Dead ‘Stranger Things’ characters fans believe could return in finale
As Stranger Things hurtles toward its 2-hour finale, fans are been busy theorizing how characters who died thanks to the Upside Down in previous seasons could stage a dramatic comeback.
Despite the show’s creators, and even former cast members, hinting that some deaths are final, fans remain deeply invested in one question that has been circulating online for months: Which beloved character could be revived next?
That speculation is part of what has fueled massive engagement for the fifth and final season of one of Netflix’s biggest ever shows. The first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 drew 59.6 million views in just five days, making it the biggest-ever English-language debut on the platform.
Fan theories—particularly around the Upside Down’s lingering mysteries—have since flooded social media. A popular point of inspiration has been the surprise reappearance of Max Mayfield’s consciousness, trapped in Vecna’s realm while her body lies in a coma in Hawkins General Hospital. David Harbour’s Jim Hopper was also found alive in Stranger Things 4, after appearing to have perished just a season earlier.
Now, hopeful viewers are combing through every scene, trailer, and Dungeons & Dragons clue for ways their long-gone favorites might follow in their footsteps. Indeed, the fantasy role-playing game gained cult status with kids in the 70s and 80s, becoming a source inspiration for Matt and Ross Duffer in building the Stranger Things fictional world.
Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn)
Eddie Munson’s death in season 4 remains one of the series’ most emotional moments.
The metalhead hero and leader of the “Hellfire” D&D club died in Dustin’s arms after fighting off a swarm of demo-bats. His body, however, was never retrieved, and townsfolk continued to blame him for the murder of Chrissy Cunningham and the spooky events that followed in the once sleepy Midwest town.
This loose end has fueled a wave of fan theories online, including one rooted in Dungeons & Dragons lore.
One creator, @twistedgodsfilms, took to TikTok to explain why he believes Eddie could be brought back in season 5.
He told viewers that his idea is linked to Dungeons & Dragons, namely the “Kas Theory,” which draws parallels between Eddie and Kas the Bloody-Handed, a vampire lieutenant of Vecna in the table-top game. According to the theory, Eddie—like Kas—could rise again, potentially under Vecna’s control, before turning on his master, killing him and saving his friends.
The creator also spotted a striking loophole in the series’ worldbuilding.
He said that demo-bat bites are not fatal, despite being able to seriously wound people. He finds it hard to fathom how Eddie lost his life to the bats in season 4 considering this detail.
Another creator, @gossipglitz6, added to this theory by pointing out that Eddie’s body was never retrieved, which could pave way for Vecna to take control of it, leading to more screentime for the fan favorite played by Joseph Quinn.
Another theory hinges on Eleven’s powers. In season 4, she revived Max despite her heart stopping for over a minute. Could she do the same for Eddie?
A third possibility comes from a season 4 moment where Nancy Wheeler realizes that time is frozen in the Upside Down on November 5, 1983—the same day Will Byers first went missing in season 1.
Perhaps Eddie, having died within the Upside Down, might somehow be reset to his pre-death self, due to the dimension’s time-freeze.
Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery)
Billy Hargrove, Max’s volatile stepbrother, was violently killed by the Mind Flayer in season 3 after a rare moment of redemption. His sacrificial death, though final, made him one of the show’s most layered losses.
While Billy has not appeared physically since, bar a few flashbacks, fans see his return as possible through Vecna’s earlier manipulation.
The villain has a history of weaponizing memories and fears against his victims, and Billy’s traumatic presence still lingers in Max’s ongoing storyline. Fans have suggested Billy could resurface in new scenes as a twisted echo, potentially haunting Max again as she lies unconscious in her hospital bed, with her mind tethered to Vecna’s domain.
Several viewers have shared that they think Billy is alive and well in the Upside Down, having been replaced by something of a clone controlled by Vecna in season 3.
They drew on similarities in how both the “cloned” Billy and Vecna hate the heat and speak warmly to Max, despite them not being on good terms before Billy’s car accident that led to him crossing paths with the Upside Down.
Bob Newby (Sean Astin)
Sean Astin’s kindhearted Bob Newby became a fan favorite in Season 2, as Joyce Byers’ sweet, tech-savvy boyfriend who had been pining after her since high school. His heroic death—torn apart by Demodogs while helping others escape from Hawkins Lab—cemented him as a tragic figure in the show’s history.
Given that Bob died in the real world, and outside the temporal distortions of the Upside Down, most fans do not see a full resurrection in the cards. But his legacy remains strong, and some viewers speculate he could reappear in flashbacks.
Several eagle-eyed fans spotted a reference to the Newby family in the Oklahoma poster seen at the beginning of episode four, during Max’s walk through Vecna’s memories from high school in 1959.
Barb Holland (Shannon Purser)
The clearest clue of any character’s return comes from a media set visit to the Stranger Things production in Atlanta, Georgia.
While exploring the elaborate set, visitors came upon a dummy of Barb Holland’s body covered in inky black vines.
Barb’s death in season 1 was the show’s first major casualty and became the subject of the viral #JusticeForBarb movement, after the town—and the show itself—seemed to move on from her.
This prompted the Duffer brothers to create a storyline in season 2 where Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers team up to get those responsible for the death punished.
Actress Shannon Purser remained vague when asked by Vulture about the possibility of a season 5 appearance.
“All I know is that my body shows up and I have no idea what the context is. I wasn’t a part of that decision, so I’ll be just as surprised as you are,” she said while being interviewed at the season’s premier.
While it is unlikely Barb will be revived, the reappearance of her corpse may serve as a final chapter for her arc—especially for Nancy Wheeler, who has long blamed herself for Barb’s tragic fate.
Chrissy, Fred, Patrick and the Others
Even minor characters are fueling the resurrection discourse.
Chrissy Cunningham, killed by Vecna in a brutal season 4 opener, and Fred Benson, another teen victim who held a dark secret, have also drawn fan attention.
Their deaths—bloody and traumatic—helped establish Vecna’s power and horror, but their memory could serve a purpose. Like Billy, Chrissy and Fred might return not in body, but as manifestations of fear or guilt, especially for characters like Lucas and Nancy who witnessed their final moments.
Is Steve Harrington Next?
But the looming fear for many fans is not who might come back, it is who might die next.
Chief among their concerns is of course Steve Harrington, played by actor and musician, Joe Keery.
Since season 1, Steve has evolved from detestable jock to one of the series’ most beloved and protective figures. The Duffer brothers have previously admitted that the character was originally meant to die, but actor Joe Keery’s charisma and fan response led them to rewrite his fate.
That history now has fans bracing for what feels like a potential full-circle ending, considering the continuation of the love triangle between Steve, Jonathan and Nancy.
With Stranger Things nearing its final hours, death remains a constant presence, both in Hawkins and in the imaginations of fans. The show has made a tradition of killing off supporting characters—Barb, Bob, Billy, Eddie—while sparing its central crew. Whether that pattern continues or a fan-favorite like Steve finally pays the price could define how the series is remembered long after it ends.
Newsweek reached out to Netflix for more information on Tuesday.
