Long before the final season of Stranger Things had even arrived, there has been an ongoing fan theory that the show would eventually end with Eleven somehow sacrificing herself to save Hawkins and the world. It’s a theory that makes sense as it’s a common trope with a hero sacrificing themselves and dying a hero’s death.
It’s a theory and fear that was very justified as Eleven perfectly encapsulates the trope: she’s uniquely powerful, emotionally burdened, and repeatedly positioned as the only one who can stop the main threat. From the very beginning, the show has emphasized her isolation, struggles, and willingness to give everything for her friends and family. These are all classic signals of the hero’s death trope narrative, hinting that Eleven’s arc would come to an end with a sacrificial death to achieve victory and save not just her friends, but the world.
Heading into the final season, Eleven was the character who seemed to be in the most realistic danger of dying within the series finale. However, after watching the latest episodes in the final season, the odds of Eleven actually dying in the series finale have dramatically shifted.
I can’t see Eleven dying after Stranger Things season 5 part 2
After finding and freeing Kali in the fourth episode of Stranger Things season 5, Eleven and Kali get the chance to catch up, which allows the two sisters to speak for the first time in years.
As Eleven and Kali catch up, Eleven apologizes for not searching for Kali and asks about her knowledge of Henry. Kali reveals she knew all about him, only she thought he was dead. Eleven asks Kali to help her kill Henry and stop this so that they can live a happy life, but Kali quickly dampens that idea. Kali details how Dr. Kay’s men found her and held her hostage in the lab, constantly taking her blood. At first, Kali didn’t realize why they wanted or needed the blood, until she attempted to escape.
After taking out a pair of scientists, Kali discovered that Dr. Kay had essentially resumed Dr. Brenner’s research and was infusing an unknown number of pregnant women with her blood. Kali reveals that Dr. Kay is trying so desperately to find Eleven so that she can create more kids with powers similar to how Brenner used Henry’s blood to give Eleven, Kali, and their siblings their various abilities.
Later, after a plan to stop Henry and destroy the Upside Down has been devised, Eleven and Kali continue their conversation. While Eleven is dreaming of a happy ending, Kali bluntly points out to her that there are no happy endings for them. The only way they can truly stop this cycle is by sacrificing themselves after killing Henry and destroying the Upside Down. Kali tells Eleven that they need to kill Henry, save Holly and the others, and then remain in the Upside Down when it vanishes.
Eleven doesn’t initially agree to the plan and the group heads off into the Upside Down to enact their plan to confront Henry as he works to merge the worlds, save Holly and the kids, and destroy the Upside Down. While in the box truck with the others, Mike asks Eleven if she’s ready. She assures him she’s ready for the battle before then looking at Kali and giving her a nod, seemingly in agreement to the plan to sacrifice themselves in the battle to save the world.
The moment hints that Eleven has come to the conclusion that she’s ready to do anything to save her friends, but if the plan was truly for Eleven to die in the series finale, it doesn’t make sense for the Duffer brothers to be so obvious. Yes, there is a chance this will be how Eleven’s story ends, but the whole self-sacrifice storyline was too direct.
We’re now supposed to be expecting Eleven to die, which is why the odds seem low that she actually will. Eleven feels like a red herring at this point. We’re all going to be expecting her to die, only for another character to unexpectedly sacrifice themselves so that Eleven can live. This would make far more sense than going with the most obvious route in having Eleven die a hero’s death, and instead bestowing that honor on another more unexpected character.
There is still a chance that Eleven could die in the finale, but the odds seem much lower as we’re not buying that Eleven will die in the series finale on December 31.