Stranger Things Season 5 Creators Unmask Vecna’s True Endgame

Stranger Things is heading into its last round, and the Duffers are still playing coy about Vecna. If you thought Season 5 had already tipped its hand, it hasn’t. The short version: the kids of Hawkins are absolutely central to whatever nightmare he’s cooking up, and it’s not exactly a heartwarming makeover of the world.

What the Duffers will say (and what they won’t)

In a new chat with Variety, Ross and Matt Duffer say fans do not yet know Vecna’s real endgame. They won’t spill specifics, but they do underline that the Hawkins kids are a key piece of it. Matt keeps it tight-lipped and a little cheeky about the vibe of Vecna’s plan:

"Nothing good."

"I mean, depends on your perspective, you know?"

So yeah, the villain who wants to remake the world doesn’t think he’s the villain. Not exactly shocking, but it does hint that their reveal isn’t just more tentacles and dust storms.

What Volume 1 actually shows

Across the first four episodes of Season 5, Vecna is kidnapping kids in Hawkins and calling them the perfect vessels for whatever he’s building. He even tags Will as the first vessel. The show puts that idea right on the table without explaining the mechanics, which is very Stranger Things of it.

There’s also that line from Vecna in Volume 1 about using kids to remake the world. The Duffers leaned into the mystery around that point when pressed on it. Translation: the answer’s coming, just not yet.

What Volume 2 is setting up

We’re supposed to get more of Vecna’s memories in the back half, which is where the real clarity should land. Matt says they internally think of that memory thread as their new 'Russia' storyline — not because it’s about Russia, but because it follows a small, isolated group. In this case, it’s centered on Max and Holly, and they’re happy with how that thread weaves back into everything else. It’s a slightly odd label, but the point is clear: a focused side-mission that pays off the larger plot.

• The final season is the end of the series, with Vecna’s true goal still under wraps.
• The kids of Hawkins are central to his plan; he sees them as 'perfect vessels.'
• Will is identified as the first vessel, which feels important for the finale.
• Volume 1 (four episodes) sets the stakes but keeps the endgame hidden.
• Volume 2 digs into Vecna’s memories via a small, isolated arc with Max and Holly.
• Expect clarification on that 'remake the world' angle — and do not expect it to be nice.
• Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 hits Netflix on December 25.

Bottom line: the Duffers are promising a reveal that reframes what Vecna has wanted since Eleven blasted him into the Upside Down. And given the kid-focused language so far, the finale is almost certainly going to run straight through the core group we’ve been with since the beginning.