5 Theories About Who Will Die at the End of “Stranger Things 4”

OK, before you launch into a full-blown riot over mentioning Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) in this list, let us say outright that we are Team Steve, and we’d be in deep, deep agony if anything happens to our beloved guardian angel. That said, the odds aren’t looking too bright for the fan favourite this season. While the swarm of Demogorgon bats badly maim him in the opening minutes of episode seven, he’s eventually rescued by Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Robin (Maya Hawke), and Eddie (Joseph Quinn) as they follow him into the Upside Down. We still don’t know the extent of harm caused by those petrifying creatures that attacked him and “took about a pound of his flesh.” Not to mention that the brief heart-to-heart he and Eddie have following the attack would only seem to heighten the impact of his possible death, should anything happen to our dear Stevie. Lord, we’re already tearing up thinking about it. Dear Duffer Brothers: Let. This. Not. Be. True. OK?!

When Nancy, Robin, Steve, and Eddie successfully make contact with the genius nerds (Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Erica) while stuck in the Upside Down, the teenagers manage to locate the gate for them to safely return to present-day Hawkins. While Robin and Eddie come out of the portal in one piece, Nancy, next in the queue, is captivated by the evil Vecna. Having been possessed by him, Nancy’s thrown back into reliving the nightmare in which her best friend, Barb (Shannon Purser), died at the hands of the Demogorgon. As Steve tries his best to jolt Nancy awake from Vecna’s mind spell, Nancy is then subjected to the origin story of Vecna inside his mind. Will Steve and Co. manage to snap Nancy out of Vecna’s psychic grasp in volume two? Only time will tell. But things aren’t looking too hot based on where we last left her.

Max (Sadie Sink) might’ve broken free of the clutches of Vecna’s manipulative mind space in episode four, titled “Dear Billy,” but that’s not to say she’s out of the woods. According to Twitter user @rossimilanova, the letters she wrote to her friends anticipating her death after realising she’s Vecna’s next target might serve as actual goodbye notes if she indeed turns up dead in volume two. “I think Max will actually die. They gave us a false sense of security, and all the characters still have unopened letters. It’s a perfect setup for a heartbreaking death,” she wrote. You know what? This is all too reminiscent of Hopper’s emotional letter to El after his presumed death in the season three finale, and we did not sign up for this!

Eddie is one of the sweetest additions to the season four cast. Though he makes it out of the Upside Down alive in episode seven, the gang still have to move a boulder up the hill trying to save Nancy. Fans believe Eddie might be key to saving her and, in doing so, could possibly sacrifice himself. “I think Eddie is most definitely gonna either save Nancy or try to defeat Vecna with his guitar. I feel like the ‘I’m not a hero, I always run away’ was foreshadowing to him sacrificing himself in the future,” one viewer theorised on Twitter. Come to think of it, the theory makes for a cinematic climax, much to the dismay of Eddie’s fans.

Murray and Joyce (Winona Ryder) are an unexpected duo we grew to love thanks to their camaraderie in season four. Beating all odds, the two finally come to Hopper’s aid and help him narrowly escape being the prey of the Demogorgon. However, Reddit user @Legobutwithlego postulates that Murray’s role might have served its purpose by helping Joyce reunite with Hopper. They think Hopper’s group (Hopper, Joyce, Murray, and Enzo) might not go back to Hawkins just yet and could face a tragedy that shapes season five. “I think Murray could die from an explosion, and Enzo would be his replacement in the show’s role of someone having a connection to Russia,” they wrote.