In Stranger Things season 4, dozens of people die on‑screen or are clearly reported dead, but fans usually talk about a smaller “major characters” list of deaths.

Below is a clear breakdown so you can see both the story-important deaths and the wider body count the season confirms or strongly implies.

Main characters who die in Season 4

Most viewers, recaps, and forums tend to count 6 major, on‑screen character deaths , plus Max’s brief death and revival.

  • Chrissy Cunningham – Killed by Vecna in episode 1 in Eddie’s trailer.
  • Fred Benson – Nancy’s colleague, murdered by Vecna near the road accident memorial.
  • Patrick McKinney – Hawkins Tigers player, killed by Vecna over the lake.
  • Dr. Martin Brenner (“Papa”) – Shot multiple times by the military in the desert while trying to escape with Eleven.
  • Eddie Munson – Dies from Demobat wounds in the Upside Down after staying behind to buy the others time.
  • Jason Carver – Torn in half when the Hawkins gate splits open under him during the earthquake.

Max’s “temporary” death

  • Max Mayfield technically dies once: Lucas explains her heart stops for over a minute after Vecna’s attack.
  • Eleven restarts her heart in the Void, so by the final scenes she is alive but in a coma , brain‑dead and blind according to the doctors and the Duffer brothers.

Because of that, fans often phrase it as:

“Six major deaths plus Max, who died briefly but was brought back.”

Other named and implied deaths in Season 4

Beyond the “big six,” the season shows or clearly reports many other deaths tied to Vecna, the Upside Down, and human violence.

  • Hawkins Lab flashback – The opening shows many kids, orderlies, and guards dead after the massacre involving Henry/001, though most are unnamed.
  • Russian prison – Multiple unnamed prisoners die fighting the Demogorgon in the Kamchatka facility.
  • Agent Harmon – The federal agent protecting the California kids is shot and later dies from his injuries.
  • Unnamed soldiers – Several of Lt. Colonel Sullivan’s soldiers die when Eleven brings down the helicopter at the desert facility.
  • 22 Hawkins residents – A news report in the finale explicitly mentions 22 people in Hawkins killed when the gates open and the “earthquake” hits; even more are missing.

If you combine major named character deaths , side characters , and the reported civilians , the season’s total confirmed human deaths easily climbs into the dozens , though the exact number depends on how you count unnamed lab staff, Russian prisoners, and off‑screen casualties.

Quick reference table

[5][2][3][4] [2][3][4] [3][5][2] [5][3] [8][4] [8][4] [4] [4] [3][4] [3][4]
Category Who / What Death status in Season 4
Major named deaths Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, Brenner, Eddie, Jason All definitively dead by season’s end
Max Mayfield Heart stops briefly; revived by Eleven Technically dies once, but ends the season alive in a coma
Named side characters Agent Harmon; multiple soldiers; many lab staff and orderlies Shown or clearly implied dead in their scenes
Civilians of Hawkins 22 residents confirmed dead by news report Killed when the gates open and the “earthquake” hits
Russian prisoners Several unnamed inmates in Kamchatka Killed by Demogorgon in arena-style fights

“How many people died in Stranger Things season …?” (general note)

If the question is meant more generally (any season, not just 4), fan wikis that track every on‑screen death count hundreds of deaths across all seasons , including unnamed characters and background casualties. The total is not fixed because different fans use different rules (for example, whether to count creatures, dream‑sequence deaths, or off‑screen victims the dialogue only mentions).

Meta description (SEO‑style):
Wondering how many people died in Stranger Things season 4? Here is a concise breakdown of every major character death, Max’s brief death and revival, and the wider civilian body count the show confirms.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.