The Hawkins crew reunites as the Upside Down breaks into the real world, Vecna survives, Max lies comatose, and Season 5 begins with rising danger.
As “Stranger Things” prepares to launch Volume I of its fifth and final season on Nov. 26 at 5 p.m. PT, fans are getting ready to return to Hawkins, Indiana, one last time.
But with more than three years gone since the explosive Season 4 finale, it’s understandable if viewers need a thorough refresher before diving back into the Upside Down. Here’s a comprehensive look at where every major character stood as the world of Hawkins began to crack open and the shadow of Vecna loomed larger than ever.
At the close of Season 4, Eleven finally returned to Hawkins after spending much of the season in California reclaiming her powers. Reunited with Mike, Will, Hopper, Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan, she stands in a field watching a bleak transformation unfold as ash falls from the sky and massive fissures split the town — the direct result of Vecna killing four victims, including Max.
Over the course of the season, Eleven uncovered the biggest revelation of her life: Vecna is Henry Creel, also known as One, the first child experimented on by Dr. Brenner, and she is the one who inadvertently created him. After rejecting his offer to remake the world together, she banished him into the Upside Down, transforming him into the entity that later terrorized Hawkins.
In the finale, Eleven fought desperately to save Max by entering her mind, but despite her efforts, Max briefly died, opening the final gate. Eleven managed to revive her through dream-walking, but Max’s body remains shattered — leaving her in a coma as Season 5 begins.
Vecna, meanwhile, survived the attack from Steve, Nancy and Robin, who shot him repeatedly and set him on fire in the attic of the Creel House within the Upside Down. His body vanished before anyone could confirm his death. Will, whose psychic connection to the Upside Down remains intact, confirms in the final moments that Vecna is still alive.
Mike returns to Hawkins with Eleven and helps her during her mind battle with Vecna. However, he remains oblivious to Will’s deepening emotional struggle. Will, who spent the season living in California with Jonathan, Joyce and Eleven, continues to grapple privately with his romantic feelings for Mike. Despite his heartbreak, he steadies Mike during the fight, helping him express the love and reassurance Eleven needs to face Vecna. Will’s awareness of Vecna’s presence signals that his connection to the Upside Down will once again be central to the story.
Lucas ends Season 4 shattered after witnessing Max’s brutal attack. He remains by her hospital bedside, struggling with hope as doctors warn she may never wake. Dustin, grieving Eddie Munson’s heroic death, promises Eddie’s uncle that he will keep the truth alive, even as the town continues to wrongly blame Eddie for Hawkins’ tragedies.
Steve, Nancy and Robin survive their dangerous mission inside the Upside Down but fail to track down Vecna’s body. Nancy, who walked through Vecna’s memories during a trance earlier in the season, now carries intimate knowledge of his past. Her reunion with Jonathan is strained, as both sense fractures forming in their relationship — especially with unresolved feelings surrounding Steve.
Robin, newly back in Hawkins, finds a small consolation amid the destruction: the possibility that her crush, Vickie, may actually return her interest. Erica continues to prove her bravery, calling for help after Max’s collapse and rejoining the group as the Upside Down begins to pour into the real world.
Hopper’s dramatic return from Soviet captivity — where he battled a Demogorgon as a way to weaken the forces threatening Hawkins — brings emotional relief. Reunited with Joyce, the pair finally discuss their long-delayed dinner at Enzo’s, though the apocalyptic state of Hawkins may postpone romance once again.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Wheeler family — Karen, Ted, and young Holly — witness the earth splitting open around their home. Holly appears especially tuned in to the supernatural events unfolding, sensing what the adults cannot.
As the gateway between worlds fully opens and the Upside Down bleeds into Hawkins, Season 5 begins with the characters more united — and more vulnerable — than ever before. With Vecna alive and the world destabilizing, the final chapter promises to deliver the series’ most intense confrontation yet.
