Throughout the fourth season of Stranger Things, Will Byers’ painting has become a source of much speculation among viewers.
Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) explained at the very beginning of the series that Will (Noah Schnapp) was spending most of his time on the mystery artwork, but we never actually got a glimpse of what he was working on – at least not until the penultimate episode.
In the first part of season four’s second volume, Will showed the painting to Mike (Finn Wolfhard) during a heart-to-heart discussion, revealing it to be of their original Dungeons & Dragons group — Mike, Will, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo).
In the painting, the quartet are doing battle with a three-headed dragon while playing as their fantasy characters, with Mike leading the assault on their fire-breathing enemy.
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Will tells Mike that Eleven had commissioned the piece and told him exactly what to draw – but we now know that isn’t the case, which makes Mike’s coat of arms, which displays a heart, all the more poignant.
“See how you’re leading us here,” Will explains. “You’re guiding the whole party, inspiring us. That’s what you do. “That’s what holds this whole party together… heart. Without heart, we’d all fall apart.”
It was an emotional moment that hinted at Will’s sexuality, which has been a topic of discussion among fans.
Read more:
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- Stranger Things 4 soundtrack: every song featured in the Netflix show
- Who dies in Stranger Things 4 part 2?
- Stranger Things 4 drops hints about Will’s sexuality in emotional scenes
- Stranger Things 4 part 2 review: A barnstorming end to an epic season
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