Stranger Things Season 5 revealed how it will honor and continue Eddie Munson's legacy. Season 4 of the hit Netflix series introduced Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) as a three-time high school senior, a secret drug dealer, and the leader of the Hellfire Club (a Dungeons & Dragons group at Hawkins High). While he was a rebellious and sometimes reckless teenager, Eddie grew closer to Dustin throughout his journey in Stranger Things Season 4, especially after he was wrongfully accused of murdering Chrissy Cunningham, who Vecna killed.
With no one else to run, Eddie joined Dustin, Steve, Nancy, and Robin in a mission to unpack Vecna's ties to the Upside Down and, hopefully, kill him. Unfortunately, Eddie sacrificed himself in Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 2, after Demobats swarmed him after he tried to lure them away from the group. His death left Dustin reeling and emotionally scarred, and it also led fans to wonder how the series will honor his memory.
X user @UpsideDownScoop shared a new look at the Jazwares figurines of Dustin and Eleven for Stranger Things Season 5.
Dustin is noticeably wearing a Hellfire club shirt, which means that this is how Stranger Things' final season will honor Eddie Munson's legacy.
The Stranger Things Season 5 trailer also hinted that Dustin is still grieving Eddie's death after a shot shows him visiting Eddie's grave.
The said grave has been defiled by Eddie's enemies with a graffiti saying, "Burn in Hell." This graffiti cements the idea that there are still those at Hawkins who believed that the Hellfire Club is responsible for the killings that took place, which continues the storyline from Season 4.
Interestingly, the Duffer Brothers also shared an image of Dustin from Stranger Things Season 5 wearing a Hellfire club shirt with the caption, "Important transmission from the set of Stranger Things 5: Hellfire lives!"
Some have claimed that this could be the Duffer Brothers' way of teasing Eddie Munson's potential return (via a flashback or a vision) in Season 5, which is one of the questions fans need answered for Stranger Things' final season.
Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things Season 5 will showcase Hawkins' last stand against Vecna and the Upside Down. Stranger Things returns with its core cast in Season 5, headlined by David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and Sadie Sink.
The first four episodes will be released on November 26, 2025. The next three episodes arrives on Christmas Day 2025, and the finale will bow on Netflix on New Year's Eve (December 31, 2025).
Watch the teaser trailer of Stranger Things Season 5:
Will Eddie Munson Appear in Some Form in Stranger Things Season 5?
Eddie Munson is an unexpected fan-favorite character in Stranger Things Season 4 not just because of his sacrifice, but mainly due to his charisma and relatable arc as an outsider. The fact that the trailer spent time showing Eddie's grave might hint that the character could appear in some capacity even though he's dead.
While it's unlikely that Eddie is alive, it's possible that Vecna could use him in manipulating Dustin in Season 5, mainly because he knows that Dustin is still vulnerable. Dustin could end up being Vecna's entry point to disrupt the tight knit bond of Hawkins' heroes and showing a version of Eddie to him could be the way to do it.
Another way for Eddie to return is through flashbacks seen through Dustin's perspective. There is a chance that reminiscing memories of Eddie could be the push Dustin would need to finally convince the people of Hawkins that he is not responsible for Chrissy's death.
Given that Eddie's body was left in the Upside Down, the supernatural forces that lie within that realm could use him as a vessel in carrying out Vecna's plan, which could be heartbreaking for Dustin.
