Stranger Things Season 5 marks the final run of the show, with multiple hints towards the fact that not everyone may make it out alive in the end. Fans have been eagerly awaiting to see how the final conclusion plays out, with many hoping that their fan favorite characters survive.
Of course, the first four episodes of Stranger Things’ final season have already been released, which gives us a better idea of which characters may or may not make it in the end. All things considered, here are seven Stranger Things characters who are the most likely candidates for death by the time the Season 5 finale rolls the credits.
Henry Creel / Vecna
Henry Creel, AKA Vecna, is the big bad of the show. Essentially, everything has been leading to the final showdown against Vecna/Henry, so it’s pretty much guaranteed that in the end, he will be taken out one way or another.
Just how his death may occur is still to be discovered in later episodes, so fans will simply have to wait and see. However, it would make sense to expect that by the time the Season finale concludes, Henry’s story will have reached its end with all loose ends regarding his origins and the Upside Down cleared up.
Jim Hopper
Jim Hopper is a character who, by now, has well established himself as someone who is willing to throw himself into an unfavorable, almost impossible situation, to risk even a chance of saving those he cares for. This quality has been amped up to the max in Season 5, with Hopper already throwing himself into a dire situation to protect Jane/Eleven in the first few episodes.
If there’s going to be some sort of glorious self-sacrifice moment, the audience would almost expect it to be no one other than Hopper who goes out in this fashion. At this point, Hopper has beaten the odds several times, so his luck may just finally run out. However, this expectation may be the exact reason why someone else ends up meeting their fate in the end, too. It’s hard to say for sure.
Steve Harrington
Steve Harrington is a character who took many by surprise. In the very beginning, he’s an unlikable asshole of a character who many would not have thought twice about beyond his death. However, after a change in direction due to actor Joe Keery’s standout performance, Steve followed some of the most satisfying and memorable character growth arcs in television over the last few years.
Fans have become particularly fond of Steve’s bond with the kids and his unexpected but unshakable friendship with Robin Buckley, which has gone on to become one of the best dynamics the show has to offer.
It doesn’t bode well that Steve as never originally supposed to make it this far. It also certainly wouldn’t be unlike him to play the hero in the endgame, at the cost of his own life. However, this would certainly be a bold move for the show. Steve has become such a cherished aspect of Stranger Things that having his character die now, of all times, would be gut-wrenching to see, especially considering how it would affect almost every other main character in the show on a catastrophic level.
Derek Turnbow
Derek Turnbow was an unexpected new character to step into the spotlight during the first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5. His character was an absolute menace to watch, full of sarcasm and humorous delivery, which, among all the doom and gloom, was a joy.
Going from being referred to as ‘Dipshit Derek’ to taking on the identity of ‘Delightful Derek’ and bravely choosing to infiltrate the kidnapped children to lead them to safety, Derek played a very satisfying role early on. Derek managed to spend just enough on screen to get the audience truly invested in his character. This would make his hypothetical death in the next part a brutal shock, especially as one of the younger characters in the show.
Murray Bauman
Starting off as someone who was investigating the mystery of Barb’s disappearance, Murray has worked his way into the plot over each season and teamed up with the likes of Hopper, Joyce, and even the teens/kids on multiple occasions. In particular, he played a significant role in rescuing Hopper from the Russian prison camp and has been playing an important part in protecting Hawkins from threats ever since.
Most recently, Murray has been playing a part by smuggling information and supplies into the group under a fake identity. He also teamed up with Robin to attempt to transport the kidnapped children out of Hawkins to safety.
As he is now playing a more important part, Murray would ultimately be considered a ‘safe’ choice to kill off at this stage. He’s close enough to the main characters that there would be some shock factor and emotion involved, but not to the point where his passing out would be outright devastating. In fact, if done well, then Murray could certainly go out in a badass final moment, giving his character one last, ultimate highlight.
Jonathan Byers
Jonathan Byers has been around from the beginning, but for a main character, he’s never really had a whole lot going on. We know he’s romantically interested/involved with Nancy. We know he’s into photography, but it hasn’t exactly played into the plot in the same way the boys’ DND hobby has, or Nancy’s detective skills, or even Robin and Steve’s babysitter tag-team dynamic. We also know he found a best friend in Argyle last season, only for that to fizzle out with no real sendoff between the two of them.
To say the least, Jonathan doesn’t actually have a whole lot going on for his character at this point in the story, and he hasn’t for a while. If the writers were going to kill off someone, that would make a devastating blow for the main cast, well…Jonathan is a prime candidate. It would be devastating to Nancy. It would likely be a huge shock for Steve, despite their differences. It would break Joyce’s heart. And most importantly, it may just give Will the push he needs to reach his full potential…by going dark.
Jane Hopper / Eleven
Fans who have seen the first four episodes of Season 5 are already aware of how hellbent Eleven is on taking down Vecna, at any cost. She’s been pushing her body to the absolute limit with training, and is finally starting to fight by Hopper’s side right in the heat of the action.
It’s clear Eleven feels some type of deep-rooted guilt for helping play a part in the creation of Vecna, and that is weighing on her. With how obsessive and desperate she is in her priorities to defeat him, it’s very possible that Eleven may make a fatal flaw in her plan.
Another theory suggests that in order to take down Vecna, Eleven may need to eliminate herself in the process. This comes on a successful ‘D20’ roll in theory, with the numbers Eleven (Jane), Eight (Kali), and One (Henry) equaling the number needed to create the perfect hit. Whether this may end up being Eleven, Eight, and One becoming a sacrifice to rid the world of Vecna, or even a higher power – the Mind Flayer?
Will Byers
We know Will is linked to Vecna as the very first vessel for his power. As of the Season 5 Part 1 finale, we’re given a first glimpse at just how deep this link runs. Not only can Will sense Vecna, but he can see through his eyes to gather intel, and even has full powers/control over the Demogorgon. This was displayed in a huge turning point where he simultaneously took remote control of three Demogorgons in different locations, killing them to save the lives of Mike, Lucas, and Robin.
However, there is one glaring factor some fans may be overlooking when it comes to the Stranger Things endgame. As a vessel for Vecna’s power, what would happen to Will in the case that Vecna is destroyed? How much of ‘Will’ even remains, or has he been nothing more than a soulless vessel this entire time? There’s a real chance that if Vecna is defeated, all traces of his power will be destroyed. If Will is linked to him in every which way, then Will may become collateral damage in the process of this death. As many have been saying, It all started with Will. It’s all going to end with Will. We’ll simply have to wait and see if this is true.