Stranger Things Season 5 had no shortage of deaths, and each one is significant in cementing Vecna's reign of terror in Hawkins. The final season of Netflix's much-talked-about series has finally arrived, and the Hawkins crew only has one goal in mind: killing Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1 pulled back the curtain about Vecna's motivations in abducting kids (and it's for a grim reason), and part of the plan includes countless deaths for those wanting to prevent his scheme from ever coming to fruition.
Vecna is no stranger to killing off unknowing victims, especially after he brutally killed Christy Cunningham and Fred Benson in Season 4 and almost murdered Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) in cold blood. Season 5 is no different, and his reemergence proved to be deadly for the platoon of military personnel stationed in Hawkins.
Who Dies In Stranger Things Season 5?
Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan
Lieutenant Colonel Jack Sullivan is a recurring antagonist who made his debut in Stranger Things Season 4. As someone who believes that he can stop the evil that is lurking inside Hawkins, Season 5 revealed that Sullivan has allied himself with Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) to eliminate the threat from within the confines of the Upside Down.
However, Sullivan's recklessness in trying to take Vecna down in Volume 1's climactic finish proved to be his downfall. The lieutenant died after he was caught in a blast when Vecna used the soldiers' own grenades against them.
Lt. Robert Akers
Lieutenant Robert Akers' primary mission in Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1, is to find Eleven and bring her to Dr. Kay. However, he was eventually cornered by Jim Hopper and Eleven, and he was detained to allow the latter to delve into his mind and gain more insight into the military's mission. Akers eventually escaped, leading to an eventual confrontation with Hopper, where he was able to kill him inside the lab.
A Military Platoon
The Demogorgons and Vecna killed a platoon of soldiers during Volume 1's climactic finish. The creatures managed to kill them with ease, while Vecna announced his terrifying presence by letting the military know how dangerous and ruthless he was. Based on what happened, it seems that at least 20 soldiers died during the attack.
A Scientist Inside Dr. Kay's Lab
An innocent scientist was shot and killed by Lieutenant Akers while trying to find Hopper and Eleven. Hopper placed the unconscious scientist inside a cabinet, and Akers thought that it was Hopper, so he decided to open fire, which instantly killed him.
Does Holly Die In Stranger Things?
Holly Wheeler (who is played by Nell Fisher) is a key protagonist in Stranger Things Season 5 because she serves as Vecna's main target in Volume 1, meaning that her life is in grave danger. However, Holly didn't die in the first batch of episodes, but her body was trapped in one of the Upside Down's spires alongside the other abducted children. As for her mind, she was stuck alongside Max in Henry Creel's mindscape.
Holly and Max's new alliance could be vital in the final batch of episodes as they help their family and friends in the real world to defeat Vecna from the inside.
Will Hopper Die In Stranger Things 5?
Stranger Things Season 5 confirmed that Jim Hopper was doomed from the start after suffering a fatal gunshot wound at the beginning of Volume 1. Thankfully, though, Eleven came to his rescue and helped treat Hopper's wound before finding their way inside Dr. Kay's lab in the Upside Down.
After a brutal encounter with some soldiers and Dr. Kay herself, Hopper's goal was to eliminate Eleven's "kryptonite" by any means necessary, and that includes killing himself with a bomb that he made as a "last resort." While Hopper was ready to sacrifice himself for Eleven, he didn't move forward with his decision after he learned that this so-called kryptonite was actually Eleven's sister, Kali (aka 008).
While he had many close calls in Season 5, Hopper is still alive at the end of Volume 1, and he and Eleven have a new ally who can help them confront and potentially defeat Vecna once and for all.
Who Will Die In Stranger Things 5? Steve? Will? Max?
At this stage, not everyone is safe in Stranger Things Season 5 (read more about the likelihood of each character's survival here). Volume 1 even revealed that Vecna will go to great lengths to hurt the Hawkins crew, starting with the Demogorgons' brutal attack inside the Wheeler house, which left Karen and Ted Wheeler badly injured. While the pair survived, there is a chance that one of them may succumb to their injuries, leaving the Wheeler family in a bad shape.
Stranger Things proved that parental figures like Hopper and Joyce Byers will do everything in their power to save the children, meaning that both of them are high up in the list of most likely to die in the final episodes. Meanwhile, the likes of Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Jonathan could sacrifice themselves if needed to protect their friends from an impending attack.
Given the revelation about Will's new powers in the finale, he could end up being the savior of Hawkins by confronting Vecna directly, but it could come at the cost of his life. This is the same with Eleven, but many have theorized that Kali could step up and sacrifice herself instead and save both Will and Eleven.
Some have also speculated that time travel might be involved in Stranger Things Season 5, and many have theorized that the deaths that will happen could be undone with the use of this plot device. It's possible that Eleven could unlock the time-bending secrets of the Upside Down, using this as a last resort to save everyone from certain doom in the finale.
