In Stranger Things season 1, Will is finally found in the Upside Down version of the Hawkins Public Library’s basement, unconscious and wrapped in vines.

Where Will Is Found

  • Will is located in the Upside Down beneath the Hawkins Public Library, not at his house or Castle Byers in the final rescue scene.
  • Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper reach him there after entering the Upside Down through Hawkins Lab and following the Demogorgon’s trail.

What Condition He’s In

  • When Joyce and Hopper discover him, Will is entangled in organic vines/tendrils and has a tube-like tendril in his mouth, seemingly being kept alive as a sort of “stored” victim.
  • He is not breathing at first, but Hopper performs CPR until Will starts breathing again, allowing them to bring him back to the real Hawkins and to the hospital.

Related “Fake Body in the Lake” Detail

  • Earlier in the season, authorities “find” what looks like Will’s corpse in the quarry lake, but that body is later revealed to be an artificial plant created by Hawkins Lab to fake his death and shut down the search.
  • Joyce refuses to accept that body as Will, insisting he is still alive, which is later proven true when she rescues the real Will from the Upside Down.

TL;DR: They actually find the real Will in the Upside Down’s version of the Hawkins Public Library basement, wrapped in vines and barely alive, where Joyce and Hopper revive him and bring him home.

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