(Credits: Netflix)

Season 5 of Stranger Things is the final one. And if there is one thing TV history has taught us, it is that no show goes out without some emotional carnage. The kind that leaves you hollow, furious, and crying in your hoodie at 3am.

We have already seen Stranger Things kill off beloved characters – Barb, Bob, Billy, and most recently Eddie Munson, all gone too soon. And let’s be honest. The Duffer Brothers love a dramatic, noble, slow-motion death. Season 5 is the last chance for them to go full throttle.

This time, the stakes are higher. Vecna is still out there, Hawkins is literally cracking open, and every character is more emotionally vulnerable than ever before. People are going to die. And not just background characters.

So let us get into it. Here is every major character, ranked from “probably doomed” to “plot-armour protected”, with reasons that actually make sense.

Ranking the ‘Stranger Things’ characters from least to most likely to die:

Lucas Sinclair

Lucas went through emotional hell in Season 4. Watching Max die (and maybe still lose her) nearly broke him. Killing him, too, would be unnecessarily cruel. Plus, Lucas is only just stepping into his own. He has become a layered, complex character. His arc with Max still has potential, and the show knows it.

Lucas also represents a certain kind of balance in the group. He is a grounded and realistic counter to Dustin’s eccentricity and Mike’s emotional spirals. Losing Lucas would throw that off. And let’s not forget: Stranger Things still needs its core group intact if it wants to wrap things up with heart. Lucas is mostly safe.

Dustin Henderson

The writers killed Eddie Munson. They will not do it again, especially not to Dustin. He is too loved, too pure, and too essential to the spirit of the show. After everything he has gone through, he deserves peace and a long life full of D&D and terrible jokes.

Plus, Dustin has always been the emotional glue of the friend group. He is smart, loyal, and endlessly hopeful. And most of all, his comic relief is a much-needed counterweight to the show’s darkness. A final season without Dustin’s voice cracking during a rant? Unthinkable. So if they kill him, we riot.

Mike Wheeler

Mike is the emotional centre for Eleven. While he is not the most action-driven character, his death would wreck the final season’s tone. It would also destroy Eleven emotionally, and we already did that in Season 4.

And while he is not everyone’s favourite anymore, Mike’s story arc still matters. His coming-of-age, his leadership, and his emotional connection to the supernatural events in Hawkins make him crucial to the ending. Killing him would serve no purpose and offer no real payoff. He is not dying. He is making it out, awkward hair and all.

Eleven

Eleven dying would be bold, but also highly unlikely. She is the heart of the show. Stranger Things began with her story, and it will likely end with her choosing to live, even if it means giving up her powers. She might collapse after a final fight. She might lose her connection to the Upside Down forever. But an actual death? The Duffers are not going there. Probably.

That said, expect major sacrifice. Eleven could lose her powers permanently. She might even get trapped between dimensions. But killing her would feel more like shock value than storytelling. And the Duffers are better than that. At least we hope they are.

Jim Hopper

Jim Hopper has already “died” once on this show. The fakeout at the end of Season 3 was emotional enough for us to grieve until Season 4 got released. Most importantly, the writers milked that grief arc for a full season. Which is why doing it again feels unlikely… unless it is for real this time.

But here is the thing. Hopper carries the weight of everything that went wrong. He thinks of himself as a curse, not a hero. And that kind of self-loathing almost always leads to sacrifice. If someone has to make the ultimate call, stay behind, or walk into the fire, it is going to be him. Not because the story demands it. But because he believes that’s all he’s good for. That makes him dangerous, not to others, but to himself.

Robin Buckley

Robin is brilliant, brave, and constantly putting herself in harm’s way. She fought in the Upside Down. She faced monsters. She is absolutely the type of character who could die a hero. But she is also one of the few LGBTQ+ leads in the show, and her relationship with Vickie is only just getting started.

There is also a sense that Robin’s arc is still in motion. Her friendship with Steve, her growing confidence, her tentative romance, none of it feels finished yet. She has more to give. If she goes, it will be in a massive, gut-wrenching moment. But hopefully, she stays. Killing her would feel like a bad call, narratively and socially. Unless it is handled with extreme care, it could spark major backlash.

Joyce Byers

Joyce has been through everything. She fought monsters, saved her kids, flew to Russia, and faced down supernatural chaos with a crowbar. She is arguably the strongest adult in the series. That is why killing her would be painful but impactful.

Her death would destroy Hopper, shatter Will and Jonathan, and shift the emotional weight of the final battle. That said, she has already suffered a lot, and she deserves peace. Let’s hope the writers agree.

Nancy Wheeler

Gungirl Nancy has become the fearless leader of the group. She is armed, angry, and charging into danger like it is a part-time job.

That kind of energy usually ends in sacrifice. However, she is also in the middle of a romantic storyline, and the show might want to give her closure rather than a coffin. Still, if she dies saving someone (Steve, perhaps?), it would hit hard and complete her evolution from bystander to warrior.

Jonathan Byers

Jonathan’s character has been fading for a while now. In Season 4, he was mostly stoned and distant. His relationship with Nancy is clearly falling apart, and he no longer feels integral to the main storyline.

If the writers want to clean up the Nancy-Steve-Jonathan triangle, killing off Jonathan is the safest option. It would be sad, but not devastating. He has not had a major plot arc since Season 2, and his death could help Will and Nancy grow in new ways.

Murray Bauman

Murray is chaotic, paranoid, and weirdly lovable. He is also expendable. Let’s be honest. He is not one of the core kids. Killing him would allow Stranger Things to raise the stakes without taking out a fan-favourite teen. And his involvement in international chaos, the Russian lab, Demogorgons, and flamethrowers makes him an easy target. If the final fight gets explosive, he could be the one caught in it.

MORE CONTENT

Max Mayfield

Max is in a coma. Her limbs were broken, her eyes went white, and her soul was nearly destroyed by Vecna.

Season 4 left her teetering on the edge of life, and we still do not know if Eleven truly brought her back or just paused the inevitable. Even if Max wakes up, she might not survive the season. The Duffers could be setting her up for a comeback… followed by a tragic farewell. She has already suffered more than anyone, but sometimes, the most broken characters are the ones writers love to destroy completely.

Will Byers

It all started with Will. The Demogorgon, the Mind Flayer, the Upside Down. Everything was triggered by his disappearance in Season 1. Now it feels like things might end with him, too.

Will still has a strange connection to the Upside Down. He feels Vecna. He hears him. That tether has not been explained yet, but it is clearly important. If someone has to make a sacrifice to destroy the gate or sever the link, Will is the obvious choice. He also represents emotional innocence in the group. Killing him would be brutal. But narratively, it makes sense.

Steve Harrington

Steve’s death feels not only possible but… kind of inevitable. His redemption arc has been a masterclass. From high school jerk to Hawkins’ favourite babysitter, he has transformed into one of the show’s most layered and beloved characters. And that is exactly why he is in danger.

Season 4 of Stranger Things gave us those tender moments with Nancy. The shared memories, the talk about RVs and family. Their chemistry is clearly being reignited, especially as Nancy and Jonathan seem emotionally checked out. But here is the twist: Nancy never officially broke up with either of them. The writers have created a love triangle that needs resolving. And killing Steve would do it. It would give him a tragic hero’s ending, push Nancy’s arc forward, and break the audience in the most poetic way. If any death is going to hit hard, it is his.