With the final episodes of Stranger Things dropping imminently, the internet is a fever dream of fan theories, each one more elaborate than the last. But which predictions are clever foreshadowing, and which are pure fanfiction? We’ve sifted through the Reddit deep dives and TikTok breakdowns to rank the most popular Season 5 theories from utterly ridiculous to “wait, that could actually happen.”
7. The “It Was All a D&D Game” Theory (Rank: Utterly Ridiculous)
The Theory: Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will are playing an epic Dungeons & Dragons tale in Mike’s basement over the entire series, which includes the Upside Down, Eleven’s abilities, and the Demogorgon.
Why It’s Unlikely: This is the narrative equivalent of a cop-out. The Duffer Brothers have explicitly said they studied finales like Six Feet Under and Friday Night Lights for their emotional truth. Ross Duffer told Variety, “The shows that are trying to be super clever, I think that’s where it can go wrong.” Erasing five seasons of trauma and growth for a “gotcha” twist would violate that entire philosophy and likely cause a fan revolt bigger than the Mind Flayer.
6. Will Byers is a Vecna Clone (Rank: Deeply Problematic)
The Theory: In Season 1, the real Will was never able to flee the Upside Down. The youngster who Joyce saved is a puppet or clone that Vecna made, and he has been spying all along.
Why It’s Unlikely: While Will’s psychic link to Vecna is clear, this theory weakens his character arc. It turns his deep trauma—his fear, his art, his need to belong—into a villain’s trick. The show’s emotional heart would feel empty. Will’s humanity defines him, not a hidden weapon.
5. Vecna Isn’t the Final Boss (Rank: A Cool D&D Note, But No)
The Theory: Since Vecna isn’t the most powerful being in D&D lore (that’s a dragon named Borys), the show could unveil an even bigger, badder entity in Season 5.
Why It’s Unlikely: It would seem hurried and emotionally undeserved to introduce a brand-new ultimate adversary in the last season. Eleven and Hawkins Lab have a clear connection to Vecna’s past. He is the personification of the show’s accumulated trauma. Swapping him out now would be a strange, unsatisfying pivot.
4. Will Byers Loses an Eye (Rank: Weirdly, Kinda Convincing?)
The Theory: Popularized by YouTuber Jenks, this points to visual clues: a Season 2 lesson on Phineas Gage (who survived a pole through his brain), a Season 4 shot aligning a pole with Will’s eye, and the Eye of Vecna artifact from D&D. Promotional material also often obscures Will’s and Vecna’s eyes.
Why It’s Possible: It manifests Will’s bond with Vecna in a visceral, metaphorical manner and is specific and connected to D&D lore. It would be a startling physical sacrifice for the character and wouldn’t go against the logic of the plot.
3. Eleven and Will Are Secret Twins (Rank: A Soap Opera in Hawkins)
The Theory: Dr. Brenner secretly gave up one of Terry Ives’s twins—Will—for adoption, explaining his sensitivity to the Upside Down and making him Eleven’s powered sibling.
Why It’s Unlikely: This relies on a web of secret pregnancies, adoptions, and cover-ups that feels too artificial for the show’s tone. Will’s connection works because it is unexplained and tragic, not because he is secretly another numbered experiment. It adds needless complexity to a beautifully simple emotional bond.
2. The Thessalhydra is the Real Monster (Rank: The Smart Fan Favorite)
The Theory: Each season introduces a new D&D monster. The Thessalhydra, the many-headed creature from the children’s first Season 1 adventure hinted at in Will’s drawings and Nancy’s dreams, is expected to be the final monster.
Why It’s Likely: This is the ideal full-circle story option. It completes the show’s cyclical motifs by directly connecting the beginning and the finale. The Thessalhydra offers a vast, cataclysmic threat that feels naturally incorporated, and the Duffers love to pay off early details.
1. Vecna Dies, For Real (Rank: It’s Not a Theory, It’s a Necessity)
The Theory: Henry Creel/Vecna is destroyed. No ambiguous escape, no redemption. For Hawkins, Eleven, and especially Will, he must be annihilated forever.
Why It’s Inevitable: The entire season is framed as a final battle for the soul of Hawkins. Vecna is the source of all the lingering trauma. As Ross Duffer said, the finale must be “true to itself,” and the true, emotionally resonant ending is the heroes defeating the ultimate evil they’ve faced for years. Goodbye, Vecna. Don’t let the Gate hit you on the way out.
With Volume 2 landing on Christmas Day and the series finale on New Year’s Eve, the countdown to answers—and likely, heartbreak—is officially on. Place your bets now.
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