The series finale is stranger things Including shocking character deaths, surprising reveals, time jumps and engagements – but is the show’s ending satisfying?
Netflix’s hit series comes to an end on Wednesday, December 31, starring Joyce (Winona Ryder), hopper (David Harbor), Mike (Finn Wolfhard),eleven(Millie Bobby Brown), Du Xing (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), will (Noah Schnapp), maximum (Sadie Sink), Steve (Joe Keery), Robin (Maya Hawke) and Erica (Priya Ferguson) work together to defeat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
The show ends with the heroes defeating Vecna. However, 18 months after the Battle of Hawkins, there have been some casualties and a time jump, which provides everyone with an updated ending. In the final shot, the main friends have one last Dungeons & Dragons battle before embarking on their next adventure as college students. Their seats weren’t empty for long because Holly (Nell Fisher) and her friends – including Delightful Derek – are the next to take over the game.
Created by: Matt and Ross Duffer, stranger things The story focuses on a fictional town where a series of supernatural events cause mystery, death, and mayhem. The three-part fifth season has previously received a lackluster response, with fans raising questions about multiple scenes, including potential character splits, rumors of deleted scenes, and more.
Randy HavensThe character, who plays the beloved Mr. Clark, took to Instagram earlier this month to respond to viral posts from viewers who claimed show insiders anonymously shared key unaired moments.
“There is no secret Snyder Cut of this show,” he wrote, referring to director Zack Snyder’s original version of 2017’s Justice League, a longer version of which was released on HBO Max in 2021 after facing backlash from fans. “People aren’t going to believe everything some random asshole tells you on the internet.”
Keep scrolling to see details on how each character’s story ends:
Joyce Byers
After helping the children win the war against Vecna, Joyce becomes the one to deliver the fatal blow to her ex Bob (Sean Astin). A time jump shows Joyce sending Will off to college and then planning a future with Hopper, which includes accepting his proposal.
Jim Hopper
Fighting for humanity resulted in Hopper nearly dying on several occasions. He even met Vecna when his mind was briefly occupied by the Big Bad. But Hopper ultimately survived and went on to serve as Hawkins’ police chief. However, scenes in 1989 suggested he might accept a new position in Montauk. Some fans may remember that Stranger Things was originally called Montauk because it was a conspiracy theory based on the real-life Montauk Project.
Mike Wheeler
In addition to helping his friend defeat Vecna, Mike also faces a personal loss. As everyone returns to Hawkins from the Upside Down, the military ambushes them and Mike watches as Eleven refuses to return. They share her final moments in her heart as she explains her decision to disappear so that others can live normal lives instead of always hiding her away
The time jump introduces a new theory about what actually happened on Eleven… but more on that later. For Mike, his future as a writer was foreshadowed as he chronicled his friends’ adventures on paper. He also finished the team’s final Dungeons & Dragons game before watching the next generation arrive in his basement.
eleven
The ending was difficult for Eleven, who considered letting herself die to keep everyone else safe. Hopper convinces her not to stop fighting for the future, but in the end Eleven survives and Carly is shot. Although Eleven was able to face and kill Vecna once and for all, she did not return to Hawkins and allowed herself to remain in the Upside Down.
She was thought to be dead, but Mike came up with another theory. He points out that Eleven’s powers were suppressed by the military, so the vision of her being killed may have been an illusion created by Carly in her final moments. Instead, Mike still wants Eleven to live a life away from Hawkins, which the audience briefly sees, though it’s still up to the audience whether they choose how the story ends.
Dustin Henderson
A time jump reveals that Dustin is the valedictorian of his class. In his speech, Dustin found a way to pay tribute to Eddie (Joseph Quinn), and even attracted the attention of some girls in the school. Mike’s prediction for Dustin shows him excelling in college but still finding time to spend weekend adventures with Steve.
Lucas Sinclair
Mike’s vision of Lucas shows him and Max continuing to date and thrive outside of Hawkins.
Nancy Wheeler
After helping defeat Vecna, Nancy left Hawkins to study at Emerson. However, she revealed to her circle of friends that she had dropped out of school to work for the Herald.
Jonathan Byers
As for Jonathan, he was making movies at NYU and thriving. His brother Will also went to school in New York, and Joyce and Hopper’s move to Montauk would keep their family close after leaving Hawkins.
Will Byers
After coming out, Will was able to use his powers more. He saw Vecna’s origin story in the cave and even tried to woo him. Although unsuccessful, Will came out the other side more confident in himself. In Mike’s vision of the future, Will is happy in New York and even feels comfortable finding love.
Max Mayfield
A time jump to 18 months in the future shows Max has fully recovered. She graduated with Lucas and their friends. Mike’s vision shows her and Lucas still watching movies together, and their happiness continues to grow.
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Steve Harrington
Even though the fake near-death scene was clearly meant to mock all of us who were worried about Steve’s future, he survived. He was also one of the only members of his friend group to remain in Hawkins. He is seen working as a school coach who also doubles as a sex education teacher and is content with small town life. He’s still dating, but he’s more focused on his friendships. Jonathan, Nancy, and Robin were visibly emotional about not being able to see each other because they were spread across multiple states, and they later agreed to meet once a month.
Robin Buckley
There’s no update on Robin’s relationship with Vicki, but Robin has also left town. She missed Steve and the others, though, she told them while recalling how their relationship paled in comparison to her new friendships.
Erica Sinclair
After taking down Vecna with Mr. Clark, Erica is still disappointed by her brother’s antics. She remained in Hawkins when the time jump checked in on her.
Holly Wheeler
The youngest Wheeler was instrumental in saving the children from Vecna. She’s alive in the time jump and remains friends with the children she captured in the Upside Down. Their last scene, with Holly and her friends running downstairs and playing Dungeons & Dragons, shows that the next generation has taken over where Mike and his friends left off.
Henry Creel and “One and Vecna”
The series finale feels like a perfect ad Stranger Things: The First Shadow When Vecna aka One aka Henry faces his fears and enters the cave. There we see him get shot again by the man before young Henry opens the briefcase. Inside is a mysterious rock that contains an entity that speaks to Henry. It was able to seep into him through the wounds on his hands, and Henry allowed it to take over. Will tries to reason with this version of Vecna, get them to break free and help them, because the worst thing that can happen is taking orders from the entity. However, Vecna refused, as he claimed that he believed in the entity’s vision of the world. This seals his fate, and Eleven (with the help of others) destroys Vecna, the Mind Flayer, the Upside Down, and the Abyss.
