Who is Eddie Munson in Stranger Things season 4? Does character die in part 2 - and who is actor Joseph Quinn

Stranger Things returned for the final leg of season four this month, and the characer of Eddie Munson appeared in both the feature-length episodes having been introduced at the start of the season.

Munson is played by Game of Thrones actor Joseph Quinn, and both the character and actor quickly became a favourite among Stranger Things fans.

The latest episodes of the sci-fi Netflix series which dropped on 1 July further developed Eddie’s character and tied up some loose ends.

The character was inspired by the Satanic Panic - a strange phenomenon which swept American in the 1980s and ‘90s - but with an added supernatural twist.

Who is Eddie Munson?

Eddie Munson is the leader of the Hawkins High School’s D&D club, The Hellfire Club, and a pretty mean guitarist. A social outcast with an anarchistic vibe, his life is turned upside down when he is blamed for the death of cheerleader Chrissy.

When looking for some drugs to share with Chrissy, the cheerleader is possessed by Vecna and brutally killed. Knowing that he will be blamed for her murder, Eddie goes on the run and is pursued by Chrissy’s jock boyfriend and an angry mob.

Dustin and his friends take Eddie under his wing, as they know about Vecna and want to kill the demon.

The people of Hawkins are galvanised against Eddie, as they believe he is at the centre of a satanic cult.

Eddie enters the Upside Down dimension with Nancy and Robin after Steve is pulled into it, though he is able to escape, Vecna possesses Nancy.

Does Eddie Munson die in Stranger Things?

*Spoilers for episodes eight and nine*

By the end of episode seven, Eddie is very much alive, but he faces some major tests of character in the final two episodes of season four.

In the climactic battle of the season, Eddie and co fight the Demobats.

He and Dustin rig amps above his trailer and Eddie lets off a guitar solo of Metallica’s Master of Puppets to lure the creatures.

Eddie leads the Demobats away from his friends on his bike, before deciding to stand his ground and fight them directly.

Eddie goes down in a blaze of glory and is mortally wounded by the Demobats - he dies in Dustin’s arms.

Though Eddie died a hero’s death, he is still painted as a murderer by the local media who claim that he was repsonsile for the string of local murders, killing people as part of his satanic rituals.

Who is actor Joseph Quinn?

Joseph Quinn is a British actor (he puts on a pretty convincing American accent for his role as Eddie) who was born in London.

His first major screen role was playing Arthur Havisham in the Victorian series Dickensian.

He played Koner in one episode of Game of Thrones and Leonard Bast in the miniseries Howards End.

He took on the role of Prince Paul in the historical series Catherine the Great, and Enjolras in Les Misérables.

He also played Billy Knight in the J.K. Rowling adaptation Strike, and is due to star as Michael in the upcoming drama Hoard.

What was the Satanic Panic?

The character of Eddie Munson is inspired by the Satanic Panic - a moral panic over satanic rituals which hit America in 1980.

Many Americans feared that rock music, and what they believed to be a harmful media culture was behind the spread of satanic cults across the country.

In the 1990s, the case of the West Memphis Three saw three teenagers wrongfully convicted of murder.

Prosecutors argued that three teenagers had killed three children as part of a satanic ritual - one of the teens was sentenced to death while the others were handed life sentences.

New forensic evidence was presented in 2007 which shed doubt on the defendants’ guilt - the three entered Alford pleas in 2011 and were released with ten year suspended sentences.

Munson is a composite of the West Memphis Three, as his character was also accused of being involved in satanism.

When is Stranger Things on Netflix?

All of season 1-4 of Stranger Things will be available to watch on Netflix now.