7 things you need to remember before 'Stranger Things' season 5

The original "Stranger Things" boys do hands-in in a scene from "Stranger Things" season 5 — (Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix’s fan-favorite show “Stranger Things” is finally returning for its fifth and final season this month, and the season 5 trailer made it clear the show’s swan song is ready to hit hard.

“Stranger Things” season 5 will arrive in three volumes: The first four episodes drop Nov. 26, three more land on Christmas Day and the series finale rolls out on New Year’s Eve. Each volume hits at 8 p.m. ET.

With a three-year gap between season 4 and the upcoming premiere, there’s plenty that viewers may have forgotten. As we count down to "Stranger Things" season 5 volume 1, here are seven key things to remember before diving back into Hawkins’ chaos.

1. Season 4 had several devastating deaths

Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson in Stranger Things season 4 — (Image credit: Netflix)

Gruesome, gut-punch deaths are nothing new for “Stranger Things.” From Barb’s season 1 demise to Bob Newby’s tragic death in front of Joyce, the show has never shied away from heartbreak. But season 4 took that brutality to another level, starting with Chrissy Cunningham. In episode 1, Chrissy is lifted into the air as Vecna snaps her bones and gouges out her eyes, the hallmark of his horrifying kill style. The moment later spawned the meme-able “Chrissy, Wake Up,” but in real time, it was nightmare fuel.

Season 4’s finale brought even more loss: Eddie Munson and (possibly) Max Mayfield. Eddie’s death was final and devastating, heroic and bloody, and capped with his crushing last words to Dustin: “I think it’s finally my year. I love you, man.” As for Max, well ....

2. Max's fate remains unknown

Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in STRANGER THINGS 4 — (Image credit: Netflix)

Season 4 revealed that each of Vecna’s kills opened a new gate to the Upside Down, and he only needed one more to merge Hawkins with that realm entirely. Max, weighed down by guilt over Billy Hargrove’s death, became Vecna’s chosen target.

To stop him, the group split into two coordinated plans: Max would serve as bait in the real world while Nancy, Steve, and Robin attempted to destroy Vecna’s physical form in the Upside Down. At the same time, Eleven “piggybacked” into Max’s mind via a makeshift sensory deprivation chamber in a pizza freezer.

While El reached Max and the others set Vecna ablaze, it wasn’t enough. Vecna snapped Max’s limbs, blinded her, and stopped her heart. El managed to restart it after a full minute, but by season’s end, Max was in a coma, and El couldn’t find her in the Void. Whether Max recovers is still unclear — and the odds don’t look good.

3. Hopper is alive and reunited with Eleven

Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers and David Harbour as Jim Hopper in "Stranger Things" season 4 on Netflix — (Image credit: Netflix)

After seemingly dying in the season 3 explosion, Hopper was revealed in season 4 to be alive and imprisoned in Russia. Most of his storyline followed his brutal captivity and Joyce’s relentless efforts to rescue him.

Joyce’s mission ultimately succeeded, leading to Hopper and Eleven’s emotional reunion in Hawkins. That sets Hopper up as a crucial player in the final season, especially since season 4 proved he’s still capable of taking down monstrous threats, including a Demogorgon he dramatically slayed with a sword.

4. Eleven's powers are back and stronger than ever

Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in "Stranger Things" season 4 on Netflix — (Image credit: Netflix)

Though Dr. Brenner was presumed dead after a Demogorgon attack in season 1, he resurfaced in season 4 and became key to restoring Eleven’s abilities. While theories speculated that El lost her powers in season 3 due to exhaustion or the Mind Flayer’s bite, the truth was simpler: they were suppressed.

Through the Nina Project, Brenner and Dr. Sam Owens forced Eleven to revisit her most traumatic memories, unlocking her powers once again. By the time she emerged, they were stronger than ever.

5. Will is still connected to Vecna

Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, and Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler in "Stranger Things" season 4 — (Image credit: Netflix)

Despite being shot and set on fire, Vecna survived season 4. That wasn’t surprising; everything has been building toward a final confrontation between him and Eleven. What was surprising was how the group learned he was still alive: Will Byers could feel him.

Will’s lingering connection to Vecna sets up a fascinating, dangerous dynamic for season 5, one that could become a weapon for either side. Season 4 also revealed that the Upside Down is permanently stuck on Nov. 6, 1983, the day Will originally vanished. The reason behind this frozen timeline remains unknown, but it may tie directly into Will’s connection to Vecna.

6. The Upside Down has come to Hawkins

(L to R) Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley, Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield and Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair are lined up in Stranger Things 4 — (Image credit: Netflix)

Hawkins and the Upside Down have always been linked, but after the season 4 finale, the two worlds are more intertwined than ever. A massive 7.4 magnitude “earthquake” destroyed the town, killing 22 people and leaving Hawkins buried under smoke, rifts, and drifting Upside Down spores. Translation: Ihe invasion has officially begun.

And Hawkins won’t be Vecna’s last stop. He told Eleven his plan is to let the world fall so he can “remake it into something beautiful” — a world shaped entirely by him.

7. Vecna, aka Henry Creel, is One

Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things — (Image credit: Netflix)

Season 4’s biggest bombshell was Vecna’s true identity. Through recovered memories, Eleven learned that Vecna — aka Henry Creel — is actually One, Dr. Brenner’s first test subject.

Their history runs deep. Manipulating El’s loneliness, One convinced her to remove the Soteria device that kept his powers restrained. Freed, he massacred the Hawkins Lab children, hoping El would join him. When she refused, their battle nearly killed her, but she ultimately overpowered him.

However, in defeating One, she accidentally opened the first gate to the Upside Down and launched his transformation into Vecna. In other words, Eleven didn’t just create the monster—she also forged the very connection between Hawkins and the Upside Down, a truth she will almost certainly confront in season 5.

All four episodes of "Stranger Things" season 5 volume 1 premiere Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix

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Liz Declan is an entertainment journalist covering movies, TV shows, and industry events. She earned her BA in English with a minor in Spanish and MA in English from Temple University and her MFA in nonfiction writing from Bennington College. You can find her on Instagram and TikTok @va.va.vera.

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