Eddie Munson

**This article or section needs to be updated.**Info from *Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus* needs to be added.

## Biographical information

### Aliases

Eddie "The Freak" Munson
Long-Haired Freak
Eddie the Banished

### Residence

Hawkins, Indiana ( ? - 1986):* Munson trailer, Forest Hills Trailer Park (? - 1986)
* 2121 Holland Rd (1986)

### Family

Alan Munson (father)
Wayne Munson (uncle)

### Other relations

Gareth (friend/fellow club member)
Jeff (friend/fellow club member)
Mike Wheeler (friend/fellow club member)
Dustin Henderson (friend/fellow club member)
Lucas Sinclair (friend/fellow club member)
Chrissy Cunningham † (friend/crush)
Erica Sinclair (friend)
Nancy Wheeler (friend)
Steve Harrington (friend)
Robin Buckley (friend)
Jason Carver † (rival/enemy)

### Affiliation

Hellfire Club
Corroded Coffin

### Occupation

Student at Hawkins Middle School (1977-1980)
Leader of Corroded Coffin (1970s-1986)
Student at Hawkins High School (1980-1986)
Leader of the Hellfire Club (1980s-1986)

## Portrayal

### Episodes

— Eddie's last words to Dustin, March 27, 1986

**Edward "Eddie" Munson**, portrayed by Joseph Quinn, was a main character in the fourth season of *Stranger Things*.

Eddie was a student at Hawkins High School, and the idiosyncratic leader of the Hellfire Club, a fringe school society oriented around *Dungeons & Dragons*. He was an electric guitar player in his band Corroded Coffin, and the friend of Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair and Mike Wheeler.

In 1986, Eddie witnessed the shocking supernatural killing of his friend Chrissy Cunningham. This spurred him on to seek justice for Chrissy, joining forces with "The Party" and their allies to investigate the cause of the murder. Eddie also became the unfortunate target of Chrissy's boyfriend, Jason Carver, who mistakenly believed Eddie to be her murderer, and rallied members of his basketball team together in an effort to track Eddie down.

Ultimately, Eddie and his friends discovered that "Vecna" – a humanoid being from an alternate dimension called "the Upside Down" – was to blame for Chrissy's death, and was continuing to murder others like her. Eventually, Eddie used the power of heavy metal to distract Vecna's swarm of Demobats as the others launched an assault at the Creel House; unluckily for Eddie, the bid to lure away the bats ultimately costed him his life. In the days that followed, Eddie continued to be misrepresented as a murderer and cult leader, but Dustin consoled his grieving uncle, assuring him those close to Eddie would always remember him differently.

## History

### Background

Eddie Munson was born sometime between 1965 and 1968. His father was Alan "Al" Munson, a man known for hatching dubious schemes. At some point, Al became absent from Eddie's life, and Eddie became the ward of his paternal uncle, Wayne Munson. The two lived at Wayne's trailer in Hawkins' Forest Hills Trailer Park.

During the late 1970s, Eddie attended Hawkins Middle School alongside Chrissy Cunningham. Sometime during their attendance, Hawkins Middle School hosted a talent show in which both Eddie and Chrissy participated. Eddie was impressed by Chrissy's cheer-leading while Chrissy fondly remembered Eddie's rock band, Corroded Coffin. Eventually, the two drifted apart once they began attending Hawkins High School, though Eddie never held animosity towards her.

While attending Hawkins High, Eddie led the school's *Dungeons & Dragons* club, the Hellfire Club, which was despised by the town due to the rising belief that D&D was connected to the worship of Satan. Despite the rumors, Eddie flourished in the club and found purpose in reaching out to other teenagers who felt like outsiders. His belief in the benefits of being unique and his disdain for social conformity often led to clashes with the popular kids, such as Jason Carver, Chrissy's boyfriend and the captain of the Hawkins High Basketball Team. Eddie was originally going to graduate in 1984, and again in 1985, but his rebellious streak and poor grades resulted in him being held back, and ultimately led to him despising the school's principal.

### 1986

#### "The Cult of Vecna"

On Friday, March 21, Dustin and Mike sat down in the cafeteria, at the table where Eddie and the Hellfire Club were eating. Eddie was in the middle of dramatically reading aloud from a newspaper which warned of the dangers of D&D, and when he finished the article, he jumped on the table in order to give a speech about forced conformity. He pointed out that he and the other Hellfire members were labeled "freaks" by the school while students in other circles, such as the basketball team, were accepted by society.

When Mike and Dustin brought up Lucas's inability to join Hellfire's campaign later that night, Eddie reminded the boys of how he had welcomed them into his group at the beginning of the school year, and told them that they would be the future of Hellfire once Eddie graduated. He then encouraged Mike and Dustin to seek out other "lost" students who were looking for purpose and recruit them to the D&D club.

Later that day, Eddie met with Chrissy Cunningham to conduct a drug deal with her. At first, he was confused as to why she wanted anything to do with him, but he quickly warmed up to her and attempted to make her comfortable with his presence. After shared laughter, Chrissy asked him if he ever felt like he was losing his mind, and Eddie admitted that he felt that way often. He began to fool around and brought up their past, reminding her of a talent show he participated in as a middle-schooler. Chrissy remembered he had been part of a band called Corroded Coffin, and Eddie pointed out that they still played and indirectly invited her to one of their future gigs.

The drug deal having been postponed until Eddie could get Chrissy something stronger, everyone left Hawkins High's campus and headed home to prepare for the basketball game. Eddie and the Hellfire Club met for their campaign, and Erica Sinclair showed up as a stand-in for Lucas, who was at the championship game. At first, Eddie was skeptical of her ability, but quickly changed his mind when she demonstrated her quick wit and knowledge of D&D. During the game, Eddie mentioned Lord Vecna, and as the game-master, enjoyed leading the others on an extraordinary adventure. When the fate of the game landed in the hands of Erica and Dustin, Eddie advised them to give up and not try to be heroes that night. But eventually Erica won and Eddie was overjoyed at their success.

#### Witnessing a murder

After the game, many of Hawkins' teenagers headed to a party, but Eddie and Chrissy visited his trailer instead, giving her a peek into his home life. Eddie explained that he lived with his uncle, and began to search the trailer for the "Special K," otherwise known as ketamine. While Chrissy slowly grew paranoid in the living room, Eddie walked into his room and kissed his guitar as he continued his search for ketamine. When he returned to her, Chrissy was under Vecna's curse and failed to respond to him shaking her shoulders in desperation. She suddenly levitated, and as she was brutally killed by Vecna, Eddie fell backward and screamed in horror. Afterward, he ran away in fear of what had just happened.

#### Hiding

The next day, Eddie became a primary suspect for the murder of Chrissy, due to his involvement with Hellfire Club and the location of her murder. Eddie's decision to run sparked the curiosity of Max, and she and Dustin, Robin, and Steve embarked on a search for Eddie. Their search eventually led them to Reefer Rick's home, where they found Eddie in the dock house, hiding under a tarp. When Steve lifted the tarp, exposing the young man, Eddie jumped out and shoved him against the wall, holding a broken beer bottle to his neck. Dustin frantically attempted to calm Eddie, explaining that he and the others were on his side and pointing out that Eddie knew most of the teenagers in the room. Eddie eventually let Steve go and fell to the floor in distress, caught in survivor's guilt as he mourned Chrissy's death. When the group asked him to explain what had happened, he described her death and his terror. The group tried to comfort him, and succeeded in explaining the existence of another dimension. Dustin and Eddie then connected the dots, realizing that Vecna was the one responsible for Chrissy's death.

The day after, Max, Dustin, Robin, and Steve dropped by the dock house to bring Eddie food, and found him nervous about the on-going hunt for him in Hawkins. Along with the food, they brought him news, and explained how they police were hunting him. Seconds later, they were interrupted by the whining of police sirens, and they rushed to hide Eddie once more.

As time progressed, Eddie became paranoid. When he heard a car pull up on March 25, he eagerly peeked out the window, but drew back in shock when he spotted Jason close-by in Reefer Rick's home. He instantly became scared and begged Dustin to come and help via the walkie-talkie. Receiving no response, Eddie gave up trying to reach him and looked at the boat, which was floating inside the dock house. Realizing it was his only choice, he sailed out onto the water, alerting the attention of Patrick and Jason, who followed him. The two boys swam after him and almost caught up to him. But before they did, Patrick fell prey to Vecna's curse and was drawn under the surface of the water. Eddie and Jason then watched as Patrick was lifted into the air and murdered by Vecna. However, Jason believed Eddie was using his "satanic powers" to commit the murder and was unaware of the real cause of Patrick's death. Aboard his boat, Eddie managed to escape and headed to the opposite side of Lover's Lake.

#### Battling Vecna

Once again on the run on March 26, Eddie stole a radio from a construction site and hiked to Skull Rock to hide. There, the Party finally reunited with him after hiking through the woods to find him. Eddie told them about the chase and Patrick's murder, and was clearly still traumatized by Chrissy's and now Patrick's death. As his watch had stopped after being soaked the previous night, Eddie could accurately mark the time of the murder as being 9:27 PM, and with this knowledge, the Party confirmed that the culprit had been Vecna. They also discovered that they knew where Vecna attacked from: the Creel Home. Clearly distracted by something else, Dustin mentioned that his compass was throwing them off and suggested that there must be a gate nearby, strong enough to mess with the magnetic field. Eddie, along with the group, left Skull Rock in search of the gate, which they eventually found in Lover's Lake.

Meanwhile, Jason rallied the town citizens of Hawkins, urging them to hunt down Eddie and his Hellfire Club and convincing them that Eddie had been responsible for the series of killings.

At Lover's Lake, Eddie, Steve, Robin and Nancy all boarded the boat to find the gate. Dustin wanted to go, too, but Eddie refused to allow him. Once the quartet arrived at the gate, Steve dove in and found it at the bottom of the lake. But when he surfaced to tell the others of his discovery, he was grabbed by a tentacle from the Upside Down and was dragged through the gate. Without hesitating, Nancy dove in after him, followed by Robin and Eddie.

After finding him under attack on the other side of the gate, Eddie, Nancy, and Robin proceeded to save Steve from Vecna's bats, who were viciously attacking him. Once they had freed him, Eddie began to curse in distress after realizing the severity of the situation. After they had all calmed down, they began their journey to the Wheeler home, but stopped in the middle of the forest due to Steve having to take a breather. Noticing the tension between Steve and Nancy, Eddie took off his jean jacket and threw it to Steve for his "modesty." When they began to walk again, Eddie and Steve had a moment to speak alone, and Eddie complimented Steve by saying he was "like Ozzy Osborne," due to Steve killing Vecna's bat. They moved on to discuss the jealousy they had had for one another due to them both being role models for Dustin. Eddie then addressed his issues with his fear, and not truly knowing himself where Steve empathizes for Eddie, saying that Eddie needs to give himself a break. Eddie also points out that Nancy and Robin have a true care for Steve, and especially Nancy due to her jumping in first for Steve.

Shortly after their conversation, they arrived at the Wheeler home, where Nancy, Robin, and Eddie entered Nancy's room to fetch the guns. Unfortunately, they realized that they were in 1983 in the Upside Down version of their home, and thus the guns were non-existent. Before they could react, Steve altered them to the fact that Lucas, Dustin, and Max were all downstairs speaking to Erica in the real world while they were in the same home. Hopeful that they could reach them through the lights, the teens discussed their options. When Eddie tried signaling "S.O.S" through the chandelier, Erica was the first to notice and alerted the boys next to her. Dustin was able to decrypt the simple message and the two groups went up to Nancy's room to exchange information. When he heard that the water gate was guarded, Dustin suggested they use another gate to leave the Upside Down, and the teenagers ended up using the Wheelers' bicycles to bike to the nearest gate, located in Eddie's trailer. After they entered the trailer, they noticed one of Vecna's fissures in the ceiling and were at first scared by Dustin jamming a hole through it to widen it. But the two groups coordinated and the younger teens managed to create a safe landing pad for Eddie and the others to escape the Upside Down. Robin entered the portal first, followed by Eddie. But as Nancy attempted to leave, she fell under Vecna's curse just as she hit the mattress waiting for her on the other side. Steve desperately attempted to wake her up, but her vision lasted long enough for Vecna to tell her exactly what he planned on doing to Hawkins if he killed a fourth victim. Nancy awakened and warned the group that Vecna planned to destroy their town.

Safely united again, the group conferred and hatched a plan to defeat Vecna and save Hawkins from the fate Nancy had described. After stealing a trailer for transportation and arming themselves with a variety of weapons acquired at The War Zone, the group dropped off Max, Lucas, and Erica at the Creel House. From there, the remaining teens drove to the Munson trailer where they entered the Upside Down via the gate Chrissy's death had created.

Once inside, they split up. Steve, Nancy, and Robin walked to the Creel House through the woods, while Dustin and Eddie remained at his trailer to lure the Demobats away from the house. Eddie succeeded in drawing the attention of the bats through playing a solo of Master of Puppets by Metallica on his electric guitar. However, as the Demobats came in swarms, Eddie and Dustin dashed into his trailer as the bats tried to break in. For a minute, they thought they were safe, but when the bats found their way in, the boys realized they had to leave the Upside Down through the gate if they wanted to make it out alive.

Dustin successfully escaped through the gate, but Eddie refused to follow, knowing the barricaded door would not hold the swarm. Instead, he ran out of the trailer and lured the Demobats away from both the gate and Dustin. When they knocked him off his bicycle, Eddie pondered the option of running. However, thinking back on the actions he had taken in the previous days - specifically the shame he felt leaving Chrissy's body after her murder, and his own claims that he was not a hero - Eddie decided to make a change and stand his ground. Rather than running, he drew his makeshift shield and spear, and faced the hoard of Demobats which swarmed around him. He managed to kill several before they overpowered him and pinned him to the ground, gnawing at his skin. Dustin, who had re-entered the Upside Down in search of Eddie, found his friend in the middle of the swarm of Demobats. When the hive mind was injured due to both Murray Bauman torching Demogorgons with a flamethrower as well as Vecna being severely injured, the Demobats died and fell to the ground. In this moment, Dustin rushed to Eddie's side and cradled him, assuring him that they would get him to a hospital. Eddie, however, was too injured from the bites and was unable to rise from the ground. Blood running from his wounds, he made Dustin promise to take care of "those little sheep" for him, referring to Hawkins High's outcasts. Eddie remarked that with his death, he was finally graduating, and with his final breaths, he told Dustin that he loved him. Crying, Dustin told him he loved him, too, and with that, Eddie died in his arms.

### Legacy

Dustin later found Wayne Munson putting up missing person posters in search of Eddie, following the opening of the gates which had caused what people believed to be an earthquake. Eddie's poster had been defaced by Satanic imagery, reflecting how the town still believed him to be connected to a satanic cult. Wayne Munson took down the vandalized poster and put up a new one. After watching him from a distance, Dustin Henderson approached Wayne and told him he had been with Eddie when the "earthquake" occurred. Dustin then indirectly confirmed Eddie's death for him and handed Wayne Eddie's guitar pick. Between the guitar pick and the news that Dustin had delivered, Wayne was left devestated. Dustin tried to alleviate his grief through reassuring him that Eddie had died a hero, fighting valiantly for a town that hated him. The two then sat together as Wayne cried over the loss of his nephew. In the eyes of the townsfolk of Hawkins, Munson would forever remain known as a Satanist and a psychopathic murderer rather than what he truly was: a hero.

## Personality

Eddie was a full-on nonconformist metalhead. He was hated by those who didn't understand him, but loved by those who did. Eddie enjoyed playing *Dungeons & Dragons* with his friends and had considerable knowledge on the game. He was the head of Hellfire Club. Because of his devotion to *Dungeons & Dragons*, Eddie refused to cancel any campaigns and would require the members of his club to seek out new substitutes to play if a member of the club was unable to attend on any particular evening.

At first glance, Eddie initially came off as intense, pushy, and scary. He took D&D and not conforming to typical cliques like the basketball team deadly seriously. But unlike those typical cliques, Eddie was revealed to be extremely kind, open-minded, comforting, and a jokester. Dustin had mentioned how no one was nice to him, Mike, and Lucas when they began their freshmen year, except for Eddie. When noticing how paranoid Chrissy was, Eddie calmed her down by reminiscing about how they used to know one another and joking that they were both "freaks". Eddie also knew when he was wrong and admitted defeat, with Erica earning his respect after she put him in his place for questioning her levels in *D&D*. He also later apologized to Steve for writing him off as a "douchebag". Eddie was revealed to have a special soft-spot for Dustin, who was adamant that Eddie was innocent. He made Dustin promise to never change, and during his final moments, trusted Dustin to look after the Hellfire Club and told him that he loved him.

Eddie struggled in school, most likely as a combination of his rough background and eccentric personality rather than low intelligence. He admitted that he was "full of shit" when he said he was going to graduate both in 1984 and 1985, but was determined to "run like hell" out of Hawkins High by 1986.

Eddie didn't take the exposure of the Upside Down very lightly. He got panicked easily, cursing under his breath with how much chaos and evil surrounded.

Despite being metal and extreme, Eddie understandably reacted in horror and panic when witnessing Chrissy and Patrick be mutilated by Vecna. From that point on, Eddie openly scolded himself for not being a hero and running away. It was not until that he protected Dustin and the town of Hawkins by fighting off the demobats that Eddie faced his fears. Though it cost him his life, Eddie proved to be courageous outside of his campaigns.

He was shown to have a passion for music ever since he had begun playing the guitar, recognizing and making rock and metal references that others didn't understand, such as to Steve Harrington. His references are often used to figure out the situations around him. Eddie expressed his passions through his style and room.

## Skills

* **Expert Guitarist**: Throughout middle school and high school, Eddie played guitar with his band Corroded Coffin and demonstrated his great skill with the instrument when he performed "Master of Puppets" to attract the Demobats in the Upside Down.
* **Physical Strength:** Eddie found he could easily manhandle Steve Harrington in a grapple as members of the gang searched for him. However, it could be argued that in that moment, adrenaline was fueling his strength as he was under immense stress, having witnessed Chrissy's murder and fearing he would be blamed for it.
* **Hot-Wiring**: Eddie learned how to hot-wire cars from his dad, and later used his skill to assist the Party when they needed to "borrow" an RV trailer.

## Relationships

### Familial

**Wayne Munson**

Despite his unruliness, Wayne did not believe Eddie was capable of any of the killings he was being blamed for and believed that his nephew was a good kid. He knew people thought of Eddie as a freak, but he cared deeply for his nephew and stated that was not in Eddie's nature to commit murder. While Eddie was above the age of 18, it is presumed that Wayne had been Eddie's legal guardian. Eddie commented that his uncle worked long hours at "the plant" in order to provide for their meager household, but he never specified the nature of this job.

### Non-Familial

**Chrissy Cunningham**

Eddie and Chrissy both attended Hawkins Middle School together, with both of them entering the yearly talent show. They both were impressed by their respective skills - Chrissy's cheerleading and Eddie's band Corroded Coffin. Overtime, however, Chrissy forgot about Eddie as she became engulfed into the popular crowd, though Eddie never held any animosity towards her.

In 1986, when Chrissy began seeing visions and suffering from poor mental health, she sighted marijuana to ease her nerves, and got in touch with Eddie to meet in the woods outside of Hawkins High. There, Eddie initially became apprehensive to Chrissy's paranoia, but was stopped by Chrissy when she asked if he ever felt like he was "losing his mind". Eddie, letting his guard down, jokingly replied that he felt that way "on a daily basis". He remarked how he never expected the "Queen of Hawkins High" to do a drug deal with him, and said that this wasn't the first time they hung out together. Chrissy didn't remember, and Eddie jokingly fell off of the bench, pretending to be stabbed, catching Chrissy by surprise. Standing up, he jokingly said that he wouldn't remember himself either, causing Chrissy to laugh. The two recollected their time in the middle school talent show, with Chrissy noticing how radically different he looked compared to then. Chrissy happily said that Eddie wasn't who she thought he was, and Eddie smiled back by saying he was "terrified" seeing her. As they laughed, Eddie said that the compliments earned her a discount on the drugs, but Chrissy hesitantly asked if he had anything stronger.

Following Eddie's meeting with Hellfire Club and the basketball championship, Chrissy carpooled with Eddie to his trailer to get a stronger drug. As they entered, Eddie apologized for the mess, and Chrissy nervously asked the side-effects of the drugs he was giving her. While Eddie searched his room, Chrissy was cursed by Vecna through his hallucinations and fell into a trance in his living room. When Eddie returned with the found drugs, he jumped out at Chrissy when noticing her eyes flickering. Realizing something was wrong, Eddie began tapping her shoulders and shaking her as he told Chrissy that he didn't like what she was doing. As the lights began flickering, Eddie desperately begged Chrissy to wake up, before backing up slowly as Chrissy began to levitate. As her body was thrown against the ceiling, Eddie fell to the floor and screamed in horror and he witnessed Chrissy's limbs snap and skull crushed. Afterward, Eddie was left with survivor's guilt, deeming himself a coward for not being able to do anything. When distracting the Demobats, Eddie dedicated his guitar solo of "Master of Puppets" to Chrissy. Eddie's guilt and regret over running from the scene of Chrissy's death was a motivating factor in his standing his ground against the Demobats - as he decided he was through running away.

**Jason Carver**

Both Jason and Eddie had what seemed to be a long rivalry. The two strongly disliked each other due to their differing social cliques and Jason's cult-like mindset.

Their hatred of each other was first evident in the lunchroom, when Eddie called out multiple social groups and began to compare them before flipping Jason off. Later, Jason referred to Eddie multiple times as a freak and Satanist, due to his involvement in Hellfire Club. Jason then became even more obsessed with Eddie once he discovered Chrissy was murdered in Eddie's trailer. Jason gathered his basketball team in order to hunt Eddie down, and they eventually did, discovering him at Lover's Lake. Eddie and Jason engaged in a borderline fight, where Jason followed Eddie out onto the water with his teammate, Patrick McKinney. The two didn't exchange words but the situation was ripe with a silent tension. Once Jason witnessed Patrick die, he still believed that it was Eddie's doing, and blamed D&D for his connection to Satan, genuinely believing that Eddie had supernatural powers. Eddie managed to escape Jason in the moment, but the latter was still hellbent on finding him, and instructed the entire town to hunt down Eddie and the other members of Hellfire Club.

**Dustin Henderson**

In the fall of 1985, Dustin was a freshman and bullied by everyone, but was quickly befriended by Eddie. Taking note of him wearing a Weird Al T-Shirt, Eddie adopted Dustin and Mike into his friend group during one lunch and had them join the Hellfire Club. Out of all of the members, Eddie and Dustin grew to be the closest, with Dustin being adamant that Eddie didn't kill Chrissy. When finding him at Reefer Rick's house, Dustin was vehemently swearing to a shaken Eddie that he and his friends believed him and wanted to help. Dustin was the first person Eddie called through the walkie-talkies when hiding out. When meeting at Skull Rock, Dustin hugged Eddie tightly after reuniting with him.

When preparing for battle in the field by making spiked shields, Eddie began to play-fight with Dustin after he made a cheesy bat joke. With Dustin in his arms, Eddie told Dustin to never change and made him promise, and Dustin insisted that he wasn't planning onto. In the Upside Down, Eddie protected Dustin by cutting off the rope between the Gates and running off to distract the Demobats. Dustin inadvertently injured his ankle just to get back to rescue Eddie, only to watch in horror as Eddie began to be ripped apart by the Demobats. As he screamed his name, Dustin ran up to a mortally wounded Eddie as the Demobats fell to the ground. He tried to lift Eddie up to get him to the hospital, but Eddie, through choking on his blood, told him that he just needed a second. He made a tearful Dustin promise that he'd look after the Hellfire Club, and lamented that it was finally his year. With his dying breath, Eddie told Dustin that he loved him, and Dustin said that he loved him too. Dustin was left sobbing and yelling Eddie's name as his friend succumbed to his injuries. Two days afterward, Dustin met with Eddie's uncle, Wayne, and tearfully gave him Eddie's guitar pick, proclaiming Eddie as a hero. Later, Dustin is visibly horrified when seeing spores from the Upside Down falling into Hawkins, realizing that his friend's sacrifice was in vain.

**Mike Wheeler**

Like Dustin, Mike was taken in by Eddie at the start of his freshman year in Hawkins High. The two didn't have as close a bond as Dustin had with Eddie, but Eddie did mention that he saw Mike and Dustin as the future game-masters of Hellfire Club.

**Erica Sinclair**

Eddie and Erica had a rocky start, especially at the end of semester campaign when Eddie mentioned Erica's infamy among the group, most likely due to Lucas whining about her behind her back. But after playing with her, Eddie warmed up to her and was surprised by her skill for D&D, and especially her luck with her D20 rolls. In the events following the campaign, Erica fell out of touch with Eddie, but joined him and the others in their mission once she was brought up to date on their situation.

**Steve Harrington**

Eddie also had a standoffish vibe with Steve, primarily due to the tension of them both being protective parental figures to Dustin. The two had moments when they clashed, such as when Steve grew impatient with Eddie gathering his things, or even when Eddie was annoyed on how Dustin spoke highly of Steve.

After some time, the two opened up to each other, discussing their conflicting feelings of anger for each-other. Both felt threatened by the other, due to the fact that Dustin spoke highly of both of them to the other, which made both worry if they were being replaced. However, after watching Steve around the younger teenagers and witnessing him dive into the lake despite the risks involved, Eddie admitted to Steve that he was a better person than he initially believed him to be. He even complimented him, comparing him to "Ozzy Osbourne," due to his killing of a Demobat. In an act of kindness, Eddie gave Steve his denim jacket so he would have something to wear and to protect his chest wounds. He also pointed out how much Nancy and Robin cared for Steve and advised him to pursue Nancy if there was any hope left.

**Lucas Sinclair**

While Eddie was initially annoyed by Lucas prioritizing his basketball commitments over those to Hellfire Club, Lucas considered Eddie a friend and vouched for his and Hellfire's character when they were labeled Satanists. When he learned that Jason Carver planned to lead a vigilante posse against Eddie, Lucas - knowing Eddie was innocent - regrouped with Dustin, Max, Steve, Nancy, and Robin to aide a fugitive Eddie.

**Robin Buckley**

Robin and Eddie have been hinted to have been acquainted with one another, with Dustin telling Eddie he knew Robin "from band".

In the spring of 1986, when Eddie was accused of the murder of Chrissy Cunningham, Robin joined in on helping Dustin, Max, and Steve prove his innocence, using rental files from Family Video to find where Eddie was hiding, pinpointing his drug dealer's cabin near Lover's Lake. Finding a shaken and distraught Eddie in the boathouse, Robin joined the others calming him down and explaining that they'd believe his story. Eddie explained how Chrissy levitated and was killed by an unseen force, and the others explained how an entity - dubbed "Vecna" by Dustin and Eddie - from an alternate dimension was most likely responsible. The next morning, Robin and the others arrived with groceries to give Eddie, explaining that they tapped into the police's radio and while Eddie's name had yet to be revealed to the public, it was only a matter of time before he was named in the public and become wanted. Robin explained to a confused Eddie that the talk of an alternate dimension was legitimate, explaining their previous battles while admitting she had only one encounter as opposed to the group's multiple.

When driving to Reefer Rick's, Robin complained to Nancy how she couldn't stand to see Eddie's "dull" eyes break once they told him that they had no way to get to Vecna physically. Discovering Eddie had relocated to Skull Rock after Patrick McKinney's murder, the group go back to Lover's Lake when realizing a "snack-sized" Gate had opened to the Upside Down. The four teenagers used a boat to row towards the Gate, with Robin using Eddie and Steve's heads to lower herself on. When Nancy dived into the water to save Steve, Robin prepared to follow suit. Eddie frantically reminded her that she put Nancy in charge, but Robin smugly remarked she made that up as she dived in, causing Eddie to reluctantly follow her. In the Upside Down, while the group planned to go to Nancy's house to get guns, the force of the Upside Down shaking caused Eddie to hold on to Robin as they both fell to the ground. The two worked together to get to the Wheeler house and bike towards Eddie's trailer once the kids told them that they could go through the gate created from Chrissy's death. When the kids put Eddie's stained mattress underneath the hole, Eddie said he didn't know where those stains came from, and Robin eyed him in disgust. When carjacking a couple's RV, Robin told Eddie that she wasn't crazy about the idea of Eddie driving, but was left confused as Eddie said Steve was driving while referring to him as "Big Boy". That night, Robin and Eddie joined Dustin, Nancy, and Steve climbing through the Munson trailer's gate to enact the plan to take down Vecna, going their separate ways after going through the plan one final time. How Robin reacted to Eddie's death is currently unknown.

## Family tree

*note: family trees are only visible on desktop.*

## Memorable Quotes

**Eddie:**

* "Her body, just like, lifted up into the air. And uh... and she just like, hung there, in the air. And then her bones- uh,... her bones started to snap. Her eyes, man, it was like there was something, like, inside her head, pulling. I didn't know what to do so I... I ran away."
* "So uh, this place is like Hawkins with monsters and nasty shit?"
* "Yeah, so guns seem like a pretty good idea to me."
* "The Shire is burning. So Mordor it is."

**Eddie to the Hellfire Club:**

* "Studies link violent behavior to the game, saying it promotes satanic worship, ritual sacrifice, sodomy, suicide, and even... murder!"
* "We're the freaks because... we like to play a fantasy game? But as long as you're into band, or science, or parties, or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets! It's forced conformity. That's what's killiiiiing the kiiiiids! That's the real monster."
* "I am army crawling my way toward a D in Ms. O'Donall's. If I don't blow her final, I'm gonna walk that stage next month. I'm gonna look Principal Higgins dead in the eye, I'm gonna flip him the bird, I'm gonna snatch that diploma, and I'm gonna run like hell outta here!"
* "This year's different. This year is my year. I can feel it. '86 baby!"
* "You are scared. You're tired. You are injured. Do you flee Vecna and his cultists? Or do you stand your ground and fight?"
* "There is no shame in running. Don't try to be heroes. Not today."

**Eddie to Chrissy:**

* "I feel like I'm losing my mind right now. Doing a drug deal with Chrissy Cunningham. The queen of Hawkins High."
* "Chrissy? Chrissyyy? Hello? Chrissy! K, Chrissy, wake up! Hey... hello... Chrissy, hellooo. Hey, Chrissy. Time to wake up, okay?! Hello, can you hear me?! Wake uuup Chrissy! Chrissy, WAKE UUUUP! I DON'T LIKE THIS, CHRISSY, WAKE UUUUP!"

**Eddie to Dustin:**

* "Bad news first. Always."
* "You, Dustin Henderson, are a total butthead."
* "Never change, Dustin Henderson. Promise me that?"
* "I didn't run away this time, right?"
* "I love you, man."

**Eddie to Robin:**

* "Hunt the freak, right?"
* "Those stains are, uh... I don’t know what those stains are."
* "THIS IS MUSIC!!!"

**Eddie to Steve:**

* "For your modesty, dude."
* "Kid worships you, dude. Like, you have no idea. It's kind of annoying to be honest. And I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks. But uh... I guess I got a little jealous, Steve. I guess I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually... a good dude. Rich parents, popular, chicks love him, not a douche? No way, man. No way. That like, flies in the face of all the laws of the universe, and my own personal Munson doctrine."
* "Outside of D&D, I am no hero. I see danger, and I just turn heel and run."
* "Wheeler, right there? She didn't waste a second. Not one second. She just dove right in. Now, I don't know what happened between you two, but if I were you, I would get her back. Because that was as unambiguous a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen."
* "It's his tone, right?"
* "Well, when the other dads were teaching their kids how to fish or play ball, my old man was teaching me how to hot-wire. Now, I swore to myself I wouldn't wind up like he did, but now I'm wanted for murder, and soon, grand theft auto. So, uh, I'm really living up to that Munson name."
* “Harrington's got her. Don't ya, big boy?"

**Eddie to Nancy:**

* "You, Nancy Wheeler, have guns--plural--in your bedroom?"

**Eddie to Dustin and Mike:**

* "You're saying Sinclair's been taken in by the Dark Side? ... And rather than find a sub for him, you want... you want to postpone the Cult of Vecna?"
* "You know what that means? It means you boys are the future of Hellfire.

**Eddie to Erica:**

* "My, my, the child speaks."
* "What's your class and level? Level one dwarf?"
* "Welcome to Hellfire."

## Behind the scenes

His character was first revealed on November 20, 2020 via the show's official social media accounts along with several other new characters. In December of 2020, Joseph Quinn was spotted filming in a forest in Atlanta alongside Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley) and Joe Keery (Steve Harrington).

Eddie's character is based on Damien Echols, one of the West Memphis Three who was wrongly convicted in 1994 of the deaths of three boys due to his appearance, which residents tied to being part of a satanic cult. The writers drew from *Paradise Lost*, a documentary covering Echols, for Eddie's story.

Eddie wears a leather jacket under a denim vest that dons Megadeth, Motörhead, and Iron Maiden patches, as well as a patch of the Leviathan Cross. The vest also features W.A.S.P, Accept, Mercyful Fate, and Judas Priest pins, and a large Dio back patch. The Dio patch was made from genuine vintage Dio tee-shirts donated by the estate of Ronnie James Dio and his former wife. Eddie's name, musical taste, look, and character may have been inspired by Eddie Van Halen, whose fame peaked in the 80s.

The dynamic between Jason and Eddie shares parallels with, and is possibly inspired by, the 1990 film, *Edward Scissorhands*, one of the breakout films of fellow *Stranger Things* star, Winona Ryder. In the film, Anthony Michael Hall's character of "Jim" is the boyfriend of Ryder's character "Kim", and perceives the titular character as a "freak" - similar to Jason's perception of Eddie. Like Jason does with Eddie, Jim comes to believe Edward intentionally hurt Kim and leads an angry mob against him - resulting in his own death during the final confrontation.

## Trivia

### Eddie's age

* Eddie's exact age and date of birth is a point of contention:
	+ In "The Hellfire Club", Eddie mentions being held back twice while attending high school, indicating he was originally meant to graduate in 1984. Since Steve graduated in 1985, that presumably puts Eddie's birth somewhere between 1965 and 1966, and his age between 19 and 20.
		- This also plays into his determination to finally graduate that year: he would not be allowed to attend into his twenties were he to fail again, and would need to pass a GED exam to obtain his diploma.
	+ Eddie's description from the Season 4 casting call refers to him being between 18 and 25.
	+ Joseph Quinn speculated in an interview that Eddie was in the 20-21 age range.
	+ Eddie says he is 18 in the prequel novel *Flight of Icarus*, which is set in 1984; this suggests he would be 19 or 20 during the events of Season 4.
	+ Eddie's missing poster in "The Piggyback" lists his age as 17, which appears to be an production error, given how much it conflicts with other available information.
		- Some have argued Eddie could be 17 if he skipped two academic years. This theory seems somewhat unlikely, as Eddie has continually failed his senior year due to his disinterest in his studies, but cannot be entirely disproven.
		- It is possible the detail about Eddie repeating grades was added during filming, and/or the prop team listed him as 17 under the assumption he was a first year senior.

*Due to the wiki's rules surrounding canonicity, Eddie is listed as between 17 and 20 years of age.*
### General

* Following the release of *Stranger Things 4, Vol. 1* and "The Hellfire Club", it was widely speculated that Eddie and fellow student Chrissy Cunningham had romantic feelings for one another.
	+ An official Netflix video entitled "Every Crush in *Stranger Things*" suggests Eddie had a crush on Chrissy.
		- The company's Italian social media accounts went so far as to describe the dynamic as love at first sight.
	+ Joseph Quinn affirmed the speculation's legitimacy in an interview, stating "I think he might have done! I think kind of, yes, I think he did [have a crush on Chrissy]. I think, playing with archetypes, especially in American high school, I don't think you'd ever put those two together. But they get to know each other more in episode one and there's kind of potential there, and then something horrible happens. I think the concert, for him, was more about avenging her as a person rather than anything romantic but I think there could have been the potential for a liaison of some kind. I think he did," when asked.
	+ Quinn reaffirmed the sentiment in another interview, confirming it had been his intent to portray romantic chemistry in his character's scenes with Chrissy in "The Hellfire Club" - stating "She had to feel safe enough with him to go back to his trailer. And he's a pretty intimidating guy when you first meet him, so I think it made sense for there to be some romantic intrigue there. And to also spark Mason's character Jason's suspicion. It felt like the right way to go there, I think." When asked about the relationship at the Showmasters Comic Con, Quinn stated that although the two may seem like a "weird couple", he was pleased that people picked up on the romantic undertones of their scenes. When asked if he felt they should have gotten together had they survived the season, his answer was "They should. It would be lovely to see them." In an interview with Netflix, Quinn elaborated that "Eddie would have to step on Jason's shoes pretty intensely. It would be lovely if there was a world in which [they could] be a pretty uncouth couple at Hawkins High that I think might shake things up a little bit." Quinn also described the pair in an interview as "having been on the outskirts of falling in love", stating that is how he and Van Dien interpreted and played the interactions between the characters. Grace Van Dien later remarked at Galaxy Con Raleigh 2022 that had Chrissy lived she likely would have left Jason for Eddie by the second episode of the season.

* Eddie wore a black handkerchief with a skull design in his back left pocket. Many members of the metal community wear bandanas in their back pockets as an aesthetic choice, sometimes in their pockets or wrapped around a belt loop. Famous musicians such as James Hetfield of Metallica and Slash of Guns ‘N Roses also wore handkerchiefs in their back pockets, most likely to have easy access to in order to wipe sweat or keep their hair back when performing. Eddie is seen wearing his bandana on his head during his return to the Upside Down in "The Piggyback".
	+ Eddie also wears a bullet belt during his second trip to the Upside Down, despite wielding a shield and spear rather than firearms. Presumably this is another nod to James Hetfield, who often wears them as part of his wardrobe.
		- Some fans theorized that Eddie's handkerchief related to 80s phenomena of hanky code or "flagging", in which members of the LGBTQ+ community would wear color-coded hankies or bandanas on their body to indicate sexual preferences. With this interpretation, Eddie's black bandanna in the back left pocket would indicate he is a sadist top.  However, this was probably unintended, as hanky code was used in safe queer spaces rather than in public; Eddie also wears his bandana at school surrounded by classmates.
* Due to the confusion surrounding Eddie and Chrissy's ages, actress Grace Van Dien was subjected to months of harassment and a smear campaign due to her vocal support for the pairing of Eddie and Chrissy. Joseph Quinn condemned the harassment stating "I was talking to her about it. The internet is a very unforgiving place. It's a place where people can show a lot of support, or where people can rally around hatred and misinformation. It's indicative of where we are culturally – just through association she was getting lambasted. It's disgusting. I don't know what to say other than it sucks."
* When Quinn was asked in an interview if Eddie had romantic feelings for Steve Harrington - he answered diplomatically that "people can dream," and confessed he didn't know what to say about the notion of the pairing. However, when pressed if their relationship could have gone in that direction had Eddie survived into season five, Joe appeared open to the idea, saying, "maybe, maybe, maybe. Yeah."
* When asked where he personally would have liked to have seen happen had Eddie survive into Season 5, Joseph Quinn answered "Oh, it'd be lovely to see him graduate, wouldn't it? I'd love him to graduate and carry on with his life. I think it would be great if he got to go on tour with Corroded Coffin. Maybe meet a nice girl, dress in better clothes. Live a nice life. Get a haircut."
* The van that Eddie drives is a 1977 GMC Gaucho G2500.
* The guitar that Eddie plays is a 1983 BC Rich NJ Warlock with crackled red finish. A guitar favored by renowned guitarist Slash, it is also popularly used by bands like Sepultura, Poison, Dio, KISS, Slipknot, W.A.S.P., Static X, Mötley Crüe, and Slayer.
	+ Joseph Quinn admitted disappointment that he was not allowed to keep the guitar as a souvenir from his time on set. He was later gifted a replica of Eddie's guitar by the band Metallica, whose song Master of Puppets he played in "The Piggyback".
* Eddie was an immensely popular character, and his death upset many fans. In response, Jamie Campbell Bower jokingly posted a apology video to Joseph Quinn for his character's role in the deaths of Eddie and Chrissy. Quinn himself stated that he was surprised to see how popular Eddie turned out to be, and was moved to tears during a fan convention when he realized the impact Eddie had on the fans.
* "Dear Billy" is the only episode of the fourth season that Eddie does not appear in.
* The writers confirmed Eddie saying "I love you, man." to Dustin in "The Piggyback" was improvised by Joseph Quinn.
* Eddie had visible tattoos on his arms, one of which is a swarm of bats. Eddie also has four other tattoos as confirmed by makeup artist Amy Forsythe: one of a puppet on his inner right forearm, one of a wyvern on his right tricep, a spider on the left side of his chest, and a demonic skull below the spider.
* The fate of Eddie's parents is never specified since Wayne appears to be Eddie's only close relative. Eddie only mentions his father in "Papa" and how he taught Eddie how to hotwire. While not necessarily canon, Joseph Quinn revealed he has a loose backstory in his head: "I thought his mum had maybe passed on or had left, and that his dad was in prison. He was very estranged from his parents, and that brings up all the stuff that brings up for young people."
* In spite of their past animosity, Mason Dye opined that Jason Carver may have been convinced of Eddie's innocence had he not also been present for the death of Patrick McKinney. As it stands, Dye feels that Patrick's death was the moment Jason convinced himself Eddie possessed abilities courtesy of the occult - though Jason may know the theory isn't rational, it is the only way for him to make sense of what he witnessed. While Jason mistakenly believed Eddie to be a cult leader thanks to the Satanic panic, Mason Dye pointed out that, ironically, Jason is the far more cult leader-like figure.
* When discussing the relationship between Eddie and Wayne Munson in an interview, actor Joel Stoffer stated; "This guy [Wayne Munson] is someone who cares about his nephew, that's it. He's concerned about his nephew, you know, his nephew's been wrongly accused of something and there's no proof about it, I just know my nephew. And I know he didn’t do it. Whether or not he was a trailer park guy, who might've been an angry, bitter, guy... which I think there is a little bit of angry bitter in Wayne, but still, you know, the concern about his nephew overrides any of that stuff ... but he's [Wayne] also somebody who I think has some anger, you know because of whatever trauma he might've had in his life ... I probably saw a lot of crap that Eddie had to deal with growing up maybe with whatever parents he had. Probably some abuse, trauma. I saw that, and I made it a mission as his uncle, to protect him."
* Following the release of "The Piggyback", some fans speculated that an undead Eddie could return in Season 5. The theory posited that *Dungeons & Dragons* - the source of Henry Creel's nickname, Vecna - could foretell Eddie's return.
	+ In most versions of *Dungeons & Dragons* lore, Lord Vecna enlisted Kas, an undead vampire, as his lieutenant; later, Kas betrayed Vecna and sliced off his hand and eye. Eddie even mentions Kas's betrayal during Hellfire's campaign, "The Cult of Vecna".
	+ Initial theories posted following the release of "The Piggyback" speculated that Kas, or an equivalent of Kas, could play a role in Season 5. Other theories drew a connection between Eddie, Kas and Vecna, pointing to Eddie's death in the Upside Down, and his earlier name-drop of Kas.
	+ The @strangerwriters Twitter account later appeared to poke fun at the theories, saying Chapter Two of Season 5 would be titled "Kas the Bloody-Handed", in a tweet made on April 1, 2023.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 In "The Hellfire Club," Eddie's friends state that he was supposed to graduate in 1984, indicating he was probably born sometime between 1965 and 1966. Since he is now graduating in 1986, this would likely place him at 19-20 years old.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Stranger Things Casting Plenty of New Roles for Season 4". *What's on Netflix*. March 2nd, 2020.

	* This source suggests Eddie is 18 years of age, or older.
3. ↑ "The Nina Project"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 *Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus*
5. ↑ "Creative Team" section on the First Shadow site
6. ↑ "Did Eddie have a crush on Chrissy?"
7. ↑ "*Stranger Things* season 4: Who is Eddie Munson?" Netflix Life. January 4, 2021.
8. ↑ "Official Twitter thread revealing new season 4 characters". November 20, 2020.
9. ↑ "Maya Hawke Seen Filming New *Stranger Things* Scenes with Joe Keery & New Co-star Joseph Quinn" *DailyMail.com*. December 13, 2020.
10. ↑ "Turns out, Stranger Things' Eddie Munson is based on a true crime story" *Games Radar*. June 7, 2022.
11. ↑ "How Stranger Things' Costume Designer Created Every Character's Season 4 Look | GQ" *YouTube*. June 24, 2022.
12. ↑ "Joseph Quinn REVEALS His Stranger Things Highlight (Exclusive)" *YouTube*. July 12, 2022.
13. ↑ "Stranger Things metalhead Eddie Munson shares more of his backstory in prequel novel excerpt" *Entertainment Weekly*. October 9, 2023.
14. ↑ Eddie's missing flyer
15. ↑ "Every Crush in *Stranger Things*" *YouTube*. June 16, 2022.
16. ↑ "L'incontro tra Eddie e Chrissy | *Stranger Things 4* | Netflix Italia" *YouTube*. June 16, 2022.
17. ↑ "Did Eddie have a crush on Chrissy?" *YouTube*. July 6, 2022.
18. ↑ "Stranger Things: Eddie Actor Joseph Quinn on Dustin, Demo-bats, and If He Had a Crush on Chrissy" *IGN*. July 4, 2022.
19. ↑ "Stranger Things | Joseph Quinn on Eddie's Arc, Dustin Friendship and...Chrissy Love Connection??" *YouTube*. July 4, 2022.
20. ↑ "Context for Joe calling Chrissy and Eddie a “weird couple” he ways it would be lovely to see them together and does not use “weird” negatively." *Tumblr* (dead link).
21. ↑ "Stranger Things' Joseph Quinn Reveals the 'Most Daunting' Part of Eddie's Arc" *TVLine*. July 4, 2022.
22. ↑ TikTok by @anazurmom2
23. ↑ "What's The Meaning Of Eddie's Black Handkerchief In Stranger Things?" *ScreenRant*. June 11, 2022.
24. ↑ "Stranger Things Star Speaks Out Against Co-Star's Harassment" *Game Rant*. March 8, 2023.
25. ↑ "Joseph Quinn condemns Stranger Things trolls for ‘disgusting’ harassment of co-star" *Aol.* March 8, 2023.
26. ↑ "'Stranger Things' Star Joseph Quinn Defends Co-Star Following Season 4 Backlash" *Elle*. March 8, 2023.
27. ↑ "Joseph Quinn (Eddie) defends Stranger Things costar from online backlash" *Winter Is Coming*. March 8, 2023.
28. ↑ "Stranger Things’ Eddie Munson Blasts Online Trolling Of Chrissy Actor" *ScreenRant*. March 8, 2023.
29. ↑ "Stranger Things' Joseph Quinn addresses Eddie and Steve’s 'bromance'" *RadioTimes.com*. July 3, 2022.
30. ↑ "Joseph Quinn Imagines a Different Ending For Eddie Munson: He'd 'Live a Nice Life'" *PopSugar*. July 27, 2022.
31. ↑ "Stranger Things 4 | Stranger Things Cast Reacts to Eddie Shredding | Netflix Geeked" *YouTube*. August 1, 2022.
32. ↑ "Metallica Gave ‘Stranger Things’ Eddie Munson, Joseph Quinn, the Perfect Gift at Lollapalooza" August 1, 2022.
33. ↑ https://www.netflix.com/tudum/galleries/joe-quinn-eddie-munson-stranger-things-photos?mediaIndex=16
34. ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTReuo8X2/?k=1
35. ↑ "Joel Stoffer Interview!" *YouTube*. August 21, 2022.
36. ↑ "I'm a D&D expert with some insight on Season 4's version of Vecna" *r/StrangerThings*.
37. ↑ "Sword of Kas?" *r/StrangerThings*.
38. ↑ "Chapter Two: Kas the Bloody-Handed" *Twitter*. April 1, 2023.

### Canon hierarchy

1. ↑ Various sources, including multiple Tier 2 sources, paint an unclear picture of Eddie's age. Since the Tier 2 sources are equally weighted, a possible age range is in effect on this page.

	* That said, it should be noted that the '17' age on Eddie's missing poster is an outlier, with all other sources stating or suggesting Eddie is 19-20 in March 1986.