The Boy Who Survived: Will Byers’ Journey to the “Stranger Things” Finale
Since returning from the Upside Down in the first season, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has never truly been the same. Haunted by possession, sensing the hive mind and the lingering presence of Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), Will moves through Hawkins with the weight of an entire other world on his shoulders. Some fans believe that Vecna was the force that first pulled Will into the darkness, setting everything in motion.
In Season Four, Hawkins begins to merge with the Upside Down, and Will’s psychic connection becomes instrumental in saving his home. He feels every tremor, every ripple of Vecna’s influence, and channels that connection to help protect his friends. Will becomes more than the boy who survived the Upside Down; he becomes the guide who can lead his gang of friends through a world that makes very little sense.
In Netflix’s latest trailer, Vecna makes a chilling call for Will to help him “one last time,” cementing Will’s place at the center of the story’s final season. In the last battle, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) couldn’t defeat Vecna on her own. This is where Will could matter the most.
In previous seasons, he used his gifts to physically describe Vecna and take his friends to the Upside Down’s reigning monster. This time, his connection could become the bridge that lets Eleven step inside his mind. Allowing her to move through his memories and trauma. The battle ahead is as much about what haunts Will as it is about defeating Vecna.
But everything comes at a price. If Eleven can reach Vecna through Will’s mind, then he becomes the battleground and may put his own life on the line. Some even predict Will might allow himself to be fully overtaken by Vecna, which would give Eleven the opening she needs to strike the final blow. Others think that Will could merge with the Upside Down itself, sealing Vecna and the haunted dimension away for good. Either way, his sacrifice could be the spark that would allow Eleven to finally overpower Vecna.
Season 5 may finally reveal that he was the key all along, and it’s been his ability to endure Vecna’s darkness through his empathy and loyalty that will ultimately save his friends and everyone in Hawkins from the unthinkable. One thing remains certain: it will be a full-circle moment, and the finale season is bringing everything back to Will. After four seasons of mysteries, visions, and deaths, the final showdown will answer some of our biggest questions.
Featured image: STRANGER THINGS: SEASON 5. (L to R) Noah Schnapp as Will Byers and Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things: Season 5. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2025
