Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 Lays The Groundwork For Two Deaths In The Series Finale

This article contains spoilers for "Stranger Things" season 5, volume 2.

Is "Stranger Things" season 5 about to say goodbye to two characters in the series finale? Well, that seems entirely possible following "Chapter Seven: The Bridge," which sees Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Kali Prasad (Linnea Berthelsen) form a death pact to ensure that the military stops hunting them and all of their friends. Is this really the end for our young heroes?

The show certainly lays the groundwork for either (or both) characters dying. For a start, their mission entails Eleven stopping Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) by entering his mind to prevent him from merging The Abyss with Hawkins, Indiana, which is a deadly task in its own right. However, if they somehow complete that mission, the bridge that connects both realms will be blown to smithereens, ultimately foiling Vecna's evil plan to build a new world. Eleven and Kali intend to go down with the blast, ensuring that the military will stop hunting them with the aim of creating more super-powered children to take on the Soviets, so it's not like they are trying to fight against this macabre outcome.

Of course, it's entirely possible there will be a twist that keeps the characters alive and allows them to live happily ever after. However, there is a case to be made for several "Stranger Things" characters potentially dying in season 5, and Eleven and Kali are currently the top contenders to meet the Reaper. Let's look at the clues.

Kali and Eleven's deaths have seemingly been forecasted since "Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz," notably in the scene where they pull up to a hospital in a hearse. Some folks might view the scene as a simple case of two characters using a mode of transportation to get from A to B. That said, having them use a vehicle associated with funerals has grimmer connotations following Kali and Eleven's pact in "Chapter Seven."

What's more, Eleven's death has been teased since the "Stranger Things" season 5 trailer, which uses Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever" to tease her impending doom. Couple this with Eleven's parallels with Jesus Christ and other religious figures, and it's easy to imagine her giving up her own life to save the world. Her current plan to die in an explosion certainly sets up her role as a self-sacrificial martyr, but will it come to pass?

Another theory is that the military will get its hands on Eleven, take her blood, and use it to complete their ambitious plans, which brings us to Kali. Let's recap: Kali was discovered in a research facility earlier in season 5, but do her allegiances now lie with her former captors? As Jim Hopper (David Harbour) notes in "Chapter Seven," it seems like Kali is up to something, and he will kill her if any harm befalls Eleven. Maybe Hopper won't be the one to pull the trigger in the end, but she might meet her doom while trying to betray her old friend. This would be a tragic end to her and Eleven's story, but let's not rule out the possibility.

The "Stranger Things" series finale premieres December 31, 2025, on Netflix.