'Stranger Things' Season 3 Villain: 3 Human Enemies to Watch Out For

Mike, Eleven, and the rest of the gang are about to face a terrifying new monster from the Upside Down in Stranger Things Season 3, but that’s not the only thing the kids of Hawkins, Indiana need to worry about. There are plenty of human villains to contend with in Season 3, from old enemies to new threats. Here are three human villains we’re expecting in Stranger Things 3 based on the last two seasons, casting news, leaks, and more.

3. Billy Might Be the Biggest Villain in Stranger Things Season 3

Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) was a solid antagonist in Stranger Things Season 2, terrorizing his little sister Max and even beating up our boy Steve Harrington. But that was just the beginning. Season 3 trailers have made it pretty clear that Billy will become possessed by the Upside Down (as if he needed a reason to be evil), potentially making him the big bad this time around.

Montgomery all but confirmed this theory in an interview with Digital Spy, saying that “fans are going to get even more than they bargained for on that front, for this season.”

He added that for plenty of the season he had to wear “CGI tracking dots,” presumably to add-in some sort of supernatural effect. Oh, and the Duffer Brothers even made him watch Jack Nicholson in The Shining to prepare for the Stranger Things Season 3 role.

That sounds like a villain to us. Unless …

2. Actually, Jake Busey May Play the Stranger Things Season 3 Villain

We don’t know much about Jake Busey’s role in Stranger Things Season 3. We know he’s a journalist who mostly interacts with Jonathan and Nancy. Busey also told Inverse that his character has “a sick sense of humor” and that it’s a “big role.”

That might not sound like a villain (maybe he’s just a jerk?), but the biggest clue may have been hiding in plain sight all along. A closer look at the first Stranger Things Season 3 trailer reveals an extremely brief shot of Busey with a deranged grin on his face and what appears to be blood on his neck. (See for yourself in the image above.)

So does Jake Busey actually play a major villain? We’re still not convinced, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this journalist turns out to be something much more sinister.

1. The Russians?

This may be a little out there, but there’s reason to believe that Soviet Russia could play a role in Stranger Things Season 3. Back in December 2018, an update to the show’s IMDb page revealed new characters titled “Russian soldier,” “Russian Officer,” and “Russian Goon.” The listings were quickly scrubbed, but we’re not sure if that’s because they contained a spoiler or were just a mistake.

Then, a month later, Stranger Things fans spotted hidden Russian text in the official Season 3 release date announcement. A quick translation revealed that the text spelled “Eleven,” suggesting the Soviets could be interested in finding Eleven and harnessing her powers.

Of course, this is all speculation, and nothing in Netflix’s official promotions for Stranger Things Season 3 suggest the Russians could play a major role or even show up as a minor villain. But if they do, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Stranger Things Season 3 releases on Netflix on July 4.