The creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers, have provided insights into the Season 5 finale and its conclusion, which has generated considerable discussion among fans.
The final season of Stranger Things concludes with a clear farewell to most main characters, with the notable exception of Eleven, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown. Her character seemingly sacrifices herself to prevent her abilities from being exploited to create super weapons, another Vecna/Henry, or a new connection between the human world and The Abyss.
Eighteen months after this impactful event, the core group of characters gathers for their graduation and to say their goodbyes. During this time, Mike Wheeler, played by Finn Wolfhard, proposes a theory: what if Kali Prasad, also known as Eight (Linnea Berthelsen), used her final moments to create an illusion of Eleven’s death and an invisibility spell, allowing Eleven to escape unnoticed?
Mike shares this revelation with the Dungeons & Dragons group as their last campaign concludes. He suggests that Eleven collaborated with Kali to fake her demise, then journeyed to a distant small village, bordered by three waterfalls, to live peacefully. This ending remains unconfirmed; Mike and the others choose to believe it, leaving the audience to decide their own belief as Stranger Things concludes.
Matt and Ross Duffer chose to leave Eleven’s ending open to interpretation. In a Q&A published by Netflix alongside the season finale, they explained their reasoning.
Matt Duffer stated, “The intention was to address the reality of her situation after everything and how she could possibly live a normal life. These are the questions posed this season that Hopper avoids, and Mike has discussed extensively, though it’s a somewhat fantastical version that wouldn’t truly work. Eleven faced two potential paths: a darker, more pessimistic one, or an optimistic, hopeful one. Mike, being the group’s optimist, chose to believe in the latter story.”
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Ross Duffer added, “There was never a scenario where Eleven remained with the group at the end. For the creators and writers, taking away her powers was not an option. She embodies magic in many ways, representing the magic of childhood. For the characters to move forward and for the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to conclude, Eleven needed to depart. The creators believed it would be beautiful if the characters continued to embrace that happier ending, even without a definitive answer. Their belief in it was considered a superior way to conclude the story and symbolize the end of their journey from childhood to adulthood.”
Matt concluded, “If Eleven is indeed out there, the most the characters could hope for is a belief in that truth, as direct contact would be impossible. Everything would unravel if they maintained contact. Therefore, if that’s the narrative, this approach is truly the best way to keep her alive. It’s ultimately about Mike and everyone else finding a way to process what has occurred.”
