The new animated spin-off Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 arrived on Netflix on April 23, 2026, and people are talking about one thing. The final fight. Many fans felt the main show’s season 5 battle with Vecna did not meet expectations. But this new series delivers a thrilling climax that gives every hero a chance to shine.
Set in the winter of 1985, the 10-episode season takes place between the events of season 2 and season 3 of the original show. The entire season is available to stream right now for Netflix subscribers worldwide. A standard plan with ads costs $7.99 monthly, while an ad-free subscription starts at $17.99 per month.
The Final Battle Fixes a Major Problem from Season 5
One of the biggest complaints about the original series finale was that many characters just stood around watching Eleven fight. Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 does the opposite. The final battle against a creature called The Queen shows the whole group working together.
Before Eleven even enters the fight, her friends are already doing their part. Lucas, Max, Dustin, Will, Mike, and new character Nikki fight hard to survive. This makes the action feel more real and exciting.
The fight takes place under the Baxter house. The group faces The Queen and her army of plant-like monsters. Will swings a mallet to fight off creatures. Lucas and Max work together using a slingshot. Dustin even gets used as bait. Every character gets a moment to be the hero.
Voice Cast Brings Familiar Characters Back to Life
The show uses a new group of voice actors. Brooklyn Davey Norstedt voices Eleven. Luca Diaz plays Mike Wheeler. Braxton Quinney is Dustin Henderson. Elisha Williams voices Lucas Sinclair. Benjamin Plessala plays Will Byers. Jolie Hoang-Rappaport voices Max Mayfield.
Jeremy Jordan also joins as Steve Harrington, and Brett Gipson plays Chief Hopper.
Fans have praised the voice work online. One viewer wrote on social media:
“The Dustin voice acting is nuts, like that’s literally Gaten.”
An Emotional Story at the Heart of the Action
The fight is not just about throwing punches. Writers Ryan Little, Kevin Burke, and Chris Wyatt added real emotional weight to the battle. There is a touching moment when Max tells Lucas to save himself. He refuses to leave her.
“And I told you, I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you,” Lucas shouts back.
The new character Nikki Baxter, voiced by Odessa A’zion, also gets a powerful scene. She breaks down and wants to run away from the danger. Her mother, played by Janeane Garofalo, gives her the strength to keep fighting.
Animation Allows for More Exciting Action
Because the series is animated, the action team could do things that would be too costly or dangerous in live action. The camera moves fast. The colors are bright. The fight is easy to follow and full of energy.
Eric Robles serves as the showrunner. The Duffer Brothers are executive producers alongside Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. The production companies behind the show are Upside Down Pictures, 21 Laps Entertainment, and Flying Bark Productions.
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Some Fans Have Mixed Feelings
Not everyone is fully happy with the series. The introduction of Nikki has caused debate. Some fans wonder why a character this important was never mentioned in the original show. Others feel the group shared secrets about the Upside Down with her too quickly.
The show holds a 65% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 45% audience score. But for many viewers, the action alone makes it worth watching. One person on Reddit shared:
“Ok, this looks promising, I will give it a watch bc im craving more st content!”
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is now streaming on Netflix.
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