'Stranger Things': Who Is In The Most Danger In The Final Season?

The final season of the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things is fast approaching. The series will see our heroes taking on Vecna one last time in the hope of saving their hometown of Hawkins, Indiana. While Stranger Things has never been a show afraid to kill off characters, but this being the final season, any previous protections or plot armours are no longer in play, and now more than ever, no-one is safe.

Having said that, some are even less safe than others. Let's take a look at the characters who will be in the most danger in the final season of Stranger Things.

Eleven

Often, through the first three seasons of Stranger Things, Eleven manages to save the day with her various powers. However, season four ends with our hero deeply shaken both by a brutal defeat at the hands of Vecna, and her failure to truly save Max, left comatose during Vecna's final attack.

Despite her defeat, El is still the best chance that the group has of thwarting Vecna, and she will be eager to both seek revenge on behalf of Max, and protect her remaining friends. Even if, as some fans fear, this comes at the cost of her own life. A series of promotional images, in which Eleven is the only character with the lights switched off, has added to this, as Stranger Things has often used lights being out as an allegory for someone being lost or gone.

Losing Eleven could also play into another factor Stranger Things can been known for, in subverting classic tropes of the 80s, in this case, an extra tragic take on the idea that growing up comes with a loss of innocence, or, in Mike and Eleven's case, first love.

Will Byers

Will Byers' disappearance kicked off the entire plot of Stranger Things, with season one revolving around the group's quest to find and rescue him from the Upside Down, a dark mirror image of Hawkins that, unbeknown to most, has formed beneath the town. Ever since his time there, Will has carried a strange connection to the Upside Down and the creatures in it, most prominently when he is targeted by The Mind-Flayer in season two.

While Will played a relatively minor role in season four, mostly just a tag-along extra in the journey to rescue Eleven from the Nina Project, he is set to be thrust back into the spotlight. In the trailer's final moments, we see Will in the clutches of Vecna, who chillingly declares:

"You're going to help me.. one last time."

What this means for Will's chaances of survival remains to be seen.

Nancy Wheeler

For the first three seasons of Stranger Things, Nancy Wheeler, the older sister of Mike, while a major character, mostly took part in each season's B-plot. This changed in season four, when with Mike out of town visiting Eleven, Nancy is thrust to the forefront of the action in Hawkins.

In one of the season's biggest plot twists, Nancy, still quietly suffering from guilt and trauma over the disappearance and death of her friend Barb back in the first season, is targeted by Vecna, and briefly trapped by him.

While Nancy escapes, this is only because Vecna allows it, using her to deliver a message to Eleven. And as Max’s date proves, once someone has been touched by Vecna once, it is only a matter of time before he will target them again.

For this reason, many fans fear that Nancy is in danger in the final season. On the other hand, some believe that Nancy’s connection to Vecna could be used as a way to reach Max, if as some theorise, her mind is still trapped within Vecna’s world. Another possibility, based on shots in the trailer of a sobbing Nancy with blood on her hands, is that rather than a victim, Nancy could be the beneficiary of another character’s heroic sacrifice.

Steve Harrington

Fan-favourite Steve Harrington survived a near-miss in season four when he was attacked by a swarm of demo-bats in the Upside Down. Unfortunately, many still believe he is at a high risk of death in season five. The main reason for this is that Steve has far, far outlived his original intended use-by date.

Steve Harrington was never supposed to become a major character in the series. He was cannon fodder, initially intended to die in season one, with his death conveniently clearing the way for the romantic relationship between Nancy and Jonathan Byers to blossom. These plans changed because series creators the Duffer Brothers enjoyed working with Steve’s actor, Joe Keery. This eventually led to the unlikely but hugely popular friendship between Steve and Dustin, after the duo were paired up as the leftovers in season two when the Duffers were unsure what to do with them.

Steve has proven a willingness to sacrifice for others if need be, which has caused some fans to theorise that it is Steve's blood on Nancy's hands. However, others are beginning to think that Steve's seemingly obvious death is a Red Herring, designed to catch viewers off guard when a different big death occurs.

Dustin Henderson

For a large chunk of Stranger Things run, Dustin Henderson is the sweet, goofy, happy member of the main friendship group, believing with all his heart that things will go their way. This is part of why Steve and Dustin's bond works, despite Steve's initial resistance.. Dustin's positive energy is infectious.

Unfortunately, things took a dark and tragic turn for Dustin in season four, when he witnessed the death of his close friend and mentor, Eddie Munson, in the Upside Down. To make matters worse, the vast majority of Hawkins residents still believe Eddie to be responsible for the murders committed by Vecna.

From some shots in the season five trailer, we can assume that Dustin has become a target of bullies due to his continuing loyalty to Eddie's true life and memory. However, this is likely the least of his worries. The trauma born from Eddie's death makes Dustin a prime potential target for Vecna.

Aside from this, fans have noted that Dustin will not be willing to lose another friend. Some fans fear that the seeming inevitability of Steve's death is a distraction, and that the heroic sacrifice moment will actually belong to Dustin. The Duffer Brothers have claimed that the final season's deaths will feel earned, and dying for one friend after being unable to save another certainly fits that bill.

Holly Wheeler

For Stranger Things previous four seasons, the youngest Wheeler sibling, Holly, has hovered around the periphery of the series events, occasionally almost becoming involved before being unknowingly removed from the path of danger by a character equally unknowing that danger was ever present.. usually her Mother, Karen. This looks set to change in season five. Holly has been recast with Nell Fisher, an actress known for her role in Evil Dead Rises, and has been said by the Duffer Brothers to be a centrepiece of the final season. She is also now around the age that Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas were when the series began, which is a particularly significant detail considering the promise of callbacks to season one.

All the episode titles for Stranger Things final season have been released, albeit some with a few words missing. Fans strongly theorise that the second episode, 'The Vanishing _ _ _..', will be revealed to have the full title of 'The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler', an allusion to the title of the series very first episode, 'The Vanishing of Will Byers', and that Holly, like Will, will be taken away to the Upside Down. At least part of the season will revolve around rescuing Holly. If true, it would also explain the rumours that Karen Wheeler is set to take on a more prominent role in the final episodes.

We look forward to seeing how things truly play out when the first part of Stranger Things final season hits Netflix on November 27.