The most popular Stranger Things fan theories ahead of its finale

Almost a decade after it first premiered, Stranger Things is ready to come to an end.

All three episodes of Volume 2 are set to debut on Netflix in the UK and Ireland on December 26, followed by the two-hour finale on January 1.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated episodes, many Stranger Things viewers have been taking to social media to share their biggest fan theories. From predicting character deaths to more outlandish ideas, these are the most popular theories so far:

Character deaths

Stranger Things regularly kills off at least one character each season, and so far in season five, there have been zero losses. Many fans are therefore suspecting that we could be witnessing multiple characters perishing in the final four episodes.

Steve and Dustin have been raising fans’ concerns the most, especially as they share an emotional moment in the Volume 2 trailer, as they promise each other: “You die, I die”. The pair also share a heartbreaking hug in an alternate season five trailer, which could signal a goodbye between the duo.

Maya Hawke’s character Robin has so far received significantly more screentime in season five, and has even been given a secret romance with her crush from season four, Vickie. Robin’s bigger presence – along with her newfound friendship with Will – has led fans to worry that she could be about to die in the final few episodes.

Stranger Things is known for killing off new and beloved characters, from Barb in season one to Eddie Munson in season four. Derek has become a popular new character with viewers, meaning that fans are now worried that he might not survive the rest of this final season.

Lastly, fans have been consistently worried that the show will conclude with the death of Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven. Stranger Things began with the mystery surrounding El, and as the show has grown, so has viewers’ love for her. After finding romance with Mike and a parental figure in Hopper, some fans are convinced that a heartbreaking ending could occur with El’s death.

Karen and Ted will die in the hospital attack

After their terrifying confrontation with a Demogorgan in episode 2, fans were surprised when Mike and Nancy’s parents, Karen and Ted Wheeler, were not killed off. Ted has since been placed in a coma, while Karen has been left with significant damage to her throat. With an attack in their hospital being teased in trailers for Volume 2, some fans have theorised that the Demogorgans could be returning to finish what they started and kill off Ted and Karen for good.

Vecna is not the ‘big bad’

Arguably, the most popular fan theory ahead of Volume 2 is that Vecna/Henry Creel/001 (played by Jamie Campbell Bower) is not actually the show’s main villain. According to Reddit user JulieChensBob, the Mind Flayer could be Stranger Things’ ‘big bad’, and that it is just “letting [Vecna] think he is in control”.

The user adds: “The Mind Flayer is the final boss, of which we know very little. Henry is just another pawn in the Mind Flayer’s schemes. At some point, I think the kids and/or Henry will figure this out. Maybe we will see humanity in Vecna again, before even he turns against the Mind Flayer, or the Mind Flayer destroys Vecna once it has no use for him.”

Kali is the Mind Flayer

Alternatively, some fans believe that Kali might not be on El’s side after all. Viewers last saw Kali in episode seven of season two, titled ‘The Lost Sister’, which is now regarded as the most controversial and least liked episode amongst the fandom. Then, towards the end of Volume 1, Kali surprisingly showed up when El and Hopper discovered her in Hawkins Lab. One user on Reddit has now argued that Kali could be a physical manifestation of the Mind Flayer, considering that they were both introduced in the same season.

They wrote: “The Mind Flayer invades your mind and makes you see stuff that isn’t real. Kali’s power is invading people’s minds and making them see whatever she wants them to see. Kali learns people’s phobias and uses them against them. She made her own friend see spiders. Henry has a fascination for spiders…the Mind Flayer’s form in the Upside Down resembles a spider.”

They added: “In that Season 2 episode, Kali teaches El to strengthen her powers by channeling anger. Henry gave her the same advice. It sounds too coincidental not to mean something. Kali is fueled by anger and hate, just like 001/Henry.”

The wormhole

Science teacher Mr Clarke regularly helps out the Stranger Things gang with his explanations, including how to build a sensory deprivation tank and how to access the Upside Down.

In episode 3, Mr Clarke asked his students, “What’s neat about wormholes?”, to which Erica replied: “Wormholes are neat because they allow matter to travel between galaxies or dimensions without crossing the space between.”

The title of the seventh episode of season five is ‘The Bridge’, leading some fans to suspect that the gang might create a wormhole or bridge to pass through the Upside Down’s wall, which is currently impenetrable.

Vecna is trying to turn back time

Many references have been made to time in Stranger Things, including the fact that the Upside Down is stuck in the date that Will went missing – November 6, 1983. After experiencing abuse at the hands of Dr Brenner and being sent into the Upside Down by El, it’s possible that Vecna wants to turn back time.

One Reddit writer penned: “His first plan was to use El to escape, which we saw in his backstory in Season 4. At the end of the day, he is human, unlike the Mind Flayer. He is trying to escape from Dimension X, and he has been planning a way to do so, which can only be achieved by turning time back.”

It was just a game

Dungeons and Dragons has become synonymous with Stranger Things, as the show’s younger characters regularly play it and refer back to it when discussing the Upside Down. Much like the movie trope of “it was all just a dream”, some Stranger Things viewers have theorised that the entire show could just be one long D&D game played between Mike, Will, Lucas and Dustin, and that it will be revealed in the final moments of the last episode. It’s a long shot, but it’s possible.

Volume 2 of Stranger Things will debut on Netflix in the UK and Ireland on December 26, followed by the finale on January 1.

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