The series finale of Stranger Things included shocking character deaths, surprising reveals, a time jump and an engagement — but did the show end on a satisfying note?
Netflix’s hit series wrapped up on Wednesday, December 31, with Joyce (Winona Ryder), Hopper (David Harbour), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Dusin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Will (Noah Schnapp), Max (Sadie Sink), Steve (Joe Keery), Robin (Maya Hawke) and Erica (Priah Ferguson) coming together to take down Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
The show ultimately concluded with the heroes winning over Vecna. However, there were a few casualties and a time jump that offered an update on where everyone ended up 18 months after the big battle in Hawkins. In the final shot, the main friend group played one last battle of Dungeons and Dragons before leaving for their next adventure as college students. Their seats weren’t left empty for long because Holly (Nell Fisher) and her friends — including Delightful Derek — were the next ones to take over playing the game.
Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, Stranger Things focused on a fictional town where a series of supernatural events take place, causing mystery, death and mayhem. Season 5, which was divided into three parts, previously received a lackluster reaction as fans questioned several scenes, including potential character breakups, rumors of deleted scenes and more.
Randy Havens, who played beloved Mr. Clarke, took to Instagram earlier this month to address the viral posts from viewers claiming that show insiders anonymously shared that crucial moments didn’t air.
“There’s no secret Snyder cut of the show,” he wrote, referring to director Zack Snyder’s original version of 2017’s Justice League, with the longer version of the film being released on HBO Max in 2021 after overwhelming backlash from fans. “People don’t believe everything some random ass tells you on the internet.”
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of where every character’s story ended:
Joyce Byers
After helping the kids win the war against Vecna, Joyce got to be the one to deliver the fatal blow in honor of her ex Bob (Sean Astin). The time jump showed Joyce sending Will off to college before planning a future with Hopper, which included accepting his proposal.
Jim Hopper
The fight for humanity led to several close calls for Hopper. He even got to see Vecna when his mind was briefly taken over by the big bad. But Hopper ultimately survived and remained the chief of police in Hawkins. The scenes from 1989, however, hinted that he could be accepting a new position in Montauk. As some fans may remember, Stranger Things was originally meant to be called Montauk since it is based on the real-life conspiracy theory of the Montauk Project.
Mike Wheeler
In addition to helping his friends defeat Vecna, Mike faced a personal loss. As everyone returned to Hawkins from the Upside Down, the military ambushed them and Mike watched Eleven refuse to return. They shared one final moment in her mind as she explained her decision to vanish so the others could live normal lives instead of always having to hide her
The time jump introduced a new theory about what actually happened to Eleven … but more on that later. For Mike, the future hinted at him becoming a writer as he captured all his friends’ adventures down on paper. He also finished off the group’s last game of D&D before watching the next generation ushered in his basement.
Eleven
The finale was tough for Eleven, who considered letting herself die to keep the others safe. Hopper convinced her not to stop fighting for a future but ultimately Eleven survived while Kali was shot. While Eleven was able to face — and kill — Vecna once and for all, she didn’t return to Hawkins and seemed to allow herself to remain in the Upside Down instead.
She was thought to be dead but Mike suggested another theory. He pointed out that Eleven’s powers were suppressed by the military so the visual of her being killed could have been a vision created by Kali in her final moments. Instead, Mike remained hopeful that Eleven was able to live her life somewhere far away from Hawkins, which the audience saw briefly although it remained up to the viewer whether they chose that ending to the story.
Dustin Henderson
The time jump showed Dustin as the valedictorian of his class. In his speech, Dustin found a way to honor Eddie (Joseph Quinn) and even caught the eye of some girls from their school. Mike’s prediction for Dustin showed him thriving in college but still finding time for weekend adventures with Steve.
Lucas Sinclair
Mike’s vision for Lucas showed him and Max continuing to date and thrive outside of Hawkins.
Nancy Wheeler
After helping defeat Vecna, Nancy moved out of Hawkins to attend Emerson. She revealed to her friend group, however, that she dropped out to work for the Herald.
Jonathan Byers
As for Jonathan, he was in NYU making films and thriving. His brother, Will, is also attending school in New York and Joyce and Hopper’s move to Montauk would keep their family unit close together once out of Hawkins.
Will Byers
After coming out, Will was able to tap into his powers more. He saw Vecna’s origin story in the cave and even tried to appeal to him. It didn’t work but Will came out of the other side more confident in himself. In Mike’s vision for his future, Will was happy in New York and even felt comfortable enough to find love.
Max Mayfield
The time jump 18 months into the future showed Max fully mended. She graduated alongside Lucas and their friends. Mike’s vision showed her and Lucas still watching movies together as their happiness continued to grow.
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Steve Harrington
Despite a fakeout near-death scene clearly meant to mock all of Us that were worried about Steve’s future, he survived. He was also one of the only people from the friend group who remained in Hawkins. He was seen working for the school as a coach — who doubled as a sex-ed teacher — and he was happy with small town life. He was still dating around but he was more focused on his friendships. After getting visibly emotional about not seeing Jonathan, Nancy and Robin as much now that they were spread across multiple states, they agreed to meet once a month.
Robin Buckley
There was no update on Robin’s relationship with Vickie but Robin also left town. She missed Steve and the others though, which she told them while reminiscing on how their bond paled in comparison to her new friendships.
Erica Sinclair
After playing a role alongside Mr. Clarke in taking Vecna down, Erica was still disillusioned by her brother’s antics. She remained in Hawkins when the time jump checked in on her.
Holly Wheeler
The youngest Wheeler played a large role in saving the kids from Vecna. She was alive and well in the time jump and remained friends with the children that she was captured with in the Upside Down. Their last scene was Holly running downstairs with her friends to start playing D&D, which showed the next generation taking over where Mike and his friends left off.
Henry Creel and One and Vecna
The series finale felt like the perfect ad for Stranger Things: The First Shadow as Vecna a.k.a One a.k.a Henry faced his fear and entered the cave. There we saw him once again get shot by the man before young Henry opened his briefcase. Inside was a mysterious rock that had an entity who spoke to Henry. It was able to infiltrate him through a cut on his hand and Henry allowed it to take over. Will tried to reason with this version of Vecna about breaking free and helping them since the big bad was just doing the entity’s bidding. Vecna, however, refused because he claimed he believed in the vision the entity had for the world. That sealed his fate and Eleven (with help from the others) destroyed Vecna, the Mind Flayer, the Upside Down and the Abyss.
