that a lot of blood was shed at Hawkins Middle School when Dr. Brenner and his team arrived, thus bringing the Demogorgon into the mix. However, there have been other moments where there was no blood and the creature still attacked, such as Will’s case.
Will was on his way home at night after playing Dungeons & Dragons at Mike’s house when he came across with the Demogorgon. Will panicked and rode his bike off the road, crashing into the ground. He then rushed to his house looking for help, but there was no one there. He hid in the shed but the Demogorgon caught him and took him to the Upside Down. Now, some fans believe Will hurt himself enough to bleed even if slightly when he crashed his bike, and that’s why the Demogorgon went after him.
Stranger Things Theory: The Demogorgon Takes Those Near The Gate
If blood isn’t what attracts the Demogorgon, then it might take those who, unfortunately, are close to the gate. the gates to the Upside Down, as the movement and sound make it aware of their presence. The author of the theory explains that the scientist that was attacked by the monster at Hawkins Lab at the very beginning of the series wasn't bleeding, but he was running. That’s enough movement and noise to catch the attention of the Demogorgon, and the portal happened to be at the lab. Another example could be Barb, as she was kicking her feet in the pool at Steve’s house, which was near a gate in the woods (which along with the blood made a terrible combination).
As for Will, the movement and noise made by him when startled by the monster, which made him crash his bike, was enough to catch the Demogorgon’s attention. Will later ran to his house and called for Joyce and Jonathan, which only made the Demogorgon even more aware of his presence.
Stranger Things Theory: Eleven’s Powers Attract The Demogorgon
This theory can work as an extension of the first one, giving a better explanation to the Demogorgon’s actions. Eleven’s powers are what opened the gate in the first place when she came into with the Demogorgon at the void, so the creature might have some connection to them. The author explains that the monster pops up when Eleven uses a lot of power, just like when she opened the initial gate and when fighting against Brenner’s agents at Hawkins Middle School – which left a lot of blood everywhere, but in this theory, blood is treated as a coincidence rather than the trigger.
The Demogorgon, then, goes after those living creatures that happen to be near a gate, but if it senses Eleven using a big amount of power, it doesn’t really matter if she’s close to the gate or not, it will go after her, and there will be casualties along the way. The author adds that the monster was able to find Will at Castle Byers in the Upside Down because Eleven had just been there through the void, for which she used a lot of power, and so the Demogorgon sensed it. Though the author of this theory doesn’t explain why Will was taken by the Demogorgon other than he happened to be close to the monster and possibly the gate, it offers an explanation on how it found Will in the woods of the Upside Down and why it went after Eleven at Hawkins Middle School.
Whether Stranger Things season 4 will answer the big question of why the Demogorgon took Will to the Upside Down or not is unknown, but it should at least shed more light on how the monster chooses its victims, as well as how the Upside Down really works.