Did Eleven Die? The 'Stranger Things' Creators Explain Her Ending

Netflix

Spoiler alert: This post discusses the Stranger Things Season 5 finale.

The Stranger Things finale left fans with more questions than answers, including one huge mystery that may never be solved: Did Eleven die? Her ending is purposefully ambiguous, and co-creators the Duffer Brothers are now explaining why it was always in the plan for Eleven to disappear.

In the series finale, Eleven sacrificed herself by walking into the Upside Down as the wormhole was being destroyed, effectively killing her. However, Mike told his friends a different story, weaving a narrative where Eleven’s death was one of Kali’s illusions, and she used that smokescreen to escape Hawkins and start a new life in a far away land.

In the end, it’s up to each individual viewer to decide if they want to believe Eleven died with ...