Stranger Things Finale Draws Inspiration from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

When it came time to wrap up one of the most beloved Netflix series after a decade, the creators of Stranger Things, Ross and Matt Duffer, drew inspiration from Peter Jackson’s epic, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Heads up: the following contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 5 episode 8, so make sure you’re all caught up before diving in.

The two-hour finale of Stranger Things season 5 pits the heroes of Hawkins against Vecna for one last showdown, with an unexpected character delivering the final blow to the ruler of the Upside Down. Following this climactic battle, the episode takes a time jump, allowing us to catch up with our favorite characters later on.

In a conversation, co-creator Matt Duffer revealed that the epilogue was influenced by the emotional wrap-up of The Lord of the Rings. “We thought about ‘[The Lord of the Rings] Return of the King’ a lot, just in terms of the length of the epilogue… that was sort of the reference for the epilogue,” Duffer explained. “Then we love the credits at the end of ‘Return of the King’, so that was the initial idea.”

The conclusion of Return of the King offers a glimpse into the futures of the Fellowship members years after the War of the Ring, showcasing their new paths. Aragorn reigns as king, Legolas embarks on a journey westward, and Sam becomes the mayor of the Shire before joining Frodo in the Undying Lands. In a similar vein, Stranger Things season 5 provides its main characters with a fitting farewell.

After Vecna’s defeat, we see Nancy, Robin, and Jonathan return to Hawkins for the graduation of the younger kids after attending different colleges on the West Coast. They reunite with Steve, who remained in town to teach. Meanwhile, Joyce and Hopper are now engaged and planning to start a new life together. Following graduation, Mike, Dustin, Will, Lucas, and Max go their separate ways: Will moves to a big city and finds love, Dustin heads to university, Max and Lucas settle down, and Will pursues a career as a writer.

As the credits roll, viewers are treated to a nostalgic look back at the entire series, featuring illustrations of each character, reminiscent of the credits in Return of the King.

The complete Stranger Things series is available for streaming now.