Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1.Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1 consisted of four episodes that were jam-packed with major story reveals. Despite how much time had passed since Stranger Things season 4, finding and killing Vecna was still the priority for the main characters heading into the final season. Volume 1 uncovered more about the villain and his motives, but it also featured several other notable character reveals.
With half of the final installment still to come, there are plenty of mysteries that need to be solved when it comes to Stranger Things season 5’s main characters. Even though Volume 1’s biggest spoilers and reveals solved a few lingering mysteries, some also created new ones that will become critical aspects in the final four episodes.
Vecna First Met Will In Season 1
The first five minutes of Stranger Things season 5 were released before Volume 1’s debut, but the opening sequence featured a key reveal regarding Will’s “disappearance” in season 1. Almost a week after Will went missing, he was captured by a Demogorgon after hiding out in the Upside Down’s version of Castle Byers. The flashback scene, however, showed how Will ended up in the Hawkins library and what happened to him there.
The Demogorgon took Will to the library in the Upside Down, which was serving as Vecna’s lair. It turned out that Vecna directly encountered Will for the first time in 1983. After declaring “We can begin,” Vecna used the vine-like tendrils to pump particles into Will, seemingly creating the character’s connection to Vecna and the Upside Down seen in the following Stranger Things seasons.
Will Can Tap Into Vecna’s Powers
On the topic of Will and Vecna, Stranger Things season 5, episode 4, which wrapped up Volume 1, confirmed a long-running theory. After finding out that he could break into the hive mind, seeing what Demogorgons and Vecna’s potential victims could see, Will discovered that he could also tap into Vecna’s powers just in time to save several of his friends.
After Vecna revealed his plan, adding that Will’s weakness proved what could be achieved, Demogorgons were closing in on Mike, Robin, and Lucas at various locations around Hawkins. Mike previously suggested that Will is a sorcerer who could potentially control the hive mind, but he did more than that. Will somehow tapped into Vecna’s powers, stopping all three Demogorgons through telekinetic powers and killing them. Will even had a nosebleed after exhibiting the powers.
The Military Has Kali In The Upside Down
Aside from Will’s newfound ability to replicate Vecna’s powers, the biggest reveal in Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1 was the fact that the military was holding Kali, Eleven’s “sister” from season 2. Kali, also known as Eight, was discovered by Hopper and El after breaking into the military’s Upside Down lab. They expected to find Vecna held behind the vault door, not a former test subject of Dr. Brenner’s.
El thought her “kryptonite” was being held behind the vault, though it’s still unclear why the military has Kali and what they are planning to do with her. That said, her head was shaved, and she was restrained, so it’s possible that they were attempting to force Kali into helping with the mission to locate Eleven.
Dr. Kay Still Has The Military Searching For Eleven
After returning to Hawkins at the end of Stranger Things season 4, Eleven was forced to stay hidden, especially with the military’s presence in town. Lt. Colonel Sullivan nearly got a hold of El in the desert last season, and he had been helping hunt her down since. Seeing as the military took control of Hawkins since the “earthquake,” Hopper only allowed El to get around by using underground tunnels.
Linda Hamilton’s Dr. Kay, in particular, was pushing Sullivan and his team to find Eleven, telling them, “I need the girl.” While the military operated from the center of town, Dr. Kay was working from a special lab in the Upside Down, which also contained specimens like vine-like tendrils.
Max & Holly Are Stuck In Henry Creel’s Mindscape
Max was still in a coma during the events of Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1, but the character did make another type of return. After Holly was taken as one of Vecna’s victims, she wound up in Henry Creel’s mindscape. Henry encouraged her to stay inside the Creel house, but Max successfully lured the young girl to a rock wall beyond the woods.
Max revealed that she was dead but came back to life, finding herself stuck in Henry’s memories. When she failed to find a way out, she took refuge in the cave, where Henry couldn’t follow her, and she has stayed there ever since. With Holly also now one of Vecna’s prisoners, Max revealed that they need to work together to find a real escape plan before time truly runs out.
Vecna Is Taking Children For His Master Plan
Once Holly was taken by the Demogorgon, Will successfully uncovered Vecna’s plan to abduct more children from Hawkins, including Derek Turnbow. Through the hive mind, Will saw that Vecna already had four children, including Holly, but those wouldn’t be all the victims. The military also caught on to the pattern of missing kids, causing them to round up kids who were 9-10 years old.
By the end of Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1, Vecna revealed that he chose those particular victims because they “are weak in body and mind.” His plan was to break them down, reshape them, and use them as the “perfect vessels” for his world takeover. Vecna also revealed that “Will was the first,” proving what could be achieved if there were others that could be controlled.
Ted & Karen Are Nearly Killed By A Demogorgon
There weren’t any major deaths in Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1, but there were nearly two from the same family. When the Demogorgon went after Holly, Ted and Karen Wheeler both came face-to-face with the monster. Whereas Karen put up more of a fight in attempting to protect her youngest child from the Demogorgon, she and Ted were gravely injured during the invasion.
Nancy and Mike tried to get home to save their family, but it was too late. Their parents had to be rushed to the hospital, and Holly was already missing, causing Eleven to go into the Upside Down to find the young girl. While it was revealed that Ted was in a coma, Karen was able to help Nancy and Mike after surgery, confirming that “Mr. Whatsit” was really Henry Creel.
Dustin Has Changed Since Eddie’s Death
Eddie’s death in Stranger Things season 4 was heartbreaking, and it’s something that is still heavily affecting Dustin. Not only was Dustin shown wearing a Hellfire Club shirt at the start of season 5, but he revealed that he had plans to restart the club in honor of Eddie. Unfortunately, that made Dustin a target in the eyes of the school’s remaining bullies, who still blamed Eddie for what happened to Hawkins.
To make matters worse, Dustin’s entire demeanor has changed since last season. He antagonized Andy and the bullies to the point that they beat him up in the cemetery, making him miss the next “crawl” mission. Also, he wasn’t honest with Steve or his friends, telling him that his injuries were caused by a bike crash, not from a fight. While Steve could tell he was lying, it’s unclear how long the others will take to learn the truth.
Jonathan Plans To Propose To Nancy
Steve shared that he wasn’t truly over Nancy in season 4, so it was no surprise to see the love triangle between Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan was still alive in Stranger Things season 5. Though Nancy and Jonathan were still together at the start of the new season, Steve hadn’t stopped trying to prove himself as a suitor for Nancy, even in front of Jonathan.
It was later revealed that Jonathan had plans to propose and already had a ring. However, Steve pointed out that both had been miserable in the relationship, something that Jonathan couldn’t really deny. The remaining episodes in season 5 will unveil the fate of the couple and their relationship, but the signs are still pointing to the fact that they might not end up together.
Hopper Thought His Daughter Would Live
Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1, was full of flashbacks, not just the opening scene that expanded on Will’s time in the Upside Down, but also from clips of scenes from previous seasons. Hopper was still worried about Eleven’s safety throughout the first batch of episodes, and as they found themselves in serious danger, he couldn’t help but think back to his daughter Sara.
While Sara’s death was confirmed back in Stranger Things season 1, Hopper shared more about her battle, revealing to El that the doctors thought Sara would make it based on how hard she was fighting for her life. Sadly, Sara ended up passing away, and Hopper refused to see El meet the same fate, explaining why he remained so protective of her in Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1.
Volume 1 of Stranger Things season 5 is now available on Netflix. Volume 2 will be released on December 25, followed by the series finale on December 31.
- Release Date
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November 26, 2025
- Network
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Netflix
- Episodes
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8
