Stranger Things season 5 is ready to drop on November twenty sixth, 2025. As that is the show’s last curtain, no less than one major character is prone to die. Early on, Barb Holland was killed by the Demogorgon. Bob Newby and Eddie Munson later died fighting the Upside Down. Meanwhile, Max Mayfield survived but ended up in a coma.
Past seasons have faked funerals – teased deaths that reversed the following 12 months. But not this time, as season 5 is the ultimate. That changes the maths. Why this feels unavoidable is that, unlike most kid-centered stories that treat death as taboo, Stranger Things has never been squeamish about death. It’s built on casualties. If someone has finished their growth, a sacrificial exit gives the story weight.
Characters who haven’t evolved much are safer. Minor or short-tenure characters don’t move the needle as much, so killing a fan favorite does. That’s why some names feel expendable and others unlikely to go. The choice can be cruel. So, listed below are the highest five characters more than likely to fulfill their end in the ultimate chapter.
5. Max Mayfield
In season 4’s climactic showdown with Vecna, Max Mayfield is used because the lure so the older kids can mount an assault contained in the Upside Down. The plan collapses when Vecna sees through the trick and activates Max, nearly killing her before Eleven intervenes on the last possible second.
Max survives but is left badly injured and blind, which makes one other near-fatal encounter unlikely. Her fate was left unresolved on the season 4 finale. And with this, her recovery stays murky, leaving room for Vecna to return and finish what he began. That uncertainty is why Max sits high on most death-prediction lists.
4. Steve Harrington
Introduced as a stereotypical high-school jock and schoolyard bully, Steve Harrington progressively evolved. Over seasons, he was the show’s most favorite and unexpected guardian. His friendship with Dustin offers a number of the show’s most heartfelt and humorous moments.
Over the seasons, Steve has been the one who throws himself into danger first, between chaos and the children. And it really feels almost too heroic for comfort. If the story needs a gut-punch moment, Steve seems probably the most fitting selection. His sacrifice would deeply resonate with the audience.
3. Will Byers
Will Byers is staring down probably the most dangerous season yet. Netflix’s season 5 trailer teases a confrontation with Vecna, and that puts Will squarely within the crosshairs. His biography on the show is one wound after one other. He was snatched by the Demogorgon in season 1. He was possessed by the Mind Flayer in season 3.
That history matters. Because Will still carries a link to the Upside Down, and since he’s been controlled before, Vecna has a tempting avenue to use. The trailer suggests they’ll meet. If Vecna can reuse that connection, the chance is greater than psychological. It could possibly be lethal. There’s also narrative weight: the child who introduced the audience to the Upside Down is perhaps the one to shut it. That mission could save everyone or cost Will his life.
2. Eleven
Season 5 drops Eleven into the middle of the fight and into clear danger. The ultimate battle is already unfolding. She wields psychokinetic force and telepathic reach. Those abilities rescued Hawkins and the children multiple times across 4 seasons. Her power made her the town’s shield. Vecna, the season-four villain, is slated to come back back in Season 5.
Government agents are also on the scene. Either side are closing in. Vecna exploits psychic links. Officials see Eleven as an unidentified variable, a threat to manage. She’s within the crosshairs of each supernatural malice and human fear. Could those threats be the means to an end for Eleven?
1. Vecna
Vecna, introduced in Season 4, is now Stranger Things’ central threat. He stalks Hawkins residents who survived trauma. His goal is totalitarian rule over every dimension he can touch. He was defeated at Season 4’s end but was not killed. That survival sets up a climactic Season 5. Fans expect a showdown with the large bad of the Upside Down.
The apparent narrative pressure: because the villain, Vecna can be the character most in danger. Viewers want Hawkins to be saved. That makes Vecna’s death the likeliest end result. There may be one caveat. The Duffer Brothers could go for a darker finish. In the event that they do, Vecna wins and Hawkins is lost to the Upside Down, but that seems not possible!
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