Stranger Things: 6 Biggest Unanswered Questions After Season 5, Volume 1 (& What the Answers Might Be)

The beginning of the end is here, as the first volume of Stranger Things Season 5 has finally premiered, setting the stage for the epic conclusion to the beloved Netflix series. With a release schedule splitting the final chapter, fans have been treated to four episodes now, with four more arriving at Christmas and a feature-length finale event scheduled for New Year’s. The new season of Stranger Things kicks off with a significant time jump, thrusting viewers nearly two years into the future after the catastrophic events of the Season 4 finale. This leap forward has completely reshaped the world of the show, transforming Hawkins into a militarized quarantine zone under the constant watch of the U.S. government.

Warning: Spoilers below for Stranger Things 5, Volume 1

Hawkins’ altered landscape immediately puts the familiar heroes in a desperate position. The first four episodes are a whirlwind of action and crucial exposition, re-establishing where each character stands in this final battle and introducing terrifying new stakes. While Volume 1 provides some long-awaited answers and pushes the narrative forward at a relentless pace, it also masterfully weaves a new web of mysteries. These pressing questions now stand at the center of the story, holding the key to Vecna’s ultimate plan and the final fate of Hawkins.

6) What Are Vecna’s Plans?

Volume 1 of Stranger Things 5 wastes no time establishing that Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) ambitions go far beyond simply opening a massive rift to the Upside Down. The season opens with a chilling flashback to 1983, revealing that Vecna personally force-fed a mysterious substance to a young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), hinting at a deeper purpose for his initial kidnapping.

In the 1987 timeline, Vecna escalates his plans by systematically kidnapping more children, starting with Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher). He later tells Will that he targets children because their minds are weak and easy to break, and that Will was the first to show him the true potential of his power. Finally, a terrifying vision Will has during a seizure reveals the captured children tied to pillars, with Upside Down vines connected to their mouths, suggesting they are being turned into vessels or components for a larger machine. The ultimate goal of this horrifying process remains unknown, leaving a central question about what Vecna is building toward.

5) What Is the Wall?

The geography of the Upside Down has a terrifying new feature in Season 5 of Stranger Things. While searching for Vecna, Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) encounter a massive, seemingly impenetrable wall made of pulsating vines. This structure proves to be indestructible, instantly regenerating from any damage they inflict. Later, after a high-speed chase, Steve (Joe Keery) and his team crash their car directly into the same wall in a completely different part of the dimension. 

It is Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) who makes a critical discovery, using telemetry data to calculate that the wall forms a perfect circle around the entire Upside Down version of Hawkins, with the Hawkins National Laboratory at its absolute center. This suggests the wall is a barrier used to delimit the Upside Down space. However, we still don’t know if the Wall was created by Vecna to serve a specific purpose, or something that emerged naturally when the Upside Down was shaped like Hawkins. The wall could even be delimiting Vecna’s power.

4) How Will Max and Holly Escape?

Stranger Things 5 provides a definitive answer to what happened to Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) after she was killed by Vecna and brought to life by Eleven. Her consciousness is trapped inside Vecna’s mind, where she was forced to navigate the maze of his memories. During this journey, Max discovers a safe haven inside a memory of a rock wall, a place that Vecna himself seems to fear. It is within this mindscape that she encounters Holly, who has been kidnapped and brought to a deceptively idyllic version of the Creel house. 

Max is able to prove her identity and form an alliance with Holly, and together they begin to formulate an escape plan from within the belly of the beast. Their partnership is an unexpected twist, creating a powerful internal front against the show’s main villain. The question now is how two disembodied consciousnesses can possibly outwit a psychic monster from inside his own mind.

3) Why Is Vecna Afraid of the Rock Wall in His Memory?

While navigating Henry Creel’s memories, Max discovers a rock wall with a cave that Henry is visibly terrified of. He is unable to enter this space, allowing it to become a perfect hideout for Max’s trapped consciousness. For a villain who has demonstrated near-total control over his own mind and the dimension he commands, this unexplained fear represents a significant chink in his armor.

The existence of a place that he cannot access within his own mindscape is a critical clue to his potential downfall. What happened at this rock wall in his past that could have left such a deep psychological scar? This location could represent a past trauma, a forgotten failure, or a connection to a power even greater than his own. Given how a wall is also a major element of the Upside Down in Season 5 of Stranger Things, this cave memory could also be connected to it.

2) What Are the Limits of Will’s Powers?

Will’s painful connection to the Upside Down has been a recurring plot point for the entire series, but Season 5 finally reframes it as a potential weapon. His ability to sense Vecna’s presence and targets has evolved, with Robin (Maya Hawke) theorizing that he acts as a supernatural radio, picking up the frequencies of the hive mind. This connection proves to be a two-way street. In the final moments of Volume 1, after being taunted by Vecna, Will taps directly into the hive mind and seizes control of a swarm of Demogorgons.

Through his new powers, Will destroys the Demogorgons with a thought, using the same body-breaking method Vecna uses on his victims. This stunning display suggests that when Vecna infected him years ago, he may have accidentally granted Will a share of his control over the hive mind and even psychic abilities. The limits of this incredible new power are completely unknown, but it positions Will as a potential rival to Vecna’s dominance.

1) How Did 008 Get Captured by the Military?

In one of the most shocking reveals of the new season, Eleven’s long-lost “sister” Kali, also known as 008 (Linnea Berthelsen), makes a dramatic return. When Hopper and Eleven infiltrate the Upside Down research facility, they believe the military has somehow captured and contained Vecna. They assume he is the source of the powerful sonic weapon that cripples Eleven’s abilities. However, they discover that the military is not holding Vecna at all. Instead, they have 008 imprisoned and are using her psychic abilities to power their anti-Eleven technology. 

Kali was last seen in Season 2, using her illusion-casting powers to lead a vigilante gang in Chicago. How she went from a vengeful runaway to a prisoner and power source for a secret military operation is a complete mystery. Her capture also raises major questions about what Dr. Kay’s (Linda Hamilton) forces know about the Hawkins Lab program.

What question are you most desperate to have answered in Volume 2 of Stranger Things 5? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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