From: What Are The Monsters & What Do They Want? (2025)

Understanding what the monsters are in From is critical to unraveling the mystery of the hit MGM+ show. After all, the cryptic entities are central to what's going on in the strange Township, which traps, and tries to break, From's cast of characters. As in any supernatural horror story worth telling, the monsters are not just terrifying killers, but connected to the show's larger themes. In the first two seasons of the show, viewers learn that the monsters are far from the only threat. However, the nocturnal, bloodthirsty, and sharp-clawed beings are the most blatant danger in the Township.

In From season 2's cliffhanger ending, Boyd Stevens (Harold Perrineau), who does his best to protect the town from the monsters, destroys an arcane music box. Boyd's actions free several characters from the spell of From’s haunting nursery rhyme, but the moment also emboldens the sheriff. After keeping the monsters at bay for so long, Boyd declares that the monsters and the Township's supernatural forces won't break him. Without a doubt, this sets the stage for an even more dangerous third season. Plus, the horrifying From season 3 promises revelations about some of the long-standing mysteries behind the monsters.

From's Mysterious Monsters Explained (& What They Could Be)

The Monsters In MGM's From Might Be Fae

Even in From season 3, the townspeople still haven't quite figured out the monsters' true nature, though some of the series' details provide crucial insights into the creatures' origins. For starters, the monsters only appear at night to hunt the townspeople. As Boyd discovers, the strange talismans hold them at bay, forcing the monsters to manipulate their would-be victims into opening their doors at night. Deeply intelligent, the monsters also seem to have a kind of omniscient ability. Often, the creatures know far more about their prey than should be possible.

At first, it seemed like the town in From was besieged by vampires. In addition to being nocturnal and asking victims' permission to enter their homes, the monsters appeared to be human — until they shed their conventional visages to attack. Moreover, Victor (Scott McCord), the town's most mysterious resident, discovers that the monsters sleep in dungeons far below the town. While the tunnels hold more mysteries than answers, the subterranean passages reveal that the monsters also draw glyphs and symbols. Unlike vampires, however, From's monsters kill for sport — not sustenance.

Although the monsters boast many characteristics that align with common vampire mythology, the answer to what they are doesn't seem to be so simple. The monsters' defining features also describe other fae creatures, which see humans as playthings, all while abiding by supernatural "rules." The magical elements of the town, from the Faraway Trees and prophetic visions to Boyd’s blood curse, also hint at a more supernatural answer than vampires. That said, it's possible From's monsters are a specific type of demon.

Why From's Monsters Only Kill Humans At Night

The Nocturnal Habits Of The From Monsters Might Mean They're Vampiric

Some of the rules the monsters in From follow offer clues to their true identity. One of these rules is that the monsters only come out at night and typically enter the town from the woods. From a production standpoint, the creatures likely only stalk the townspeople at night because this creates more tension. That is, tying the monsters to nighttime and the primordial woods feeds on deeply archetypal human fears, adding to the creatures’ horror-movie-style menace.

Even if monsters don't burn into piles of ash in the sunlight, their hesitancy to appear during the day definitely adds weight to the vampire theory. Moreover, the Township doesn't have any version of the bible or any other holy text, which Father Khatri (Shaun Majumder) is quick to point out in From season 1. If the town and the surrounding woods are lorded over by demons or vampires, that could explain the lack of bibles. Jim Matthews (Eion Bailey) has also theorized that the monsters are part of some experiment in which humans are transformed into monstrous nighttime hunters.

What From's Monsters Really Want With The Town's Residents

The Monsters Want To Torture The Townspeople Just As Much As They Want To Kill Them

In From season 3's premiere, the monsters reveal more about what they really want from the townspeople. Earlier in the episode, Donna (Elizabeth Saunders) reveals to Boyd that all of Colony House's crops have rotted, leaving the entire town with very little food. Boyd suggests that they safeguard the livestock — a couple of goats, sheep, and cows — if they want to survive the horrors of the Township. Unfortunately, the monsters are well-aware of the town's drastic food shortage. At the end of the episode, From's monsters let all the animals loose.

The monsters know that doing so will bait Boyd and some of the other townspeople into going outside at night. While the monsters have always been bloodthirsty and manipulative, this course of action feels like a new side to their treachery. Eventually, they lure Boyd and Tian-Chen (Elizabeth Moy) into the barn, trapping them inside. The monsters then handcuff Boyd to a post and force him to watch as they slowly torture and kill Tian-Chen. One of the creatures tells Boyd that they're doing it in order to "break" him, suggesting the monsters have a more sinister motivation.

Why Humans Can't Escape The Town In From

The Monsters In From Are Only One Piece Of The Puzzle

Another major wrinkle in the show's lore is its very foundational concept: the townspeople can't leave once they arrive. In a classic example of a spatial or temporal warp, the denizens of the town find that once they enter, all roads form an endless loop. As of From season 3, episode 1, venturing into the woods has allowed the trapped townspeople to make some progress. Tabitha Matthews (Catalina Sandino Moreno), for example, finds the lighthouse in the woods, falls from its window, and winds up back in the "real world" at the end of season 2.

Still, it's not entirely clear how or why the lighthouse transported Tabitha to Camden, Maine. In the first season, Tabitha digs up the wires powering her home's appliances, only to discover that they lead nowhere. This suggests that the Township is trapped in some in-between space that's divorced from the normal world. If that's the case, the monsters might be fae or demons rather than vampires. That said, From's characters could be trapped in a pocket universe — one that's actually a world populated by fae.

What The Mysterious Symbol Means In From

The Symbol Is Key To Understanding The Monsters

Throughout the show, a strange symbol appears again and again, suggesting a deeper lore is at play. The symbol in question looks like a circle with several lines intersecting inside it. The image has appeared in the tunnels where the creatures sleep, in journals uncovered by the townspeople, and in prophetic visions. Jade (David Alpay), in particular, is haunted by visions of the arcane symbol throughout From season 2. Whether it's an occult society's icon or the logo of some experimental science firm, it seems to be connected to the monsters' origins.

Additionally, the mysterious symbol could be connected to the glyphs carved into the protective talismans that Boyd finds in the woods. The talismans bear a different symbol entirely, though the strange artifacts act a lot like the Norse Runic Compass — a guiding and protective totem. It's possible that the symbol stands in stark contrast to the talisman's symbol, indicating danger is near. Whether it's a foil to the talisman or merely connected to another part of the town's bizarre lore, there's no doubt that the symbol will shed some light on the monsters before From comes to an end.

Who Is The Boy In White & Why Does He Help From's Characters?

The Mysterious Figure May Be Linked To The Monsters In From

One of the most compelling mysteries in From is the Boy in White, who ushers Victor to safety and appears to Ethan (Simon Webster) when the Matthews family first arrives in town. In the season 1 finale, he helps Boyd and Sara (Avery Konrad) into a Faraway Tree just before nightfall. Later, in the sophomore outing's finale, it's the Boy in White who pushes Tabitha from the lighthouse and into the real world. While he’s been a fairly benign (and even helpful) presence so far, the Boy in White still feels a bit scary.

It's possible the Boy in White is connected From's monsters, even if he's often acting against them and aiding the townspeople. Unlike the monsters, the Boy in White appears during the day, but he could still be a ghost or other supernatural entity. Most likely, he wants to right past wrongs or save others from the fate he suffered. However, if the Boy in White is connected to the monsters in From, the link between them has yet to be fully revealed as of the show's third outing.

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From

TV-MA

Mystery

Drama

Horror

Science Fiction

From is a series revolving around a mysterious American town that ensnares newcomers, forcing its inhabitants to maintain order and find an escape amidst nighttime perils from the surrounding forest. The residents face threats from terrifying creatures emerging after sunset, complicating their struggle for survival.

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Cast

Harold Perrineau , Catalina Sandino Moreno , Eion Bailey , David Alpay , Elizabeth Saunders , Scott McCord , Shaun Majumder , Ricky He , Chloe Van Landschoot , Pegah Ghafoori , Corteon Moore , Avery Konrad , Hannah Cheramy , Simon Webster , Elizabeth Moy , Deborah Grover , Angela Moore , Vox Smith , Paul Zinno , Kaelen Ohm , Robert Joy , A.J. Simmons , Samantha Brown , Benjamin Clost , Sam Haynes

Release Date

February 20, 2022

Seasons

3

Directors

Jack Bender , Brad Turner , Alexandra La Roche , Bruce McDonald , Jeff Renfroe

Creator(s)

John Griffin

Writers

Vivian Lee , Kristen Layden , Brigitte Hales

Main Genre

Drama