Since its premiere in 2016, Stranger Things has consistently put Will Byers, portrayed by Noah Schnapp, through an emotional and supernatural wringer. The gentle and empathetic character was the initial target of the Upside Down, abducted by a Demogorgon under the sinister influence of Vecna, played by Jamie Campbell Bower. Even after his escape, Will struggled with lingering ties to the “Mind Flayer,” becoming an involuntary informant for the Upside Down’s collective consciousness.

Despite breaking free from these dark forces, Will found it challenging to transition into adolescence like his friends. His mother, Joyce, portrayed by Winona Ryder, treated him with extreme caution, while his feelings for his best friend Mike, played by Finn Wolfhard, remained largely unreciprocated.

In essence, Will Byers has been denied the opportunity to truly shine, to assert himself, or to fully embrace his identity—until the arrival of Stranger Things Season 5.

The standout feature of the fifth season lies in how the series finally allows Will Byers to embrace his true self and achieve victory.

**Spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5, now available on Netflix**

Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1 opens with a five-minute-long flashback to young Will’s troubling time in the Upside Down, but it ends with Will finally owning his power. Instead of letting Vecna’s taunting words break him down, Will breaks through. He discovers that his connection to the hive mind goes both ways, meaning that he cannot only tap into what Vecna and his monstrous lieutenants see, but he can control the Demogorgons.

Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 4 “Sorcerer” ends with Will fully entering his mage era. However, this moment isn’t just thrilling because it represents a major power up for a Stranger Things character; it’s massively cathartic for anyone who’s watched Will suppress his powers and his true self for Stranger Things’s entire run.

Stranger Things Season 1 opens with Will, Mike, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) playing Dungeons & Dragons. When the Demogorgon crashes the proverbial party, it’s up to “Will the Wise” to save the day. However, from the jump, Will is torn between making the safe move or risking it all on a rare roll. Does he fireball the monster or cast a protection spell? This question of risk vs. reward defines Will so much that his favorite song, the one that represents him, is the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”

In the rare moments where Will has chosen to stand his ground, to face the monsters, he’s been routed by the overwhelming power he’s challenging. In Stranger Things Season 2, he takes Bob Newby’s (Sean Astin) advice to confront the Mind Flayer only to be wholly overcome. So, too, has Will been disappointed whenever he’s tried to stick up for his interests and desires among the friend group. Mike and Lucas infamously rebuff his attempt at a “boy’s only” game day in Season 3, with Mike literally snapping it’s not his fault Will doesn’t like girls. Later, in Season 4, it’s clear that no matter how Will tries to express his true romantic attraction to Mike, his friend is in love with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).

Up until Stranger Things Season 5, Will has been treated as something precious that needs protecting, as someone whose inner truth must be kept secret. Over the course of Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1’s first four episodes, Will finally challenges this notion with the help of the show’s other major queer character, Robin (Maya Hawke). First, Robin helps Will harness his powers to hunt Vecna and, later, she gives him a pep talk about what it means to embrace yourself without fear. She explains the freedom that comes when you stop looking to other people for the answers and finally understand you are all you need.

All of this personal growth crescendoes with the magical moment at the end of Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 4 “Sorcerer,” where Will takes his happiest memories and uses them as fuel to light his long-latent magical powers. He no longer needs to be protected; he has the power to protect. He no longer needs to be loved; he has always been loved and he has always loved. Will Byers no longer is a pawn, but a major player on the board.

It’s this carefully-plotted, perfectly-executed moment of character growth that makes the end of Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1 so powerful, and it’s why we can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 comes out on Netflix on Thursday, December 25.