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With Stranger Things Season 5 set to close out one of Netflix’s biggest hits, fans are buzzing with speculations.
As the trailer for the biggest horror television series was released, the internet has gone crazy, and the most convincing fan theories have been circulating on social media.
From secret identities to shocking returns, here are the five wildest fan theories making rounds on the internet about the final season of Stranger Things.
Vecna is Eleven’s biological father:
According to the official prequel novel Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds, Eleven's biological father is Andrew Rich.
The theory suggests that Terry Ives’ MKUltra experiments overlapped with Henry’s psychic manipulation at the Hawkins Lab, resulting in Eleven being created, not born, out of the same twisted lineage.
This would explain why their powers mirror each other, why Vecna has a personal fixation on her, and why their psychic "tether" runs deeper than just experiment-lab trauma.
Will Byers is the final key:
A few days before the series hit the television screens, fans were betting everything on whether Will Byers is the end of the show.
As Noah Schnapp himself teased a few weeks ago in his TikTok, "The story started with Will, and it’ll end with Will."
Some theories suggest that Vecna has been using Will as a vessel all along — a psychic anchor linking our world to his.
Others believe he’ll do the opposite — reclaim control of his connection and become the weapon that ends Vecna once and for all.
Steve Harrington’s death:
One of the biggest theories of Stranger Things season 5 is that the much-anticipated death of the iconic character is Steve Harrington.
Ever since Season 4 ended, everyone’s been rooting for Steve like their lives depend on it.
The fanbase he’s built over time is unmatched; even Reddit threads read like love letters to his character.
So, when the trailer for Stranger Things 5 dropped and Harrington was barely there, the internet collectively stopped breathing. It didn’t help that a few blink-and-you ''' 'll-miss-it moments set off a full meltdown.
Hawkins is trapped in a time loop:
Season 4’s revelation that the Upside Down is stuck in 1983 wasn’t just creepy — it was suspiciously specific.
However, some Reddit users speculate that Hawkins might be trapped in a mysterious time loop, endlessly replaying fragments of the same events while the rest of the world moves forward.
According to fan theories on Reddit, Hawkins could be stuck in a haunting time loop — reliving the same events over and over while the rest of the world moves on without noticing.
Eddie Munson returns but not as you remember him:
If there’s one name Reddit refuses to let go of, it’s Eddie Munson.
Season 4’s beloved metalhead went down swinging, but fans are convinced his death isn’t the end.
No theory has gained as much traction as the belief that Eddie Munson isn’t truly gone.
Fans think the Duffers could mirror that story — bringing Eddie back as a dark, vampire-like version of himself who ultimately helps destroy Vecna.
Despite these wildest theories and no matter which theory turns out true, one thing is definitely certain — Stranger Things 5 is shaping up to be the most mind-bending season yet.
