The biggest question driving Stranger Things since its first episode in 2016 was finally answered at the end of Season 5, Volume 1. After nearly a decade, fans now know exactly why Will Byers was the first child taken into the Upside Down. The revelation came directly from Vecna in a tense confrontation and unlocked a major new power for Will, setting the stage for the final battle.
The first four episodes of the final season arrived on November 26, 2025, introducing new threats and allies. The town of Hawkins is under a strict military quarantine led by the relentless Dr. Kay, played by Linda Hamilton. Eleven is in hiding and training, while Vecna has begun targeting a new generation of children, including Holly Wheeler and her school bully, Derek Turnbow. The season’s cliffhanger didn’t just answer old questions—it completely changed the rules of the fight against the Upside Down.
Vecna’s Plan and the Target on Will Byers
In the climactic moments of Episode 4, “Sorcerer,” Vecna arrives at the military’s MAC-Z base in Hawkins. After a swarm of Demogorgons attack, he confronts Will, who is writhing on the ground, connected to the hive mind. Vecna reveals his core plan and, with it, the reason he started with Will back in 1983.
Vecna explains that he targets children because they are “perfect vessels.” He states they are “weak in body and mind, easily broken, easily reshaped, controlled”. He tells Will, “You were the first, and you broke so easily. You showed me what was possible”. This confirms that Will’s sensitivity and feelings of being an outsider were exactly what Vecna sought to exploit. The villain’s goal is to use twelve children to fully merge the Upside Down with the real world and reshape it to his design.
The show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, said focusing the final season on Will brought the story full circle. Ross Duffer explained their early idea for the season was, “What if Will were able to harness this connection and use it against our villains?”.
Will Byers Unleashes His Own Powers
As Vecna retreats back into the Upside Down, he leaves his Demogorgons to finish off Mike, Lucas, and Robin. In a desperate moment, Will fights back. Remembering a heartfelt talk with Robin about self-acceptance, he focuses on happy memories of his friends and his childhood fort, Castle Byers.
Will then unlocks powerful telekinetic abilities. He raises his hand, not with Eleven’s signature palm-down motion, but with his palm facing up, “as though Will is pulling the powers from Vecna”. He violently defeats the attacking Demogorgons, saving his friends. The episode ends with Will standing strong, a single drop of blood trickling from his nose—a sign of his newfound power.
“One of the earliest ideas in [Season 5] is, ‘What if Will were able to harness this connection and use it against our villains?’” said co-creator Ross Duffer.
Actor Noah Schnapp called the moment a dream for his character. “He’s such a walked-all-over character who never gets to [use] his own voice… Getting to be strong and direct and powerful is just so satisfying as an actor”. Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, said the scene had her “gagged to the floor”.
New Threats and Returning Faces in Volume 1
Volume 1 sets up several major storylines for the final episodes. A key new threat is Dr. Kay, a government scientist who is hunting Eleven. Linda Hamilton described her character as relentlessly focused, where “cataclysmic stuff that is happening around her does not shake her from her mission” to find Eleven.
Eleven and Hopper infiltrate Dr. Kay’s Upside Down base, believing Vecna is there. Instead, they find Kali Prasad, also known as Eight, strapped to a machine and being experimented on. Kali, played by Linnea Berthelsen, was last seen in a polarizing Season 2 episode.
In a separate part of the Upside Down, Holly Wheeler is trapped in a perfect replica of the Creel House, a mental prison she calls “Camazotz” after the evil planet in A Wrinkle in Time. There, she is guided by Max Mayfield, who has been living inside Vecna’s memories since Season 4. Max tells Holly she found a cave Vecna fears, which is where she hides.
The heroes’ plan to rescue other targeted children involves turning Holly’s bully, Derek Turnbow, into an ally. After being saved from a Demogorgon, Derek helps smuggle kids out of the military base. Actor Jake Connelly delivers an iconic line when the plan is discovered: “Ashley Klein is a snitch!”.
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When to Watch the Rest of Season 5
Stranger Things Season 5 is being released in three volumes tied to holidays.
- Volume 1 (Episodes 1-4) is already streaming. It launched on November 26, 2025.
- Volume 2 (Episodes 5-7) will be released on December 25, 2025 (Christmas Day) at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
- The Finale (Episode 8) arrives on December 31, 2025 (New Year’s Eve) at the same time. Netflix will also screen the finale in over 350 theaters in the U.S. and Canada starting that night.
Unlike most Netflix releases that drop at midnight Pacific Time, new episodes of Stranger Things 5 are released during U.S. primetime hours. The final episode, “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up,” is reported to be about two hours long.
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