5 Stranger Things Season 5 characters that are most likely to die (& 5 who are completely safe)

As Season 5 of Stranger Things comes to a close, fans are questioning who will make it through the last few episodes and who won't. The Duffer Brothers love to raise the stakes and have a history of breaking hearts, as evidenced by everything we have seen since Season 1. After Volume 1 & 2, and all the different trailers, teasers, and interviews we received, there are plenty of indications that certain cast members will be facing extreme danger.

The final stretch of Season 5 of Stranger Things is coming soon, and there is a lot of nervous guessing going on. Some characters look very safe based on what the story is doing with them right now, while others seem to be headed into situations that feel far too risky for comfort.

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Characters most likely to die in the finale of Stranger Things

Dr. Kay

Dr. Kay is still a mystery figure, and that alone puts her at risk. Anyone who stands against Hopper and Eleven usually does not last long, and it feels very unlikely she will survive the battle with Vecna. Nothing about her storyline suggests long-term safety. Her path feels like it is leading toward a final moment rather than a future.

Kali (Eight)

For this season, Kali's return came as a shock. In this series, shocks typically result in unexpected deaths. With Kali having just been freed after being held captive for so long and looking very frail, it seems that she is going to have a major arc within this plotline that will culminate in a sacrifice in the end. Although she will be an integral part of the battle, the likelihood of her surviving until this season's finale appears to be virtually non-existent. Historically, Stranger Things gives characters significant emotional arcs, then ends their storylines after a brief run.

Holly Wheeler

Holly is in a very frightening situation this season of Stranger Things. She knows more than she should for a child her age, and she can see things that others around her are missing. That puts her in real danger. While she could survive, the pattern from earlier seasons, where characters like Bob, Billy, and Eddie were given more screen time before tragic ends, makes Holly’s chances uncertain. The Duffers may use her to raise the emotional stakes for the Wheeler family.

Murray Bauman

Murray has been helpful since he first appeared, but he has also moved into a risky place in the group. He is important, but not too important to lose, which is usually a worrying sign in a final season of a show like Stranger Things. Fans care about him, and losing him would hurt, but it wouldn't break the entire story the way losing a core teenager would. That is why he remains high on the danger list.

Steve Harrington

Fans worry about Steve every season of Stranger Things, and the fear is back again. He jumps into danger so often that something eventually has to give. The Duffers even joked about his possible death during an appearance on The Tonight Show. While it would shock the audience, it is not impossible. Steve is brave, caring, and always ready to protect the group, and those qualities put him at risk when the final fight begins.

Vecna/Henry Creel

He is the clear villain, and villains almost always fall. Maybe not right away, but he is not walking away from this story alive.

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Characters Who Seem Completely Safe

Max Mayfield

Max is still recovering after barely surviving Stranger Things Season 4, but everything about Season 5 suggests she will come back. The show has already had plenty of chances to kill her off, and they chose not to. It wouldn't make sense to bring her back just to lose her again.

Eleven

There is no believable version of this show that ends with Eleven dying before the final minutes of the Stranger Things finale. She is the center of the whole story. She may face danger, but she is not leaving early, and most signs point toward her surviving the entire series.

Will Byers

Will is too important to lose. This whole story started with him, and Stranger Things Season 5 has brought him closer than ever to the main conflict. The creators have said many times in interviews that Will has a big role to play in the end. He is not dying before the final showdown.

Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers

Even though the trailers show them in danger, it feels unlikely the show will take either of them out before the very end. They are tied into bigger emotional arcs that still need to play out.

Now, it is only a matter of time until we find out which characters make it to the end. The Stranger Things finale drops on December 31 on Netflix, and fans are eagerly waiting for the release.