Who’s Most Likely to Die in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Volume 2, Ranked
After a grueling month-long wait, the final two episodes of Netflix’s Stranger Things Season 4 are nearly here. Clocking in at nearly four hours all together, there’s no telling what shocking twists these episodes will bring, but one thing is for certain — come Volume 2’s release on July 1, not everyone is going to make it out alive.
Stranger Things hasn’t shied away from death in its previous seasons — Barb (Shannon Purser), Bob (Sean Astin), and Alexei’s (Alec Utgoff) untimely demises still sting — but our core characters have made it through each season relatively unscathed (physically, at least). But with Season 4’s villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) — undoubtedly the biggest threat the group has faced so far — the kill count has increased exponentially. The trend will continue in the upcoming episodes; Joseph Quinn (who plays Eddie) teased that the ending will be “carnage,” and Noah Schnapp (who plays Will) echoed his sentiments, confirming on The Tonight Show that more than one death will occur. It seems like the gang’s luck will run out in Vol. 2, and some major sacrifices will have to be made to save the world this time around.
So who of the Stranger Things crew are we mostly likely to have to say our goodbyes to in Vol. 2? Read on for our predictions of possible character deaths, ranked least to most likely.
Stranger Things, Season 4 Volume 2, Friday, July 1, Netflix
10. Nancy Wheeler
It seems Nancy (Natalia Dyer) fans can rest easy. After Vol. 1 left off with Nancy under Vecna’s trance before she could escape the Upside Down, Netflix seems to have squashed any doubts regarding her fate. Two weeks ahead of the final two episodes of Season 4, promotional photos revealed a very much alive Nancy, plotting with the Hawkins gang. She is in the trailer as well — within seconds, she appears to be riding shotgun in an RV, with Steve (Joe Keery) looking on in concern. It’s likely that this scene takes place shortly after she escapes Vecna. So Nancy seems to be in the clear, at least for now. But you never know — Netflix could just be trying to throw us off their scent.
9. Robin Buckley
This is one of the less probable character deaths, but Robin (Maya Hawke) is definitely on the table. In the Vol. 2 trailer, we hear Robin saying nervously that she has “a terrible feeling it might not work out for us this time.” Robin has quickly become a fan favorite since she befriended Steve and was roped into helping save the world in Season 3, and Stranger Things definitely has a track record of killing off favorites. She also is incredibly close to Steve, who is one of the most likely to bite the dust (more on that later) — she dove in after Steve when he was pulled through the Upside Down gate without hesitation in Vol. 1, so she may die with him or to save him.
8. Dustin Henderson
Some rumors have been floating around social media that claim Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) won’t survive Vol. 2. From the start, Dustin has been the heart of the show, one of the most lovable and loyal of the Hawkins crew, and his demise would up the stakes tremendously. And there’s reason to be concerned: At the start of Season 4, during the Hellfire Club’s Dungeons and Dragons game, Dustin makes a fatal roll, dying at the hands of the then-fictional Vecna. This fact isn’t as harmless as it may seem. In Season 1, in the opening scene of Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) D&D campaign, Will “died” at the hands of a Demogorgon, and then he was taken by a real one shortly after. In the Vol. 2 trailer, Dustin and Eddie appear back-to-back, facing off against an Upside Down creature. Does Stranger Things use D&D to hint at events that may come true later? Signs point to yes.
7. Murray Bauman
One of the people in the Russia group — which at the end of Vol. 1 includes Hopper (David Harbour), Joyce (Winona Ryder), and Dimitri (Tom Wlaschiha) — is bound to die, and Murray (Brett Gelman) seems to be one of the top candidates. Firstly, his death won’t affect the battle with Vecna too much. Plus, his death will hurt pretty bad, but not too bad. He’s quickly become beloved amongst fans as one of the more humorous characters out of the bunch, but his death wouldn’t be comparable to, say, one of the kids. His loss definitely would have emotional impact, though. Murray proved himself to be quite the badass in Vol. 1 with his unexpected karate skills, and in Vol. 2’s trailer, we even see him wielding a flame thrower of sorts. Could this be how he goes out, when whatever he’s holding off gets to him? Only time will tell.
6. Eddie Munson
Eddie’s fate is up in the air. Stranger Things has been known to kill off characters who play major roles within the season they are introduced — and an Eddie death would hurt, badly, if fan reactions to the character so far are anything to go by. He quickly became a favorite on social media, inspiring fan edits abound, and killing him off would undoubtedly spark outrage among fans. After Vecna murdered Chrissy Cunningham (Grace Van Dein) in Eddie’s trailer in Vol. 1, Eddie has spent most of the season so far on the run for a crime he didn’t commit — and how do you prove that a multi-dimensional monster is the killer, anyway? Eddie likely won’t be able to escape murder charges post-Season 4, so it’s possible he’s going to be killed off instead, before a trial can even begin. Then again, Quinn recently said he’d be “furious” if he wasn’t brought back for Season 5; he also said he hopes he gets scenes with Charlie Heaton (who plays Jonathan Byers) in Season 5, so he may be safe (for now).
5. Vecna, a.k.a. 001
Ah, Vecna. The big bad of all big bads. Vecna proved to be a formidable opponent for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in the flashbacks we saw when he was revealed to be the murderous Henry Creel, a.k.a. 001. Eleven was able to overpower him during their first face off and imprisoned him in the Upside Down after he murdered her “siblings.” But Vecna’s been biding his time, growing stronger with every kill, and Eleven is still relearning her powers. It’s unlikely she’ll emerge victorious when they meet again, at least not in Season 4. After all, with the buildup to Vecna — Dustin theorized that Vecna is the Mind Flayer’s “five-star general,” though who’s really on top is unclear — it doesn’t make sense for Stranger Things to kill off the villain they’ve been working towards for the past three seasons in just one. There’s probably more to Vecna’s story that will be explored in Season 5. But one can only hope Eleven finishes him off for good sooner rather than later, for the sakes of our favorite characters.
4. Dr. Brenner
A character whose death would likely be easy for fans to stomach is Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine), the man who gave Eleven her powers as a child and was thought to be dead. He reappeared in Season 4 Vol. 1 with the intention of teaching Eleven how to get her powers back, knowing that she is Vecna’s only equal opponent. As Vecna is likely to go after Brenner eventually as revenge for imprisoning him and using him as a lab rat, Brenner is one of the top contenders to die, whether at the hands of Vecna, the U.S. army that’s currently pursuing Eleven, or Eleven herself. Given Eleven and Brenner’s rocky relationship, it’s not that much of a reach to assume that she kills her pseudo-father trying to get back to her friends.
3. Dmitri Antonov, a.k.a. Enzo
Dmitri, Hopper’s prison guard-turned-ally, is suspiciously absent from the Vol. 2 trailer, so it’s not far-fetched to assume he succumbs to the Demogorgon in Russia. Not to mention, he’s the least versed in Upside Down things out of the four adults, and as previously mentioned, at least one in the adult crew is likely to die. If it’s not Murray, it’s Dmitri, but it’s plausible they both won’t make it out. Joyce and Hopper are too integral to the plot, as they both still have to reunite with their kids in Hawkins and explore their possible romance. Sorry, Dmitri, but you’re expendable.
2. Will Byers
In the Vol. 2 trailer, Will tells Mike that Vecna’s “not gonna stop, not until he’s taken everyone.” Will is likely to join the ranks of Vecna’s victims. Vecna seems to target people who have a secret, and Will is obviously burying quite a few things — many speculate that he’s hiding romantic feelings for his best friend, Mike. Vol. 1 dropped several hints, from the painting Will planned to give Mike to his seemingly jealous behavior toward Eleven. Vecna is likely to exploit that once the California gang gets back to Indiana; Schnapp posted an Instagram photo of himself in Will’s costume and a harness, which could point at Will being lifted into the air like Vecna’s other victims. But in the trailer, we do see Will and Jonathan hugging each other emotionally — maybe Will confides in his brother and turns out to be safe after all? He has been through the most trauma out of all the Hawkins kids, after being kidnapped and possessed in previous seasons, so maybe the Duffers will let Will catch a break.
1. Steve Harrington
Oh, Steve “The Hair” Harrington, what incredible character development you’ve had, going from the bullying boyfriend to heroic, baseball bat-wielding babysitter. I hate to say it, but this Stranger Things fan favorite more likely than not won’t make it out of Season 4 alive. Steve wasn’t planned to stick around anyway, as the Duffer brothers originally planned to kill him off early on. There’s a split second clip in the trailer of Dustin screaming in anguish, looking at something outside the frame — Steve, his partner-in-crime, getting killed is one of the more likely things to provoke such a reaction. Steve is important to everyone in the group, notably Nancy, as Vol. 1 began to hint that their romance could be reignited. What better time to kill Steve off and wrap up a near-perfect character arc? Nancy would be crushed, as would his best friends Robin and Dustin. His death would be a smart storytelling move on the Duffers’ part. Hopefully Steve makes it to Season 5, but it’s time to gear up for some brutal losses, Stranger Things fans.
