This week, Netflix premieres the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, its phenomenon sci-fi series from creators Matt and Ross Duffer. Stranger Things is one of the rare shows that has had an incredibly consistent creative vision across its entire run, rarely leaving plotlines hanging as it drives its 1980s-driven paranormal horror story toward the finish line. But there have been exceptions; namely, a long-absent character named Kali, a.k.a. Number Eight.
Introduced in the season premiere of Stranger Things 2, Kali is another child who grew up with Eleven at Hawkins Lab, and was subjected to the same sort of torture by the scientists there. Later, in the seventh episode of the season, Eleven goes on a road trip to Chicago to find her, and reunites with her lost 'sister,' whom she has memories of from their shared time in the Hawkins Lab Rainbow Room.
By this time, Eight has fallen in with a gang of miscreants in Chicago, and together they've gone on a vengeful killing spree against anyone they could find who had a connection to the Hawkins Lab experiments. She becomes a mentore to Eleven during this episode, helping her unlock her latent potential and giving her a firm touchstone to her past.
However, by the end of the episode, the two ultimately part ways. Eleven balks at killing a Hawkins Lab scientist who has children, and Kali's hideout is subsequently raided by the police, forcing her posse to flee. Having seen a vision of Mike and Hopper in trouble, Eleven splits from them, and returns home to Hawkins in time to help her friends in their battle against the Mind Flayer.
That was the last time we saw Kali on screen, though there is a brief mention of her in season 4 which confirms she escaped Hawkins Lab before Henry Creel massacred everyone there.
But Matt and Ross Duffer have never shown themselves to be the types to leave plot threads hanging forever. With the end in sight for Stranger Things, it's time for Number Eight to return for the final battle against Vecna. And based on a few photos that have appeared online, signs seem to point to that possibility bearing out.
The actor who plays Eight was at the Stranger Things 5 premiere
On November 6, 2025, Netflix held a premiere event for Stranger Things 5 in Hollywood, California, where all the main cast was in attendance. Photos from this event have circulated widely, and among them are a few of none other than Linnea Berthelsen. Berthelsen's appearance at the premiere strongly hints at Kali making a return in Stranger Things 5, since the actor was not seemingly present at either the Stranger Things 3 or Stranger Things 4 premieres.
Obviously, this isn't concrete evidence, but it's solid enough that I'd be willing to bet quite a lot we'll see Kali in the show's final season.
Eight has a stake in the fight against Vecna
Bringing Eight back for Stranger Things 5 wouldn't just tie up a loose end; it would also make a lot of sense from a story perspective. Eight, Eleven, and One (a.k.a. Henry Creel / Vecna) are the only surviving children from Hawkins Lab. Henry has gone on to become the big bad of Stranger Things, ripping a hole in the fabric of reality separating Hawkins from Upside Down and unleashing monsters on the town. The series has been building up to another showdown between him and Eleven, two gifted children molded by the tortorous behavior they suffered at Hawkins Lab.
Eight is a part of that equation, too. If there is going to be a reckoning that finally sees the horrors of Hawkins Lab laid to rest, she needs to be part of it for that closure to be complete.
We won't have to wait long to find out whether Kali makes her comeback. Stranger Things 5 premieres its first four episodes on Wednesday, November 26 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Volume 2 will follow on December 25 with the next three episodes, and The Finale brings it all to an epic conclusion on December 31. Find the full release schedule here.