10 lesser-known behind-the-scenes facts from ‘Stranger Things’ season five
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things concluded on Netflix like the perfect storm, with its curtain call in 2025. But now that we are nearly three weeks into 2026, it still feels hard to believe that there is no Upside Down to begin with.
In the meantime, several fan theories have come and gone, including rumours of a secret episode. However, thankfully, Netflix chose to address the fan outcry with a new documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, which unpacks the behind-the-scenes process of the show’s final lap.
While the documentary unveils that the series creators had a hard time deciding Eleven’s fate, it also goes on to reveal that Vecna’s unsettling appearance took time and nothing less than a village to perfect.
But in case you thought that’s the end of it, here are 10 lesser-known behind-the-scenes facts from the fifth season of Stranger Things sourced right from the talented crafts team behind the show. So, if you were missing the sci-fi show, make it a study night with Stranger Things facts 101 that you probably didn’t know or missed out on.
10 lesser-known behind-the-scenes facts from Stranger Things 5
Cast members wore custom Nikes
One of the things Stranger Things has always ensured is that its cast is well-dressed at all times. As it turns out, Erica, Steve, Lucas, and Eleven wore Nikes in the fifth season of the hit sci-fi series. Moreover, Erica, Eleven, and Steve’s were custom-made by the American giant. Like that wasn’t enough, Nike also reportedly dropped a Field General High for Eleven.
Eleven’s costume inspiration
Regardless of the debates and discussions surrounding Eleven’s outfit, the dress was true to its inspiration. The training look, which combined shorts over sweats, serves as a knowing nod to Punky Brewster and Josh Brolin’s character, Brandon Walsh, in The Goonies. According to Tudum, costume designer Amy Parris went over 15 different shades of red fabric before finalising the one Eleven wears in the final season of the Netflix series.
Robin’s Winona Ryder tribute
Everyone is a Winona Ryder fan, and Robin Buckley might just be the biggest one. Maya Hawke is said to have personally insisted on letting her character don a Tom Waits shirt with a leather jacket and jeans to recreate a real picture of Ryder, who co-starred with Hawke’s father, Ethan Hawke, in Reality Bites (1994). Robin’s ‘Beam Me Up This Place Sucks’ t-shirt reflects her extroverted personality and doubles as a reference to ‘80s sci-fi culture.
Holly’s “Heroic” costume
The props department chimed in to design Holly’s “Heroic” costume so that it would resemble the “Holly the Heroic” figure that Mike gives her. The bright colour palette was chosen purposefully to stand out in the muted tones of Hawkins in the final season. For those unaware, “Holly the Heroic,” the new Dungeons & Dragons miniature that we see in the last instalment of Stranger Things, was created just for the show. It was 3D-printed and then hand-painted.
Erica’s Princess Diana-inspired sweater
At the dinner with the Turnbows, Erica sports a sweater inspired by Claudette Well’s character in the 1980s show Square Pegs, while her “Camp Central Park” t-shirt is a wink to the real ‘80s brand, Camp Beverly Hills. In addition to that, she wears a sweater resembling Princess Diana’s famous 1983 sheep sweater, only with Scottie dogs.
Will’s bowl cut inspiration
If there’s something more iconic in Stranger Things than Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill,’ it’s got to be Will Byers’ bowl cut. The haircut is inspired by Bastian from The NeverEnding Story, which is kept constant for years to signify his character’s “emotional stagnation.” It’s only in season five that Will truly evolves, and so does his hair as he learns to accept himself.
Sigourney Weaver’s inspiration
In case you didn’t notice already, Nancy Wheeler’s hair was directly influenced by Sigourney Weaver’s appearance in Alien. Her short rock-inspired layers echo the ‘80s music scene.
Doubling down on VFX
VFX Supervisor Betsy Paterson shared with Tudum that in Stranger Things, the visual effects commitment and workload have “doubled every year.” However, season five surpassed season four in terms of creative demands, and within just five weeks of filming, they had crafted more effects than they had in the whole of season four.
Jamie Campbell Bower in the prosthetics chair, by the hour
Jamie Campbell Bower has estimated that he spent 70 hours in total in the prosthetics chair for his Vecna transformation. He donned custom-fitted contact lenses and dentures to enhance the villainous appearance. However, his transformation time was comparatively less in season five as makeup effects department head Barrie Gower’s team only had to create the upper half of his body with three to four artists working simultaneously.
Mr Clarke’s Hawkins High connection
Lastly, for those unaware, the school, in which Stranger Things was shot throughout five seasons, was once Stockbridge High School. This is the same school Randy Havens, who portrayed Mr Clarke in the show, attended in Georgia.