#will has powers

But I'm not worried about Byler. Will's queer arc still perfectly aligns with what I've been saying about him for years: he can't fully self-actualize so long as he refuses to address his sexuality -- (not his identity, his sexuality) -- and keeps buying into the narrative that all queers look like him and are doomed to be miserable, because his status as a visible queer means he has the power to help hidden queers like Mike realize they aren't doomed to be miserable either.

Part of the reason I was disappointed with the ending of Vol. 1 is because even though it supports the idea that Will's "innate power" is inspiring to Mike--

--Will's self-actualization just seemed so premature. Why did it only take a single encounter with Vecna to get to this point? Why was this happening in the middle of the season instead of the end? Why were we supposed to buy that this bodes well for Will's arc in Volume 2?

Then I watched his coming out scene and I understood: Will hasn't self-actualized yet. He finally admits out loud that he doesn't like girls, but that's hardly some massive new breakthrough for him -- Will's been defiantly raising his middle finger to comphet since S3.

All he's really accepted about himself so far is that his stubborn authenticity in the face of pressure to date girls is a strength and not a flaw. Which is very important progress, don't get me wrong! He's come a long way since he was a desperately insecure 14 year-old who beat the shit out of himself because not liking girls was deemed cringe by his friends.

But it's not enough.

What Will has really been struggling to accept this whole time is that he's equally entitled to like boys.

[Oh, you know that, do you Byers? Do you also know that Robin's current gf likes men?]

Will might be personally immune to comphet, but he's fallen victim to the homophobic propaganda that sustains it and is struggling not to interpret Robin's advice through the lens of his own confirmation bias:

This Is Just How Growing Up Gay Works: you stupidly fall for a straight person and then you have to get over it. But don't worry, things will get better so long as you learn your lesson and don't bother anyone normal with your shameful preferences again!

For three seasons now, Will has been trapped in this cycle of wanting to be with Mike, hating himself for it, and trying to convince himself that he can get over it by "accepting" that he "shouldn't" feel that way about a seemingly-straight boy.

And the only way to break out of this cycle is to realize that he's not committing some crime by being attracted to Mike and wanting to make out with him.

Will thought that his innocent childhood memories of loving Mike as a friend could defeat Vecna as easily as they defeated the Demos. But it didn't work: Vecna is the source of his sexual shame--

--and his fear of hurting others with it--

--which means Will cannot defeat Vecna unless he stops pretending that the sex part of his sexuality doesn't exist.

Will's power -- the part that's innate to him, the part that Mike admires -- lies in his freedom to choose whether he lets his internalized homophobia control him, or whether he takes control of it and leads by example as a confident gay man.

Vecna tried to scare Will into staying closeted because he sees that Will has been inching closer and closer to true self-acceptance with each pass of his Cycle of Failing to Get Over Mike Wheeler. I know it may not look that way right now, but the end of Vol. 2 is just as important a moment of progress for Will in gaining control over his powers as the end of Vol. 1: he's no longer a glass closet gay who's helplessly subjected to the mortifying ordeal of Being Known in 80s Hawkins -- he's openly gay because of a brave decision HE made on HIS terms to let everyone know that he's not ashamed of who he is.

There's just one more episode to go now -- and just one more step for Will to take before he can unleash his full potential against Vecna.