The highly anticipated second volume of Stranger Things 5 has landed on Netflix, delivering epic lore reveals and heart-pounding moments. While fans braced for major character losses following warnings from creators the Duffer Brothers, the final batch of episodes before the grand finale on December 31st takes a surprising approach to its body count.
Who Actually Dies in Volume 2?
Contrary to pre-release speculation about a "dark" season and the "most violent death," no core members of the Hawkins gang perish in Volume 2. The Duffer Brothers have maintained their stance that the show is not akin to Game of Thrones, avoiding a shocking bloodbath in favour of building tension for the concluding chapter.
Matt Duffer explained to The Hollywood Reporter, "There's not going to be a Red Wedding situation... I hope by the time people get to the end of the finale that it just feels like there's something inevitable about what happens."
However, the conflict still claims numerous lives, primarily among secondary forces. The deaths that do occur are catalogued meticulously across the three episodes.
A Detailed List of Casualties
The fatalities in Stranger Things 5 Volume 2 unfold as follows:
In Episode 5, several military soldiers are killed by Kali (Eight) during her escape attempt from the Upside Down lab. We also learn that all of Kali's friends were previously killed by Dr. Kay's forces. Additionally, the Hawkins group successfully re-kills a resurrected Demogorgon through electrocution.
Episode 6 sees a couple of soldiers fall victim to Demodogs during the hospital siege. In a standout moment, Karen Wheeler ingeniously dispatches three Demodogs by causing an oxygen tank placed inside a washing machine to explode.
During Episode 7, Hopper and Nancy shoot and kill several soldiers inside the MAC-Z vehicle. The volume's climax, however, shifts from death to dire peril. Vecna initiates his master plan, trapping twelve children—including Holly Wheeler and a boy named Derek—in a trance, leaving their lives hanging in the balance within the hive mind.
Characters on the Brink: Unresolved Fates
While no main characters die, several face extremely uncertain futures as the story pauses before the finale.
Ted Wheeler's condition remains a mystery. After being severely injured by a Demogorgon in Volume 1 and placed in a medically induced coma, Volume 2 offers no update on his status, leaving his survival in question.
The fate of Holly Wheeler is particularly harrowing. After a brave team-up with Max to escape Vecna's mind, Holly finds herself in the nightmarish Dimension X (dubbed the Abyss by Dustin). Although she briefly escapes to the Upside Down, Vecna recaptures her, pulling her back into his lair and plugging her into the hive mind alongside the other children.
Another close call involves Nancy and Jonathan. After Nancy makes a critical error by shooting a strange mass in the lab, she and Jonathan are knocked unconscious and nearly consumed by melting matter. Trapped in a solidifying room, they confront their potential demise and resolve personal issues, with Jonathan revealing he planned to propose. They are saved at the last moment when the melting stops, leaving them trapped but alive.
Fans of Steve Harrington can breathe a sigh of relief—despite widespread speculation about his doom, he survives Volume 2 intact.
All narrative threads now lead to the ultimate conclusion. The final episode of Stranger Things is scheduled for release on Netflix on December 31st, where the fates of Holly, Ted, the other children, and all of Hawkins will finally be decided.
