Stranger Things 5's Premiere Needs A Big Death (& Who It Should Be)

 Stranger Things season 5 must surely open with a major death, but only a single character ticks every box for that unfortunate role. Netflix's Stranger Things is renowned for its blend of Stephen King-inspired horror and Amblin-esque childish wonder. For every teenage cheerleader contorting to death on the ceiling, a group of geeky kids is goofing around in Ghostbuster outfits. The Stranger Things season 4 finale signaled a drastic tonal shift, however. With a vexed Vecna finally making his move on Hawkins and the outside world, a catastrophic, apocalypse-level event that threatens to consume all life has finally erupted.

The days of Dungeons & Dragons in Mike's basement are a distant memory, and that means the danger will be higher than ever in Stranger Things season 5. The Duffer brothers have never been shy when it comes to killing beloved characters, and both Sean Astin's Bob and Joseph Quinn's Eddie would surely attest to that if they could. Curiously, Stranger Things has avoided killing any of the main cast thus far. The central six youngsters, the young adult trio of Nancy, Jonathan and Steve, and the adult coupling of Hopper and Joyce are all still fine, mostly.

Why Stranger Things 5 Needs A Big Premiere Death

When Stranger Things season 4 ended with Vecna tipping the Upside Down into Hawkins and cracking open the ground, it promised that Stranger Things 5, confirmed as the final season, would be radically different. Whatever war or invasion Vecna is mounting upon the real world, it leaves little time for cosplay and roller disco. With the main kids all grown-up and Max ending season 4 in a coma, there really is very little reason for anyone to crack a smile in Stranger Things season 5. In order to properly sell that more serious tone and raise the stakes for Vecna's return, Stranger Things 5's premiere must sacrifice a major character.

A big death in the Stranger Things season 5 premiere is even more important since Vecna is returning on the back of another embarrassing defeat. Unless Stranger Things pulls another massive twist, the spider artist formerly known as Henry Creel will assume final villain duties for Stranger Things' ending. Vecna has, however, already been beaten - twice. Eleven sent Vecna into the Upside Down when they were younger, then Nancy's team defeated Vecna's physical body in 1986. Although he survived both times, Vecna has suffered two big losses, and Stranger Things season 5 must provide an immediate reminder that the villain remains a huge threat.

Killing off a beloved figure would appear the best and quickest way of doing that. This technique is tried and tested across multiple mediums, with horror classics such as Scream utilizing early deaths to create fear and tension, and more family-friendly franchises such as Harry Potter featuring big character losses near the beginning of their final chapters to prove no character is safe. While killing a main character in season 5's premiere would solve several big Stranger Things problems, however, it creates another in the form of deciding who should actually die.