Stranger Things Season 5 Timeline Explained: How old each character will be in the final season

A still from the show (Image via Netflix)
A still from the show (Image via Netflix)

Stranger Things Season 5 brings the popular Netflix show to its epic conclusion. Viewers have watched these characters grow up for nearly ten years. Now, the last chapter will bring their journey to a close.

The upcoming season features a major time jump. This transforms how old everyone will be when the story reaches its finale. The series starts in 1983 with young kids fighting supernatural creatures.

Every season moved forward roughly one year. The second season is set in 1984. The third season took place in 1985. The fourth season took place in 1986. However, Stranger Things Season 5 will be different.

The show jumps ahead 18 months from the previous season. The last episodes will unfold during the summer of 1987. The time skip means that all the characters are now older. The kids are teenagers now and gradually turn into young adults. Even the adults have aged.

Analyzing these age transformations helps viewers appreciate how much everyone has evolved. It also sets the stage for what promises to be an epic conclusion to the Hawkins saga.


The age of the main kids in Stranger Things Season 5

The original group will all be 16 years old. Eleven started this journey as a 12-year-old with hidden powers. She is an adult in Stranger Things Season 5. The group's leader Mike Wheeler turns 16. He has come a long way from the kid looking for his missing friend.

Dustin remains the chirpy one. He will be 16 too. Lucas will encounter his own challenges at 16 years old. His girlfriend Max ended last season in a coma. Will Byers will also be 16. These five have evolved together while fighting the monsters. Now, they are old enough to drive.


The new addition age transformation

Max came to the group in the second season. She will be 16 by the end of the season. However, she might not be very active. The previous season's events left her in a coma after dealing with Vecna. Trailers suggest she will stay bedridden for part of Stranger Things Season 5.

Erica is Lucas's younger sister. She has become more crucial over time. In the last season, she will be around 12 years old. Holly Wheeler is the youngest of the Wheeler kids. She will be approximately 10 in the last season.


The age of older teens

Steve Harrington is the oldest of the younger group. He was a high school junior in the first season. By the time Stranger Things Season 5 arrives, he will be 20 years old.

He had graduated from high school and worked several jobs in Hawkins. Steve has become an unlikely hero and babysitter to the younger kids. Nancy Wheeler is 19 in the last season. She is the elder sister of Mike.

Nancy graduated from high school and now works at the local newspaper firm. She aspires to become a journalist. Her boyfriend, Jonathan Byers is also 19. He is the elder brother of Will and works as a photojournalist.

Robin is another 19 year old character. She first showed up working with Steve at an ice cream parlor. Robin became a trusted friend to the group, one who spoke her mind. She provides a crucial perspective to the group.


The age of the adults

Jim Hopper is the sheriff and Eleven's adoptive father. His exact age is not confirmed. He is believed to be in his late 40s during Stranger Things Season 5.

Hopper encounters his most crucial challenge yet. He has to protect Eleven while dealing with the Upside Down Stranger Things Season 5. Will's mother in the show, known as Joyce Byers, is also thought to be in her 40s.

Joyce has been through many hardships. She lost her partner Bob to the creatures. Now there are hints she might find happiness again. The last season may include a wedding for Joyce.


The importance of the time jump

The 18 month gap between seasons is significant. It is the longest time jump in the history of the show. Former seasons only moved forward by about a one year gap. The bigger jump suggests that a significant amount of time has passed. The ensemble cast is no longer kids.

The time skip also creates compelling questions in Stranger Things Season 5. It raises questions about what happened in the gap and how Hawkins has changed. Has Max recovered from her coma? These mysteries will unfold when the last season premieres.

Also See: Stranger Things Season 5 creators reveal the story will come a ‘full circle’ in the final chapter - Here’s how


Stranger Things Season 5 premieres on November 26 on Netflix. The characters have evolved in every way. The final battle awaits.

Edited by Zainab Shaikh