Kali’s Return Flips the Tone of Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 2, Creators Tease

Stranger Things is about to pull one of its boldest swings yet: Kali is back, and Matt Duffer says her return is going to mess (productively) with Eleven’s world and the vibe of the whole back half of the season. If you thought Volume 1 was intense, he’s basically saying: prepare for a different beast in Volume 2.

Kali’s comeback isn’t just fan service — it steers the story

Talking to SFX magazine, Duffer set expectations that Volume 2 won’t just pick up where Volume 1 left off and coast. Kali’s sudden reappearance is a deliberate pivot, and it pushes Eleven into new territory while shifting the tone of the upcoming episodes. Also on Duffer’s mind: there’s unresolved heat between Eleven and Hopper after how things ended in Volume 1, and that tension follows them right into the finale stretch.

"It will be a very different dynamic going into the second volume."

"Kali shifts things a lot for Eleven, and I think it’ll be surprising for people to see how she ultimately fits into the story."

Quick refresher: who Kali is and why this matters

Kali — the one-off friend from Eleven’s stint away from Hawkins back in the day — was another kid experimented on at Hawkins Lab. She’s known as Eight, and her powers can go toe-to-toe with Eleven’s, maybe even surpass them depending on how you look at it. That standalone episode a lot of fans argued about? Turns out it wasn’t a dead end. Duffer admits the writers have been itching to circle back to Kali because leaving her thread dangling bugged them. Season 5 is their chance to close that loop and actually finish her arc.

And here’s the twist that pushes her story forward: Volume 1 reveals that Dr. Kay — played by Linda Hamilton — has been keeping Kali inside the Upside Down. That’s a wild detail with big implications for how Kali re-enters the plot and why her presence flips the tone in Volume 2.

• Duffer says Volume 2 will feel different, with Kali becoming a direct catalyst for Eleven’s next moves.
• He spoke with SFX magazine about how Kali’s return changes the direction and tone of the remaining episodes.
• Expect friction between Eleven and Hopper after the way Volume 1 left things.
• Kali (aka Eight) was one of the Hawkins Lab kids; the team wanted to stop leaving her storyline hanging and actually resolve it.
• Volume 1 reveals Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) has been holding Kali inside the Upside Down, setting up her role in Volume 2.
• Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is streaming now on Netflix; Volume 2 premieres December 25.