With Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 8, aka the finale, on Netflix now, find out if any major characters die in the last ever episode.

The Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) viewers meet in Stranger Things Season 5 doesn't feel like the same Dustin we've known since Season 1.

"Stranger Things" is ending tonight. Here’s what time the Season 5 finale comes out on Netflix, how to watch and the runtime of the supersized New Year’s Eve episode.

For years now, there have been theories that Steve could die, and as Season 5 has aired on the 2025 TV schedule, they’ve persisted. Plus, in the latest batch of episodes, his emotional reconciliation with Dustin, and their proclamation of “you die, I die” have certainly upped the emotional stakes of a loss like this.

Dive into the fascinating similarities between Stranger Things' Abyss and the Dimension X from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, exploring their origins,

They do their silly Star Wars handshake, laugh, and forget the world for a second. It feels warm and safe, even inside a noisy mall. This moment matters because it shows how much they care about each other. Their handshake is their way of saying, I missed you and I am glad you are here.

However, Steve, along with every other main character in the show, has survived Volumes 1 and 2 of Season 5. That doesn't mean everyone is out of the woods, though—far from it—and the final Stranger Things trailer indicates that someone is indeed dying.

Even after the series finale of "Stranger Things" this week, the Netflix show's world will expand with at least two upcoming spinoffs.

The day we've all been dreading has come. We can't believe the show that started as a small-town sci-fi mystery and grew into one of the biggest hits on Netflix

The two-hour series finale will be released for streaming on Netflix at 8 p.m on New Year's Eve. The finale will also be available to screen in at least six movie theaters across the state, for those looking for a viewing experience surrounded by fellow fans of the show.

The revelatory moment arrives during "Stranger Things" Season 5, Volume 2, when Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) comes to the chilling realization that everything they thought they knew about the Upside Down has been "dead wrong.