Stranger Things Season 5, Episode 8 — “Chapter Eight: (the series finale released on December 31, 2025 / January 1, 2026) 👇 (Wikipedia)
📺 Stranger Things S05E08 — “The Rightside Up” (Finale)
Release & Runtime
• Title: Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up — final episode of Stranger Things (Season 5, Episode 8). (Wikipedia)
• Netflix release: December 31, 2025. (Wikipedia)
• Length: ~128 minutes (longest episode of the series). (Wikipedia)
Core Plot
• The episode is the series finale and the culmination of the story arc that’s built across all five seasons. (Wikipedia)
• Hawkins’ heroes unite to stop Vecna (Henry Creel) and the threat of the Abyss (a new dark dimension connected to the Upside Down). (Netflix)
• Eleven and her allies enter Vecna’s mind to weaken him, while other characters mount the final physical assault on incoming threats. (Netflix)
Battle & Resolution
• The group works together in a climactic final battle against Vecna and the Mind Flayer. (Netflix)
• Both major villains are defeated, ending the supernatural threat to Hawkins. (Netflix)
Character Arcs & Ending
• Eleven’s fate is left intentionally ambiguous but poignant. Some interpretations suggest she sacrifices herself; others say she survives but remains separate from the group. (Decider)
• After the final conflict, the surviving characters reunite for one last Dungeons & Dragons game — mirroring the very first scene from Stranger Things Season 1. This symbolizes them leaving childhood behind and passing the torch to a new group of kids. (Netflix)
• The closing moments emphasize closure, nostalgia, friendship, and the end of an era for the Hawkins gang. (Netflix)
Themes & Tone
• The finale leans heavily into emotional closure rather than just spectacle, focusing on friendship, growth, and what it means to move on. (GamesRadar+)
⚠️ Viewer Notes
This episode concludes the main storyline of Stranger Things — there is no additional secret ninth episode announced by Netflix. (People.com)
Everyone’s fate is open to interpretation, especially Eleven’s, which has been discussed widely among actors and creators. (Decider)

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