In Stranger Things, Vecna targets kids because he sees them as easier to break, control, and reshape into extensions of himself rather than as people. He wants them as “vessels” or instruments for his plan to remake the world in his own image, not because he cares about them.

How Vecna Sees Children

Vecna explicitly says he chooses children because they are weak in body and mind, easily broken, and therefore “perfect vessels” for his power. Their fears, traumas, and insecurities make them more vulnerable to his psychological manipulation and illusions, which he uses to gain their trust and then dominate them.

His Larger Plan

His ultimate goal is to reshape or “rebuild” the world using a group of controlled children linked to the Upside Down and the hive mind. By attaching them to structures in the Upside Down and infecting them with its particles, he turns them into living anchors for his influence in the real world.

Why He Started With Will

Vecna’s abduction of Will Byers showed him how effective a child could be as a test subject and psychic conduit. Will’s initial “break” under Vecna’s influence revealed what was possible, convincing Vecna that a network of children like Will could power his plan to control and reshape reality.