Warning: SPOILERS for Stranger Things season 4.

Eleven doesn't have her powers in Stranger Things season 4, but she's on her way to getting them back. Stranger Things season 4 comes almost three years after season 3 was released in July 2019, partly delayed because of the pandemic and partly held up because of its expansion of the series. This time, the story has moved on from Hawkins. Now, multiple storylines are happening simultaneously - in Hawkins, Kamchatka, and Lenora Hills.

Following Jim Hopper's supposed death in Stranger Things season 3, Joyce Byers moved her family (along with Eleven, now officially going by Jane Hopper in school) to California, to begin anew. Unfortunately, despite the relocation and the eight-month break from saving the world, Eleven still hasn't regained her powers. Given it's been so long since season 3's release, viewers may have forgotten what happened to Eleven's powers in the first place, or precisely what happened to them.

Related: Stranger Things Season 4 Theory Makes Huge Upside Down & Eleven Changes

Eleven lost her powers during the Battle of Starcourt and she still doesn't have her powers at the start of Stranger Things season 4, as demonstrated in the school courtyard when she tried to use them on Angela and when she told Dr. Owens her powers are gone. The leading theory was that Eleven lost her powers due to overexertion; however, Dr. Brenner confirms in season 4 that Eleven's powers were lost because of the Mind Flayer's attack at Hopper's cabin and later during the Battle of Starcourt. Eleven suffered something akin to a stroke, according to Dr. Brenner, and she merely forgot how to access her powers. Coupling that with overexertion, it makes sense why Eleven suddenly lost her abilities at the end of season 3. After all, since season 1, Eleven's powers have been associated with an internal battery — if she's drained, she can't use them.

How Eleven Gets Her Powers Back In Stranger Things Season 4

Millie Bobbie Brown with Shaved Head as Eleven in Stranger Things Season 4

Stranger Things isn't the same without Eleven and her superpowers. The opening sequence of Stranger Things season 4 implies just how powerful she really is, but even beyond that, she's gone head-to-head with a Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer... twice. As Dr. Owens told Eleven, he had been working on a way to not only bring Eleven's powers back but to bring them back stronger than ever before. That plan includes the Nina Project - created in conjunction with Dr. Brenner - which is an operation in which Eleven re-experiences her memories, allowing her to relearn her powers the same way while also remembering things she had forgotten (such as fighting One).

Due to Dr. Brenner's theory of equating the loss of Eleven's powers to that of a stroke, having her relearn her powers from the moments that helped shape her will ultimately bring them back stronger than before. She didn't remember fighting One before, so recalling that experience first-hand allowed her to regain her powers (seemingly) completely at the end of episode 7, though the actuality of that remains to be seen. In this universe, what Eleven has done is as close to time travel as Stranger Things probably will get.

Next: Why Stranger Things Doesn’t Need Spinoffs After Season 5 Ends

Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 releases on July 1st on Netflix.