Stranger Things Finale Explained: How Did the Series End?

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Stranger Things Series Finale.]

Stranger Things has come to an end, revealing the fate of everyone’s favorite characters. So, who made it out alive and who didn’t survive? Below, we’re breaking down all of the need-to-know moments from the Stranger Things Season 5 finale episode, “The Rightside Up,” so beware of spoilers ahead.

How didStranger Things end?

The series concluded with our heroes defeating Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and bringing peace back to the world. After the events that led to Vecna’s demise, the action picked up in the summer of 1989, just as our main characters were graduating from high school, bringing their loved ones together. The episode concluded with a nostalgic round of Dungeons and Dragons, while leaving the door open for future stories, which we delve into below.

Who died in the Stranger Things series finale?

Fret not, Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) made it out of the series alive and well, as did most others. Big bad, Vecna didn’t make it out of the series alive as the final battle in the Abyss rendered the villain headless. While the episode uncovered Henry’s backstory and his ties to the Mindflayer, which ultimately gave him powers, he maintained that he’d decided to join the darkness and wasn’t solely swayed by the otherworldly entity’s evil. This pushed our heroes forward in their battle against him, which left his branchy body impaled on one of the spikes inside the cavern found inside what was believed to be a tree, but was a physical embodiment of the Mindflayer. Joyce (Winona Ryder) finished the job by chopping Vecna’s head off, telling the bad guy he’d “f**ked” with the wrong family.

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Meanwhile, Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) sister, Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), didn’t make it out of the series alive either, as she was shot upon the military’s arrival at Hawkins’ Lab in the Upside Down. The question that looms is whether Eleven herself died as a means of removing the military’s threat of making more superpowered children. We delve deeper into that explanation below.

What happened to Eleven in the Stranger Things series finale?

After the mission to defeat Vecna and save the missing kids who were kidnapped by him was complete, the phase to destroy the Upside Down was put into motion. As everyone returned to the real world, Eleven snuck out of the truck transporting them, placing herself in the doomed realm. She infiltrated Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) mind and told him to explain her choice, even if he didn’t. Ultimately, she chose to remove herself from the world, allowing herself to get swallowed up in the Upside Down as it collapsed, leaving her loved ones distraught, but children safe from a childhood like hers.

But did she die? In the final moments of the episode, a Dungeons and Dragons campaign run by Mike tells the story of his friends, and he mentions a Mage. In this instance, his words apply to Eleven’s story, and he paints a tale in which she was helped by Kali to sneak into the real world undetected, and what everyone else saw was merely an illusion. This was seemingly proven by the fact that Eleven wouldn’t have been able to use her powers in the area with so many suppressors around.

In Mike’s vision, he imagines Eleven carving her own path, settling in a community where the three waterfalls are found. Whether this is real or in his mind isn’t conveyed, but it certainly feels like it leaves the door open for her eventual reunion with the group who love her so deeply. For now, it’s open to interpretation, but let us know your theories below.

Who ended up together in theStranger Thingsseries finale?

Stranger Things‘ series finale confirmed Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Nancy’s (Natalia Dyer) break-up, but hope didn’t seem lost when they reunited in Hawkins 18 months later for their siblings’ graduation. Steve’s pining after Nancy also seemed to run its course, resolving as he found happiness in Hawkins, whereas Nancy and Jonathan were carving their own paths in Boston and New York, respectively.

Meanwhile, Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce finally made their relationship official with a ring (that looks oddly like the one Jonathan almost gave to Nancy). Along with the proposal, which was made over dinner at Enzo’s, Hopper suggested he and Joyce move to Montauk, where he’s been offered a Chief of Police position. For fans of the series, the reference to the New York town could be a small nod toStranger Things‘ original title, or could it be a sign of more strange things to come? It’s certainly curious.

And Max (Sadie Sink) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) got their happy ending after going through so much with her long-term trance between Seasons 4 and 5. Despite their past history of being on-again-off-again, Lucas and Max were on solid ground when it came to their romance and Mike’s vision, which noted they’d only grow stronger in love. As for Mike and Eleven, the pair is clearly destined, but their separation under necessary circumstances left the fate of their relationship unclear by the series’ end.

Stranger Things, Streaming Now, Netflix