Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things’ series finale!Coming in at over two hours, there’s plenty to unpack with the Stranger Things series finale episode. As the Party set out on their big mission in Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2’s ending, the final episode begins right after the events of “The Bridge,” with the group splitting up in the Upside Down to carry out their part of the complicated plan.
As Eleven heads to Hawkins Lab with Kali, Hopper, and Murray, the others head to the tower and begin climbing. El, Kali, and Max have a brief chance to work together in the Void, where they enter Henry’s memories and find the kids in the Creel house. Before they can kill Vecna, he thwarts their plan in the Upside Down.
Following Kali’s apparent death, Eleven joins the group in the Abyss, which features the big action sequence in Stranger Things‘ series finale. Aside from another fight between El and Vecna, the episode features the return of the Mind Flayer in its true form. El and the Party get the upper hand, but that final showdown and epilogue are worth diving deeper into as Stranger Things‘ main story reaches its end.
Is Eleven Dead Or Alive At The End Of Stranger Things?
For now, it seems to be up to the viewer’s interpretation whether Eleven is alive or dead following Stranger Things‘ series finale. The events imply that El sacrificed herself by staying in the Upside Down as it exploded to end the cycle of allowing the military to make more people like her. However, Mike has another theory that he later shares with his friends.
After having the Mage save the day at the end of their D&D campaign, Mike reveals what he thinks happened to El. Seeing that El wasn’t affected by the kryptonite devices by the Gate, Mike believes Kali was alive in the Upside Down and helped orchestrate an illusion of El, while the real El got away unnoticed.
Stranger Things then shows a glimpse of El hiking up a mountain that overlooks waterfalls and a small town. It’s unclear if this is Eleven’s true fate or what Mike’s hopeful vision regarding her fate is, but the rest of the Party emotionally agrees to believe that she’s still out there.
The Origin Of Henry Creel’s Powers Explained
One of the biggest reveals from Stranger Things‘ series finale is the confirmation surrounding the origin of Henry Creel’s powers. In doing so, the show also solves the mystery of Henry’s cave memory and what really happened to him after the encounter with the mysterious man.
It turns out that young Henry became exposed to the particles and came in contact with the Mind Flayer for the first time, according to the memory. The briefcase held a strange rock that glowed red in spots, but when Henry picked it up, particles emerged and entered the wound in his hand.
The Mind Flayer then directly talks to Henry, creating their hive mind connection. Henry then learns he has powers as he brutally kills the man he previously beat with a rock.
Is The Mind Flayer The True Villain In Stranger Things?
Another major question entering the Stranger Things series finale was whether the Mind Flayer or Vecna was pulling the strings as the show’s primary villain. The final episode breaks down their connection, reiterating that the Mind Flayer existed well before Henry got powers and later transformed into Vecna.
When Will thinks he can get through to Henry, the villain confirms his link to the Mind Flayer, sharing, “It has never controlled me; I never controlled it.” He then suggests that he and the Mind Flayer are “one” entity that needs each other, adding another layer to the hive mind’s purpose.
Seeing as Vecna kept the kids inside the Mind Flayer as he grew stronger, he’s not wrong that they need one another to thrive. Granted, Henry would never have become Vecna or acquired powers without encountering the Mind Flayer and the Abyss in the first place. Therefore, the Mind Flayer should technically be considered the true villain of the show.
How The Party Defeated Vecna & The Mind Flayer
The Party’s plan didn’t go exactly as they had hoped in their efforts to kill Vecna and destroy the Upside Down. For one, the radio tower wasn’t lined up with the Abyss’ rift. Hopper also pulls Eleven out of the sensory deprivation tank too early after Vecna messes with his mind. That said, the Party still comes together and succeeds in the mission.
After getting into the Abyss, the Party encounters the real Mind Flayer, with Nancy using herself as bait as the others devise a plan of attack. Thankfully, Eleven arrives just in time to fight the massive monster, jumping inside of it to get to Vecna, where the two face off for another episode fight.
While the Party uses all the firepower and weapons on the Mind Flayer, Will and his powers give Eleven a chance to throw Vecna into a spike. The Mind Flayer also collapses, proving the Party’s win. As the group enters to save Holly and the kids, they realize Vecna is still alive, so Joyce takes her axe and cuts off his head, ending his terror once and for all.
Is The Upside Down Destroyed Forever?
Once the Party gets the kids into the truck, they head to the Gate back to Hawkins as Hopper and Murray race by in a stolen military vehicle. They have already set off the bomb, which will detonate when the Prince album plays long enough to trigger the C4. Just as the vehicles cross over the Gate, they are met by Dr. Kay and the military.
In the madness, Eleven seemingly makes it back into the Upside Down, where she plans to sacrifice herself as the bridge collapses. The show suggests that she’s still alive, but the Upside Down doesn’t survive the explosion. As Prince’s “Purple Rain” detonates the explosion, the exotic matter holding the bridge together explodes, bringing an end to the Upside Down and everything in it.
What Happens To Every Major Character In Stranger Things’ Series Finale
Eleven: Despite leading everyone to believe that she sacrificed herself when the Upside Down exploded, Mike believes that she got away and is living a peaceful life away from Hawkins.
Mike: The storyteller of the party becomes exactly that: a storyteller. Mike goes on to become a writer, using his own adventures as inspiration.
Will: After coming out in Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2, Will goes to college and finds acceptance in life. It’s also implied that he eventually gets a boyfriend.
Lucas & Max: Based on what Mike teases about the Party’s fate, Lucas and Max stay together and eventually settle down, as their love only grows stronger over time.
Dustin: Following his big graduation speech, Dustin takes his studies seriously, but he doesn’t give up on his friendship with Steve. In fact, they go on even more adventures together.
Steve: Out of the older kids in Hawkins, Steve is the only one who stays in Hawkins. Not only is he a baseball coach, but he also teaches Sex Ed.
Nancy: The oldest Wheeler sibling does leave Hawkins, but she reveals that she dropped out of Emerson. She now works for the Boston Herald newspaper.
Jonathan: Like Nancy, Jonathan also left Hawkins to attend NYU and study filmmaking. He’s also working on a film titled The Consumer.
Robin: Though Robin does a guest DJ stint while back in Hawkins, she also left town for college. However, she offers her uncle’s place in Philly for her, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan to meet once a year.
Joyce & Hopper: After finally having their date at Enzo’s, Hopper proposes to Joyce. Now that he’s back as the chief of police, he also suggests that they relocate to Montauk for a fresh start and to be closer to Jonathan and Will in New York City.
Holly: The youngest Wheeler has made new friends following the Vecna ordeal, including Derek. The two are seen with other friends playing D&D in the Wheeler basement at the end of the Stranger Things series finale.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
