The final chapter of Stranger Things is shaping up to be the Hawkins endgame we’ve waited years for.
We’ve been promised bigger monsters, darker stakes and all the nostalgic chaos only the Upside Down can deliver.
The creators (the Duffer Brothers) teased a season that dives straight into the fallout of Season 4: Hawkins cracked open, Vecna wounded but far from gone, and the OG crew forced into one last stand.
Now that the first volume of season 5 has dropped, we have made some predictions about who is pinned to die, and what has happened so far.
How many episodes are there in Stranger Things season 5?
Season 5 will have eight episodes, with the finale set to be a feature-length send-off rather than a standard episode.
The first four episodes have already dropped on Netflix, so get watching.
What happens in Stranger Things season 5?
So far in Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1 has delivered pure chaos.
Hawkins is unravelling under a new wave of Upside Down horrors, Vecna has returned with a terrifying new plan involving kidnapped kids, and Will’s long-teased connection to the Upside Down finally explodes as he channels Vecna’s own power to destroy attacking monsters.
Eleven and Hopper launch a rescue mission that leads them to Kali (008), while Max, alive but trapped, is stuck in a “mind prison” inside Vecna’s psyche alongside Holly Wheeler, who briefly escapes back to the real world.
With Hawkins collapsing, alliances shifting and Will emerging as a central weapon in the fight, the season is building toward its most emotional, high-stakes showdown yet.
Who dies in Stranger Things season 5?
According to statements from the Duffer Brothers, season 5 will include the “most violent death” in the series’ history.
That said, who might die remains speculative and will most likely happen during the finale on Christmas Day.
Here’s a breakdown of the main suspects — and why people fear it might be them.
- Vecna/ Henry Creel: Most predictions agree he’s doomed this season, as a series can’t end without the villain dying, right?
- Will Byers: As he’s got a decades-long connection to the Upside Down, many believe that if the story ends full circle, Will may have to pay the price.
- Eleven: She’s the only one powerful enough to stop Vecna, which may mean a sacrificing situation could go on?
- Steve Harrington: Many fans think the show could give him a heroic “going out on top” ending.
Some fan rankings argue that characters like Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, or other younger/side characters are less likely to die, either because they still have growth left or because killing them wouldn’t have as much narrative weight.
