Grab your tissues — the final season of Stranger Things is gearing up to be the show’s biggest and most emotional chapter yet.
Season 5 of the Netflix hit will be released in three parts starting Nov. 26, and while the story is expanding in scale, the creators say the tone is shifting, too. According to Matt and Ross Duffer, this season won’t be quite as violent overall as Season 4 — but it will feature the most brutal death the show has ever had.
“I would say season 5 is not as violent as season 4, but it has the most violent death of any season,” Matt, 41, told The Times.
The Duffers said they usually “try to restrain” how graphic the show gets, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. “The goal was always to scale up each series with the age of the characters and our audience, but then we keep getting new audiences,” Ross explained. “Hopefully, parents don’t get too mad at us.”
“Every Character’s Ending Needed to Feel Right”
Even with the darker moments ahead, the brothers said the emotional payoff mattered most. After almost a decade with these characters, the ending had to land.
“Every character’s ending needed to feel right,” Matt said. “That was more important than providing the fans with the ending they’re hoping for.”
He admitted he doesn’t read fan theories online, so he isn’t even sure what audiences want. Ross added that at its core, Season 5 is the final chapter of a coming-of-age story. “How do you leave childhood behind? That’s one reason we created Vecna — he preys on uncertainty and anxiety. So the series is about how you overcome that.”
The Cast Couldn’t Hold Back Their Tears
The stars have already shared how emotional filming became, especially during the final table read.
Charlie Heaton said the tears started early. “Twenty minutes in — and we’re not even a third into the script — Noah [Schnapp] is bawling his eyes out… and then Finn [Wolfhard] was crying. That really set everyone off.”
Wolfhard, 22, agreed: “The whole thing is just crying… halfway through, I just started totally bawling my eyes out.”
What Season 5 Is About
Set in the fall of 1987, the new season picks up one year after the events of Season 4. Hawkins is still scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and the group is united with one mission: find and kill Vecna. But he has disappeared, and no one knows where he is — or what he’s planning.
As the government locks down Hawkins and intensifies its hunt for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), she’s forced into hiding once again. With the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaching, a heavy sense of dread settles over the town.
The final battle is coming — and it brings a threat darker and more dangerous than anything the group has ever faced. To defeat it, the entire party must stand together one last time.
Release Schedule
Stranger Things Season 5 launches on Netflix in three parts:
- Volume 1: Nov. 26
- Volume 2: Dec. 25
- Finale: Dec. 31
All episodes drop at 8 p.m. ET.
The end is near — and it’s going to be unforgettable.
