Duffer Brothers Reveal Why Season 5 of Stranger Things Won’t Feature Major Character Deaths

The epic journey has reached its conclusion, as Stranger Things season 5 wraps up the beloved Netflix series after nearly a decade of thrilling adventures.

Warning: Major spoilers for the finale ahead, so proceed with caution if you haven’t caught up!

For those still with us, you know that Eleven makes a heroic sacrifice in the finale, leaving some uncertainty about whether she truly survived and made it to Iceland.

Leading up to the finale, fans speculated about potential major character deaths, with Steve Harrington being a particular concern. Ultimately, aside from Vecna and Kali, it appears that only Eleven (at least for now) met her end, and the creators have shared their reasoning behind this choice.

“In the writers’ room, we explored every possibility,” Ross Duffer explained. “We had a clear vision for Eleven’s fate from the start, and while we discussed the other characters, we ultimately saw the show as an adventure and a coming-of-age story.”

He continued, “The last 30 to 40 minutes were crucial in determining where we wanted our characters to end up and how we wanted them to grow. We decided that most of our heroes should make it through.”

Regarding Eleven, her sacrifice was pivotal to the narrative. “Eleven embodies the magic of childhood,” Ross Duffer noted in another interview.

“We understood that for the kids to mature, that magic had to leave Hawkins. There was never a scenario where we envisioned Eleven simply stuck in that basement. We aimed for an ending that was complex yet bittersweet, filled with hope,” he added.

You can now binge all of Stranger Things on Netflix.