Eddie Munson was a high school senior and leader of the Hellfire club, a group of students who enjoyed Dungeons & Dragons.
He served as a sort of mentor for Dustin in season 4 of Stranger Things and was the unfortunate recipient of a bad reputation because of his carefree and slightly eccentric attitude. Here’s a look at why he sacrificed himself for the safety of others.
It’s Eddie’s year
Eddie was the oldest in the club by a few years and was what the general public would consider a flunky, but he believed that this would finally be his year to get his diploma and get out of high school, leaving the future of Hellfire in the hands of Mike and Dustin.
He was the rebel, a non-conformist who didn’t like to play by the rules or societal norms which made him a wildcard. So when Chrissy was looking for some drugs to deal with her hallucinations, she reached out to Eddie.
The short time they spent together gave her a glimpse of his sweet and charming nature which endeared him to her. Unfortunately, after she was attacked by Vecna in his trailer in front of his very own eyes, he couldn’t think of anything else but run.
Given the way he was, made him an easy choice to be accused of Chrissy’s murder and the rest of the town went along with it except for the people that truly knew him. His uncle strongly believed that Eddie didn’t do it simply because it wan’t in his nature.
When Eddie recounts what he saw when Chrissy dies, he expresses guilt while mentioning that he ran way and left her behind because he wasn’t sure of what else to do.
Dustin worshipped Eddie and was his biggest supporter throughout this ordeal. Steve and Eddie bonded over their shared affection for Dustin as a little brother of sorts.
Don’t be a hero
Eddie always considered himself a bit of a coward who wouldn’t jump headfirst into danger but he did find himself following the others into the Upside Down when Steve gets stuck there.
While preparing for the attack on Vecna, he tells Dustin never to change who is, because he adores the kind of character he is and believes that more individuals like that would be better for everyone.
He and Dustin were tasked with creating a distraction and attracting the bats away from Vecna’s lair and Steve tells them to get out of there as soon as things get too much. Eddie states that they don’t exactly look like heroes, so they won’t try to be heroes.
After drawing them in by having a concert on top of a trailer, Dustin and Eddie go back into the heavily enforced trailer. However, they’re soon overrun when they come in through the vents and they decide to go back to the other side.
After Dustin makes it through, Eddie climbs up but then changes his mind and cuts the rope connecting the worlds. He tells Dustin that he’s buying more time and then makes a dash for it on one of the bicycles, leading the bats away.
When he’s knocked over, he tries to make it out on foot but then turns around and remembers how he ran away when Chrissy died. This time he chooses to face the threat rather than run.
Once the bats fall down and Vecna is defeated, Dustin goes to Eddie’s side as he’s struggling with his injuries. He accepts his fate and tells Dustin to take care of the others because he’s finally going to graduate. He reiterates that this might finally be his year before telling Dustin that he loves him.
Dustin meets his uncle after the earthquake and he tells him about his final moments. He says that he wishes people got to know Eddie more because they would have loved him. He tells Mr Munson that Eddie was true to himself right till the end and died a hero.
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