The final episode of the nearly decade-long Netflix saga dropped on New Year’s Eve 2025, revealing the fates of Eleven, Vecna, Jim Hopper and more

After nearly a decade of terrifying, entertaining and emotionally overwhelming Netflix audiences worldwide, the streamer’s flagship juggernaut, Stranger Things, finally came to a conclusion on December 31, 2025.

The feature film-length series finale, “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up,” was released in theaters on New Year’s Eve and dropped on Netflix at the same time, finally concluding the saga of Hawkins, Indiana’s fight against the Upside Down.

After finally debuting in 2016, “Stranger Things” finally came to its conclusion in December 2025

What happened to the various lead characters? Were they able to defeat Henry Creel aka Vecna? Did they get rid of the military’s control over their town? And, more importantly, after fans criticized the show for being afraid to kill off its characters all season, did anyone perish in the finale?

[MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING] Here’s who died in the Stranger Things finale…

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The show released its final season in three parts spanning a month and a half

Eight aka Kali

Linnea Berthelsen was introduced in a one-off season two episode as Kali Prasad aka Eight, another victim of the experiments befalling Eleven, One and other kids in the Hawkins lab.

She returned in season five in the show’s first major reveal after part one of the episodes dropped in November 2025, reuniting with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and engaging in a more tumultuous relationship with Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard).

While Eight and Eleven are able to stop Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower) from merging the Upside Down with his world and the real one, he does transform into Vecna and the military once again gets involved.

Lt. Robert Akers (Alex Breaux) unfortunately finds Eleven, Eight and Hopper in the Upside Down and shoots at them, fatally wounding Eight just after she’d developed an understanding with Hopper. Eleven, in her blind rage over losing Eight, kills Akers.

Eleven and Hopper’s relationship was explored further over the course of the finale

Vecna

The big bad does die, if you were worried. Vecna actually reveals himself to be just a figment of the larger machinations by, of course, the Mind Flayer, thanks to Will Byers (Noah Schnapp).

The Mind Flayer eventually evolves into a gargantuan spider-like creature to take over the world, but thanks to the entire group banding all together, they’re able to take it down.

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Despite the buzz online, no, Steve Harrington did not die

Vecna perishes as well, taking Henry’s tortured memories with it, when Eleven and Will combine their psychic powers to impale him. And yes, they do save all the kids from Henry’s mind as well and return them to Hawkins.

Eleven

The one name you were and also weren’t expecting to see, the rumors are true.

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The kids of Hawkins band together to defeat Henry Creel at the end

After defeating the Mind Flayer and Vecna, the entire group inside the Upside Down (sans Eight, of course) is able to drive out in the truck they’d entered through, going right through the portal…only to be captured by the military.

Hopper sets off a time bomb to close the portal and potentially rid them all of the Upside Down forever. However, when they turn around, they see Eleven standing inside the portal, waiting for the bomb to go off and sacrificing herself.

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Unfortunately, it all comes down to Eleven and her sacrifice

The group screams for her to join them and not do this, Mike in particular in frantic tears. Eleven psychically invites Mike into her mind to share a tender goodbye and affirm their love for each other. The bomb then goes off when he returns to the present and he runs to the spot the portal previously stood at, shedding a single tear.

Her decision to sacrifice herself comes in the vein of a thought Eight previously threw around of the military wanting to use more of their blood, Eleven’s in particular, to create and exploit more such children as “monsters” for their own power. While the show makes her death seem more ambiguous when it flashes forward 18 months into the future, it doesn’t suggest any scope for her return, implying she’s gone for good.