Which Characters Are More Likely To Die On Stranger Things Season 5?(Photo Credit –X)
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Stranger Things season 5 is set to drop on November 26th, 2025. As this is the show’s last curtain, at least one major character is likely 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 next year. But not this time, as season 5 is the final. That changes the math. 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 decision will be cruel. So, here are the top five characters most likely to meet their end in the final chapter.
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5. Max Mayfield
In season 4’s climactic showdown with Vecna, Max Mayfield is used as the lure so the older kids can mount an assault inside the Upside Down. The plan collapses when Vecna sees through the trick and turns on Max, nearly killing her before Eleven intervenes at the last possible second.
Max survives but is left badly injured and blind, which makes another near-fatal encounter unlikely. Her fate was left unresolved at the season 4 finale. And with this, her recovery remains murky, leaving room for Vecna to return and finish what he started. That uncertainty is why Max sits high on most death-prediction lists.
Introduced as a stereotypical high-school jock and schoolyard bully, Steve Harrington gradually evolved. Over seasons, he turned into the show’s most favorite and unexpected guardian. His friendship with Dustin offers some 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 kids. And it really feels almost too heroic for comfort. If the story needs a gut-punch moment, Steve seems the most fitting choice. His sacrifice would deeply resonate with the audience.
Steve Harrington (Photo Credit –X)
3. Will Byers
Will Byers is staring down the most dangerous season yet. Netflix’s season 5 trailer teases a confrontation with Vecna, and that puts Will squarely in the crosshairs. His biography on the show is one wound after another. 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 because he’s been controlled before, Vecna has a tempting avenue to exploit. The trailer suggests they’ll meet. If Vecna can reuse that connection, the risk is more than psychological. It could be lethal. There’s also narrative weight: the kid who introduced the audience to the Upside Down might be the one to shut it. That mission could save everyone or cost Will his life.
Will Byers (Photo Credit –X)
2. Eleven
Season 5 drops Eleven into the center of the fight and into clear danger. The final battle is already unfolding. She wields psychokinetic force and telepathic reach. Those abilities rescued Hawkins and the kids multiple times across four seasons. Her power made her the town’s shield. Vecna, the season-four villain, is slated to come back in Season 5.
Government agents are also on the scene. Both sides are closing in. Vecna exploits psychic links. Officials see Eleven as an unidentified variable, a threat to control. She’s in the crosshairs of both supernatural malice and human fear. Could those threats be the means to an end for Eleven?
Eleven (Photo Credit –X)
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 big bad of the Upside Down.
The obvious narrative pressure: as the villain, Vecna is also the character most at risk. Viewers want Hawkins to be saved. That makes Vecna’s death the likeliest outcome. There is one caveat. The Duffer Brothers could opt for a darker finish. If they do, Vecna wins and Hawkins is lost to the Upside Down, but that seems impossible!
