Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things Season 5 Part 2.
Let me save you the panic-scrolling: Steve Harrington lives. The Christmas Day drop sent rumors sprinting through the internet that this was the end for our resident babysitter-turned-hero. It is not. That said, the show definitely toys with you.
So... does Steve die in Part 2?
Nope. Steve (Joe Keery) makes it out of Part 2 alive. Most of the time he is not in the direct line of fire, but there is one very real oh-no moment in Episode 6 that has everyone holding their breath.
The near-miss that had everyone sweating
Steve and Dustin bolt through the Upside Down version of Hawkins Lab trying to reach Jonathan and Nancy before everything caves in. The building is literally falling apart under them — floors dropping out, routes disappearing — and Steve clocks a ladder that could get them across a busted gap. He moves to go for it on instinct, and Dustin just breaks down and physically stops him, begging him not to push their luck and admitting he cannot lose Steve again. The ladder then gives way and plunges through the floor as the two of them hang on to each other.
If Dustin had not stepped in, Steve might have been a goner. After that scare, the show keeps him relatively clear of danger, but with the massive finale still to come, nobody is truly safe.
Who actually dies in Part 2
- Scientists at Gable Ridge Road Base: We catch up with Kali (Eight), who is being used by Dr. Kay to restart a twisted MKUltra-style program — specifically, draining her blood to build Cold War super-soldiers. Eight fights back. She stabs a scientist with a surgical scalpel and later shoots more personnel while trying to escape. She does get recaptured, but several scientists at the base end up dead.
- Kali's crew from Season 2: Axel, Mick, Funshine, and Dottie are confirmed dead. Kali tells Eleven the military killed them while hunting her, and we see it in flashbacks. It is ugly, and it underlines the cost of Kali staying out of the lab’s grip.
- A scientist in Henry Creel's memory: Inside Camazotz, Max and Holly witness a childhood scene where a wounded scientist with a metallic briefcase shoots young Henry in the hand. Henry snaps, and kills the man by smashing him with a rock. It is the first life he ever takes.
- Two soldiers and three Demodogs: Vecna sends Demodogs to Hawkins Hospital to finish off Max. They tear through two military guards on arrival. Then Karen Wheeler shows up and drops all three Demodogs herself. Yes, Karen. Add that to the tally.
What the Duffers are saying about the finale
There is one episode left — Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up — and the creators are openly telling fans to buckle up without expecting a glorified massacre.
"I want people to brace themselves as they go into the finale. But I can promise you it is not a 'Red Wedding' situation, like from 'Game of Thrones.' We are not gonna wipe out eight of our characters."
"We are not doing anything for shock value."
They have also said the ending is loaded with emotion for plenty of reasons, and they want it to feel inevitable, right, and bittersweet — the kind of ending that hurts a little but still lands.
The Steve worry, acknowledged (and roasted)
Maya Hawke has seen the fan theories and the posts promising heartbreak if Steve dies. Millie Bobby Brown went another route and joked that the real tragedy would be if Papa came back and shaved Steve’s head — the death of the hair — turning him into the new Eleven. Harsh, but fair.
Where this lands
Keeping Steve alive in Part 2 feels like the right move. The show got all the stress out of us without cheapening the payoff. Now we see where the final chapter lands.
When the last episode drops
Stranger Things Season 5 Part 2 is streaming now on Netflix. The series finale arrives Dec. 31.