Every Character Who Dies (& Lives) In The Stranger Things Series Finale

The Stranger Things series finale is finally here (after initially crashing Netflix servers again) – and fans of the show now know how it all ended; well, except for all those spinoffs that the series set up. So, now that the Upside Down dust/ash has settled, who made it out alive and who died in the final fight against Vecna? Obviously, there will be spoilers from here on out – so proceed with caution if you stumbled onto this article and haven’t watched the episode.

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SPOILERS

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Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you feel about how these characters have evolved over time, the finale is very “death-lite” and most of the heroes that fans expected might sacrifice themselves actually lived. Considering what was at stake and how poorly things could have gone for Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Will, it’s a relatively “happy” ending. If such a thing exists in a world that’s been plagued by inter-planetary incursions for over a decade.

As a result, anyone who ISN’T on the following list can be considered “alive.”

Without further ado, here’s everyone we lost in the finale – and a brief description of what happened to them.

Everyone Confirmed to Have Died in the Stranger Things Series Finale

Kali Prasad (Eleven’s “Sister) is shot by Robert Akers (the soldier who works for Dr. Kay). She appears to die right then and there but Mike theorizes she was still alive for much of the episode – sending illusions (more on that further down) until finally dying when the Upside Down was destroyed.

Robert Akers is killed by Eleven. The other soldiers have their necks snapped, but Akers meets a worse fate and is forced to kill himself with his own gun by Eleven.

Henry Creel aka Vecna’s ultimate defeat sparked a lot of pre-finale theories but his end is actually pretty straightforward. He’s initially (brutally) beaten by Eleven and impaled onto a tooth-like protrusion. He somehow survives, so Joyce cuts his head off with an axe – ending Mr. Whatsits reign of terror for good.

Eleven… that one is going to take a bit more explaining.

Did Eleven Actually Die in the Stranger Things Series Finale?

In the closing minutes of the episode, Eleven chooses to stay behind in the Upside Down when it is destroyed, but Mike later speculates that was actually Kali’s final illusion. This might seem like wishful thinking on his part (and the audience) but he’s probably right. Remember that Kali had the ability to cast illusions that were indistinguishable from real life. If she did survive, as Mike speculates, until the Upside Down collapsed, it’s possible (even probable) that a few things that don’t make sense about Eleven’s death were actually due to Kali casting illusions.

The “Eleven stays behind” scene doesn’t quite line up – if Kali wasn’t actively distorting what people were seeing. Most notably: Eleven was mysteriously able to disappear from a truck where soldiers saw her (despite being in a power suppression zone) and then sneak back into the portal.

Mike speculates Kali hid her on several occasions, having had a change of heart about Eleven needing to die to prevent a future Henry from being created, and that El is now living somewhere in peace – somewhere she can’t be found by Dr. Kay and used for further experiments.

Like any ending with a somewhat open interpretation, Eleven’s final fate depends on which version of the ending viewers choose to believe but the “happier” ending has merit and pays off a number of details as well as emotional beats The Duffer Brothers spent time setting up this season (most notably Kali’s illusion powers and her insistence that El had to die). A change of heart by her sister and the gift of a peaceful life would certainly be a satisfying reward for all that Eleven endured.

Then again, Mike was the Dungeon Master of his friends’ Dungeons & Dragons campaigns – meaning he’s a great storyteller, capable of weaving together a series of disjointed events into a cohesive and inspiring tale.

Time will tell if we ever get a definitive answer on Eleven’s fate. The Duffer Brothers have already clarified one confusing storyline this season – so it’s possible they could, at the very least, tip their hats toward the answer they prefer. Not to mention, with loads of spinoffs in development, there’s plenty of opportunity for Eleven to return – or for her death to be confirmed.

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