After nine years of Demogorgons, nosebleeds, and synth-heavy suspense, ‘Stranger Things‘ is heading toward its biggest showdown yet. Season 4 left Hawkins literally cracked open, Vecna nearly victorious, Max in a coma, and Eleven staring into a burning sky that threatened to swallow everything.
Now, with the final chapter just weeks away, fans are scrambling to piece together what’s next for the kids who once thought their biggest problem was a Dungeons & Dragons campaign gone wrong. And if the internet is to be believed, things are about to get even stranger. Could Will have been in the Upside Down this entire time?
1. Has Will Ever Truly Escaped The Upside Down?
Will Byers has always been the show’s mystery magnet, and some fans think the mystery isn’t over yet. The theory goes that the “real” Will never made it out of the Upside Down back in Season 1, and the version we’ve seen since is a clone created by Vecna.
While that might explain Will’s lingering connection to the dark dimension, others argue he’s still very much himself. His psychic link to Vecna could be his weapon, not his curse, as the final battle looms. If this holds true, Will may be just as central to Vecna’s defeat as Eleven herself.
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Teases Vecna’s Sinister Hold Over Will Byers And What It Really Means
2. The Psychiatric Hospital Theory
Imagine if Hawkins, the monsters, and even the Upside Down were figments of broken minds. According to a bold Reddit theory, all the characters are patients in a psychiatric hospital, their shared trauma manifesting as the supernatural events we’ve seen unfold.
In this version, Joyce’s grief over losing Will drives her to create the world we know; Hopper and Murray are fellow patients with their own delusions, and Vecna is a metaphor for mental illness. While this theory would turn the show into a dark psychological twist, it’s also the one that would make fans scream at the screen.
3. Erica vs. Vecna
She’s smart, fearless, and full of snappy one-liners, and some fans think Season 5 will give Erica Sinclair her biggest moment yet. The theory suggests that Lucas’s younger sister will face off directly with Vecna and deliver her signature sass in the face of pure evil.
Erica has proven her courage time and again, and a one-on-one confrontation could mark her transformation from a comic relief character to a hero. Still, against Vecna, words alone might not be enough.
In case you missed it: Steve And Dustin’s Rift In ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Changes Everything
4. Steve’s Death Isn’t What It Seems
Steve Harrington has escaped death more times than anyone can count, but this theory suggests his next brush with it might be deliberate. A blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment in the teaser shows Dustin hugging Steve through tears, leading some to believe Steve fakes his death to protect his friends.
Nancy’s sobbing in another shot only fuels the speculation that everyone believes Steve is gone. But maybe he makes a dramatic return. For a character who’s evolved from jock to protector, this kind of sacrifice would be an ideal end.
5. Did Vecna Kill Kali Off-Screen?
When Eleven met Kali in Season 2, we saw another gifted child from Brenner’s lab who could manipulate illusions. But after that brief detour to Chicago, Kali disappeared from the story completely.
One theory suggests that Vecna may have already killed her and absorbed her powers. It explains why his hallucination-based attacks mirror hers so closely. Some fans argue it’s too neat a coincidence to ignore, while others hope she’ll return for redemption. And maybe, one last stand beside Eleven.
The Duffer Brothers have promised answers about the Upside Down from Stranger Things. However, with theories like these circulating, it’s hard to discern where the truth ends and fan imagination begins.
