Grab your Eggo waffles and get your walkie-talkies ready, because Stranger Things is revving up for one last trip to Hawkins – and it’s shaping up to be a season of epic 80s proportions.
Netflix has given us a peak into what will be the fifth and final season of the supernatural series, and judging by the trailer, the story is set to come to a cinematic close. Set in the fall of 1987, four years after the gang’s first face-off with Demogorgons and Mind Flayers, this season promises to bring all the core cast back for a proper goodbye. Buckle up; this ride into the Rightside Up is bound to be one heck of a farewell.
Here's what you need to know.
Watch the official full-length trailer here
There's also plenty of new images
For your viewing pleasure:
Confirmed: Eddie Munson is officially not coming back
The Duffer Brothers have finally put the rumours to rest in a recent interview: Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson isn’t clawing his way out of the Upside Down for Stranger Things season 5.
As much as fans have clung to theories – whether it’s vampire lore, ghostly cameos, or clever misdirection – the creators say Eddie is “fully under that ground.” And honestly, it makes sense. Quinn has been busy skyrocketing into Hollywood projects since his breakout, and Eddie’s dramatic season 4 exit was the kind of moment that sticks.
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When will it be released?
The first four episodes will be released on 27 November 2025. The next three episodes will be released on 26 December 2025 (Boxing Day), and the final episode will drop on 1 January 2026 (New Year's Day).
Each episode set will drop at 12pm AEDT exclusively on Netflix.
What is season five about?
Thankfully, Netflix has also released a very juice synopsis detailing exactly what we can expect from the fifth and final season. It reads: “The fall of 1987. 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.”
What else do we know about season five?
Back in November, Netflix released a list of episode titles that practically hum with mystery, nodding back to earlier seasons while dropping new hints about what’s lurking in the shadows. Among them, “The Crawl,” “The Vanishing of…,” and “The Turnbow Trap” give us tantalising callbacks. “The Vanishing of…” (the full name still cloaked in secrecy) calls back to the series premiere, “The Vanishing of Will Byers.” Fans online were immediately abuzz, speculating that the next unlucky abductee could be Holly Wheeler, Mike’s little sister, potentially adding fresh family drama to Hawkins’ ever-deepening abyss.
A few other titles signal fresh horrors. “Shock Jock” likely ties to Hawkins’ radio station, WSQK, and “Escape from Camazotz” may hint at a strange homage to A Wrinkle in Time's ominous, mind-controlling planet. And, in a fitting twist, the finale has been named “The Rightside Up,” suggesting that after all the chaos, Hawkins might finally break free from the Upside Down’s eerie grip.
Who is in the cast?
The full cast will be returning for season five, including lead (and newly married) Millie Bobby-Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Sadie Sink. Of course, returning cast will also include Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Winona Ryder, Maya Hawke, David Harbour, and Joe Keery (whose band Djo chatted to RUSSH at Laneway Festival in early February).
