Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1 Ending Solves Many Hawkins Mysteries

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Stranger Things not only made Netflix a major force in television, but its final season marks the end of this hugely popular show. The season is released in three parts, starting with the first four episodes. These episodes pick up after the events of Season 4, showing what life is like in a heavily guarded Hawkins, and set the stage for the final battle against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). Importantly, the episodes finally start to answer many of the questions fans have been asking throughout the series, revealing key details about its history and mythology.

Warning: Spoilers below for Stranger Things 5, Volume 1

Wow, the last episode of Volume 1 was a lot to take in! As a longtime fan, it was so satisfying to see some of those fan theories finally confirmed, and I honestly didn’t expect to see those familiar faces pop up! It’s clear the Duffer Brothers really want to give Stranger Things a proper, definitive ending, and they’re carefully wrapping up storylines – even ones I’d almost forgotten about. Now that we’ve had a chance to see the first part of the final season, it’s time to dive into that incredible cliffhanger and unpack everything that happened.

Stranger Things Gives Will His Own Superpowers

From the very beginning of Stranger Things, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has had a deep connection to the terrifying Upside Down. This link, which allowed the Mind Flayer to use him as a spy in Season 2, has caused him a lot of suffering but also given him unique understanding. The start of Season 5 reveals that Will’s disappearance wasn’t accidental; it was intentionally orchestrated by the Upside Down’s creator. A flashback to 1983 shows a frightened Will being brought before Vecna, who forcibly feeds him particles from the Upside Down, hinting at a grand plan. This establishes that Will was always central to Vecna’s scheme and was deliberately altered from the start.

As the new season unfolds, Will’s connection to the Upside Down becomes more than just a warning system for danger. After a vivid vision mirroring what Holly Wheeler is experiencing, Robin suggests Will now acts like a supernatural receiver. Her idea is that Vecna uses particles from the Mind Flayer as a way to communicate with his followers, and because Will’s body is full of these particles, he can pick up on Vecna’s signals. This turns out to be true – Will is able to sense when and where Vecna is hunting his next victims, effectively tracking his movements.

Man, the ending of Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1 was incredible! It all built up so slowly, and then just exploded with action. When Vecna unleashed those Demogorgons on the base, things got really intense, and poor Will had another seizure, linking him right into Vecna’s hive mind. But this time, it was different. After talking with Robin, Will finally seemed to accept who he is, and that gave him strength. He didn’t just suffer through it – he fought back! He actually stopped the Demogorgons, and then… wow. He started lifting them into the air, twisting and breaking them apart just like Vecna did to those people in Season 4. It was terrifying, but so cool! It’s clear Vecna trying to control Will actually gave him some of Vecna’s own power. Now Will is connected to the hive mind and has these amazing psychic abilities of his own. He’s going to be a huge player in what happens next, I can feel it.

Vecna Is Back for Revenge (With a New Plan)

Vecna wasn’t destroyed after the fight with Steve, Robin, and Nancy at the end of Season 4 – he just disappeared. Though his attempt to connect Hawkins to the Upside Down didn’t fully succeed, it caused significant damage, creating large cracks throughout the town. Season 5 sees him return with a revised plan. Instead of just killing vulnerable teens to open gateways, he’s now kidnapping children. He carefully prepares for this by initially appearing to them as a friendly imaginary companion called “Mr. Whatsit,” manipulating them psychologically before sending a Demogorgon to take them. This begins with the abduction of Holly Wheeler in the first episode.

In the first part of the fifth season finale of Stranger Things, Vecna takes his biggest risk yet. He opens a huge portal in Hawkins and physically enters the real world, launching a full attack on the MAC-Z base where the town’s children are being protected. He easily overpowers the military and captures the remaining children he needs to reach a total of twelve. During the attack, Vecna explains to Will that children are the perfect targets because their minds and bodies are easier to control. Even more chillingly, Vecna reveals that he was the one who initially showed Will what was possible, suggesting that the transformation Will went through after being kidnapped is the same fate awaiting these new victims. This hints that Vecna is trying to build an army of powerful, devoted followers.

Holly and Max Are Working Together

One of the most heartbreaking moments in Stranger Things Season 4 was what happened to Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink). After Vecna attacked her, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) was able to bring her heart back, but Max remained in a deep coma, unable to move or see. Season 5 revealed that while her body is still unconscious in the hospital, Max’s mind is actually awake – trapped inside Vecna’s terrifying mental world. This world is built from the memories of Henry Creel and forces Max to relive horrifying events, like the gruesome scene after the Hawkins Lab attack.

At one point, Max hears Lucas playing her favorite song, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” and follows the music to a strange, glowing doorway that looks into her hospital room. She almost escapes through it, but the song stops, and the doorway disappears. Vecna finds her and chases her through his memories, trying to completely erase her mind. While running, Max discovers a hidden cave inside a memory of the Creel house. Vecna seems incredibly frightened of this cave and can’t enter, so it becomes a safe hiding place for Max.

Max finds a temporary refuge and unexpectedly meets a mental projection of Holly Wheeler, who Vecna has also trapped within this illusion. What seems like a peaceful escape is actually another prison. Max explains the reality of their situation, and together they start planning how to break free. This new development creates a vital and dangerous battleground in the fight against Vecna – a battle taking place inside his own mind.

Eleven’s Sister, Kali, Is Back

A surprising turn of events in Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1 is the reappearance of Kali Prasad (Linnea Berthelsen), also known as 008. First introduced in a controversial episode during Season 2, Kali is one of the few other people known to have survived the experiments at Hawkins Lab, and she has the power to create incredibly realistic illusions. Her story was left unfinished, leading many viewers to wonder if she’d ever return. Season 5 answers that question, showing that she’s been captured by the same U.S. military group that’s now controlling Hawkins. Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven find her while secretly entering a hidden military research center located within the Upside Down.

The group’s attempt to sneak in is based on a misunderstanding. They believe the military has captured Vecna and is using him as a weapon, ever since they encountered devices that blocked Eleven’s powers. Terrified by this possibility, Hopper decides to use explosives to destroy Vecna, even if it means sacrificing himself. He and Eleven battle their way through the base, fighting soldiers and the facility’s strict commander, Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton). The mission reaches its peak when Hopper breaks into a highly secured room, prepared for a final confrontation.

Inside, he discovers Kali hooked up to a strange machine. Dr. Kay and her team have captured 008 and are draining her psychic energy to fuel sonic weapons – weapons that can harm Eleven. When Hopper and Eleven rescue her, they gain a valuable new ally just when they need one most.

The Upside Down’s Wall Is Critical for Stranger Things

The first part of Stranger Things Season 5 introduces a disturbing new element in the Upside Down: a huge wall made of twisting flesh and vines. This barrier shows up in different places and is impossible to get through. Even attacks from Hopper’s knife and Eleven’s powers can’t damage it, effectively blocking off large areas of the Upside Down.

When the group gets split up, Dustin makes a key discovery. After Steve crashes the car and Hopper and Eleven report strange activity elsewhere, Dustin starts to understand how massive the barrier really is. Using his tracking antenna to analyze the static coming from the wall, he figures out it’s actually a perfect circle. Hawkins Lab is right in the middle of it, leading Dustin to believe the wall isn’t natural – it’s a man-made structure connected to the original gate, possibly designed to trap something inside.

The strange, rocky landscape of the Upside Down seems to mirror what’s happening inside Vecna’s mind. The wall Max finds in his memories – a safe space for her – is a place Vecna clearly dreads. The show has always linked the real world to characters’ inner lives, and these matching protective barriers are probably no accident. Just as the mental wall might hide a painful memory or a vulnerability, the physical wall in the Upside Down could be guarding something huge – maybe even the source of Vecna’s power. Figuring out where these walls came from and what they’re for is likely how our heroes will finally be able to defeat him.

The first part of Stranger Things Season 5 is now available on Netflix. The second part will be released on December 25th, and the series finale airs on December 31st.

What’s the one burning question you need answered in Stranger Things 5 Volume 2? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-11-27 04:42