Stranger Things 5 Finale Trailer: Eleven Faces Vecna In Two-Hour Series End | Watch

Netflix has released the trailer for the Stranger Things 5 finale, setting the stage for an epic conclusion to one of the streamer’s most successful series. The final episode will debut both in theaters and on Netflix on December 31, marking the end of the supernatural saga that began nearly a decade ago.

Titled The Rightside Up, the finale is the eighth episode of the show’s fifth and final season. Netflix rolled out the season in two parts, releasing the first four episodes on Thanksgiving Day as Stranger Things 5: Volume 1, followed by three more episodes on Christmas under Volume 2.

What happened before the finale

Volume 2 ended with Episode 7 delivering major revelations and raising the stakes for Hawkins and beyond. Max (Sadie Sink), who is successfully brought back to

consciousness, reveals Vecna’s ultimate plan—to merge the human world with a parallel dimension beyond the Upside Down, known as the Abyss.

As panic spreads, the group devises a dangerous mission to enter the Abyss, rescue Vecna’s kidnapped children and destroy the dimension using a bomb. The closing moments show Vecna, still disguised as Henry Creel, leading his brainwashed victims in a chilling séance as they are transported into the Abyss, setting up a final confrontation with Eleven.

Eleven’s fate and the Duffers’ vision

Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, Stranger Things premiered on Netflix in July 2016 and quickly became a global phenomenon. Seasons 2 and 3 followed in 2017 and 2019, while Season 4—like the final season—was released in two volumes in 2022. The franchise has since expanded with the stage production Stranger Things: First Shadow, which debuted in London’s West End in 2023 and is currently playing on Broadway.

In a recent interview with Variety, the Duffer brothers reflected on the biggest unresolved question heading into the finale: whether Eleven can truly have a happy ending. They noted that even if she saves the world, the military will continue hunting her.

“There is the supernatural threat, which is represented by Vecna this season. But the military has always posed a threat, from Season 1 on. Even when Brenner is gone, he gets continually replaced by someone else. In this case, in Season 5, by Kay,” said Ross Duffer. He added that Eleven’s emotional journey is shaped by the contrast between Mike’s optimism and Kali’s cynicism, calling it “a huge part of Eleven’s journey this season.”

Stranger Things remains one of Netflix’s most-watched series, recently surpassing 1.2 billion total views on the platform. The finale will run for two hours and five minutes and marks the franchise’s first theatrical release, playing in more than 500 theaters across the US and Canada. Screenings begin at 5 p.m. PT on New Year’s Eve, with Ross Duffer revealing that 1.1 million fans have RSVP’d and thousands of showtimes are already sold out.