After nine years of supernatural intrigue, Eggo waffles and portals to the Upside Down, Stranger Things has delivered its very last episode on Netflix. The final episode, long and intense, leaves fans with shock, emotions and doubts. The series ends on an epic note, but one question still divides: is Eleven really dead or did she survive thanks to a final magic trick?
The answer is not as simple as it seems. As Vecna and the Mind Flayer join forces to destroy Hawkins, all the heroes embark on a last stand. And at the heart of this final struggle, Eleven plays a decisive role…perhaps at the cost of her own life.
Eleven against Vecna: one last fight to save Hawkins
In the underground passages of the Upside Down, Eleven and Kali infiltrate Vecna’s lair. Thanks to a risky plan, they manage to penetrate his mind and free Max and the children. But everything changes when Kali is shot. El then uses his powers to cross the rift and confront Vecna in a spectacular sequence. “Then you really want to die.”
While the team lures the Mind Flayer to the canyons, Eleven, Mike, Steve and Dustin do battle. Together, they manage to pierce Vecna, while Will intervenes from a distance by breaking her arm, causing the monster to fall. Hawkins is saved, Holly is freed, and Joyce decapitates Vecna while screaming “You went after the wrong family.”
Did Eleven die at the end of Stranger Things?
An explosion destroys the Upside Down, and Eleven appears to have perished with it. But everything changes when Mike enters El’s mind: she asks him to explain his choice and disappears. Later, Mike shares a heartwarming theory: What if the El everyone saw die was just a mirage? Kali, before dying, could have created a projection to allow Eleven to escape into the tunnels.
“What really happened to the Mage.” remains a mystery. The last shot shows us Eleven, alive, in a magnificent landscape, with waterfalls and a village in the background. A newfound peace… or a dream from Mike? The viewer is free to believe it or not.
Where are the heroes 18 months later?
The town of Hawkins is rebuilding, officially hit by an earthquake. Robin hosts a radio show, Steve coaches a baseball team, and Dustin gives an unforgettable graduation speech. Joyce and Hopper are finally together, and Max is playing Dungeons & Dragons with the group.
Mike, meanwhile, became a writer. He admits that some stories will remain secret forever. Particularly that of El. “We are one,” Henry said before being defeated. But Eleven remains elusive.