The episode titles for Stranger Things season 5 have been unveiled, and tease a potential new villain dubbed Camazotz. The Duffers Brothers have referenced countless movies, shows and books in Stranger Things over the years, from Aliens to IT and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Perhaps the strongest influence (outside of Stephen King anyway) is Dungeons & Dragons. The franchise’s young heroes are big fans of the fantasy roleplaying game and have labeled the various creatures they’ve encountered in The Upside Down after D&D monsters.

This includes the Demogorgon or season 4’s big bad Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). The final season will likely maintain this tradition, though story details are still kept under lock and key. Netflix recently dropped the episode titles for the upcoming Stranger Things season 5, with episode one dubbed “The Crawl” and the final episode titled “The Rightside Up,” an inversion of season 1’s finale “The Upside Down.” One of the most intriguing is episode 6 “Escape from Camazotz,” which sure sounds like another Dungeons & Dragons monster reference from Stranger Things’ showrunners.

Stranger Things Season 5’s Episode Titles Hint At Camazotz Being A New Villain

Could Camazotz also be A Wrinkle in Time reference?

It’s been confirmed Vecna will make his return in Stranger Things season 5, though whether he serves as the final antagonist is yet to be made clear. The show’s young heroes will no doubt have to face some new threats along the way, and a glance at both D&D lore and Mayan mythology suggests they’ll be battling a giant bat-like monster during “Escape from Camazotz.” In Dungeons & Dragons, Camazotz is the god of bats from the Olman underworld who is also known by the name Zotzilaha.

Anyone still traumatized by Eddie Munson’s (Joseph Quinn) death in Stranger Things season 4 will remember he was mauled by a pack of creatures dubbed the Demobats. As their name suggests, they were essentially bat versions of the Demogorgans, with the creatures acting as Vecna’s minions in Dimension X. It’s possible season 5 will find some of Stranger Things‘ ensemble trapped in Dimension X and chased by Camazotz, which is some kind of evolved Demobat.

A Wrinkle in Time features a passage involving a planet called Camazotz, which has been overtaken by the evil entity The Black Thing.

Outside of the D&D connections, Camazotz could also be a reference to the classic YA novel A Wrinkle in Time. The book features a passage involving the planet Camazotz, which has been overtaken by The Black Thing. This entity is a giant, evil shadow that covers Camazotz and uses mind control on its residents. Instead of being a slimy bat creature, Stranger Things‘ “Escape from Camazotz” could be pulling inspiration from this Wrinkle in Time section instead.

The Mythological Camazotz: The Story Of The Bat God Explained

“Escape from Camazotz” could be linked to a classic Mayan myth

According to Mayan mythology (via ATI), Camazotz is a deity known as the spirit of night, death and sacrifice. The name translates as “death bat” in the Kʼicheʼ language, and was often depicted as an eerie blend of man and bat. The beast was said to live inside the caves of the Mayan underworld, Xibalba, and would fly out to capture (or decapitate) those who got too close to its home. Priests would also perform human sacrifices to this being.

Every Stranger Things Season 5 Episode Title
Overall Series Number

“Chapter One: The Crawl”
35

“The Disappearance of… [Redacted]”
36

“The Turnbow Trap”
37

“Sorcerer”
38

“Shock Jock”
39

“Escape from Camazotz”
40

“The Bridge”
41

“The Rightside Up”
42

As recounted in the text Popol Vuh, the twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque had to venture to Xibalba for a series of trials to test their strength. This included spending a night in the “Bat House,” where they slept while hiding from Camazotz. However, Hunahpu was later decapitated by the monster, who then brought the head to a ballcourt so the Gods could play with it. Long story short, Hunahpu’s twin later retrieved his head from the gods and gave it back and they ultimately escaped the underworld.

Why Camazotz Sounds Like A Fitting Stranger Things Season 5 Villain

Will another Stranger Things hero have to sacrifice themselves?

Assuming Stranger Things’ take on Camazotz is indeed a giant bat creature, it could serve as a great thematic foe for the last season. After all, the being is inextricably linked to themes like death and sacrifice, and it’s unlikely the Netflix series will close without one or two fatalities on the heroes side. After all, Eddie already sacrificed himself to the Demobats of Dimension X, so perhaps Camazotz wants to claim more blood.

Of course, with a lack of solid story details, this is all conjecture. Camazotz could be a creature or a new location the show’s characters find themselves trapped in, which, like The Black Thing in A Wrinkle in Time, is being controlled by a hive mind. Camazotz’s connection to Dungeons & Dragons makes it more likely to be a new villain, however – and one that will no doubt give Stranger Things‘ ensemble a real challenge before the show wraps up.