Top 10 Stranger Things Season 5 Rumors Explained
#10: Will Created Hawkins in the Upside Down
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In the Season 4 episode “The Massacre at Hawkins Lab,” the older teens discover that the Upside Down is an eerie snapshot of Hawkins from 1983, the same day Will Byers was abducted by the Demogorgon and taken there. When discussing Season 5, the Duffer brothers have already confirmed that it’ll answer questions about the nature of the Upside Down, specifically with how it relates to the aforementioned revelation. The answer could lie in Will’s nascent abilities. While Will’s possible powers are their own can of worms, this theory claims that Will immediately imprinted a replica of Hawkins upon the Upside Down in order to cope with the stressful situation. If that’s true, then expect Will to consciously unlock his full potential in Season 5.
#9: Karen Wheeler Is Alice Creel
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Okay, this theory is cuckoo bananas crazy sauce, but we wouldn’t put it past the show to hit us with another wild Creel reveal. Though Karen Wheeler didn’t have as much to do in Season 4 compared to other seasons, she did get a promotional character poster alongside every other main character. The series features the characters’ faces against the backdrop of the location they’re most connected to, so the fact that Karen’s was represented by the Creel house had fans buzzing. Timeline-wise, Karen being born in the 1940s would line up with Henry’s older sister Alice. Sure, Alice is supposedly dead and they have different-colored eyes, but we don’t see Alice die and the eye thing hasn’t stopped other franchises in the past.
#8: The Return of Kali [A.K.A. Eight]
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One of the most reviled episodes in TV history is “The Lost Sister,” with many feeling like it doesn’t fit with the overall trajectory of “Stranger Things” Season 2. Still, its many implications for the show have people convinced it’ll pay off down the line. But with the final season looming, time is running out for Kali to come back. Known as “Eight” when being experimented on at Hawkins Lab, Kali too was able to escape. Unlike Eleven, though, Kali’s powers are of a different variety as she’s able to create illusions in the minds of others. Should she return, she could be a powerful ally against Vecna, a.k.a. “One.” Or maybe she’ll appear in one of the “Stranger Things” spinoffs in development.
#7: Henry Creel Is Eleven’s Father
Okay, time for Creel Reveals, Volume 2. Though Season 2 goes in-depth with Eleven’s mother Terry, not much is known about her father. The official novel “Suspicious Minds” lists him as being someone named Andrew Rich who was subsequently killed in Vietnam, but that could easily be retconned. The fact that Terry was a subject in the tests at Hawkins Lab would’ve put her in close proximity to Henry Creel, who was about twenty-four when Eleven was born. If this turns out to be true, Henry propositioning Eleven to join him would give them a real Darth Vader-Luke Skywalker dynamic, which we’re not opposed to. Do you feel this Creel reveal is the real deal? Sorry, we know these rhymes aren’t ideal.
#6: It’s All a Game
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Honestly, this twist would probably piss off a lot of fans, but it would make a lot of sense, too. Ever since the first episode, “Stranger Things” has prided itself on embracing “Dungeons & Dragons.” But what if the whole show has just been one long campaign? Beyond naming certain Upside Down creatures after “D&D” characters, the show ending with the original four boys huddled back around their table in Mike’s basement would be absolutely gobsmacking. Sure, we’d have to give Mike credit for creatively dungeon-mastering a whole saga featuring the people they know and their hometown, but this is one theory we sincerely hope isn’t true.
#5: Will’s Relationship With Vecna
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The Duffer brothers have already confirmed that Will Byers will be playing a major role in Season 5, which is already great news. The ending of Season 4 features Will being able to sense Vecna’s survival, in addition to being the first one to sense the Upside Down’s full-fledged arrival in Hawkins. Fans have since speculated that should Vecna’s body really be destroyed, his essence might be on the hunt for a new host. Will’s already been possessed by Vecna by way of the Mind Flayer, so Vecna setting up shop in Will’s consciousness could be a familiar fit; especially considering Will’s established connection to the Upside Down and his supposed supernatural abilities.
#4: Time Travel
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With all the clocks, time was obviously a big theme in Season 4. This theory posits that on top of everything else, Vecna has the ability to see into the future. While his dialogue about the gang having already lost could be seen as overconfidence, perhaps it’s not? When Vecna shows Nancy a vision, the four gates open up and converge in downtown Hawkins, just like they later do. But how could he know the fourth gate would open at the Creel house if he didn’t know Max would go and eventually die there? If seeing through time is possible, could traveling through it be? And if Vecna can do it, can Eleven do it? And if Elven can do it, can she change history?
#3: Eddie’s Encore
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Eddie was truly a standout character, so we’re not surprised people have already speculated as to how he could return. However, this theory might have a lot more to it than wishful thinking. As we know, Eddie met his end distracting Vecna’s Demobats. As we also know, “Vecna” is the name of a character in “Dungeons & Dragons,” where he just so happens to have a vampire lieutenant named “Kas.” So there’s the bat connection. Since Eleven’s able to bring Max back to life, there’s no reason why Vecna can’t do the same for Eddie. People have also noticed that Eddie’s similar weaponry to Kas could be a hint at this. Also worth noting: Kas betrays and kills Vecna in “D&D.” So yeah. There’s that.
#2: Max’s Soul
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Above all these other rumors, one plot thread you can be sure they’ll resolve in Season 5 is Max’s comatose state. What exactly’s going on with her has been the subject of rampant debate, but one clue could come in Eleven’s flashback with Henry. After killing all the test subjects, Henry tells her they’re still with him mentally. This could mean that Max’s soul or her consciousness could be trapped within Vecna’s. If this is true, perhaps Max can reunite with Vecna’s other victims and take it to the Freddy Krueger inspiration “Dream Warriors” style. This would at the very least allow us more time with Chrissy, who was definitely taken from us far too soon.
#1: A New Upside Down Monster
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While there’s no confirmation of this, the clues for this one are all over Season 4. For starters, in the vision Vecna shows Nancy - which we’ve established is totally true - she describes seeing a giant monster. Earlier in the episode, Will shows Mike his painting of their “D&D” party fighting off a red, three-headed dragon, which fans can’t help but feel like is foreshadowing. If we’re going by “D&D” lore, the two creatures fans are connecting these hints to are Borys, a giant, red dragon, and the Thessalhydra, which similarly has multiple heads. It’s also possible that we’ve heard this giant beast already, as the older teens hear some very loud roaring when at Skull Rock in the Upside Down.
