Stranger Things Fans Thought The Body Count Would Be High In The Finale. Gaten Matarazzo Made A Great Point After The Episode Dropped

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Be warned: the following contains major spoilers for the final episode of Stranger Things, titled “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up.”

With the final episodes of Stranger Things now released, fans had plenty of predictions about what would happen – especially regarding which characters might die. While some characters did meet their end, the show didn’t kill off as many as some viewers feared. Since the episodes aired, actor Gaten Matarazzo has discussed these expectations and made a valid point about them.

Dustin Henderson, played by Gaten Matarazzo, was a character many viewers feared would die in Stranger Things. Thankfully, he survived and was even revealed to be the valedictorian of Hawkins High’s class of 1989. Matarazzo knew fans were worried about Dustin’s fate – he himself had even considered how the character might die – and recently told Variety why killing off so many characters wouldn’t have been the right choice.

Going into the show, everyone was intrigued and seemed willing to accept that characters might die. However, I don’t believe the creators actually intended for that to be a major focus. The intense speculation about who would die came more from the fans than from the showrunners. I could be mistaken, but I don’t think the creative team ever strongly suggested the main characters wouldn’t survive. Ultimately, this turned out to be a positive thing, helping to solidify the show’s core themes and identity.

As a longtime fan, I really thought we’d see some of the main characters fall in the final showdown with Vecna and the Mind Flayer. The show’s writers haven’t shied away from heartbreaking deaths before – I mean, even now I’m still upset about Bob Newby and Eddie Munson! But Gaten Matarazzo makes a good point: Stranger Things isn’t really about how many people die. It’s about the strength of these characters and how they keep going even when everything is stacked against them, and he really believes that’s the core of the show.

The story is really about overcoming huge challenges, and I think that’s what makes it special. The important thing is that the characters survive, which meant I wasn’t worried while we were working on it. Plus, I believe the writers would have given us a heads-up if a character was going to die – they wouldn’t have surprised us during a table read. They would have spoken to each of us privately beforehand if something like that was planned.

Despite everything, the show still featured some character deaths in the second-to-last episode of Stranger Things. Kali, who could create illusions, was killed by soldiers, which she welcomed because she didn’t want the government to exploit her abilities or those of other people with powers. Eleven also appeared to make the ultimate sacrifice for the same reason, though it’s less certain whether she actually died.

Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of the show, recently discussed the high number of character deaths with TopMob. They explained they wanted to focus on telling a story that felt authentic to the world of the show, even if it differed from what some fans expected. While the finale wasn’t universally loved, the Duffers seem to have remained committed to their vision, which, as Gaten Matarazzo pointed out, centered on the idea of continuing to fight even in difficult circumstances.

You can now watch all of Stranger Things on Netflix with a subscription. Plus, you can find out what new and returning shows are coming to TV in 2026 by checking the schedule.

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2026-01-04 21:08