5 Stranger Things Characters Most Likely To Die In Season 5, Ranked
by Nick Staniforth · /FilmLook, we don't want to be too bleak about our last trip to Hawkins, Indiana, but pretending like no one is going to die in the fifth season of "Stranger Things" is like pretending these "kids" still look young enough to be in high school. As with any show that has a world-threatening danger in it, the series will likely come to an end with a body count. After looking at the recently released trailer for the first batch of season 5 episodes, we have a bad feeling some of our favorites are on the chopping block.
In the lead-up to the first four episodes of season 5, the cast and crew of Netflix's flagship series have claimed that we'll be encountering "Game of Thrones" level drama, and presumably that will include some tragedy. It's hardly a surprise, given how peeved Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) will be after last season's cliffhanger. From longtime fan favorites who could have their heroic last stand (presumably to an '80s anthem) to fresh new additions that could cause chaos for El (Millie Bobby Brown) and her pals, it feels like anyone is fair game.
There might be tears, there might be cheers, and there might be characters whose exit will earn nothing more than a shoulder shrug. Whoever gets it, though, the only thing we're certain of is that Steve won't be among them. Come on, now. Don't you think Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) has been through enough? There are a select few characters, however, who have a greater chance of biting the dust than others, and we've ranked them on a level of just how messed up we'll feel if any of our predictions actually come to pass.
5. Dr. Kay
While the new character, Dr. Kay, might be at the top of our kill list, we must first show some respect to the actress who plays her, Linda Hamilton. The action legend who managed to prevent a nuclear war three times as Sarah Connor in the "Terminator" franchise has faced her fair share of end-of-the-world events over the years, and those cybernetic scuffles have proven she can handle herself against mechanical assassins. But battles across dimensions are a whole different story. Even having been described by Matt Duffer to Empire as a "hyper-intelligent and intimidating" new foe for Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven to face off with, we still don't think it's enough for her to make it through season 5 alive. Tough as she may be, we predict that she'll be one of the final casualties, and she'll only have herself to blame.
Historically, government stooges and shady suits haven't fared well on "Stranger Things," and Dr. Kay feels like she'll be no different. Potentially playing out like a hurdle for El to get over, we can only assume that we'll eventually see Dr. Kay getting ripped apart by either some Upside Down inhabitant or caught in the crossfire between Eleven and Vecna's battle to the death. After that, well, it's a grisly hasta la vista for Dr. Kay, before the real battle between good and evil begins.
4. Murray Bauman
We don't want to see it, but it feels like someone needs to bite the dust in the first round of "Stranger Things" episodes if only to show how seriously the Duffer Brothers are about killing off characters. With that in mind, Brett Gelman's Murray Bauman feels like a solid pick. The originally bitter recluse has been in the show since season 2, becoming a great side character that slowly made his mark and was a huge help in bringing home the thought-to-be-dead Hopper (David Harbour) in season 4. With that said, when you consider that this show has killed off the likes of Eddie (Joseph Quinn) and Joyce's beloved boyfriend, Bob (Sean Astin), Murray doesn't stand a chance. However, that doesn't mean he can't go out like a hero.
Murray could evoke the same heroic sacrifice as Vasquez and Gorman pulling a grenade in "Aliens." This is the kind of exit that Murray deserves, and a character we can only imagine will depart with his signature grin before something goes ka-boom. Alternatively, the Duffers could be exceptionally brutal and see Bauman's character offed in the blink of an eye, highlighting just how unsafe anyone is as the show finally reaches its climax.
3. Will Byers
Given that "Stranger Things" started with the disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) in season 1, it seems fitting that it should end with him being one of the most significant casualties in the show, especially after what we've seen in the brand new trailer. Vecna clearly has big plans for Byers, which could potentially see him turn against his friends before the dust settles. Honestly, though, El and pals having Will used against them isn't the greatest concern — it's what Vecna will do with him after he's served his purpose that we should be worried about.
If Will sets up the downfall for our heroes' plans, there'd be nothing more cruel for Vecna to do than kill him right in front of them once he's finished. We winced at the sight of Max (Sadie Sink) being tortured within an inch of her life last season, so now imagine Will suffering a similar fate or worse, with Eleven and her team helpless to stop it. If it happens in the first volume of episodes, that could be the emotional jolt that might raise the stakes and keep us hooked for the second batch, leaving us on a dark and unpredictable cliffhanger that the trailer could be alluding to.
2. Hopper
You know what's meaner than killing a character and then revealing he was still alive in the following season? Putting us through that trauma all over again, but keeping that character dead this time. That's the kind of gut punch "Stranger Things" could deliver when it comes to Eleven's Demogorgon-killing Dad, Jim Hopper, and the trailer already seems to be setting up this endgame.
The new trailer highlighted footage of El and Jim going it alone, indicating that the two are spending significantly more time together than they did compared to the brief screen time they shared last year. Getting us reacquainted with this great father-daughter bond for the last time would be all the more impactful if it ended with Hopper getting the chop, thereby giving El the edge she needs against Vecna. Unfortunately, we've already seen a surrogate father struck down in front of his daughter in another blockbuster show earlier this year. Should Hopper die in the final season of "Stranger Things," comparisons with season 2 of "The Last of Us" would be inevitable. Alternatively, the Duffers could stick to their script regardless and go for the jugular like a golf club in Pedro Pascal's neck. After all, it doesn't matter who did it first. It's really all about the execution.
1. Eleven
Oh, come on. We're all thinking it, right? If any of the original gang are set to go down in a blaze of glory against Vecna, one that would shock fans to their core would be Eleven, and the trailer might be hinting at just that. Firstly, there's the exceptional music choice of Queen's "Who Wants To Live Forever?", potentially alluding to El's last stand against the ruler of the Upside Down being the one who kills her. There's also the snippet of her warning Mike (Finn Wolfhard) that whatever she has to do needs to be done alone (even if Hopper ends up tagging along). Besides all these potential theories based on the trailer, the biggest giveaway regarding the fate of her waffle-loving hero may have accidentally come from Millie Bobby Brown herself.
During an appearance on "The Jonathan Ross Show," the star of "Stranger Things" was asked about the show's closing chapter, causing her to stumble slightly in her response. "I know how my character ... like, what happens to my character," she explained, perhaps accidentally letting slip that Eleven's number is up, after all.
Thankfully, we might finally get an answer on New Year's Eve, but before then, we'll have two volumes of episodes to get through on November 26 and December 25, 2025.