Stranger Things Creators Revealed Plans to Kill Off Fan-Favorite Characters

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I recently learned that the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers, actually planned to kill off a couple of characters we all love way back in the earlier seasons. It’s pretty shocking to think about who they considered letting go!

Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of Stranger Things, recently discussed the show’s final season with Entertainment Weekly. They revealed that the first episodes will begin airing at the end of November and talked about storylines they previously decided to scrap. Matt Duffer mentioned that they once planned to kill off a significant character, stating:

During the third season of the show, Hopper nearly died. There was even a point where the writers considered killing him off. It’s been a while, but I remember feeling like that was the closest he ever came to death.

At the close of season 3, it seemed like Jim Hopper, portrayed by David Harbour, died in an explosion at the Starcourt Mall—specifically, in a secret Russian laboratory hidden underneath. But fans were surprised to see him alive when season 4 began, revealed to be a prisoner in a Russian camp.

Ross explained the choice to keep Hopper alive, saying it would have been simple to kill him off. However, they felt Hopper’s character still needed to develop, and they wanted to complete his storyline. The creators emphasized their preference for finishing character arcs rather than relying on shocking deaths.

The Duffer Brothers almost killed off Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) – it was a very close call, especially after nearly losing him in season 1. They ended up keeping him because they really enjoyed working with Joe Keery. If they hadn’t liked Keery as much, Steve wouldn’t have survived.

©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

Matt and Ross revealed they regularly discuss the possibility of killing off major characters with the show’s writers. However, they also mentioned that…

Often, what prevents us from taking a storyline in a certain direction is considering the consequences. For example, if a character like Mike were to die, it would drastically change the tone of the show, making it overwhelmingly dark and focused solely on that event. Even seemingly minor characters, like Eddie, Bob, or Barb, have a significant and lasting impact on the main characters and the story.

The last season of Stranger Things will debut on Netflix in two parts. Volume 1 will be available starting November 26th, and Volume 2 on December 25th. The very last episode will premiere on December 31st, both on Netflix and in certain movie theaters.

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2025-11-10 22:38