The premiere of the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” is nearly upon us. This means that, among other things, fans are nearly running wild with speculation about what may or may not transpire beginning November 26 — and some of the theories are more flavorful than others.
When it comes to potential outcomes for “Stranger Things,” it’s important to remember that a lot of fans have been riding for the series for 10 years, and that’s a long time to think about potential plots. The release of the play “The First Shadow” offered a few clues to what season five could hold, but much is shrouded in secrecy.
With that in mind… here a few fan theories about what might unfold beginning this week.
Vecna is Eleven’s biological father
This one has a clear “Star Wars” flavor to it, but fans have been theorizing Vecna/001/Henry Creel is the biological father of Eleven for at least the last few years (since the release of season 4).
It’s well documented throughout the series that Dr. Brenner, also known as Papa by the children he’s imprisoned, experimented on and brainwashed, doesn’t exactly cling to ethics or morals when it comes to what he’s willing to pursue in the name of his vision. While we were introduced to Eleven’s mother, Terry Ives, in season one, there’s never been any explanation for who her father might be.
Could Dr. Brenner have artificially inseminated Terry (and even other women) in an effort to create a superhuman? It’s… possible. It’s also possible that Henry’s blood was used to give Eleven and the other children powers, and that Terry and the other mothers were already pregnant when they first encountered Dr. Brenner.
Will died the day he disappeared
Another fan favorite that’s a little out there has two key parts: first, that Will Byers died the day he went into the Upside Down—and that the rest of the show has been cooked up by Mike Wheeler, who is so devastated by his grief he’s reached deep inside his imagination to cope.
This theory seems unlikely, at the very least, because the Duffers have promised an ending they believe fans will be happy with, and it seems extreme to put 10 years into making a show for it all to end as the figment of a character’s imagination.
The entire series was one big DnD game
A similar fan theory winding its way through social media and online is that everything that’s transpired in the series has just been one giant, lengthy, extremely intense game of Dungeons and Dragons — the same game that Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin began in the show’s first episode.
Will can control the Upside Down
The final episode of the fifth season is titled “The Rightside Up,” a clear play on The Upside Down, and possibly a hint that things to come toward the show’s end. As one fan theory goes, Will might have the ability to control The Upside Down as a result of the treatment he received from Vecna in the first five minutes of season 5’s first episode. If that’s true, it stands to reason that he may be able to flip The Upside Down into a new Rightside Up and, hopefully, save his family and friends.
Karen Wheeler is more important than anyone realizes
Plenty of people have speculated that Karen Wheeler, mother to Nancy, Mike, and Holly, will end up playing a crucial role in season 5, but some fans believe she might be absolutely essential to the story.
As one fan recorded on Reddit, a lot seems to revolve around Karen or her family: Mike’s best friend Will is taken, Nancy’s best friend Barb is killed. In seasons two and three, Karen nearly has an affair with Billy Hargrove, who ends up an agent of Vecna/the Mind Flayer. Vecna also targets Nancy in season four and forces her to watch scenes he says reveal the future of Hawkins.
Vecna may not be targeting Karen, but there’s some evidence to support the idea that he’s targeting her.
Mike will be the one Vecna never saw coming
Mike Wheeler is described by Will as the “heart” of the series—the heart of the party, the heart for Eleven, the heart that keeps everyone else going. But he’s never really played a huge role in terms of defeating Vecna, though some fans think that could change.
As one person put it, in a lot of ways, Mike would be the threat that Vecna misses or doesn’t see coming, thus allowing him to potentially go further towards Vecna’s demise than most of the rest of the cast. What Mike will do to help contribute to Vecna’s end is in the air.
