Stranger Things season 5 will mark the end of the show created by Matt and Ross Duffer (the Duffer Brothers). It means we have to bid adieu to one of television’s favourite ensemble casts and a story that has practically redefined multiple genres from horror to coming-of-age and sci-fi to drama. But apart from the fate of the town of Hawkins, fans are eager to know if the list of Stranger Things season 5 deaths includes the likelihood of some of the major characters meeting their end.

The series premiered on 15 July 2016 and has since achieved critical acclaim with 12 Primetime Emmy wins. It has propelled several of its cast members, including David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown, to global stardom. It is true that the Stranger Things cast and characters, both major and supporting, have won over fans of all ages. But some of those fan-favourite characters were lost along the way. Which is why the sentiment around the surviving characters is quite high. Everyone wants to see them alive, but they know deep down that not all will live through the final battle with Henry Creel, aka Vecna, played by Jamie Campbell Bower – the ruler of the parallel dimension known as the Upside Down.

Many have already died at the hands of Vecna, the Upside Down monsters or anyone connected to the events in Hawkins. Among the heartbreaking deaths so far across seasons 1 through 4 are: Barbara Holland (played by Shannon Purser), Bob Newby (played by Sean Astin), Alexei (played by Alec Utgoff), Billy Hargrove (played by Dacre Montgomery), Chrissy Cunningham (played by Grace Van Dien), and Eddie Munson (played by Joseph Quinn).

So far all the main characters from season 1 of the acclaimed Netflix series are still around. Eleven, Jim, Joyce, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve – everyone is preparing for their final battle with Vecna and the Upside Down. While Robin, one of the major characters who joined in later seasons, is still alive, Max’s fate hangs in balance.

Thankfully, the Duffer Brothers have, so far, not exhibited the penchant for killing off favourite characters at a pace that George R.R. Martin and his Game of Thrones (2011–2019) did. But this is the end of Stranger Things, and some major characters might certainly die in their quest to save their dear ones from Vecna and all of the evil forces of the Upside Down. It is but a matter of speculation as to who might meet their end.

Here we have 12 major surviving Stranger Things season 5 characters and their death prediction segregated into three probabilities – least likely, somewhat likely and most likely. Of course, we want all of them to survive and only Vecna to meet his end.

Stranger Things season 5 characters and their death predictions

1 /12

Jonathan Byers

Played by: Charlie Heaton

Chances of death: Least likely

He was seen as a main lead in season 1. We loved to see him as that quiet yet brave hero ready to fight the Demogorgon with the love of his life, Nancy, to rescue his brother, Will. But he is now more like a side character, with little to do by the end of season 4. Yes, his concern for Will is still there and he truly is a great elder-brother-figure. His relationship with Nancy is also quite beautiful, no matter if that leaves Steve a sad fellow fans sympathise with. Yet Jonathan has not evolved as a character, which is why his death, though heartbreaking for those around him, won’t have an impact on audiences.

Image: Courtesy of Netflix via IMDb

2 /12

Lucas Sinclair

Played by: Caleb McLaughlin

Chances of death: Least likely

Yes, Lucas is loved by his friends dearly and he now has an ‘almost tragic’ love story with Max in his arc. He was strong with his buddies – Dustin, Will and Mike – through Stranger Things seasons 1 to 3. For a while, he leaves them for the other ‘cool’ boys in season 4, which, of course, causes a lot of Vecna-related problems for everyone around him. Sure, he is back firmly with his true gang of chums and he is in pain for what has happened to Max. Yet he is no longer as likeable a character whose death can trigger audiences to actually shed tears as many did for Eddie when he sacrificed his life in the finale of season 4.

Image: Courtesy of IMDb

3 /12

Dustin Henderson

Played by: Gaten Matarazzo

Chances of death:  Least likely

Matarazzo’s performance as the character has made sure that everyone loves Dustin. There is no doubt about it. He is one of the few characters in Stranger Things who has been a fan favourite from the very beginning. With all that he has done throughout, it is undeniable that he is the most important character in the series after Eleven. His devotion to his three best buddies and his iconic friendship with Steve is something like a lore to fans of the show. His smart thinking and unlikely courage have saved the day for everyone quite often. And who can forget that sweet romantic moment he shared with Suzie singing “Never Ending Story” in the finale episode of season 3?

Of all the Stranger Things season 5 deaths, it will be genuinely heartbreaking to see Dustin die – if that happens. But there is hardly any foreseeable reason for the Duffer brothers to write him off. There is no such thing as a ‘redemption arc’ for Dustin. Yes, he might want to avenge the death of Eddie. But he is smart enough to find a way to do that without getting himself killed.

Image: Courtesy of Netflix via IMDb

4 /12

Nancy Wheeler

Played by: Natalia Dyer

Chances of death: Least likely

Nancy was not a likeable character in the beginning of season 1, especially since she indirectly caused the death of her best friend Barbara. But she has since had a fine redemption arc, going out of the way to practically lead a war against both the Hawkins National Laboratory and, eventually, the horror world of the Upside Down. She does come closest to death when Vecna possesses her in season 4 episode 7. Not only does she survive, but she also becomes the first to learn who Vecna really is. The undaunted Nancy also goes back into Vecna’s lair in the Upside Down to defeat him. That’s true bravery. But there is still no reason for her to die. In fact, nothing in her character development even remotely suggests that she can die.

Image: Courtesy of Netflix via IMDb

5 /12

Joyce Byers

Played by: Winona Ryder

Chances of death: Somewhat likely

Possibly one of the bravest characters in Stranger Things, Joyce has been the strongest support system for everyone around her, especially her sons Jonathan and Will. She is now the adoptive mother of Eleven. And season 4 finally makes her long-awaited relationship with Jim Hopper official with a kiss. So, everything is perfectly alright in the family that Joyce has always wanted. Except for that ‘tiny’ problem with Vecna that threatens everyone and everything.

Will she die saving her sons? Will she die saving Hopper? Will she die saving everyone in Hawkins? The possibilities exist, given that we know she can go to any length to protect her dear ones. Yet something says that it could be a tad too tragic to lose her and might risk an unsatisfactory end to an otherwise great arc.

Image: Courtesy of Netflix via IMDb

6 /12

Robin Buckley

Played by: Maya Hawke

Chances of death: Somewhat likely

Fans of the show met Robin Buckley in season 3 and though she has been around for practically half the duration of the rest, she has quickly become a major character. Robin has been very helpful in the Hawkins gang’s war against Vecna. Her equation with Steve is great and she has bonded well with Nancy, too. The most beautiful part was her coming-out scene and her romance with Hawkins High School girl Vickie (played by Amybeth McNulty). These are enough for fans to root for her continued survival and a fulfilling romance with Vickie to make theirs one of the best queer romances on TV.

Yet given that quite a few fan-favourite characters have already died in Stranger Things, her death – maybe even to save Vickie or Steve – is not entirely impossible.

Image: Courtesy of Netflix via IMDb

7 /12

Max Mayfield

Played by: Sadie Sink

Chances of death: Somewhat likely

In the 4 July 2022 episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Matt and Ross Duffer confirmed that Max is “brain dead, blind, and all of her bones are broken” following the events of the season 4 finale. This means there is a 50-50 chance of her survival in season 5. At this point, it is difficult to speculate about the fate of Max. But the scale is tilted towards her death. The otherwise spunky Max was a grieving soul throughout season 4 following the death of her brother in the finale of season 3. That was also the reason why her weakened mind came under Vecna’s control and she became the cog that opened the evil psychic’s invasion of Hawkins.

But again, will she return from her current state to set things right only to actually die?

Image: Courtesy of Netflix – © 2022 Netflix, Inc. via IMDb

8 /12

Steve Harrington

Played by: Joe Keery

Chances of death: Somewhat likely

The Duffer brothers have certainly got an ace among characters in Steve Harrington. His arc has been so impressive that anyone would agree he is among the finest TV show characters of all time. From a bully who everyone disliked (baring Nancy) to a guy on whom everyone depends is something to be really proud of.

In case he becomes one of the Stranger Things season 5 cast members to die, it will shatter everyone who has come to almost hero-worship him, quite like Dustin. Yet his love for Nancy will remain unrequited, which means his sacrifice, should he die saving her, will be poetic. But given that he is one of the strongest fan-favourite characters, there is a chance he might live to see a better Hawkins.

Image: Courtesy of IMDb

9 /12

Mike Wheeler

Played by: Finn Wolfhard

Chances of death: Most likely

He is the nucleus around whom his friends revolve and the beating heart of Eleven. Mike Wheeler is the hero who is brave enough to risk it all. Of course, some may see him as a bit indifferent and a tad self-centred in a way that he fails to understand Will’s feelings for him. But there are also fan theories suggesting that Mike could be gay or bisexual, just unable to come to terms with it like Will.

Nevertheless, there is no Stranger Things without Mike’s determination to find Will in season 1. Mike is technically the leader of his group, which means a lot of them will be grieving should something fatal befall him. But his death will shatter Eleven’s heart the most. Who knows, it could become the exact emotional trigger needed for Eleven to unleash all of her powers against Vecna.

Image: Courtesy of Netflix via IMDb

10 /12

Jim Hopper

Played by: David Harbour

Chances of death: Most likely

Initially, a bit slow-to-respond sheriff of Hawkins, Jim Hopper is now a central character making his own stand against the monsters of Stranger Things in the snowy Russian wilderness thousands of miles away from his sleepy town. He is the father figure for Eleven since almost the beginning of the series and is also romantically attached to Joyce.

There is a lot at stake here for quite a few major Stranger Things characters if they lose Hopper. But that would also be a heroic end because we have seen that Hopper is not someone to die in vain. (Remember his apparent ‘death’ in the finale of season 3?) Chances of his death are stronger especially because Joyce has adopted Eleven as part of her family. So, Hopper knows that there is someone really caring to look after Eleven in case he is not around.

Image: Courtesy of Netflix via IMDb

11 /12

Will Byers

Played by: Noah Schnapp

Chances of death: Most likely

Will Byers must die. Even if it breaks the hearts of his mother and his friends, his death is important. Devoted fans have suggested on social media that his very existence is somehow the reason behind the existence of the Upside Down itself. It is confirmed in season 4 episode 7 that Upside Down, which resembles a dystopian world of Hawkins, is stuck in time on the date 6 November 1983. This is the same date when Will saw the Demogorgon and got dragged to the Upside Down, where he unwillingly became connected to the Mind Flayer.

It is possible that Stranger Things season 5 will explain the reason why the Upside Down is stuck in time. But theories abound that it is a reflection of Will’s inability to shed his childhood memories unlike his friends and leave the shell he has built around him. The finale episode of season 4 has further confirmed that Will is in love with Mike, who in turn is going strong with Eleven. It is, therefore, a heartbreaking truth that Will’s love will not only remain one-sided but also unspoken.

There is practically nothing for which Will should live, but his friends will remain safe if his death permanently causes the Upside Down to collapse along with Vecna. That would be a meaningful ending to his character, however tragic it may be.

Image: Courtesy of Netflix via IMDb

12 /12

Eleven

Played by: Millie Bobby Brown

Chances of death: Most likely

Eleven is the main protagonist of Stranger Things and has psychic abilities almost as powerful as Vecna’s. All of the seasons so far have shown her as the hero who saves the day for Hawkins and the world. We even see her ‘die’ in the finale of season 1 in her epic battle with the Demogorgon, but season 2 reveals how she survived. She is the pivot of the series and the main weapon against Vecna. Of course, Stranger Things season 5 will see her use every ounce of her powers to defend Hawkins from the invasion of the Upside Down. We know how uphill that task is given that she barely managed to rescue Max from Vecna’s grip in season 4.

Fans would want her to live and have a peaceful life, something she has never had. But as far as stories go, the greatest of heroes are remembered forever for being the ones who sacrificed themselves for those who they love.