‘Stranger Things’ Creators Reveal Why They Didn’t Kill Off More Characters in Season 5 Finale

The following article has heavy spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5.Stranger Things wrapped things up a couple of days ago, and fans are still mourning the death of one of the strongest characters in the series finale. The Netflix series ended things on a high note, with an emotional conclusion that saw the Hawkins gang play one last campaign of Dungeons & Dragons without Eleven by their side. Minutes before, viewers saw how the character sacrificed herself to protect those who remained outside the Upside Down. As dramatic as this was, some think the series was just complying with the “one character has to die in the final season” rule. But was this always the plan of the series creators, the Duffer brothers? Or was someone else supposed to die in the finale?

The Duffers spoke with Deadline about saying goodbye to the cultural phenomenon that is the fantasy horror show. Matt opens up about the moments after they and the cast saw the finale together, and things got pretty emotional: “Everybody was crying. We all went back to my apartment in New York. Some of the cast chose to walk, even though it was 30 minutes, I think because they needed time to process everything… I think everyone’s still reeling a little bit.”

Talking about the episode, and the decision to kill more characters, Ross says that they talked through “every possibility.” However, considering the general tone of the series, they realized that it wasn’t necessary to kill more characters because it is a show about the heroes making it “out of there.” Ross Duffer says:

“In the writers room, I think we talked through everything. You talk through everything, every possibility, and we knew from early on what we wanted to do with Eleven and her fate, and you talk through the other characters, but I think at the end of the day, for us, the show is an adventure story. It’s a coming of age story.

“So for us, it was really talking about those last 30, 40 minutes and where we wanted our characters to be and what we wanted their growth to be and where we wanted to leave them behind. Having those discussions is how we landed on [the idea] that we want our heroes, most of them, to make it out of there.”

Was Eleven Always Going To Die in the ‘Stranger Things’ Finale?

the cast of stranger things play dungeons and dragons one last time in episode 8

Netflix

The final episode of Stranger Things sees Eleven surprisingly sacrificing herself. Reasons vary, but it was a decision that she likely made in order to protect Hawkins from another event involving her bloodline and the powers associated with it. It has been polarizing among fans, of course, but according to the Duffers, this was always the original conclusion for the character – even back when it was structured as a miniseries. Matt Duffer says:

“It’s been something on our mind for a really long time. That was the original ending of the show when it was designed as a limited series, that El has to sacrifice herself in some way. I mean, the first thing we did when we were working on Season 5 was to talk about the ending and specifically talk about Eleven and, it was hard.

“It was a really hard and emotional decision to make, but at the end of the day, it just felt right to us. It felt like, given the circumstances, it was the only way to actually end, permanently, everything that had been going on, and it’s such a selfless act from her to protect anyone from going through what she went through, if that makes sense.”

The series co-creator also highlights the symbolism of Eleven’s character, the role she plays in the final Dungeons & Dragons scene, and whether she could actually be alive: “El, in so many ways to us, represents the magic of childhood, like when you’re growing up, and anything feels possible, and that goes away in some ways as you get older, but it stays with you forever. So the memories of Eleven are always going to be with Mike, and they don’t vanish, right? I mean, she’s going to be a part of Mike and her friends for the rest of time, and they choose to believe she’s still out there, which is powerful.” Matt adds:

“So, it’s not saying goodbye. She’s with them forever, and their childhood and the memories of everything they went through, as scary and traumatic as it was at times, as Dustin said, there was so much good that came out of it. Eleven and everything they went through shaped who they are today.”