Netflix's sci-fi horror TV series Stranger Things has always been a hit, but season 4 saw the show's popularity reach new heights with the introduction of fan-favorite character Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), the Dungeon Master of Hawkins High School's Dungeons & Dragons group, the Hellfire Club. One of the show's defining features, Stranger Things' cast of characters are largely misfits who feel they are on the fringes of society whether it be Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and his friends playing D&D in the basement or Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) attempting to live a normal life outside the control of Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine).

In season 4, this theme of misfits finding themselves is especially prevalent with the Hellfire Club and Eddie, specifically. The Hellfire Club primarily consists of Eddie, his bandmates, and a majority of the main characters, including Mike, Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin). Despite the Hellfire Club being a harmless group, Eddie is accused of being a satanic cult leader because of the club's name, and the persecution becomes even fiercer when Eddie is accused of murdering several Stranger Things students like Fred Benson. The Hellfire Club is a big part of Stranger Things season 4, and its founding principles are actually based on real-life 18th-century organizations.

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The Hellfire Clubs Were Secret Societies For British & Ireland's Upper Class

In 18th-century Britain and Ireland, there was a series of secret societies of elite upper-class members calling themselves the Hellfire Club. While the specific details varied from each incarnation, they all shared one common theme: they were incredibly exclusive and engaged in various forms of debauchery such as heavy drinking, hosting mock religious ceremonies, sexual games, and other acts that were perceived as socially immoral (via Slate).

The first official Hellfire Club was founded by Philip Wharton, 1st Duke of Wharton, in London in 1718. It was created as a "satirical gentlemen's club" that was known to ridicule religion. The more famous Hellfire Club though was the one formed by Sir Francis Dashwood, though they called it The Order of the Friars of St Francis of Wycombe. Just like the club formed by the Duke of Wharton, Dashwood's Hellfire Club derided religion. Many of their meetings had members performing "obscene parodies of religious rites" while also engaging in other activities like mock rituals, excessive drinking, and banqueting (via The Hell-Fire Clubs: A History of Anti-Morality).

How Stranger Things' Hellfire Club Compares To The Real Thing

At first glance, the Hellfire Clubs of the 18th century and the one in Stranger Things are quite different. Not only are the members of the Stranger Things Hellfire Club not wealthy elites, but they also do not indulge in any form of debauchery. However, they do have two common links: both clubs were a safe haven for outcasts and misfits and were viewed by outsiders as satanic cults that reveled in devil worshiping.

Eddie is a self-proclaimed "freak" who loves '80s heavy metal and D&D, and he used these interests to create the Hellfire Club. While some Hawkins residents accuse the club of being a satanic cult, Eddie does not care if it is viewed that way. All that matters to him is that the club allows him and his friends to feel empowered and free from society. Eddie succeeds in this mission, and though he's tragically killed at the end of Stranger Things season 4, he leaves behind a legacy of misfits banding together, which is ultimately what the show is all about.