Who Could Die In The Stranger Things Season 4 Finale?

After six long weeks, Stranger Things is finally dropping its final two Season 4 episodes on July 1. The Netflix mega-hit gave fans its scariest installment yet, with Volume 1 ramping up the stakes, tension, and drama to new heights. When we last met our heroes, Will, Mike, Jonathan, and others were on their way to Nevada to break Eleven out of the Nina Project. Meanwhile, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Erica were in the midst of saving Eddie, Robin, Steve, and Nancy from the Upside Down until Nancy got possessed by Vecna, aka 001. Not to mention, Hopper and Dmitri narrowly escape the clutches of a Demogorgon thanks to the heroics of Joyce and Murray. Everyone is in perilous situations, and while many of our Hawkins favorites will likely make it to Season 5, there’s a bleak likelihood that some won’t make it beyond the Season 4 finale.

In the trailer for Season 4’s Volume 2, we hear Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) tell Eleven that her friends are not ready for what’s to come and that Hawkins will fall. We also hear Vecna say, “It is over. Now I just want you to watch.” The villain adds, “Your friends have lost.” So, on that note, it’s fair to wonder if one (or several) of the characters might not survive the final two episodes. Let’s theorize who is most likely to die in Season 4.

Eddie Munson

The fandom has come to love the shaggy-haired leader of the Hellfire Club. Quick-witted, if also a little hapless, Eddie (Joseph Quinn) joins a famous lineage of newly introduced Stranger Things characters that immediately become fan favorites. He joins the ranks of Bob Newby (Sean Astin) and Alexei (Alec Utgoff), which doesn’t bode well for his chances of survival. Audiences were made to fall in love with those kind characters, only for them to be brutally and bloodily ripped away. There is an outside chance that Eddie could end up like Robin (Maya Hawke) and become a series mainstay. However, some of Eddie’s dialogue in Episode 7 sets up what could be a heroic end during a conversation with Steve (Joe Keery). “I see danger,” Eddie says. “And I just turn heel and run." Could Eddie subvert his own expectations?

As for the actor who plays Eddie, it sounds like Quinn is already thinking about Season 5, given that he told Digital Spy, "I'd be furious if they're not bringing me back." Granted, it could all be a misdirect. The trailer shows Eddie playing the guitar atop a structure in the Upside Down, which may be a diversion for Robin, Steve, and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) to escape. We do see the trio together again but with Eddie nowhere to be found.

Steve Harrington & Robin Buckley

I know, I’m sorry. Steve is the mentor, boyfriend, buddy, and reluctant babysitter we all wish we had. And Robin is the most charming and authentic character on the show. Together, they’re a dream team when it comes to paranormal monster hunting — or video store clerking. But their demise might be looming.

Ahead of the Season 4 premiere, the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, described Stranger Things 4 as their “Game of Thrones season.” Game of Thrones was infamous for flippantly killing beloved characters, and it’s hard to find a character more lovable than Robin or more beloved than Steve “The Hair” Harrington. The metaphorical nail in their coffins comes during a line from the Volume 2 trailer, in which Robin says to Steve, "I have this terrible feeling it might not work out for us this time." It’s ominous, worrisome, and potentially indicative of the fates of both of their characters.

Jim Hopper

Season 3 ended with the tear-jerking (almost) death of Jim Hopper (David Harbour), only for everyone’s favorite police chief to be alive and not well in the frigid tundra of Russia. After his plan to escape prison was thwarted, Hopper’s already low spirits plummeted. Between his monologues about helping Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) from afar, his time in Vietnam, and the aftermath, it seemed like Hopper had a death wish.

Until he reunited with Joyce (Winona Ryder), it didn’t appear that Hopper cared much about making it out of prison after his first escape attempt failed. He was only interested in taking out the Demogorgon, even if it meant dying in the process. Unfortunately, as we see in the latest trailer, Hopper is on the ground with the Demogorgon inches from his face. Despite seeing Murray (Brett Gelman) wielding a flamethrower in a clear homage to 1982’s The Thing (also referenced by Lucas in Season 3), Hopper may actually die for real this season.

Literally Anyone Else

The trailer for Volume 2 also makes it apparent that the show wants you to know just how dire the straits are. Anyone could die. At the beginning of Season 4, more than a few viewers were convinced Max was done for. Then, there is Will, whose link to the Upside Down isn’t exactly a good thing with Vecna lurking around; he could meet his demise this season. Other supporting characters, like Murray or even Dmitri (Tom Wlaschiha), could meet their end during the prison escape. The writers went out of their way to ensure we know Dmitri has a son, which would make his death more upsetting. Even Nancy, perhaps the most intelligent and resourceful person on the show, has been possessed by Vecna once, which doesn’t bode well for her chances at survival.

It also seems like Eleven may finally exact her revenge on Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine), given the massive explosion at what appears to be the site of the Nina Project. It’s hard to say who will meet their end, but if anything’s for certain, the cast for Season 5 is going to look a little different.