Warning: spoilers for the Stranger Things final episode.
Stranger Things has now ended, and though it gave a definitive ending to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), fans of the show will see her again after the series finale. After five seasons full of action, suspense, mysteries, and 1980s nostalgia, Stranger Things has come to an end, and it did its best to give proper endings to its main characters.
Stranger Things’ final episode saw the Hawkins team (and their new allies) set into motion their final plan to kill Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and destroy the Upside Down. Although they succeeded at these things, Eleven sacrificed herself and died when the Upside Down was destroyed… or, at least, that’s what everyone was led to believe.
At the end of Stranger Things, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) shared what he knew about Eleven’s death and what he believed actually happened, explaining how she faked her death with the help of Kali, who stayed in the Upside Down. Although the main show is now over, fans of Stranger Things will get to see Eleven one more time.
Eleven Will Be Part Of Stranger Things: Tales From '85
The Stranger Things universe has been expanding beyond the Netflix show for a while now. For years, the Stranger Things franchise has grown with novels, comic books, different video games, and even a prequel stage play that ended up being key to the story of season 5.
Now, while talks about a live-action spinoff continue, Stranger Things will expand with the animated series Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85. As the title says, the Stranger Things animated show isn’t a continuation of season 5, but a complement to the main show, as it’s set between seasons 2 and 3, in the winter of 1985.
Tales from ‘85 will see Eleven, Will, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Max going on a different adventure in Hawkins as they fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery. Exactly how it will connect to Stranger Things season 3, if it does at all, is currently unclear, but it’s another chance for fans to see the characters in action one more time.
Millie Bobby Brown Will Not Return As Eleven In Tales From '85
It’s important to note that, while Eleven will return in Tales from ‘85, Millie Bobby Brown won’t. The animated Stranger Things series has a completely different cast voicing the characters everyone now knows so well, which makes sense as the original cast are now too old to voice their younger versions.
How Else Eleven Can Return After Stranger Things Season 5
Even though Eleven was shown disappearing along with the Upside Down, Mike made some excellent points in his explanation of what happened to Eleven. There are other details scattered in that scene that point to Mike’s tale actually being true – or, at the very least, the part of Eleven faking her death being true.
Eleven being alive and hiding somewhere leaves the door partially open to her return in a spinoff set after the events of Stranger Things season 5. This, however, would be risky as it would mean bringing Eleven out of hiding and putting her in danger, which could then lead to repeating the show’s story.
Eleven could also return in a spinoff focused on the events between seasons 4 and 5, as surely a lot happened in 18 months, with the military taking over Hawkins and the group finding ways to communicate and visit the Upside Down. This wouldn’t undo Eleven’s ending and would, instead, expand her story.
