#cassiopeiameta

"When you can do the things I can, but you don't. And then the bad things happen, they happen because of you."

So here it is, a look at both potential and past deaths (I might have gotten a bit carried away…)

The Themes of the Losses

Season 1 — Innocence

Barb dies -> Nancy loses her best friend. The show starts with stripping away the normal and safe life they have had up until now.

Season 2 — Stability/Normalcy

Bob dies -> the Byers lose the one person who gave them a sense of stability after the events of S1. His death shows that there is no going back to how things were before. “Normal” is no longer an option.

Season 3 — Humanity/Connection

Billy dies -> Max loses her (step-)brother. Billy wasn't the most loved person, but Max still cared. Her grief for him shows that even the damaged and difficult people still matter, whether we realise that or not.

Season 4 — Hope

Eddie dies, Max falls into a coma. The group thought that it was all over, but now they realise it was only the beginning.

The Pattern 

All these deaths have something in common: 

they were emotionally impactful to a main character (sometimes to more than one, like Bob)

they were all someone who only recently learned about the Upside Down

their death was thematically and symbolic

it was necessary to move the story forward

But now we have reached the FINAL season which would mean that a “big” death would be logical, normally that would mean:

emotionally impactful

narratively impactful

symbolically impactful

no longer protected by plot armour

Who fits these criteria in Season 5?

Eleven — she is protected by the narrative. Her story is about confronting trauma, so her dying would contradict the message of standing up for yourself and fighting.

Will — he is central to the entire story. He started it, and as such will most likely also finish it.

A sacrifice could happen but the whole „he doesn’t want me death, he wants you death” thing (S2 I believe, when he gets possessed by the Mind Flayer for the first time) makes it unlikely (but maybe Vecna/Henry/One gets angry his plan doesn’t work and takes it out on Will?)

Hopper — he has already “died” once so killing him again would feel a bit repetitive (and empty).

Nancy/Jonathan — in S4 there were hints to a potential love triangle with Steve, and they also have some other relationship issues they will have to work through. Their arc comes down to choices made in a relationship.

That, however, doesn’t take away the possibility that after they resolve everything one of them dies in the lost and found each other again, only to lose each other permanently kind of way.

Lucas/Max — their story is about healing. Their break-up at the beginning of S4 and the promise to go see a movie after everything is over at the end of the season makes killing one of them unlikely as it is the opposite of what their story is trying to tell us.

Mike/Dustin — they are the emotional and strategic core of the Party, the brains and the brawn if you will. They would be too essential for the final arc of the story, so killing them makes little sense.

Robin/Murray/Erica — they haven't been part of the story long enough to create the drama necessary for a season final. You want someone you, as a viewer, have seen grow and has become equally as important to you as to all of the characters.

Ted/Karen/Holly — They aren't central enough to the story while I do believe Holly and Karen might get a bigger part in this season.

Dr. Sam Ownes — his status is unknown, but lets go with he is alive and if he shows up in S5, I do think he might die. Not in an impactful way, more in the he accepts the consequences of his actions way.

Joyce — she is central to multiple emotional arcs of the characters, has a role as protector, she already lost someone on multiple occasions (Will and Hopper). She will do anything to keep her family safe.

A parent losing her child is painful, but a child losing their mother is also painful and thematically powerful here, it would force the kids (and Hopper) into the final stage of growing up, which would fit the theme of S5 overall considering it's a coming-of-age series. So yes, I think she is a strong candidate.

That only leaves one character who fits the criteria a bit too well...

Steve Harrington = the perfect candidate He has completed his zero to hero arc, has become the group's biggest protector, no supernatural destiny or plot armour, had the classic “future family” speech, has a role that can end symbolic without disrupting the rest of the story.

Which means; death would give a powerful conclusion to his character arc. His role as the Party’s protector makes him the perfect candidate for a heroic sacrifice and be the final driving force for the Party and co to take a stand and end the ‘war’.

The themes of the show (friendship, love, coming of age) make way for his death.

Killing a kid would be dark, killing their protector would be thematically fitting.

Steve’s death would mean: “The kids no longer need a protector - they have grown up.”

Other Aspects to Consider

Steve's death would echo Eddie’s sacrifice from S4. Showing Dustin losing another brother/mentor figure can, however, be dangerous to repeat, but it also has the potential to be powerfully devastating if written correctly. Mainly because Steve's death would take place under different stakes and carry a whole other meaning than Eddie's did.

But we also can’t forget that at its core Stranger Things is a coming-of-age story, not a tragedy. And considering it’s a Netflix show the possibility exists that they go with an ending that is inspiring and hopeful rather than ending with heartbreak and devastation.

There is no other explanation for why Naolin would try to bring Brennan back from death.

It wasn’t about currying favor with the general, the Sorrengail name, or fear.

(…well maybe a little fear, that woman is not to be messed with.)

It was because it was Brennan.

Also… I like Xaden’s “throw a few daggers at his head” advice a lot better than Dain’s “keep your head low.”