While the Netflix hit Stranger Things has rarely killed off any of its major main characters, Stranger Things season 5 is likely to increase the show’s body count considerably. As a whole, Stranger Things is getting darker as the show progresses. While Stranger Things season 3 killed off more characters than its more modest predecessors, that divisive outing also brought broad humor and a goofy tone to proceedings.
In contrast, from Vecna’s twisted plan to defeat Eleven to the tragic sacrifices of the season finale, Stranger Things season 4 was comfortably the show’s darkest outing yet. Despite this, however, Stranger Things season 4 stopped short of killing off any major cast members. The death of Eddie Munson left viewers heartbroken, but Joseph Quinn’s scene-stealing supporting star was only introduced in season 4 along with most of the season’s victims.
While it may have felt like Stranger Things season 4 seriously raised the stakes because of the outing’s darker tone, the show didn’t kill off any of its sprawling main cast. That will soon change as, while Stranger Things season 4 made death matter again, the fifth and final season of the series will need to bring its story to a definitive end. The final showdown between Eleven and Vecna needs to have serious stakes, which will mean killing off long-time fan-favorite characters to prove that the main cast members really are at risk. Stranger Things season 5, as the final season of the show, needs to show that anyone can die without leaving viewers too disheartened to continue watching. As such, the question of which characters will be killed off is tricky to predict.
Max
Heading into Stranger Things season 4, Max was a perfect candidate for a brutal, unexpected death scene. An important supporting star but not one of the original Stranger Things heroes from season 1, Max seemed extremely likely to bite the dust as one of Vecna’s victims. However, while the season 4 finale left Max in dire straits, it also gave Stranger Things breakout star Sadie Sink a massive popularity boost among audiences. As such, Max is now much less likely to die, if only because killing her off after not one, but two near-death experiences would be too cruel. Max suffered a brutal disfigurement and lengthy coma at the hands of Vecna and Stranger Things season 4 managed to mine a surprising amount of poignancy out of her short-lived season 3 friendship with Eleven, so Stranger Things season 5 is unlikely to kill her off after all that (particularly when killing Max wouldn't dispel the notion that Stranger Things is afraid to kill off the show’s original stars, since she first appeared in season 2).
Lucas/Dustin
As sad as it is to say, Dustin and Lucas are among the Stranger Things season 5 characters who are most likely to die. Whether Dustin will die avenging season 4’s tragic star Eddie or Lucas will die protecting Max, it seems likely that Stranger Things will need to sacrifice at least one member of the central quintet who has been around since season 1. Of that quintet, Lucas and Dustin are at a distinct disadvantage. Eleven has full-blown psychic superpowers, Mike is her longtime love interest (and the original focal point of Stranger Things, although later seasons moved away from this), and Will has been central to the story of Stranger Things since day 1. As such, either Lucas or Dustin is likely to be doomed.
Eleven
Eleven’s survival is all but guaranteed, but her Stranger Things season 1 sacrifice fake-out could potentially be recreated for real in a truly tragic ending. It’s very, very unlikely, but season 4 solved the Stranger Things fake-out death problem by giving Dr. Brenner a brutally definitive death, so it is not impossible for season 5 to do the same to Eleven. However, killing off the show’s most powerful character and its central heroine would make the entire enterprise seriously depressing and the creators have already noted that they are not creating an uber-dark, intentionally subversive HBO show, so Stranger Things season 5 remains unlikely to kill off Eleven.
Hopper
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Hopper already supposedly died once and Stranger Things milked the moment for all it was worth before undoing it a few months later, which means that another death for the character (even if it is real this time) will likely lack emotional impact. Hopper’s Stranger Things season 5 fate was best encapsulated by his actor David Harbour, who noted that the character had redeemed his season 3 self through his fake-out death and now had a chance at happiness for the first time in a long time. This makes his potential death unlikely, as killing off Hopper for real would just be pointlessly grim so close to the end of Stranger Things.
Steve
Steve Harrington is destined to die in Stranger Things season 5. A fan favorite who doesn’t have a central role in Stranger Things but is immensely popular among viewers, Steve is also one of the few characters who has been around since season 1 but doesn’t have a romantic or familial relationship with anyone else on the show. Suzie and Dustin’s mom would be heartbroken by his death, much like Max, Erica, and Lucas’ parents would be torn apart by his passing. In contrast, Steve’s doomed Stranger Things season 5 fate is doubly confirmed by the fact that viewers haven’t heard from the perpetually single character’s parents, leaving no loose ends if he ends up offed by Vecna.
Robin
Stranger Things has a real issue with killing off characters who have been around since season 1, meaning Robin could possibly get the fan-upsetting death earmarked for Steve. However, this is unlikely for a few reasons. For one thing, Robin has never been posited as a caregiver and protector the way Steve has, which is part of what would make his Stranger Things season 5 death so tragic. For another, she’s the show’s only openly LGBTQIA+ character (although Will might change that soon), meaning it would be a mistake for the next Stranger Things season to kill her off as this would adversely affect the show’s diversity.
Murray
Murray Bauman is a comic relief character who has zero plot function now that the Russia subplot is over. As such, he is almost certain to bite the dust in Stranger Things season 5. While this is unfortunate, Stranger Things is likely to give Murray a heroic route out, since the character has proven that he is willing to sacrifice himself to save others numerous times throughout the show so far. As such, Stranger Things season 5 can kill off Murray in a way that feels fitting for the character and avoid the ire of viewers as a result.