Warning! This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the Stranger Things series finale.
The Stranger Things finale delivered a heart-wrenching goodbye to one central character, only to leave things a little ambiguous by the end, but ultimately, it might not matter either way. After five seasons and ten long years, Stranger Things has finally come to an end, and what an ending that was. As a fan of the show, it’s hard not to feel a sense of nostalgia and sadness as we say goodbye to the characters we’ve grown to love.
The final season was released in three parts with a total of eight episodes, and one feature-length final episode clocking in at over two hours in runtime. With The Party finding their way back to each other and forming a plan to take down Vecna and get rid of the Upside Down, the stakes have never been as intense. The show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, have outdone themselves in crafting a thrilling and emotional conclusion to the series.
Of course, with so much on the line, it was fitting that the central character of the series, Eleven, would put her life on the line, and, as fate would have it, to protect her friends and the world from further chaos, Eleven’s life came to an abrupt end. Or did it? Later in the same episode, Mike provides some insight that suggests Eleven might have actually survived. This twist has left fans wondering and debating about the true fate of Eleven.
The Duffer Brothers Are Leaving It Up To The Viewer To Interpret Eleven’s Stranger Things Fate
While the ending of Stranger Things offers viewers two contradicting scenarios, one where Eleven dies saving the world, and one where she manages to fake her own death and escape, it’s a hard pill to swallow that there is no definitive answer. With any series finale, the story should be closed, but Eleven’s fate hanging in the balance feels incomplete. However, the Duffer Brothers have shared their reasoning for ending the story in that way, stating that they wanted to let the audience make a choice.
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven with the Stranger Things cast driving off to face Vecna in season 5. Netflix
How Stranger Things’ Series Finale Suggests That Eleven Could Be Alive
The Stranger Things finale has Mike recount a story about how Eleven managed to form a plan with her sister, Kali, shortly before returning to the real world. As Kali lay dying, she encouraged Eleven to return and live out a full life. This is a clear change in tone from her previous conversation with Eleven, but the final episode lays the foundation for this by having Kali witness Eleven and Hopper’s heart-to-heart earlier in the same episode.
Eleven sacrifice during the Stranger Things series finale. Image via Netflix
In addition, it’s hard to know the limitations of the powers of Eleven and Kali, but being present in the Upside Down and fueled with adrenaline, it is possible that they could have created an elaborate fake-out and convincingly closed the portal in order to convince the military that Eleven and the Upside Down were gone for good.
Is Mike’s Story About Eleven Just A Way To Keep Hope Alive?
Mike’s story is beautiful, and it provides a fitting end to the group’s long-standing campaign. However, it is possible that it was just a story to both provide himself with a way of coping with the loss, and to keep the memory of Eleven alive even if she didn’t physically survive.
Mike, Lucas, Max, Will and Dustin in the Stranger Things epilogue. Image via Netflix
Eleven asked Mike in their final interaction to help the others understand why she had to do this. Maybe she meant sneaking away and leading a new life away from everyone she ever loved, but it seems much more likely that this moment was Eleven’s final goodbye.
Even If Eleven Isn’t Dead, Her Fate Is Still Sad In Stranger Things
The truth is, if Eleven survived the destruction of the Upside Down, her fate in Stranger Things would still be an extremely upsetting one. Yes, she escapes persecution from the military, and maybe she finds a beautiful place to live. But she gave up everyone who mattered to her in order to find that peace.
Eleven in the Stranger Things series finale. Image via Netflix
Her beloved Mike is forced to move on and create a life without her, her best friends all go their separate ways, and her adoptive father, Hopper, finally learns to accept the past and move on without her. But Eleven is alone again. After an entire life spent being an experiment, her fate is to live in fear of someone finding out the truth about who she is.
Eleven’s sacrifice is far more meaningful than the idea that she lived on, and while the Duffer Brothers have left the door open for the audience, it just makes sense that she has finally found peace. And with that, Stranger Things has reached its inevitable ending.
