At long last, Stranger Things Season 5 is finally right around the corner. The first volume of episodes is set to release on Wednesday, November 26th, launching what will surely be an epic conclusion to a story that began nearly a decade ago. It’s been said that Season 5 is truly the definitive ending, meaning all of the various ongoing threads and character arcs will be wrapped up by the time the credits roll on the finale. Given the rising stakes in the fight against Vecna, this means some fan favorites could meet their ultimate end. For months now, fans have been fretting over which characters could die in Season 5, and the latest comments from the Duffer brothers won’t rest any nerves.
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Speaking with The Times, the Stranger Things co-creators teased how grisly things are going to be during the fifth season. “The goal was always to scale up each series with the age of the characters and our audience, but then we keep getting new audiences. Hopefully parents donโt get too mad at us,” Ross Duffer said. Added Matt, “I would say season five is not as violent as season four, but it has the most violent death of any season.”
Unsurprisingly, Stranger Things fans have taken to social media to share their theories about the Duffers’ quotes. “SAY YOUR GOODBYES TO STEVE” wrote X user @mikuwheeler. Check out a sampling of reactions in the space below:
Will a Major Stranger Things Character Die in Season 5?
Stranger Things has never shied away from killing characters in previous seasons, but there’s always seemed to be a reluctance to remove anyone from the main ensemble. The most notable character deaths have been supporting players who left an impact in one season, such as Bob Newby and Eddie Munson. The core group that has defined Stranger Things from the beginning has stayed safe throughout, even as the cast continues to grow as the series goes along. It’s gotten to a point where even star Gaten Matarazzo believes the main characters are too safe and killing some of them off would be a good way to raise the stakes.
There are ways to portray high stakes without killing characters, but Matarazzo’s point is well taken. If one of the main characters died, it would instantly put audiences on edge because it would communicate to viewers that anyone is fair game. It’s one thing to kill off the fan-favorite newcomer for a quick emotional gut punch (Eddie); it’d be something else if someone audiences have been following for five seasons of TV met their ultimate end. When developing Season 1, the Duffers contemplated killing Eleven and Steve Harrington before deciding against it. With Season 5 being the end, there’s no reason to save certain characters for more stories, so perhaps those ideas were revisited.
Of course, the Duffers aren’t going to share any additional details beyond “most violent death.” Technically, that phrasing could apply to anyone from a nameless victim of Vecna to one of the faces of the show. A random character to have a gruesome death to dial up the horror and showcase how powerful the forces of the Upside Down have become. However, it would seem like a wasted opportunity if the series’ most brutal death was used on someone audiences have no investment in. The sequence could arguably make a bigger impact if it involved someone viewers know and care about.
Regardless of who suffers this brutal death, it’s a sign that the Duffers pulled no punches when crafting Stranger Things Season 5. As they say, they wanted the show to grow up with its audience, so this installment could be the most emotional and mature of them all. It’ll be interesting to see if the death the Duffers are referencing takes place in the first volume. It could make for a strong cliffhanger to see someone ripped apart to announce a dangerous threat’s arrival. Although, this might be something saved for the final batch of episodes, allowing it to become part of the final act.
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