The Duffer Brothers and the cast have been hinting in multiple interviews that the Stranger Things finale will set off the waterworks. But after episode 7 of Season 5, Volume 2, there have been no deaths, only characters resolving their differences.
So it’s likely the conclusive episode will feature a few goodbyes that cannot be undone. After everything that’s unfolded in vol 2, most characters seem to be safe, and it’s unlikely that the creators would cram multiple deaths in two hours.
Here’s an overview of the show:
TitleStranger ThingsCreatorsThe Duffer BrothersMain castMillie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Maya HawkeJoe Keery, Matthew Modine, Cara BuonoNo. of Seasons5NetworkNetflixIMDb8.6/10Rotten Tomatoes90%
However, we might see the demise of one or two people from the main group, and anything more than that would be overkill. So, let’s look at the five characters that have a higher chance of being dead in Stranger Things to raise the stakes or make the end more impactful.
1. Jonathan
During the “unproposal” scene, many believed that he’d sacrifice himself for Nancy, but that didn’t happen, and instead, we had a breakup that confused half the audience. Jonathan is the elder brother of Will, who is now even more integral to the plot after gaining powers. Jonathan is also, in a way, the neglected son that Joyce did not attend to as much as Will.
So his death could either become the catalyst for Will unlocking even more power in the final episode, through the raw pain of losing his brother, who’s always had his back. And for Joyce, it would be the son she never thought she’d lose because she was always busy protecting Will. Overall, if Jonathan passes, his death won’t be in vain and would possibly serve some narrative purpose.
5. Hopper
David Harbour in a still from Stranger Things | Credits: Netflix / 21 Labs Entertainment
Hopper has tried to sacrifice himself a hundred times already, and he’d gladly do it again for the ones he loves. We all know he carries guilt about his daughter’s death and blames himself, so at least in his own eyes, he’d be patching that wound and redeeming himself by saving Eleven. His death would only make sense if it happened for El, and just when we think that it’s one of those moments where Hopper makes it through, he won’t.
4. Nancy
Natalia Dyer in a still from Stranger Things | Credits: Netflix / 21 Labs Entertainment
Nancy has been one of the most daring characters in Stranger Things, and let’s not forget that she’s a Wheeler, with two younger siblings. In season 5, Holly has been taken by Vecna, and though Nancy is up against a kind of supernatural force, she wouldn’t hesitate to lay down her life to save her sister.
A scene where she rescues not just Holly but also Mike and dies while doing so would be the ultimate big sister sacrifice, and we know the Wheeler women aren’t afraid to do that because look at what Karen did this season!
3. Mike
Finn Wolfhard in a still from Stranger Things | Credits: Netflix / 21 Labs Entertainment
Mike is dubbed the heart of the group; he holds everyone and everything together. El loves him, and so does Will, and his death would absolutely send them over the edge to go after Vecna with everything they’ve got. Perhaps losing the person who made them feel accepted would be the price they’ll have to pay to defeat the villain, and the emotional fallout from that would be devastating.
2. Eleven
Millie Bobby Brown in a still from Stranger Things | Credits: Netflix / 21 Labs Entertainment
In a way, Eleven has been positioned as the central character in Stranger Things. The story unfolds around the trauma that was induced onto her, and she’s the one who caused several events in the series, like opening up the Upside Down and sending Henry to the Abyss.
But she’s also someone who’s not afraid to die for the ones she loves, and we’ve seen it multiple times, especially in season 1, when she destroys the demogorgon. Plus, we have Kali constantly feeding the idea of sacrificing herself for the greater good, but would the Duffer brothers really do that?
1. Henry Creel
Jaime Campbell Bower in a still from Stranger Things | Credits: Netflix / 21 Labs Entertainment
Vecna will certainly be destroyed by the end, but what about him as Henry Creel, not the villainous monster we know, but maybe someone who was under the influence of the Mind Flayer? They could flip the script to show that he was trying to fight off the ultimate big bad all along, and he dies as a hero.
The First Shadow play takes a deep dive into his background story, and we learn that he wasn’t always the disturbed child he was portrayed in the show. We also see him offering help to an injured man in a cave when Max and Holly traverse his memories.
There’s an interview where Noah Schnapp says that Vecna is the most misunderstood villain until Millie Bobby Brown stops him from saying anything more (via TVGuide). So, could the essence of Henry Creel still be somewhere within the monstrous figure we see?
With that said, fans are shamelessly rooting for the death of Kali because she seems suspicious and is trying to convince El to kill herself. Kali is another character who could end up dead by the finale, and fan theorists are already suspecting that she’d betray El in some way.
So, which of these people do you think will die in the end? And do you have any other theories of how it will all play out?
Stranger Things is currently streaming on Netflix (USA). The final episode will be released at 8 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2025.
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