Stranger Things 5 Volume 2 ending explained: How major twist sets up the ending

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The final part of Stranger Things Season 5 premiered on Christmas Day, immediately jumping into the action and bringing all the characters towards a conclusion. Here’s a breakdown of what happens in this volume, and how it sets the stage for the very last episode.

Following the devastating events of Volume 1, Volume 2 scatters the characters between Hawkins, the terrifying Upside Down, and flashbacks to Henry Creel’s past. Despite everything, Vecna remains a threat, and the group hasn’t found a way to truly defeat him. Be warned: spoilers follow!

Will’s powers

Much of the second part of the story subtly focuses on Will Byers. After he unexpectedly uses his abilities to help Mike, Lucas, and Robin in Episode 4, Will discovers he doesn’t actually have those powers – he’s temporarily gaining them from another source.

Will’s powers work differently than Eleven’s. While Eleven can use hers almost anywhere, Will needs to be near the hive mind to connect to his. He doesn’t actually create his own power – he draws it from Vecna. At the end of Volume 2, Vecna escapes, and Will is left wondering if he’ll be able to access this power when he really needs it.

Eleven and Project Indigo

Will isn’t the only one connected to Vecna’s abilities. Volume 2 clarifies the connection between Eleven and Henry through a conversation with Kali. After escaping, Kali explains that Dr. Brenner used Henry’s blood in experiments on pregnant women, giving children like Eleven and herself their powers. She also reveals Dr. Kay is now trying to recreate the program by extracting her blood, but it isn’t working.

This proves Eleven’s powers and Vecna are actually connected. They share a common source, meaning her destiny is linked to Henry’s, and the final showdown will force her to face the origins of her abilities.

Henry’s past and the Upside down

The second volume explores Henry Creel’s past in more detail. Through Max and Holly’s visions, it becomes clear that his violent tendencies existed long before he transformed into Vecna. They see a flashback of young Henry violently attacking a man, proving his capacity for brutality wasn’t a recent development.

The group is led to a cave that Henry used to fear, and a flashback to 1959 reveals a childhood encounter with a scientist and a mysterious, smoke-filled briefcase linked to a secret experiment. Opening the briefcase sends Henry into a terrifying other dimension, the Abyss, and when he returns, he’s different—proof that he was exposed to something strange long before the Hawkins Lab or Eleven were even involved.

November 6

Okay, so looking back at Volume 2, there’s this seriously creepy scene that still gives me chills. It takes us back to November 6th, to the Creel House in Camazotz, and it’s just… disturbing. Henry has all the kids he kidnapped – including Delightful Derek and Holly – sitting around a table with candles. He has them hold hands, then whispers, “It’s time.” And then… it’s like they’re all possessed or something. They close their eyes, and their necks just snap all at once. It’s a key part of his plan, but man, it’s a really unsettling moment.

This scene connects the events of November 6th to Vecna’s main tactic: exploiting children by forcibly linking to them. It establishes that the final confrontation won’t just be about defeating Henry, but about severing his control over his victims.

Plan to stop Vecna

By the end of the second volume, the group decides on a strategy: they need Vecna to continue merging worlds, as this is the only way to get to the Abyss. When the Squawk radio tower emerges from a tear in reality, it forms an upward pathway, bringing Eleven close enough to confront him.

Finally, Erica, Murray, Mr. Clarke, Hopper, and Nancy drive a truck into the military base, successfully shut down Dr. Kay’s operation, and then descend back into the Upside Down, where the others are waiting for them hidden in the truck’s trunk.

You can now watch Stranger Things Season 5 on Netflix. If you’re eager for more from the world of Hawkins, you’ll also find articles exploring which characters are most at risk in the final season, an explanation of the time jump in Season 5, speculation about Barb’s potential return, and rankings of the best characters and episodes from the series.

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2025-12-26 14:19