The End Is Here: Stranger Things Season 5 Brings Hawkins’ Final Battle to Netflix This Holiday Season

The wait is almost over. After nearly a decade of supernatural terror, friendship, and 1980s nostalgia, Stranger Things is preparing to close the portal for good. Netflix has officially announced that the fifth and final season of its global hit series will roll out across three premiere dates — a unique release strategy fitting for one of television’s most iconic modern sagas.

Volume 1 arrives November 26 with four episodes, followed by Volume 2 on Christmas Day with three more. The series will culminate with The Finale on New Year’s Eve, closing out both the year — and the story — with an emotional and explosive conclusion. Each release drops worldwide at 5 PM PT.

A World Torn Apart

Set in the fall of 1987, the story picks up in the aftermath of the Rifts opening, an event that has left Hawkins permanently scarred. The small Indiana town that once hid the horrors of the Upside Down now stands on the edge of collapse. Our heroes are united by a single goal: find and destroy Vecna before his darkness spreads beyond their world.

But Vecna is gone — his whereabouts unknown, his intentions even more terrifyingly unclear. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has placed Hawkins under military quarantine, tightening its grip in an effort to locate Eleven, who has once again gone into hiding. With tensions high and the anniversary of Will Byers’ disappearance fast approaching, that familiar sense of dread begins to creep back.

This time, it’s not just Hawkins at stake. The final confrontation looms — and it may cost them everything.

The Duffers Promise an Epic Conclusion

Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, Stranger Things is produced by Upside Down Pictures and 21 Laps Entertainment, with the Duffers serving as executive producers alongside Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen.

The brothers promise a finale that will be both emotionally resonant and visually spectacular.

“We always knew where this story was heading,” the Duffer Brothers said in a statement. “Season 5 isn’t just the end of Hawkins — it’s the culmination of every friendship, heartbreak, and act of bravery that’s defined these characters. We’re ending this the way we began: with the heart of the kids who never stopped fighting.”

The Heroes (and Villains) Return

Nearly the entire ensemble that helped shape pop culture over the past eight years is back for one last stand. The returning cast includes Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Brett Gelman (Murray), and Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna).

The final season also features Cara Buono, Amybeth McNulty, Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, Alex Breaux, and Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay — a new character whose connection to the origins of the Upside Down remains tightly under wraps.

An Ending Worth Waiting For

Over four seasons, Stranger Things has redefined what television can be. It’s been a love letter to the 1980s, a masterclass in slow-burn horror, and a touching exploration of friendship and found family. From Demogorgons to mall monsters, D&D campaigns to epic rescues, the show’s blend of heart, humor, and horror has made it one of Netflix’s most beloved franchises.

As fans prepare for one last trip to Hawkins, anticipation is at an all-time high. Expect tears. Expect chills. And expect to see every thread — from the first flashlight flicker in Season 1 to the haunting echoes of the Upside Down — finally come together.

Because when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the story that defined a generation will come to an end.

The final season of Stranger Things premieres exclusively on Netflix, beginning November 26, 2025.