Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 new trailer: Who is headed for a violent death?

Hawkins is doomed, the Upside Down lied to us, and Netflix chose violence.

Netflix has dropped the trailer for Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2, and let’s be clear: This is not a gentle holiday treat. This is Boxing Day/Christmas chaos with trauma on the side. The teaser confirms long-swirling theories, resurrects controversial characters, and casually tells us everything we thought we knew is… wrong. Here’s what stood out.

Max is alive, but not alive-alive. Trapped in a dreamlike Vecna-controlled realm alongside Holly Wheeler (yes, that Holly), she’s fighting to claw her way back into her body. Sadie Sink is clearly not here to nap through the finale.

The most divisive arc in Stranger Things history has returned, unapologetically. Kali aka Eight is officially back in the fold, with Eleven actively seeking her help to take down Vecna. Call it redemption, call it a “big swing,” but Netflix is telling us: season 2 walked so season 5 could sprint. Deal with it.

Dustin drops the bomb: everything we’ve assumed about the Upside Down is wrong. Which means this isn’t just monsters and portals anymore — it’s a full mythological rewrite. Vecna’s plan isn’t random chaos; it’s structured, deliberate, and terrifyingly personal. Hawkins isn’t fighting creatures. It’s fighting truth.

The trailer leans hard into Will’s evolution — and yes, those long-whispered superpower theories are no longer whispers. His connection to the Upside Down has turned active, dangerous, and central to Vecna’s endgame. The boy who survived is now the boy who could change everything. Growth? Trauma? Destiny?

“If you die, I die.”
Sir. Absolutely not.

The trailer once again toys with major character deaths, and Dustin and Steve are front and centre in yet another reckless scheme. Eddie’s shadow looms large, the stakes feel terminal, and Netflix is clearly enjoying watching us spiral. Duffers have already promised vaguely there will be violent deaths, so this doesn't sooth any frazzled nerves.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 isn’t easing us into the finale. It’s ripping the curtain off the Upside Down, resurrecting old wounds, and promising answers that may hurt more than the questions. Hawkins’ final battle is coming — and it looks personal.