Stranger Things returns with the first four episodes of its final season, bringing major reveals and setting up the endgame for the long-running Netflix series. Volume 1 continues the story after the events of Season 4, showing how Hawkins has changed under military control and how Vecna begins his final plan. The episodes also answer important questions that fans have been asking for years.
Will’s Powers Finally Awaken
Will Byers has always been connected to the Upside Down, but Volume 1 confirms that his link was part of Vecna’s plan from the beginning. A flashback shows Vecna force-feeding Will Mind Flayer particles during his abduction in 1983. This explains why Will has sensed danger since Season 2.
In the new season, Will’s abilities grow stronger. Robin suggests he is acting like a “radio receptor” for Vecna’s psychic signals, allowing him to know when the villain targets new victims.
In the finale of Volume 1, Will uses these powers in full. When Vecna attacks the MAC-Z military base, Will connects to the hive mind and pushes back. He stops Demogorgons mid-attack, lifts them into the air, and destroys them with telekinesis. This confirms that Vecna’s influence gave Will a share of his own power, making Will a major player in the final battle.
Vecna’s New Plan Targets Children
Though badly injured in Season 4, Vecna returns stronger than before. Instead of opening more gates through killings, he now kidnaps children. He first appears to them as an imaginary friend named “Mr. Whatsit” before sending a Demogorgon to abduct them. Holly Wheeler becomes his first victim.
In the finale, Vecna enters the real world through the huge portal in Hawkins and attacks the MAC-Z base. He captures several children and tells Will that young minds make the best “vessels.” This hints that Vecna may be building an army of superpowered followers.
Max and Holly Fight Back Inside the Mindscape
Max remains in a coma in the real world, but her consciousness is alive inside Vecna’s mind. She runs through his twisted memories, trying to escape. She hears Lucas playing “Running Up That Hill” and almost reaches a psychic exit, but the portal closes too soon.
While fleeing, Max discovers a cave behind a rock wall that Vecna refuses to enter. This wall becomes her safe place. Inside, she finds Holly Wheeler, who has also been pulled into Vecna’s dream world. Max explains the truth, and the two begin planning their escape. Their story shows that a new battle is taking place inside Vecna’s own mind.
Kali Returns as a Key Ally
One of the biggest surprises in Volume 1 is the return of Kali (008), Eleven’s long-lost sister. Hopper and Eleven discover her while breaking into a U.S. military facility built inside the Upside Down. The military has been using Kali as a psychic power source to create sonic weapons that weaken Eleven.
After Hopper and Eleven rescue her, Kali becomes an important ally just as the final conflict intensifies.
A Mysterious Wall in the Upside Down
The season introduces a new feature of the Upside Down: a large circular wall made of flesh and vines. It cannot be cut or blasted open and regenerates instantly. Dustin later discovers that this wall forms a perfect circle around Hawkins Lab, suggesting it was built with purpose.
The mental rock wall that protects Max inside Vecna’s mind mirrors this physical barrier. Both walls may hide a weakness or a buried secret about the Upside Down. Understanding these walls may be the final key to defeating Vecna.
Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1 is now streaming on Netflix. Volume 2 arrives on December 25, and the series finale releases on December 31.
