Who Died In Stranger Things Season 5

Alright, grab your Eggo waffles and a box of tissues, because we need to have a very serious, slightly unhinged chat about Stranger Things Season 5. We all know the Duffer Brothers are basically emotional terrorists. They love building up your favorite character just to drop a house on them—metaphorically or, in one case, literally with a meat-flayer.

Leaks are flooding the internet like demogorgons in a mall, and my therapist says I need to share this trauma. So, let’s break down who actually buys the farm in the final season. Spoiler alert: Hawkins is about to have a massive population problem.

The Main Suspects (and the One You’re Praying Gets Snuffed)

First up, the obvious target: Eleven. Look, the show has been setting up her "ultimate sacrifice" since she flipped a van with her mind in season one. Rumor has it she might have to "power off" the Upside Down by turning herself into a human fuse. It would be poetic, devastating, and make every Millie Bobby Brown fan ugly-cry into their pumpkin patch lattes.

But here’s a twist: she might survive. The leakers are split, which is about as reliable as a Hawkins Lab promise. If she dies, it will be like that time Sadie Sink’s Max almost bought it—agonizingly slow, with a soundtrack of Kate Bush covers.

Steve Harrington: The Hair That Refuses to Die

This guy has walked through literal hell, been concussed by a nail bat, and wrestled with interdimensional bats. He’s the human equivalent of a golden retriever with a dead battery. Fandom is terrified Steve will get the "heroic death" he so clearly deserves, because nothing says "closure" like Joe Keery taking a monster for the team.

But here’s the surprising fact: the Duffer Brothers have publicly lied about killing him multiple times. They tweeted "Steve dies" as a prank. They’re like that friend who says "I’m fine" when they’re clearly plotting your demise. I’d bet my last Eggo that Steve lives, but only because the fans would literally riot and burn down the set. His hair has enough plot armor to stop a tank.

Max Mayfield: The Brain-Pancake Survivor

Remember when Vecna turned her into a human pretzel? She’s currently in a coma, floating in the void like a confused jellyfish. The question isn't if she dies, but is she even alive now? Theories suggest she’s actually trapped in Vecna’s mindscape. To kill her permanently, Eleven might have to pull a "Sophie’s Choice" and choose between her own life and Max’s.

The surprising truth? Sadie Sink is too talented to kill off early. The Duffers know that killing Max would break the internet’s spirit. My money is on her waking up in the final episode, looking at the camera, and saying, "Did I miss anything?" before the next apocalypse.

Vecna (The One We All Want to Die)

Let’s be real: we are all here for Vecna’s grand finale. The big, ugly, tentacled nerd who monologues about "order" and "chaos" like he’s a philosophy major who just discovered Black Sabbath. He will absolutely die. The question is how.

Will Eleven just "nosebleed him to death"? Will the kids trap him in a dance-off at the Snow Ball? The leak suggests a team-up of all characters—including the dead ones like Eddie Munson (yes, he’s coming back as a ghost or a memory, thanks to the Upside Down’s lazy recycling system). Vecna’s death will probably be something stupidly poetic, like being sealed in a dimension of his own sadness.

The Shocking Death You Didn’t See Coming

Hold your butts, because here’s the real tea: Will Byers. Yes, sweet, sensitive, "I’m a little boy who draws mind flayers" Will. Leakers with surprisingly solid track records claim he’s the final sacrifice. He’s been connected to the Upside Down since day one. It’s basically his emotional support hellscape.

If Will dies, it’s to break the connection between worlds permanently. He’ll give a tear-jerking speech about "being the lighthouse," and then fade into a cloud of glittery spores. Noah Schnapp will get an Emmy, and the rest of us will be left sobbing into our couch cushions. The funny part? He despises being called "Will the Wise" on set, but his death will literally turn him into the group’s Gandalf.

The Kill Count (A Very Unofficial List)

Let’s tally it up for the betting pool at work: One main hero (Will or Eleven), one beloved side character (sorry, Murray Bauman—your Russian-speaking days are numbered), and every single demogorgon that exists, plus Vecna. The town of Hawkins will lose about 80% of its background extras, because the Upside Down loves a crowd.

In conclusion, prepare for a bloodbath that makes the Red Wedding look like a tea party. No one is safe—except maybe Dustin’s hat, because that thing is immortal. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pre-order my "Will Byers: He Was The Real Superhero" commemorative mug.