Stranger Things is coming to an end with its season 5 volume 3 drop, and everyone is on edge. There is a lot to unpack in the show’s finale episode, and its runtime proves it. The over 2-hour finale has to wrap up Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) evil plan, fix Hawkins, and all while allowing its characters to have a fitting end, happy or otherwise.

For fans, a lot of the fear of what is to come comes from the unknown. Will everyone survive? Are characters like Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) going to make a comeback as a vampire, like fans thought? There is plenty to wonder about. But whether or not a character will survive is one of the biggest questions for fans.

While any “death” will be sad, let’s talk about which characters we’d be heartbroken over if they perished in this final episode of the hit Netflix series.

10. Jim Hopper

We have already toyed with the idea of Jim Hopper (David Harbour) dying. At the end of season 3, it seemed that he sacrificed himself to stop the Russians and save Hawkins. In reality, he was taken hostage and season 4 was spent rescuing Hopper. So if the show set all of that up only for Hopper to really die in the final hour? It’d hurt. It probably won’t happen but know that if it does, we’re going to be sad about it.

9. Nancy Wheeler

Since season 1, Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) has been an important part of the teens in Hawkins. She always is part of the plan and she is always ready to blow something up (or shoot it). In season 5, vol. 2, it did feel like she was maybe going to die alongside Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton). She survived but is that just borrowed time? Or is Nancy going to have a chance to life her best single life? If she does die, it will suck seeing as Jonathan and Nancy broke up so she could figure her life out.

8. Dustin Henderson

Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) has been going through it in season 5. At the end of season 4, he watched as his friend Eddie died. And he’s not been okay this entire season. It leads to fights with people, anger issues, and a lot of pain. But is that leading to him making a sacrifice play like Eddie did? It would make sense for Dustin’s headspace but it wouldn’t be fun to watch as fans.

7. Erica Sinclair

Since season 2, Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson) has been an important member of the team, even if her brother Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) wishes she wasn’t. Season 5 has had some great Erica moments so far with her and Lucas coming up with their plan to help Will (Noah Schnapp) connect to Vecna again. But does that mean she wouldn’t do something brave to save everyone else. And it would suck watching her die because she has become one of the best characters on the show.

6. Joyce Byers

Winona Ryder’s Joyce Byers has shown time and time again that she will do anything for her kids. If she could have switched places with Will back in season 1, she would have. So if it came down to Will or Jonathan or her, she’d probably sacrifice herself to save her boys. And she would do so along with the tears of fans who just want to see Joyce happy.

5. Lucas Sinclair

Lucas has spent a lot of this season worried about Max (Sadie Sink). He’s helped the team with the children they were trying to hide from Vecna, he’s been at Max’s bedside, and he even tried to carry Max to safety himself. So is this leading to Lucas doing something reckless and getting hurt in the process? Is Vecna going to come for Lucas after everything he’s been through? Hopefully not because it’ll hurt.

4. Max Mayfield

Season 4 wasn’t kind to Max. She was grieving, Vecna targeted her, and she left the season in a coma. Throughout season 5, her essence has been helping Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) escape the Upside Down but what if it was all leading to Max’s demise once and for all? Seeing how hard she fought in both season 4 and season 5 should lead to another big moment for Max in the finale and hopefully, it doesn’t lead to her demise.

3. Mike Wheeler

Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) has always been the character to use his intelligence to try to win. He knows that Eleven and now Will are the two with the powers who can help them succeed and he’s always been willing to step aside. Which would then make Mike sacrificing himself to save everyone that much more heartbreaking.

2. Eleven

Throughout the entire series, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has been fighting her past. Everything has been leading towards Eleven and Vecna fighting each other but now, with Will having powers like Vecna, it makes a lot of what Eleven brought to the table feel useless which does make fans fear that she will die in a final battle. And it would hurt watching the young girl who already suffered so much die against her biggest foe.

1. Steve Harrington

To be clear, if Steven Harrington (Joe Keery) dies, we’re riding at dawn. And we’re not alone in that thinking. Fans everywhere have been praying since the start of season 5 to whatever God that will listen to keep Steve safe. Now, his car? She didn’t make it. And we mourn her loss, she’s been there since season 1. But that better be the ONLY thing of Steve Harrington’s that is hurt.

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