When is Stranger Things Season 5 & Other Questions, Answered

After three long years, fans are finally getting what they’ve been eagerly waiting for: Stranger Things is officially returning with its fifth and final chapter. Stranger Things Season 5 will bring back familiar faces, introduce new characters, revisit terrifying enemies like Vecna and the Demogorgon, and, of course, deliver another dose of unforgettable 1980s nostalgia.

While the new season of Stranger Things won’t premiere until fall 2025, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about the final installment. From plot details and returning cast members to new threats from the Upside Down, here’s your complete guide to Stranger Things Season 5 — so you’ll be ready when the Stranger Things Party’s world gets turned upside down, again.

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Stranger Things Season 5 Release Date

The Netflix series, Stranger Things 5 will be released on Netflix in three parts across the final months of 2025 starting on Wednesday, November 26th (the night before Thanksgiving). The full release schedule for fans in the US is listed below:

• Wednesday, November 26th @ 8 p.m. ET: Episodes 1-4
• Thursday, December 25th @ 8 p.m. ET: Episodes 5-7
• Wednesday, December 31st @ 8 p.m. ET: Episode 8

Is this the final season of Stranger Things?

Unfortunately for fans, it’s true that the fifth season of the celebrated sci-fi series Stranger Things will mark its grand finale. This means numerous storylines will be concluded throughout the final eight episodes. Prepare for a thrilling season as the Party and their friends endeavor to vanquish Vecna and the Upside Down once and for all.

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New Characters for Season 5

While fans can expect the majority of characters to return in Stranger Things 5, there are also a few new faces to speculate over. Here’s a quick look at the newcomers joining the cast:

• Nell Fisher is expected to take over the role of Holly Wheeler, the younger sister of Nancy and Mike. Her casting hints that Holly may have a more prominent role this season.
• Jake Connelly joins the series as Derek, a brand-new character whose storyline has been kept tightly under wraps.
• Alex Breaux appears as Lt. Akers, a military leader suggesting a growing government presence in the fight against the Upside Down.
• Linda Hamilton, best known for her iconic role in The Terminator franchise, has been cast as Dr. Kay, a figure with deep knowledge of the government’s history of supernatural experimentation.

Season 5 Cast & Characters

The highly anticipated final season of Stranger Things is on the horizon, and the full cast list promises the return of fan favorites as well as the introduction of intriguing new characters, as mentioned above. Here’s your complete guide to the Stranger Things Season 5 cast and who they play:

• Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, the extremely protective mother of Jonathan and Will Byers. She relocates her family to California in Season 4 but continues to battle the Upside Down even outside of Hawkins.
• David Harbour as Jim Hopper, the Hawkins chief of police and adoptive father to Eleven. He was thought to be dead at the end of Season 3 but is later found to be at a Russian Prison Camp before escaping back to the US.
• Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, a powerful teen with psychokinetic abilities. Traumatized by her life raised in a lab, she is later adopted by Hopper and is central to the battle against the Upside Down. Her relationship with Mike evolves across the series between friends and romantic partners.
• Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, a loyal member of the original Party and Eleven’s on and off boyfriend. He’s known for his bravery and leadership qualities.
• Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, another member of the Party, known for his love of science and Dungeons & Dragons.
• Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, another core member of the Party and boyfriend of Max.
• Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, another member of the Party, who is the initial victim of the Upside Down in Season 1. Will continues to be impacted by the Upside Down, hinting at a critical role in the final season.
• Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield, a newer member of the Party and stepsister to Billy. Tomboyish with a love of skateboarding, she and Eleven form a strong friendship overtime. After almost being killed by Vecna in Season 4, her fate is unknown.
• Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Mike and Holly Wheeler’s older sister and an up-and-coming journalist investigating the Upside Down and its connection with Hawkins.
• Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, older brother of Will and the oldest son of Joyce. He and Nancy form a relationship over time.
• Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, a popular boy at Hawkins High who matures into the role of protective older brother for the Party. He forms a strong friendship with Robin, who he works with, with their dynamic being a fan favorite.
• Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley, witty and sarcastic best friend and coworker of Steve.
• Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair, Lucas’s younger sister who becomes a more prominent character in season 3 and 4, helping the Party in their efforts to defeat the Upside Down.
• Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman, a quirky conspiracy theorist and former journalist who aids Joyce and Hopper in exposing Russian secrets and confronting the Upside Down.
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna/Henry Creel/One, a murderous being from the Upside Down who is revealed in season 4 (although he has been causing trouble for the Party since season 1). Formerly known as Henry Creel and Dr. Brenner’s first test subject, Vecna manipulates trauma to kill his victims and serves as the mind behind the Upside Down’s terrors.
• Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler, the oblivious, yet caring mother of Nancy, Mike and Holly and the wife of Ted
• Amybeth McNulty as Vickie, a Hawkins High student introduced in Season 4 as Robin’s crush
• Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler, younger sister to Will and Nancy Wheeler
• Jake Connelly as Derek, a new character for season 5
• Alex Breaux as Lt. Akers (new for Season 5), a military figure whose involvement hints at increased government response to the Upside Down threat.
• Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay (new for Season 5), a character described as having deep knowledge of the government’s history with supernatural experiments

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Trailer for Stranger Things S5

After three years of hoping, waiting, speculating and a few rewatches of seasons 1-4, fans can finally get a glimpse of the long-awaited final season of Stranger Things. Check out the Season 5 date announcement below:

Check back here for Season 5 trailers once they have been released.

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What will the new Stranger Things season be about?

The final season of Stranger Things could go in any direction — so what should fans expect?

Season 5 is set in the fall of 1987, more than a year after the events of Season 4, which began in March 1986. During that time, the group uncovered major truths about the Upside Down, including the identity of its mastermind: Vecna. But many questions remain unanswered, setting the stage for a climactic conclusion. Here’s where things left off after the season four finale:

• Max is in a coma after a brutal psychic attack by Vecna, which led to the opening of the four major gates between Hawkins and the Upside Down.
• Hawkins is reeling from a catastrophic “earthquake” caused by Vecna, leaving the community distraught and confusion, as they are unaware of its true origin.
• Will begins to feel Vecna’s lingering presence, suggesting the villain is far from defeated.
• Eleven, Mike, Will and the rest of the crew regroup in Hawkins, bracing for the inevitable final battle.
• Season 4 ends with the Upside Down beginning to merge with the real world—dark clouds, scorched earth and ash falling over Hawkins, signaling the coming war.

The official synopsis for the final season states:

“Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.”

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Stranger Things 5 Episode Breakdown

Curious about what to expect of the eight final episodes of the series? Here you’ll find each of them from the first episode to the series finale, along with the episode titles and their release dates. More information will be added to each episode as it is released to the public.

Episode 1: “The Crawl” (Releasing 11/26/2025)

Episode 2: “The Vanishing of …” (Releasing 11/26/2025)

Episode 3: “The Turnbow Trap” (Releasing 11/26/2025)

Episode 4: “Sorcerer” (Releasing 11/26/2025)

Episode 5: “Shock Jock” (Releasing 12/25/2025)

Episode 6: “Escape from Camazotz” (Releasing 12/25/2025)

Episode 7: “The Bridge” (Releasing 12/25/2025)

Episode 8: “The Rightside Up” (Releasing 12/31/2025)

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