Six characters who might secretly die in the ‘Stranger Things’ finale
We need to talk. Stranger Things is literally hours away, and so far, the Duffers have managed to run a brilliant psychological experiment on the entire internet. Every teaser, every leak, every Lego set, and every blurry behind-the-scenes photo feels like a threat. They want us stressed. They want us confused. And they definitely want us guessing who is not making it out of Hawkins alive.
The real fun, though, is in the “secret death” territory. Stranger Things does not always kill people in normal ways. Sometimes they “technically die”. Sometimes they die but still exist in the psychic plane. Sometimes their body makes it out, but their mind does not. And sometimes the show hides someone’s death until the final minutes just to ruin sleep schedules everywhere. With this series? A character can die without anyone realising for three whole episodes.
So, with all the theories circulating like cursed confetti, it feels right to sit down and look at the six names who are actually in danger of a silent, sneaky exit. Not the obvious villain death, but the characters who could disappear, fade out, or get stuck in the wrong dimension while the rest of the cast thinks they survived.
It hurts, but let us be honest, we all know the Duffers love a gut punch. And these are the six characters who might secretly die in Stranger Things 5.
Six characters who might secretly die in the Stranger Things finale
1. Mr Clarke
Why is nobody panicking about Mr Clarke? If you are having a hard time, remember he is the science teacher from Hawkins High who has navigated kids through many science hiccups. That man has been explaining portals, alternate worlds, radio waves, and interdimensional nightmares since season one, and somehow he is still just vibing at a middle school like Hawkins is not the devil’s playground. If Vecna is looking for someone who understands the science behind everything, Mr Clarke is basically a walking target. And the worst part? He is the one adult who would absolutely get taken out without anyone realising for hours.
A secret death for him would hit so hard because it is exactly the type of twist the Duffers love. One minute, he is helping some kid fix a circuit board; the next minute, he is gone, and nobody clocks it because Hawkins is already falling apart. It would be shocking and way too easy for the writers to slip in. And honestly, with the way he has been missing from the story lately? Yeah. We are scared.
2. Dr Sam Owens
Tell us why nobody is talking about how Owens is basically sitting on a death flag the size of Indiana. The man has been trying to help Eleven since forever, and the government keeps treating him like a problem they can delete. He knows too much, he has seen too much, and he is literally stuck between the military and the Upside Down. That is why we are worried that the Duffers might take him out. No dramatic goodbye, just one terrifying reveal that he did not make it.
Owens getting a secret death makes scary sense. He could disappear during some off-screen extraction mission or get taken by Vecna in a way nobody notices until it is way too late. Imagine the final episode casually dropping a line like, “Owens never checked back in,” and everyone just stops breathing. That is the vibe. That is the Duffers’ brand. Owens is hanging by a thread and a lab coat at this point.
3. Murray Bauman
Murray is in danger, and nobody wants to admit it. The man runs straight into life-threatening situations with the confidence of someone who definitely should not have that much confidence. He is always in the middle of explosions, creatures, helicopters, Russians, and flamethrowers, and he treats all of it like a mildly annoying Tuesday. Yes, yes, we know he had his “panic moments”, but if the latest trailer reveals anything, this man looks like he is afraid of nothing. That is exactly the type of character the Duffers remove when no one is looking.
A secret death for Murray feels almost too easy. He could disappear in the middle of a fight, and the group would only realise later that he never made it back to the safe zone. He is helpful, but he is also very killable in the writers’ eyes. And yes, his death will be criticised by a lot of people, but they will still be thankful that Steve Harrington is alive.
4. Steve Harrington
As we spoke of Steve, let’s talk about him. There are literally petitions going on on the internet to save him. People have given Netflix and the Duffer brothers virtual threats to not kill him. And why not? This man is the emotional glue of the group, the protector, the one who walks into danger the second someone else is at risk… Our “MOTHER STEVE”.
That is exactly what makes him the perfect candidate for a silent, hidden death. Steve would sacrifice himself without hesitating, and the scene might happen in a way where the camera cuts before we see the real outcome. Imagine the group thinking he escaped an Upside Down collapse, only to notice later that he never actually climbed out behind them. Chills, literal chills!
5. Will Byers
If any character has been marked since the beginning, it is Will. His connection to the Upside Down is so deep that it feels impossible for him to walk away from the finale completely safe. Every teaser, every interview, every behind-the-scenes whisper feels like the story is circling back to him. And if they wanted one “quiet but devastating” death, Will is the one who fits the pattern.
A secret death for Will could happen in the Mindscape, where the group believes he escaped, but the final scene reveals he did not. Stranger Things loves technical deaths where the body survives, but the mind does not, and Will has been mentally tied to Vecna since day one. If the Duffers want the story to end where it began, this is the scariest and most symbolic option.
6. Eleven
Eleven is the nuclear option. She opened the door, she connected everything, and she is the only one strong enough to end it. That also makes her the most likely person to pay the final price. Her entire arc has been leading toward a moment where saving everyone else might require something she cannot return from. And a hidden or delayed reveal would hit harder than any dramatic on-screen moment.
A secret death for Eleven could happen if she closes the gate and gets trapped on the other side. Or if she wins the battle, but her mind stays locked inside the psychic plane while her body looks alive. The group could believe she made it until the final reveal shows the truth. It would be painful, but it would be a grand ending to a grand show.
