Where Does Each ‘Stranger Things’ Character End Up at the End of Season 4?

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Where Does Each 'Stranger Things' Character End Up at the End of Season 4?

Warning: This story contains spoilers from season 4 of Stranger Things. Is this the end? Stranger Things season 4 wrapped up with more danger on the horizon — and fans have even more to worry about when it comes to their favorite character. During part one, Nancy Wheeler's (Natalia Dyer) life ended up in danger when her attempt to escape the Upside Down put her face to face with Vecna. As the rest of her friends waited for her return, Nancy ended up accessing the newest villain's memories and discovered that he was actually Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower) before becoming the monster. In other parts of the season, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) was also struggling to gain back her powers under Dr. Brenner's (Matthew Modine) watchful eye. The first part of Season 4 ended with Eleven finding out the truth about the Hawkins Lab massacre — only to still have to return to Indiana to save her friends. Ahead of the show's return, several cast members admitted that they have considered how their onscreen stories would come to an end. "I would like Murray to live. I hope he does. Of course, I am worried — it is very anxiety inducing because we are going against some very evil forces here," Brett Gelman exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2022. "So, you never know what is going to happen. He might bite the dust, or he might not." Although Murray is still safe (for now) in Russia, newcomer Patrick (Myles Truitt) faced a more terrifying end to his arc. According to Truitt, he wasn't as concerned when he found out that Patrick would become one of Vecna's victims. [jwplayer u5KdIhGE-zhNYySv2] "I wasn't worried about anything. Once I figured that I got 6 out of 9 episodes, put me in anything. I am grateful," he told Us at the time. "If I die, then I die. If I come back, then I come back. Regardless I am here." For the actor, the chance to work on such a memorable show made the end result worth it. "I was looking forward to being observant. Taking in the different sets, how they are structured and then referencing that to what I see on camera," he explained to Us about his first days on set. "It is a whole different experience and a whole different perspective. Then you have a different level of respect for what you do." Some OG cast members, however, had a different viewpoint about saying goodbye to their costars. Brown and Noah Schnapp previously joked that they felt the show should kill some people off to make space. “We’re all afraid of one of us dying," Brown told The Wrap in May 2022, before adding, “You need to start killing people off. The Duffer Brothers are sensitive sallies who don’t want to kill anybody off. We need to have the mindset of Game of Thrones. Kill me off! They tried killing David [Harbour] off and they brought him back!” Scroll down to see where every Stranger Things character ended up in season 4: [podcast_block]

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Eleven

During season 4, Eleven experiences issues at high school that escalate when Mike [Finn Wolfhard] comes to visit. She ends up harming one of the girls who is bullying her and is arrested for the assault. Sam Owens [Paul Reiser] helps her avoid juvie but asks for her help in dealing with the monster in Hawkins. 

In an effort to get back her powers, Eleven has to work with Dr. Brenner again who explains that she needs to return to her memories of Hawkins Lab. Throughout part one, Eleven revisits different points in time at the lab until she realizes that she never killed anyone there. Instead, the friendly orderly used her to help him escape and he killed everyone. 

He turns out to be Henry Creel, who became the first test subject in Hawkins Lab and then Vecna when he entered the Upside Down. 

In the second installment, Eleven restores her powers but only manages to escape when the military infiltrate the lab. After leaving Dr. Brenner to die, Eleven and her friends realize they won't make it back to Hawkins in time to save everyone. Eleven is able to help by piggybacking off Max's mind as Vecna tries to access it.

Eleven, at first, is able to gain the upper hand and stops Vecna for the time being. With Max's brief death, though, the town of Hawkins is still under attack when Volume 2 ends.  

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Will Byers

After reuniting with Mike in California, Will and the rest of the group end up on the run. Their attempts to track down Eleven lead them to Dustin's [Gaten Matarazzo] girlfriend Suzie, [Gabriella Pizzolo] who helps them track down where the Nina Project is located.

Will, Jonathan [Charlie Heaton], Mike and Argyle [Eduardo Franco] plan to head there to warn Sam Owens that Eleven's life is in danger. Amid their trip, Will hints to Mike about his feelings for him but isn't fully able to vocalize it. He later warns Mike that he feels Vecna gaining his strength back to strike again.

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Joyce Byers

During season 4, Joyce [Winona Ryder] finds out that Hopper may still be alive and recruits Murray to help her track him down. Their investigation takes them to Alaska, where they face several obstacles before ending up in Russia.

Joyce and Murray manage to trick their way into the labor camp and they reunite with Hopper in the first part of the season.

In the second part, Joyce and Hopper's reunion is short-lived when they find out their kids are in danger. After leaving the prison, the group comes back to face the Demagorgans. Joyce saves Hopper's life and the couple returns to Hawkins together.  

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Jim Hopper

Throughout the season, viewers got to see flashbacks of how Hopper ended up surviving the explosion. He was found by Russian guards and immediately placed in a Russian labor camp. 

Amid several attempts to escape, Hopper becomes friendly with a guard named Dmitri who promises to help him in exchange for money. Dmitri makes contact with Joyce and Murray, but he ends up arrested as well when other guards figured out that he helped Hopper.

The duo are forced to join a group of prisoners that are going to be fed to a Demogorgon. Fortunately, Hopper's knowledge of the monster helps him and Dmitri survive until Joyce and Murray arrived.

In Volume 2, Hopper continues to risk his life to take down the monsters being created in the Russian prison. He returns to Hawkins at the end of the season and reunites with Eleven.  

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Mike Wheeler

After having to start a long-distance relationship with Eleven, Mike goes to visit his girlfriend in California for spring break. Unfortunately, Mike discovers that Eleven has been lying to him about her life there. The couple have a fight, which is when Eleven brings up that Mike never tells her that he loves her anymore.

Following Eleven's arrest, Mike and the others attempt to track her down so they can warn her that she is in danger. Mike is by Eleven's side as she attempts to help their friend group in Hawkins survive Vecna's attack. His support helps Eleven gain control — but their lives are still in danger.

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Dustin Henderson

Throughout the season, Dustin is focused on helping Eddie [Joseph Quinn] after he is wrongfully accused of murder. He must figure out how to stop Vecna's killing sprees when Max becomes one of his potential victims. Dustin is able to figure out that Vecna is opening up gates with every murder — which sends Steve [Joe Keery] and the others into the Upside Down.

With Erica's [Priah Ferguson] help, Dustin is able to guide them back to Hawkins. After regrouping, Dustin and the others form a plan to take Vecna down. Eddie joins Dustin in the Upside Down as they distract the bats from attacking their friends. Dustin briefly ends up back in their world when Eddie tries to protect him. The duo reunites in the Upside Down — only for Eddie to die in Dustin's arms.

In the finale, Dustin tells Eddie's uncle about his death and how he was a hero.  

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Lucas Sinclair

Since the time jump, Lucas [Caleb McLaughlin] decided he wanted to change his reputation in high school by joining the basketball team. This shift creates distance between Lucas and his friends. After Chrissy's [Grace Van Dien] murder, Lucas joins Jason [Mason Dye] and the other jocks in trying to track down Eddie.

Lucas manages to escape Jason when he realizes they are posing a danger to Eddie and his friends. Amid his breakup with Max [Sadie Sink], Lucas tries to save her life and make her reconsider closing off after Billy's [Dacre Montgomery] death. Lucas, Max, Dustin and Erica come together at the end of part one to help the others come back from the Upside Down.

During the second installment, Lucas is by Max's side as she becomes bait for Vecna. The two rekindle their relationship, but Max's life is quickly put in danger. As Vecna kills Max, her boyfriend tries to stop Jason from creating more damage. Max ends up dying in Lucas' arms before Eleven brings her back to life. 

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Max Mayfield

Following Billy's death, Max ends up moving with her mom after her stepfather leaves. Max pulls away from all of her friends and starts experiencing strange headaches — which she realizes is part of Vecna's curse.

With the help of her friends, Max survives Vecna's attempt to kill her by focusing on her favorite Kate Bush song. She briefly sees a manifestation of Billy which Vecna created to taunt her. After the near death experience, Max works with the others to find a way to kill Vecna.

During Volume 2, Max volunteers to bait Vecna into trying to kill her. Her plan takes a turn when Vecna reveals he knows everything and attempts to kill her. Eleven arrives to save the day, but Max succumbs to her injuries. Viewers see Eleven trying to bring Max to life, but two days later she is still in the hospital and Eleven can't access her consciousness.

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Nancy Wheeler

While trying to take her mind off her issues with Jonathan, Nancy ends up involved in the recent murders in Hawkins. After her friend Fred is killed, Nancy realizes that it is another supernatural monster that is at fault.

Nancy and Robin [Maya Hawke] figure out the Creel murders prove Vecna was alive for several years. After following Steve into the Upside Down, Nancy ends up Vecna's next potential victim and finds out that he is actually Henry Creel. The villain shows Nancy his plan to take over Hawkins before he sends her back.

As a result, Nancy recruits the others to try to stop Vecna before they are too late. They divide into different phases, with Nancy partnering up with Steve and Robin. When they reach Vecna's house in the Upside Down, the trio gets caught by him. They later escape and burn Vecna — only for him to escape and continue to threaten Hawkins' future.  

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Jonathan Byers

In season 4, Jonathan is struggling in his relationship with Nancy because he doesn't want to tell her that he has different college plans. He is put in charge of Will, Mike and Eleven after Joyce heads to Alaska — but things take a turn. After Eleven's arrest, Jonathan and the boys are not allowed to leave their home.

Their lives become at risk when the military decides that Eleven is the source behind the Hawkins killings. As a result, Jonathan enlists the help of his friend Argyle as they attempt to warn Eleven that she is in danger.

During Volume 2, Jonathan supports Eleven as she tries to save Hawkins. He is also there for Will as his younger brother works through his feelings for Mike. Jonathan reminds Will that he will love him no matter what and they embrace. After returning to Hawkins, Jonathan and Nancy reconcile but still refuse to discuss their issues.

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Steve Harrington

During season 4, Steve and Robin join Dustin and Max as they try to clear Eddie's name. After rounding out their group with Nancy and Lucas, they all do research into Vecna in an attempt to save Max and the town.

While trying to find a gate to the Upside Down, Steve risks his life and gets pulled in. He narrowly avoids getting killed off by the monsters. At the end of part one, Steve is still in the Upside Down when he helps Nancy leave first — only for her to end up under Vecna's spell.

After getting Nancy back, Steve joins the others on their mission. As they head into battle, Steve opens up to Nancy about his feelings for her until they are interrupted by Robin. Steve survives the season as the group realizes their problems are far from over.

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Robin Buckley

After teaming up with Nancy, Robin finds out more about the Creel family history which leads everyone to their haunted house. While trying to find a gate to the Upside Down to access Vecna, Steve gets trapped there and the others follow him.

Robin and Eddie are able to return to Hawkins but Nancy gets sucked into Vecna's curse at the end of the first part. In Volume 2, Robin's trust in the group's survival decreases as she considers their odds. After a very close call, the trio makes it out alive but they still have to defeat Vecna. Robin's personal life receives a win as she grows closer to Vickie.  

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Erica Sinclair

Lucas' younger sister gets involved in the group's attempts to find Vecna after he gets caught near a murder scene. Erica, Lucas, Max and Dustin team up to help save the others in the Upside Down.

During the second installment, Erica joins the fight against Vecna and helps Lucas and Max with their plan.

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Murray Bauman

In season 4, Murray travels to California when Joyce receives a note about Hopper's whereabouts. They travel to Alaska and later make it to Russia where their friend is locked up in a prison. Murray figures out a way to get them into the labor camp, where they are reunited with Hopper after he survives a Demogorgon attack.

Murray continues to aid Joyce and Hopper in Russia — saving the day with a flamethrower.

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Eddie Munson

The newcomer finds himself at the center of a murder investigation when Chrissy is killed by Vecna in his home. Eddie goes on the run, but later receives help from Dustin and the others. Once Eddie is connected to another one of Vecna's killing sprees, his name becomes public and everyone in town wants to hunt him down.

At the end of part one, Eddie follows Steve, Robin and Nancy into the Upside Down. He manages to return to their version of Hawkins with the help of Dustin, Erika and Lucas.

During the second installment, Eddie and Dustin work together to help their friends destroy Vecna. Eddie first performs a guitar solo to distract the bats, which allows them to attack him. He dies in Dustin's arms as he reflects on his decision not to run away.

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Jason Carver

After his girlfriend Chrissy is killed, Jason decides that Eddie was involved in the murder. Him and his jock friends try to hunt Eddie down but Lucas messes up their plans. Jason then convinces the town that Eddie is to blame for the recent deaths because Satan is controlling him.  

In Volume 2, Jason interferes with the group as they attack Vecna. The jock ends up dead after he loses his fight with Lucas and a gate is opened between the Upside Down and Hawkins. 

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Vecna

Season 4 introduces the audience to the newest villain in the Upside Down. Vecna kills three people in Hawkins, Indiana, while Eddie takes the blame because he was at two different murder scenes. Even though Vecna isn't able to claim Max as a victim, he gets Nancy under his spell in the final moments of part one.

Through flashbacks, Vecna's identity is revealed to be Henry Creel. As a young boy, Henry developed powers that he then used to murder his sister and mother. He made his father take the blame, but Dr. Brenner still took him to Hawkins Lab to test him. Eleven discovers Henry's true identity after she helps him escape the lab — only for him to murder all the test subjects.

Henry gets banished to the Upside Down and becomes Vecna after a showdown with Eleven.

He reunites with Eleven when she tries to save Max — and reveals that he was responsible for every disaster since season 1. Vecna is able to kill Max, which triggers the veil between the two worlds to open. Even though Steve, Nancy and Robin momentarily burn Vecna — the villain continues his efforts as the season comes to a close.