Over the past few months,  several Stranger Things season 5 leaks have surfaced online. While some of them reveal key plot details, a few have also spoiled the ending of the series.

With season 5 just under four months away, the excitement is building. Although the final episode will air later on December 31, 2025. Recently, fans were greeted with a teaser trailer for the final season and more updates are likely coming soon.

Stranger Things 5 Ending Leaks Explained

There isn’t one specific leak that spoiled the ending of Stranger Things 5. Instead, various leaks have revealed different clues about the ending. Today, we’re diving deep into these leaks to piece together what might happen in the series finale.

Disclaimer: These are speculations based on set photos and unverified leaks. Some productions are known to stage fake scenes to mislead the public. Hence, you should take everything with a grain of salt.

Warning: Possible Stranger Things 5 spoilers ahead.

Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas at the Graduation Party

According to leaked behind-the-scenes images, Stranger Things 5 finale takes place in 1989. It appears that Mike Wheeler, Will Byers, Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair will graduate. This was speculated when a set photo was shared online. On that particular day, Finn, Gaten, Noah, and Caleb were seen filming on set.

It strongly suggests that all four boys will survive the final battle. Additionally, some adult characters were also among the audience, though their identities were not revealed.

Steve Harrington Visiting Dustin’s College

During the final days of Stranger Things 5 filming, some set photos were leaked. These scenes were apparently from the epilogue that showed Steve Harrington visiting Dustin Henderson at his new college. He arrived in his new truck and Dustin was seen making fun of his choice.

90s Steve Harrington hello pic.twitter.com/3FzjYiwx7m

— ris | sı̣ɹ (@byrhop) December 13, 2024

This has hinted that Steve will survive the finale. Although some fans speculate it could be part of a hallucination, as Dustin is coping with trauma.

Hawkins Will Be Restored In The Finale

Photos from the sets indicate that Hawkins will be restored in the final episode. The entire town was decorated with Welcome Back messages, hinting that the residents will overcome the apocalypse crisis.

Back in Hawkins! #Strangerthings5 #radioshack #Melvalds pic.twitter.com/t8JrF5b3Ht

— tate.brookins (@Tate100T) November 27, 2024

Noteably, Melvald’s General Store, where Joyce Byers worked in earlier seasons, has also been restored. It has added to the helpful tone of the finale.

Eleven’s Fate Remains Uncertain

Interestingly, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) was not seen during the graduation or epilogue scene. In the last scene ever filmed for the series, Mike is shown sitting next to Hopper. He was visibly emotional while Hopper was consoling him. Mike might have been devastated due to Eleven’s fate.

This has fueled speculation that Eleven might not survive. It is also possible that she will end up in an alternate state, like being in the Upside Down permanently. It is a theory that has gained fans’ traction and has been circulating for a while.

Max Mayfied Might Recover

Max is also missing from the graduation scene. It could make sense considering she was in a coma and would not be able to graduate. A leak from last year claimed that she does survive and later goes on a movie date with Lucas.

However, since there are no set photos or concrete evidence supporting this, fans should remain cautious about this rumor.

Jim Hopper May Propose to Joyce

As mentioned earlier, the final scene filmed featured Jim Hopper and Mike. Though it’s unclear whether this is actually the last scene of the show as filming often happens out of order. It does suggest that Hopper might survive.

One leak even claims that Hopper proposes to Joyce in the finale. It is a moment many fans have been hoping for since Season 2.

Here are a few additional leaks that hint at the fate of other characters:

• Nancy doesn’t end up with Steve Harrington.
• Ted Wheeler will probably die early in the season.
• Nancy suffers a major tragedy involving her parents or Jonathan Byers.
• Vecna kills Ted Wheeler in front of Holly and Karen

As always, remember that these leaks are unconfirmed. Set photos can be misleading, and the showrunners might have filmed fake scenes to protect the real ending. While it’s fun to speculate, the only way to know for sure is to wait until Stranger Things Season 5 drops.