Who dies in Stranger Things series finale? Every death in the final battle, explained

The Stranger Things series finale marks the end of approximately nine years of original Netflix storytelling, completing its five-year cycle that began with the original series. The final season centers on one last, all-out confrontation with Vecna and the true nature of the Upside Down, answering long-running mysteries while pushing the Hawkins group to their emotional and physical limits.

The two-hour Stranger Things series finale takes place immediately after the penultimate episode. The episode features the characters from Hawkins facing off against each other in an epic battle on several fronts: the real world, the Upside Down, and the battle within Vecna's mind.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for the show. Reader's discretion is advised.

Even though most of Hawkins 'favorites' survive, the loss of a large number of characters leads to permanent changes to the Stranger Things world. The losses incurred during this battle represent the final consequence of the Hawkins group defeating the Upside Down and serve to tie up the loose ends of the series with an emotional conclusion.

The deaths of the main characters in the finale include Vecna, Kali, and possibly Eleven, whose fate is left deliberately ambiguous.

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Major deaths in the Stranger Things series finale

Vecna

Vecna in the Stranger Things series finale (Image via Instagram/@strangerthingstv)

Vecna’s death marks the definitive end of the show’s primary antagonist. This is a battle of many levels, both physical and hive mind, that Vecna loses to Eleven.

Will Byers connects to the hive mind and temporarily freezes Vecna in his tracks, thus preventing him from killing Eleven at the last second. With Vecna in this state of weakness, Joyce ultimately gets to cut his head off with an axe, signifying the end of Vecna's reign of terror.

This action has also destabilized the hierarchy of the Upside Down. Thus, it disconnects the control of the Upside Down over Hawkins and ends the supernatural reign of terror that has plagued Hawkins since the first season.

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The Mind Flayer

The Mind Flayer meets its end along with the Stranger Things series finale. In the series finale, it is revealed that Vecna is connected to the Mind Flayer through a hive mind - any damage to Vecna directly impacts the Mind Flayer and vice versa.

As Eleven, Will, and the rest of the Scoops gang engage Vecna in both physical and psychic battles from different angles, the large Mind Flayer begins to deconstruct.

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Eleven

Eleven (Image via Instagram/@strangerthingstv)

During the climactic scene of the Stranger Things series finale, Eleven is seen sacrificing herself. After concluding that the military will never stop looking for her, since they could use her blood to continue creating more people like Vecna through future experimentation, Eleven ultimately decides to sacrifice her own life.

She remains behind the gate when the bomb is detonated to guarantee that the mission will be successful, believing that by doing so, she will make both her friends and the military believe she is dead.

However, the epilogue of the series complicates this outcome. By using Mike's Dungeons & Dragons narrative, the Stranger Things series' finale suggests that Kali helped Eleven fake her death and escape through secret tunnels by performing an illusion. The last scene shows Eleven walking alone through a mountain range, but the true nature of her survival is left a mystery.

Also read: Stranger Things season 5 Volume 2 soundtrack: A comprehensive list of all the songs in the latest episodes

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Kali

Kali (Image via YouTube/Netflix)

The death of Kali is one of the saddest moments in the finale. After she is recaptured during the assault on the lab, she is shot by Lt. Akers just as a helicopter filled with kryptonite explodes. Though she survives the gunshot, she later dies from the injury.

Before dying, Kali likely uses her powers one last time to assist in the decoy mission to help mislead the military in its pursuit of Eleven.

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A brief recap of the Stranger Things series finale

The cast of Stranger Things (Image via Instagram/@strangerthingstv)

The Stranger Things series finale concludes by blending intense spectacle with emotionally charged moments between characters. Vecna and the Mind Flayer are defeated, and the Upside Down is destroyed by controlled detonation. This event signals the end of the supernatural threat.

An 18-month time gap allows the characters time to complete high school, reconnect, and move forward after experiencing the trauma during the show.

The show ends not with clear and concise answers but with "faith" about what has happened to Eleven. The final narration by Mike describes the ending as the characters' personal story of belief, connecting back to the main themes of friendship, imagination, and hope throughout the series.

Also read: Did Netflix crash because of Stranger Things season 5 finale? The final episode's impact, explained

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The Stranger Things series finale is available to stream on Netflix.

Edited by Riya Peter