Here’s a breakdown of who dies in the latest batch of episodes
Kimberly Nhundu Under 35s Screen Time reporter and Kathleen O’Boyle
15:06, 26 Dec 2025Updated 15:08, 26 Dec 2025
The long-awaited second part of Stranger Things season 5 has finally landed on Netflix, delivering a thrilling mix of action-packed and emotionally charged episodes. As the series finale of Stranger Things looms, there is a lot of ground to be covered to bridge the first and final parts of the season.
The episodes are peppered with both vibrant and heart-wrenching scenes, featuring characters who meet their end and others who narrowly escape death. Despite some fatalities in the second half of Stranger Things season 5, no major characters meet their demise in these episodes.
This reassures Netflix viewers that the central cast will survive these episodes and continue to feature in the eagerly awaited series finale. This includes Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, Robin, Will, Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Max, Dustin, Erica, Holly, Derek, Vickie, Kali, Hopper, Joyce, Murray, Mr. Clarke, Karen, Dr. Kay, Lieutenant Akers, and Henry.
Kali kills two scientists in the lab
Outside of the core group, there are other deaths that are encountered along the way. In episode 5, flashbacks reveal Axel and Kali’s friends as Kali recounts her capture by Dr. Kay’s lab, reports the Mirror US. Dr. Kay’s soldiers hunted her down, killing her friends in the process.
Axel’s death is shown on screen, shot in the head by a soldier, and it’s suggested that Kali’s other friends introduced in season 2’s ‘The Lost Sister’, including Mick, Funshine, and Dottie, were also killed. In the fifth episode, Kali discloses a previous near-escape attempt. In this flashback, she manages to break free from her restraints and kills two lab scientists.
These characters weren’t given names, maintaining the season’s pattern of secondary and unnamed characters meeting their end rather than any main characters. Derek’s family is technically still alive in reality, but they appear as murder victims in visions created by Vecna.
Dr. Kay’s military goons fall victim to the Demodogs
After confronting Derek in the forest, Henry shows him horrifying images of his mother, father, and sister Tina all dead, using the threat of making these visions a reality to coerce Derek into cooperation. In the sixth episode, Dr. Kay’s military personnel become casualties of the Demodogs sent by Henry after they find Max in the hospital.
The soldiers try to retaliate, but the creatures launch an attack and kill them. Shortly afterwards, the Demodogs nearly trap Lucas, Max, Vickie, and Robin, but an exploding oxygen tank in a dryer kills the three Demodogs. Another death scene is revealed from Henry’s past. As Holly and Max navigate through Henry’s mind prison, they come across a memory linked to a cave.
A scientist in a mine shaft shoots Henry in the hand before they wrestle for the gun, resulting in Henry grabbing a rock and smashing the man’s head, killing him. The second half of Stranger Things season 5 saw no fatalities, but it was a close shave for several characters.
All the main characters survived (Image: COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2025)
Jonathan and Nancy were knocked out cold when Nancy fired at the atomic matter, finding themselves trapped in a rapidly melting room before Dustin and Steve came to their rescue. Eleven, Hopper, and Kali had a near miss with a powerful vacuum in the Upside Down, only escaping thanks to Eleven’s supernatural abilities.
Steve was on the brink of a multi-storey fall when Dustin yanked him away from using a ladder as a makeshift bridge. Will found himself ensnared after delving into Henry’s mind, requiring Eleven’s intervention for his release.
Max was almost strangled within Henry’s mental prison, but Will’s interference provided her and Holly an opportunity to flee. Lucas, Max, Vickie, and Robin survived a Demodog onslaught at the hospital due to Karen’s quick-witted response, while Holly faced a series of perilous situations, including nearly plummeting into a mine shaft and being targeted by other children under Henry’s control.
Stranger Things season 5 parts 1 and 2 are currently available for streaming on Netflix.