Well, everyone, the time is here. Stranger Things is officially over. Now that Stranger Things 5: The Finale has aired,we know everything that’s happened in the tale of Hawkins and our favorite party. We were all dreading the ending, partially because we don’t want to let go of Stranger Things, but also because we just did not want Stranger Things 5 to bring us the deaths of our favorite characters. In the end, there were no major character deaths in Stranger Things 5, Volume 1 or Volume 2. But were there any major character deaths in Stranger Things: The Finale also knows as the Stranger Things series finale? It turns out the answer is YES, but, also, it’s COMPLICATED. Obviously, spoilers ahead.
Are there any Major Character Deaths in Stranger Things 5: The Finale?
As we said, YES, and also it’s complicated. But before we run you down through the “it’s complicated” deaths, here’s who actually died, for sure, in Stranger Things‘ series finale.
Kali/Eight’s Death Came in Stranger Things‘ Series Finale
Alas, Kali/Eight’s role on Stranger Things 5 seemed to be to convince Eleven that she and her sister needed to die. And, in the end, it’s possible she got her wish. Stranger Things 5: The Finale definitely brought us Kali/Eight’s death, in any case. After Vecna messed with Hopper’s head, Hopper, El, and Kali were forced to abandon their original plan to take out Vecna using Dr. Brenner’s bath in the Upside Down version of Hawkins’ lab. But when they emerged, they found other trouble. The military, headed up by Lieutenant Akers, had found them, and they’d brought with them Kali and El’s kryptonite, the sonic blasts that jammed their powers. Hopper managed to drag Eleven away to safety, but when he came back for Kali/Eight, the pair were overpowered.
Desperate to get to Eleven, Akers threatened to shoot Kali and, in the end, actually did. Eleven’s sister bled out in Hawkins’ lab in the Upside Down. But Kali/Eight had made peace with her Stranger Things series finale death. She told Eleven, “My story was always going to end here.” Even though Kali/Eight wasn’t our first choice for a returning character on Stranger Things 5, we’re sorry that she couldn’t find a happy ending to her story.
Lieutenant Akers Died BLOODILY at Eleven’s Hand
Speaking of deaths, Lieutenant Akers death on Stranger Things: The Finale was one of the most brutal character deaths we’ve seen on Stranger Things ever. It’s fitting, we guess, that this intense a death was saved for Stranger Things‘ series finale. Eleven, outraged by the threats to the life of her sister and Hopper, used her powers to force Akers to turn his gun on himself. Akers then shot himself through the skull before falling dead. Brutal.
Vecna Finally Died in Stranger Things‘ Series Finale
Well, it had to happen. Or, it didn’t, but we figured it probably would. Stranger Things 5‘s final episode brought us the death of Vecna. In the end, The Party’s plan to defeat Vecna didn’t go exactly right. Though they managed to stop the Abyss from slamming into the real world, saving the kidnapped children and destroying Vecna was a bit more complicated, especially when Vecna merged with the Mind Flayer and turned into a terrifying hive mind monster. But Vecna is still a part of the Hive Mind, and Eleven, bolstered with help from a newly courageous Will, managed to skewer him on his own spires. Then, Joyce Byers did the final honors and delivered Vecna his death blow on Stranger Things‘ series finale. Using an axe, Joyce literally chopped Vecna’s head off, killing him in Stranger Things‘ last episode ever. Nice.
Stranger Things 5: The Finale Brought Us Eleven’s Death… Maybe
Less nice was the most harrowing character death of all on Stranger Things 5, Eleven’s death. Though it seemed like the party was going to escape and live happily ever after, the military was waiting for them when they emerged triumphant from the Upside Down portal. This seemed to remind El that she and her friends would never be safe as long as she remained alive, and that her death was the only answer, just as Kali suggested to her earlier in Stranger Things 5. For most of the ending of Stranger Things 5: The Finale, it appears to us that El’s death is real and permanent.
But in the very final scene of Stranger Things‘ series finale, Mike has a different story. He claims that Eleven and Kali secretly teamed up so that Eleven would only appear to die, but her Stranger Things death would really be a vision created by Kali. Mike reasons that El’s powers were jammed by the military’s kryptonite sound blasts, so she couldn’t have used them to talk to him in her mind. He thinks that Eleven’s death on Stranger Things 5 wasn’t real, and that instead, she’s out there somewhere, lying low. Do you believe? It’s up to you.
Did Steve Die on Stranger Things?
We were very worried that Steve would meet his death on Stranger Things 5: The Finale. And the Duffer Brothers knew it because they totally faked us out. Steve ALMOST died right at the start of Stranger Things 5, when he nearly fell off the radio tower to his doom. But he did NOT die in the end. Obviously. Thanks for nothing, Duffer Brothers!
In the End, Almost No Major Characters Died on Stranger Things, Not in the Finale or Any Other Season
Well, that’s a wrap on Stranger Things 5 character deaths (and also Stranger Things character deaths because, hello, series finale). The rest of our characters are safe until the spinoff. As we reflect on the characters that died in Stranger Things 5: The Finale and also in the series as a whole, we have to say, there were really no MAJOR character deaths. Anyone who was branded a “main character” lived until the end. Eleven being the only exception, but Stranger Things says you can ignore her death and believe she’s alive if you want.
Honestly, we don’t mind!
Stranger Things 5: The Finale is streaming now on Netflix.