Stranger Things is almost over: the season five finale is set to bring an end to the long-running Netflix show and finally confirm the fate of its beloved characters.
Who will die by the time the show is finished and dusted has been the main question of Stranger Things for years. There are many theories, which we will briefly review below.
Warning! Stranger Things season 5 spoilers:
Steve, played by Joe Keery, is often brought up in conversations about the potential deaths of Stranger Things characters. But there are also concerns about Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who some believe will ultimately sacrifice herself to destroy Vecna, thereby allowing the rest of the Stranger Things crew to survive, and Jim Hopper (David Harbour), who has already proven himself to be on something of a suicide mission this season.
Meanwhile, some believe Will (Noah Schnapp) will give in, using his new power to finally end Vecna's tyranny, but kill himself in the process. But according to IGN's poll on the matter below, Jonathan Byers, played by Charlie Heaton, is the most popular candidate to die in season five, with 22.4% of the vote.
Of course, we won't know until the series finale airs at 5:00 pm PT on New Year's Eve, but recent comments from the Duffer Brothers hinted that fans shouldn't expect a bloodbath when it comes to character deaths. That is, Stranger Things is not like Game of Thrones, and there is no scene equivalent to the Red Wedding.
For the uninitiated, the Red Wedding is perhaps the most famous moment in the entire Game of Thrones saga. It shows much-loved characters, many of whom have been central to the story up to this point, killed off in vivid detail that will shock readers and viewers alike.
In an interview with Hollywood ReporterMatt Duffer insisted the series finale shouldn't be compared to Game of Thrones and jokingly called Steve the most talked about character when it comes to murder.
“This isn't Game of Thrones. We're not in Westeros,” he said. “I love Game of Thrones, but it's a very different type of show than this. It's not going to be a Red Wedding situation. I think there are some things that happen in the finale that are very unexpected, but we're not trying to shock or upset anyone. I hope that by the time people get to the end of the finale, they just feel like there's something inevitable about what's going on, and that it's not going to hurt, it's going to be satisfying. We'll see. But as for Steve's fate. I don't know. I can't say. That would be the next logical step. They keep beating him more and more. The only way to go further is death.”
The Stranger Things season 5 finale, episode 8, is titled “The Right Side Up” and has an official runtime of 2 hours and 8 minutes. It will be shown in theaters nationwide at the same time it airs on Netflix. Ross Duffer told fans they should only see it in a theater if they're not afraid to cry in a crowded theater..
“Final. Theaters. New Year's Eve,” Duffer wrote in a social media post alongside a photo of the drawing Lucas and Max used to ask each other out on a date in season four. “This is something my brother and I have dreamed about for many years. If you don't mind crying in front of strangers, go ahead. And if you’re in Los Angeles… maybe we’ll see you there.”
Check out our Stranger Things: Season 5, Vol. 2 review spoilers for more.
Wesley is IGN's News Director. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
