A diehard fan laid out a solid theory to prove that Eleven survived the events of the much-talked-about Stranger Things series finale. The final season of the hit Netflix original series placed Eleven's life in danger several times, and it all came to a tipping point in the finale, where she sacrificed herself to protect her friends, family, and the rest of the world from the chaos brought about by Dr. Brenner's sinister government program.
While the climactic finish strongly implied that Eleven died by staying in the Upside Down, Mike Wheeler's story and his realizations in the epilogue offered a different take on what happened where El actually survived.
Stranger Things Theory Reveals If Eleven Is Dead or Alive
Mike pointed out that Eleven would not have used her powers due to the kryptonite devices that were activated surrounding the gate. He suggested that both Kali and Eleven were actually in cahoots with one another all this time (which debunks the idea that Kali has an evil plan for her sister), noting that Kali used her final moments to create an illusion of El in the gate, sacrificing herself while the real Eleven got away safely to the hidden bunker.
The Stranger Things finale then showed a seemingly alive Eleven hiking up a mountain and finding a small town where she can call home, indicating that this may be her true ending. Although Mike's hopeful story is established as a theory that he and his friends ultimately chose to believe, Reddit user Most-Day8547 shared a convincing theory that Eleven actually survived, thanks to two important clues in her "death" scene.
Upon closer inspection of the said sequence, the user claimed that Eleven did survive because she doesn't have her 11 band on her arm, meaning that it is highly likely that the El seen in the gate is just an illusion.
For the uninitiated, Eleven always had an '011' marking on her wrist, which served as a reminder that she was a test subject in Dr. Brenner's program. This branding was never removed from Eleven, further proving that the one seen by her friends and family standing in the gate was actually an illusion.
Moreover, the fact that Eleven's nose isn't bleeding when she is supposed to be using her powers indicates that this El is actually not real and just a mere illusion to fool everyone and make them believe that she actually died.
Stranger Things diehards are well aware that Eleven's nose always bleeds (similar to that of Will Byers when he also uses his newfound powers) when she taps into her powers during pivotal moments in the series.
The Reddit user's theory presents some strong and valid points, which may ultimately prove that Eleven is still alive and living a new life somewhere far away. While it is heartbreaking for her and the rest of her friends, many would agree that faking her own death is the only way to not only save everyone but also provide a path for those closest to her to move forward.
Mike & Eleven's Final Conversation Provides Another Hint about Her Fate
Aside from the Reddit user's sensible theory about Eleven's fate, the final conversation between Mike and El might've secretly provided another clue about her true fate.
Given that both of them can be seen conversing inside the mindscape, the only way for this to happen is for Eleven to have extreme focus and not be affected by the military's kryptonite devices scattered in the Upside Down's gate entrance.
Mike's story established that Kali's final trick involves making El invisible so that she can go and hide in the Hawkins crew's secret bunker - the same location where a makeshift sensory deprivation tank (also known as her bathtub) was located. This could explain why Eleven was able to enter Mike's mind amid the chaos brought about by Dr. Kay and her military forces.
More so, Eleven asked Mike to "help them understand [her] choice," noting that "none of this will ever end, not if I'm still here." It's possible that there is a deeper meaning behind Eleven's statement, strongly hinting that she may be subtly telling him that she will fake her death and run away by herself to start a new life away from everyone in Hawkins.
It was only then, after the 18-month time jump, that Mike pieced together what Eleven was trying to say, leading to his hopeful story about her being alive somewhere far away.
