So instead, upon seeing that Ted is alive and well, one only has to assume that his grief was entirely focused on Eleven, which then allows for his optimistic outlook to have peak impact. If he'd been too much of an emotional wreck during graduation day, it might have made his D&D-tethered theory sound far more desperate and nutty than idealistic.

"Stranger Things" creators Matt and Ross Duffer revealed that only Millie Bobby Brown knows Eleven's true fate.

After surprising Florida 'Stranger Things' fans at a movie theater showing, actress Millie Bobby Brown was spotted dining at a North Naples restaurant

But Mike offers a sliver of hope that Eleven is at peace, in a far-off place surrounded by nature and waterfalls, just as she promised Mike. (For anyone curious, the series shot Eleven's final scene in Iceland. In September 2025, local outlets reported on Stranger Things shooting scenes there.)

Netflix's 'Stranger Things' Season 5 documentary, ‘One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5,’ shows Duffers and cast making final season.

Questions remain about the fate of Eleven, and talk of a secret 9th episode on Jan. 7 has bubbled up on social media.

Jamie Campbell Bower has explained why Vecna’s final words were cut from the Stranger Things finale. Netflix’s Stranger Things show just recently concluded its five-season run. Created by the Duffer Brothers,

The number seven also has meaning on “Stranger Things” because a die with the number seven facing up can be seen at the end of final episode to the right of a “Stranger Things” player manual. Noah Schnapp’s character also rolls a seven while playing “Dungeons & Dragons” in the show’s first episode in the first season.