No one outside the creators and production team knows for sure who will die in Stranger Things’ final season, and any specific name right now is only fan theory and prediction, not confirmed fact. What does exist are strong hints, trailers, cast comments, and huge forum debates that point to a few characters being at especially high risk.

What’s confirmed vs. speculation

  • The final season (Season 5) is designed as the end of the Hawkins story, so major stakes and at least some big deaths are widely expected.
  • As of the latest public info, the showrunners and Netflix have not officially revealed which key characters die in the last episodes; everything online is analysis, leaks, and fan discussion.
  • Trailers and interviews have been cut to tease danger for multiple fan favorites (shots of Nancy with bloody hands, Will in clear peril, Max’s condition, etc.), but without naming who actually dies.

Characters fans think are most at risk

These are theories , not certainties, based on how the story is set up and what people are seeing in teasers and interviews.

  • Will Byers
    • Has the deepest connection to the Upside Down and Vecna, and trailers show him in serious danger again.
* Many fans think he could be the “key” to defeating Vecna, which might mean a sacrificial ending for him.
  • Steve Harrington
    • Has had a long redemption arc; analysts keep pointing out that this kind of arc often ends in a heroic sacrifice.
* Fan debates focus on Nancy washing blood off her hands in the teaser, with a lot of people guessing it might be Steve or Jonathan.
  • Jonathan Byers
    • Some breakdowns argue that Jonathan may be the one who dies to save Nancy or others, especially since his story has less clear future direction than some of the others.
* Reddit threads frequently split the “Steve vs. Jonathan” death debate, with some users betting Jonathan goes so Nancy and Steve can end up together.
  • Max Mayfield
    • Already died briefly in Season 4 and ended up in a coma, with Eleven unable to find her in the void.
* Her survival in Season 5 is a huge question mark; some fans think she’s marked for a final tragic end, others think her “second chance” means she’ll pull through.
  • Lucas Sinclair
    • Teasers show him trying to protect Max in the hospital, and some fan theories predict he might die sacrificing himself for her.
  • Robin Buckley, Hopper, and supporting adults (Murray, Owens, etc.)
    • Robin is often flagged as vulnerable because she has fewer family ties on-screen but strong emotional bonds with Steve and the group, which would make her death hit hard.
* Hopper already had a “fake-out” death in Season 3; some fans think that history makes it less likely he’ll die again, others say it sets him up for a final real sacrifice.

* Forum threads regularly toss around names like Murray and Dr. Owens as likely early casualties.

What almost everyone agrees WILL die

  • The big bad Vecna/Henry Creel is overwhelmingly assumed to die by the end; nearly every analysis expects Eleven and the group to defeat him rather than end the series with him alive.
  • The core expectation is that Hawkins and the Upside Down conflict reaches a definitive resolution, which usually means the main villain doesn’t walk away.

What forums and “leak” discussions say

Public forums are full of “who dies in S5” megathreads and argument chains, but they do not have verified spoilers from Netflix or the Duffers.

  • Popular guesses in big threads include: Will, Steve, Jonathan, Max, Robin, Lucas, Hopper, Murray, and even side characters like Dr. Owens.
  • Some posts claim cast interviews or hot-sauce-show appearances “confirmed” a death, but without official episode releases those are best treated as teasers or misread hints, not proof.

So, who will die?

The honest answer: no character’s death is officially confirmed yet for the unreleased final episodes, and any list naming exact people is speculation based on trailers, interviews, and fan theories. The safest way to view current “who will die in Stranger Things” talk is as predictions and fandom debate, not final truth.

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