Who Dies in 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 2?
- - Who Dies in 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 2?
Whitney DanhauerDecember 27, 2025 at 3:01 AM
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Stranger Things fans are just days away from the series finale, and the biggest question surrounding these last episodes is: Who dies in Stranger Things Season 5? There’s a lot at stake as everyone’s favorite Hawkins crew tries to end Vecna once and for all, and fans have more than a few theories on who lives and who dies.
Keep reading for predictions on who makes it out alive and who sings their final swan song in Stranger Things Season 5.
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Eleven Tops Fan Lists of Potential Season 5 Deaths
Both Will (Noah Schnapp) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) have connections to Vecna and the Upside Down. Fans learned that Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) was originally the first subject of Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) in Stranger Things Season 4. Eleven was also part of the group of children Brenner was experimenting with because of their supernatural abilities.
In season 2, only Eleven had the power to close the gate to the Upside Down, and that has stuck with viewers over the years. What if the only way to destroy the Upside Down and Vecna is by Eleven sacrificing herself to save her friends? It’s a popular theory and one that might actually have some legs.
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Eleven's chances of dying only went up in Volume 2. While she did survive in the newest episodes released on Christmas Day, the return of Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) certainly doesn't help her chances.
In Volume 2, Kali revealed that Dr. Kay had been infusing her blood with that of pregnant women and their newborn children in hopes of recreating more kids with abilities like those in the Hawkins Lab. However, her blood only made them sick.
She then revealed that Eleven is the only child from the lab that had Henry's powers, which is why Dr. Kay was trying to capture Eleven. In order to stop Dr. Kay and the military's plan, Kali tells Eleven they have one option and one option only – sacrifice themselves.
When Volume 2 ended, that was still the plan with only those two in the know. How it will all end remains up in the air and fans will have to wait to see how everything unfolds in the finale.
Could Will Byers’ Death be the Key to Defeating Vecna?
Along with Eleven, fans think Will has the highest chance of dying in season 5. Season 2 showed that despite Will’s rescue from the Upside Down in season 1, he still had a connection to Vecna. He was used as a spy for the monster to see what the kids in Hawkins were up to, and in season 4, viewers learned that the Upside Down was frozen in time and it was frozen on the day Will was kidnapped.
Netflix
All of these little bits of information, plus creators Ross and Matt Duffer saying that Will is an integral part of the final season have led fans to believe that Will might be shuffling off his mortal coil before everything is said and done.
Steve Harrington’s Death Might Complete His Character Arc
Steve (Joe Keery) was never meant to survive past the first season of Stranger Things. He was originally created as the stereotypical evil ‘80s boyfriend, but Keery’s charm wormed its way into the Duffers’ hearts and they kept him around for the long haul. However, some fans don’t think that means he’s safe.
Steve has essentially completed his journey from being the popular jock who only cares about himself to being someone who is entirely invested in the wellbeing of the others, especially Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). Where else is there for him to go?
“I think Steve is gonna die in the finale,” one Reddit user wrote. “It would end his arc perfectly and it would be probably the saddest and biggest death of the entire show.”
Granted, if the Duffers kill off Steve they might have a riot on their hands.
Who Dies in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5?
Viewers won’t know who dies in Stranger Things Season 5 until all of the episodes are released, but personally, I think all of the main characters are going to make it. The Duffer brothers have said repeatedly that Stranger Things “isn’t Game of Thrones”
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“Just as a complete hypothetical, if you kill Mike, it’s like. … That’s depressing,” Matt told Variety in 2022. “We aren’t Game of Thrones. This is Hawkins, it’s not Westeros. The show becomes not Stranger Things anymore, because you do have to treat it realistically, right?”
However, this article will be with up-to-date information regarding character deaths as soon as it’s available. Stay tuned!
This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
