Stranger Things 5 Ending Explained: What do Will's new powers mean now that Vecna has gone nuclear?

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 wraps up with the emotional equivalent of getting drop-kicked into the Upside Down: messy, chaotic, and leaving us screaming into the void about the fate of our favourites.

So here’s the tea.

While the Demogorgon is throwing a barn-yard tantrum, Will accidentally dives into Vecna’s brain and gets a horrifying sneak peek: Holly and three other children strung up like cursed Christmas ornaments on a web of tentacles. He snaps out of it, doodles what he saw like the world’s most traumatised architect, and reveals twelve spires—four already full. Translation: Vecna still needs eight more kids.

The U.S. military are making this task easy, as they are rounding up Hawkins’ children on orders from Dr. Kay. Even the military brass are side-eyeing her like, “Are we the villains?” Spoiler: yes.

Meanwhile, Dustin, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan spelunk into the Upside Down trying to find Holly, only to slam into a giant wall (because of course nothing is ever straightforward in Hawkins). Hopper realizes the wall wraps around the entire Upside Down.

Vecna steps out with monlogue and murder

Vecna shows up to deliver his villain TED Talk. He strolls out of a portal, snaps soldiers in half and casually reveals his plan: Reshape the world by turning kids into new creatures. Will, he says, was the prototype—the original test subject he broke and rebuilt. Yikes.

Demogorgons drag helpless children through portals, Robin and Lucas lose their escapees, and chaos reigns.

Will Byers finds his inner Eleven

After five seasons of pain, trauma, possession, and more trauma—Will snaps. Literally. His powers activate, his eyes go white, and he Vecna-kills a swarm of Demogorgons like he’s been waiting his whole life for this cue.

Then he collapses with the classic Eleven/Henry nosebleed. Power comes at a price, folks.

Eleven breaks into the vault

Eleven and Hopper break into the mysterious vault only to discover a power-killing device that drops El instantly. Dr. Kay rolls up, but Hopper yeets a tentacle off his neck and knocks her out.

Inside the vault: Kali. Yes, Number Eight from Season 2, hooked up to a machine like she’s charging at a Tesla station. Turns out Dr. Kay’s mysterious 'other' wasn’t Vecna—it was her.

Max is alive!

Max has been trapped inside Henry’s memory labyrinth this whole time, hiding in a cave Henry refuses to enter because he’s terrified of it (same, brother). She ropes Holly into helping her escape before Vecna finds out she’s still alive.

Final thoughts

Kids kidnapped, Vecna unleashed, portals exploding, Will powering-up, Kali returning, Max plotting escape, Hopper strapped with explosives, Hawkins at war....Season 5 Volume 1 ends on a cliffhanger big enough to fall into the Upside Down through.