Fans Prepare for the Worse as These Characters Might Not Live in 'Stranger Things' Season 5

With Stranger Things Season 5 premiering on 26 November 2025, the biggest question heading into the final chapter isn't about plot twists, reunions, or even how Hawkins will finally defeat Vecna, its who won't survive.

The Duffer Brothers have openly stated the finale will make audiences cry, and with trailer footage hinting at large-scale casualties, fans are already bracing for heartbreak.

Eddie Munson's death might've just been a taste of how bad things can get in Stranger Things Season 5. These deaths might just land a heavier blow to the fan base.

Will Byers

No character is more dangerously placed than Will Byers. He has been at the centre of the show's Upside Down-related problems since Episode 1, and the Season 5 trailer pushes him even deeper into danger.

Vecna's line, 'You are going to help me one last time' is widely interpreted as foreshadowing a final confrontation that Will may not survive.

Leaked footage shows Joyce holding a limp Will, and several scenes depict him terrified, sweating, or possibly overtaken by Vecna's influence. Fans believe the final battle may demand a sacrifice from someone deeply connected to the Upside Down, and Will's psychic tie to Vecna makes him the most likely candidate.

His death would bring the story full circle: he disappeared in Season 1, and he could end it by closing the gateway forever. As devastating as it would be, it fits the narrative weight the series has built around him.

Steve Harrington

Steve Harrington has been the fan-favourite death prediction for years, and Season 5 feels like the moment the Duffers may finally go through with it.

His transformation from shallow high-school bully to selfless protector has been masterfully written, but it also places him in the archetypal position of a character doomed to go out heroically.

The trailer includes one of its most emotional shots: Steve hugging Dustin tightly, almost as if saying goodbye. Another sequence shows him bloodied and exhausted, with flashing red lights in the Upside Down behind him. It's the kind of imagery that precedes tragedy, not triumph.

The Duffers have repeatedly said the ending will be 'satisfying,' not necessarily happy. Steve sacrificing himself to save Dustin or the rest of the group would deliver exactly that kind of bittersweet finality. It would also resolve lingering love-triangle tension between Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan without forcing a romantic decision.

Few potential deaths would hit fans harder, which may be exactly why the show might do it.

Eleven

Eleven's death is not guaranteed, but the threat around her is undeniable. As the only character capable of defeating Vecna, she's positioned directly on the front line of the final battle.

The trailer shows her using extreme amounts of psychic power, surrounded by swirling debris and crackling energy.

The danger here isn't that Vecna kills her outright, but that the sheer force required to destroy him pushes her body beyond its limits. The show has repeatedly illustrated that her powers take a physical toll, and Season 5 looks set to magnify that risk dramatically.

Some theories suggest she might survive but lose her powers permanently. Others believe she may become trapped in the void between worlds, alive, but unreachable. Still, a full self-sacrifice remains firmly on the table, especially if it's the only way to close the Upside Down permanently.

If the show wants a tragic but heroic closure, Eleven's death would deliver it.

Jonathan Byers

Jonathan's fate is far more ambiguous, but worrying signs are present. As someone who would do anything for his brother or Nancy, Jonathan is a prime candidate for a sacrificial death. The Duffers could choose to kill him instead of Steve as a twist.

He is also one of the few characters whose death would deeply affect multiple key figures. Those are Will, Nancy, and Joyce without derailing the show's supernatural logic. While the trailer doesn't show explicit danger for him, his quiet presence and emotional ties place him in a potentially doomed narrative position.

Murray Bauman

Murray, long-serving comic relief and occasional action wildcard, is another character whose death feels likely. He's important enough for fans to care, but not so essential that the plot collapses without him. The show has a habit of killing off eccentric side characters like Bob, Alexei, and most recently, Eddie, and Murray fits that pattern perfectly.

If Season 5 requires an early casualty to raise the stakes, Murray is the most probable loss.

Ted Wheeler

A surprisingly high-risk candidate, Ted appears in several tense family scenes, and fans have speculated he may finally be pulled into the chaos. One trailer shot shows Nancy crying while washing blood from her hands. Some believe the blood may belong to Ted.

If Hawkins becomes a full-scale battleground, Ted dying while protecting his family would offer a dark but fitting twist for a character who has remained passive for four seasons.

The only thing guaranteed for now is that the Duffer Brothers are working on something big, memorable, and gut-wreching in the series finale. The last season of Stranger Things premieres on 26 November. Four episodes will be available at launch and three more will be available on Christmas. The series finale will be live on New Year's Eve.