The world of Stranger Things has finally come to an end after 5 massive seasons spread across 9 years of the kids from Hawkins and The Upside Down. It was Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), Jim Hopper (David Harbour), Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) and Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson) versus Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) aka One aka Henry. Here’s what went down in the 3rd and last volume of Stranger Things 5.
Did Vecna survive the final battle?
An emotional farewell awaited the fans of the show as they were able to watch a final showdown of Dungeons and Dragons unfurling on the screen. Eleven, who was ready to give her life up for the safety of her friends and family, was able to do so, albeit at the cost of her own existence in the human world. As Henry faced his childhood self and looked back on his troubled past, Vecna was defeated by the gang of friends.
Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper find their happily ever after by sending off Will. She accepts his proposal and even manages to bid goodbye to her ex Bob (Sean Astin). Meanwhile, he finds himself returning to his position at the police station, with an offer for Montauk awaiting his attention.
What happened to Mike and Eleven?
The biggest loss came to Mike, who saw the end of Vecna through to the last bit, but also dealt with the absence of Eleven— a debatable closure for the character. He wondered if, far away from Hawkins, she was able to survive while building a new life for herself, with the visuals of her passing being a mere last illusion from Kali. The creators of the show have neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of her being alive, leaving it to the viewers. However, the slight hope of her survival, supported by Mike’s encouragement, is all that fans of the star needed.
Where do the rest of the cast members go from here?
The Upside Down has been destroyed, while Mike has turned to writing for his career, choosing to chronicle the crazy life he has lived and beginning to tell his stories to the world. Dustin is the valedictorian of his class, 18 months into the future. Max and Lucas move out of the town and live together happily after a final date.
Steve, Jonathan, Nancy, and Robin still meet up monthly to catch up despite going their separate ways. Steve is a baseball coach at the school, Robin attends Smith College in Massachusetts, Jonathan becomes a filmmaker studying at New York University, and Nancy drops out of Emerson College to work at the Boston Herald.
Will’s big coming out moment leads him to New York, where he rediscovers himself and builds more confidence. Finally, Vecna and, thereby, Henry, meets a much-awaited end after being destroyed by the bunch in the final battle. The D&D campaign is taken over by Holly (Nell Fisher), Derek, and their friends.