Stranger Things 5 theory explains how Eleven, Will and Kali will defeat Vecna

4 December 2025, 13:52

By Katie Louise Smith

Did Stranger Things reveal how Vecna will die way back in season 4 episode 1? Here's a breakdown of the entire theory...

Stranger Things fans think they've figured out how the final battle against Vecna is going to end and it's all thanks to Eddie Munson's final Dungeons and Dragons campaign from season 4.

Stranger Things 5 is currently dominating conversation after those absolutely insane (!) first four episodes and there's two massive reveals in episode 4 that appear to have now solidified a long standing fan theory from 2022.

If you cast your minds back to season 4 episode 1, you'll remember Eddie's big D&D game against Vecna that came down to two final dice rolls from Dustin and Erica. Turns out, Dustin's roll foreshadowed the ending of season 4, and looks like Erica's is about to foreshadow the end of season 5.

Here's what it means for our Hawkins heroes and how Eleven, Will Byers and Kali a.k.a. 008 are involved.

• Read more: Here's why Stranger Things 5 recast Holly Wheeler with new actress
• Read more: How to listen to Stranger Things' The Squawk radio station on Global Player

Back in season 4, episode 1, The Hellfire Club face off against Vecna in Eddie's final D&D campaign and it falls to Dustin and Erica to try and beat Vecna themselves.

Dustin rolls first, it lands on 11 and he loses—11 alone was not enough to beat Vecna on the first try. At the end of season 4, the foreshadowing is explicitly confirmed when Mike tells Will that Eleven did in fact lose the first confrontation against Vecna.

Back to Eddie's campaign... It's then left up to Erica to cast the final dice roll. She rolls a 20—a critical hit!—and the party manage to defeat Vecna once and for all.

Back in 2022, fans immediately clocked that Eddie's campaign foreshadowed the final battle. At the time, people were simply guessing that 008/Kali (who was introduced in season 2's 'The Lost Sister' episode) would return to assist El against Vecna because 011 + 008 (who have the combined abilities of 001) equals 20.

And now, thanks to that big Kali reveal in episode 4, we know that we were all 100% correct. After infiltrating the military base in the Upside Down, El and Hopper discover Kali (who had been presumably kidnapped by Dr. Kay) hidden behind an impenetrable door.

But there's another big season 5 reveal that has now pretty much cemented the theory...

Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 ends with the reveal that Will is able to access and control the hive mind, and manipulate anything within it. He can also see into Vecna's mind via the hive mind.

Will is literally able to harness the powers of 001, making him the missing piece of the D20 theory.

Fans are now convinced they know how it's all going to end. Eleven, Kali and Will (011, 008 + 001 by proxy) totals 20, which is Erica's final dice roll and the roll needed to kill Vecna in the campaign.

If that theory holds true, the trio will team up against Vecna with Eleven using her powers of telekinesis, Kali with her mind manipulation and hallucination abilities and Will with a direct line straight into Vecna and the hive mind.

Stranger Things 5 Volume 2 arrives on Netflix on December 25th at 5PM PT/8PM ET. While we don't yet know what will be included in those three episodes, it's safe to assume that the final battle against Vecna will start to kick off at the end of episode 7.

We'll find out how it all ends, and whether Erica's critical hit theory will come true, on December 31st when the final ever episode airs.

Read more about Stranger Things 5 here:

• Here's why Stranger Things 5 recast Holly Wheeler with new actress
• Where to watch Stranger Things The First Shadow online
• Stranger Things 5 spoilers explain why Henry is scared of the cave
• Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard responds to theories that Will and Mike end up together
• Who dies in Stranger Things 5 Volume 1? All the deaths in order
• Stranger Things creators explain why they're hesitant to kill off main characters

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WSQK The Squawk—The Stranger Things radio station that's always turned up to 11! Listen now on Global Player, thanks to Netflix UK.