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Stranger Things is one the banger sci-fi series on Netflix. No doubt the series has a growing fandom across age groups. That didn’t deter the creators from slaying some of the most loved characters. The list of gruesome deaths that made us cry and sometimes shout with glee segregated based on seasons for you:
Stranger Things Season 1 deaths
The major characters that die in season 1 of Stranger Things are Barbara Holland, Sara Hopper, Benny Hammond, and a few unnamed Hawkin laboratory workers.
1. Sara Hopper
Jim Hopper’s daughter, Sara Hopper was mentioned briefly in many episodes. We learn about Jim’s past and his daughter Sara’s death due to cancer in season 1 episode 1 of Stranger Things – The vanishings of Will Byers.
2. Benny Hammond
Played by Chris Sullivan, Benny is the first-ever person who was kind to Eleven, a teenager who escaped from a lab conducting mysterious experiments. Benny dies being headshot by Martin Brenner, the lab scientist, when he calls the cop to save Eleven.
3. Barbara Holland
Barbara is the tom-boyish bestie of Nancy Wheeler. Played by Shannon, Barbara gets abducted and killed in the upside down world by the mind flayer and the Vecna in season 1, episode 3, Holly, Jolly.
4. Will Byers
Will Byers goes lost as he gets kidnapped into the upside down world by the mind flayer. He is presumed to be dead by his family and locals and even has a funeral. However, his mom, Joyce, is reluctant about finding the truth behind his mysterious disappearance and brings him back from the upside down world.
Stranger Things Season 2 deaths
Characters that die in season 2 of Stranger Things are Mews the cat, Bob Newby, and a handful of demogorgons, and Hawkin lab scientists.
1. Mews the cat
Mews is the cat owned by Dustin’s mom, Mrs. Henderson. When Dustin brings home a small creature that grows up to be a demogorgon, it feasts on this cute, bubbly cat. It’s a tragedy, but it leads to Dustin finding a confidante in Steve. (so kinda okay).
2. Bob Newby
In season 2 of Stranger Things, Joyce Byers finds a comforting boyfriend in Bob (played by Sean Astin), who also helps her find Mind Flayer despite being an outsider. Before we make up our mind on Bob being the doting husband and father figure to her sons, he gets mauled and killed by a bunch of demogorgons in the episode 8 season 2 of Stranger Things – The mind flayer. Bob basically sacrifices himself and becomes the unsung hero of season 2 Stranger Things, when he saves Will, Joyce, and Jim Hopper.
Also read: How many times has Steve Harrington almost died?
Stranger Things Season 3 deaths
Season 3 of Stranger Things kills off many important characters like Billy Hargrove, Heather Holloway, Doris Grant, and many other residents of Hawkins, the mysterious headquarters of Stranger Things.
1. Heather Holloway
Heather Holloway is a lifeguard and a coworker of Billy Hargrove (Max’s brother). Billy kidnaps her and converts her to be the member of the Flayed. Heather dies a tragic death in episode 6 of season 3, as her body is melted to give physical form to the mind flayer. Not only Heather, many other Flayed residents of Hawkins including Heather’s parents perish there.
2. Doris Grant
Doris Grant, a widowed resident of Hawkins, gives hints to Nancy and Jonathan about the rabid rats in the town. Unfortunately, she dies in the episode 6 season 3 of Stranger Things – El Pluribus Unum, being killed by the Mind flayer.
Also read: Can we see past characters in Stranger Things 5th season?
3. Billy Hargrove
Billy Hargrove is first introduced in season 2 ep Dacre Montgomery has done complete justice to the role, an antagonist with a profound, hurting past. When Billy dies in the hands of Mind flayer, we can’t help but feel bad why he didn’t get a redemption arc like Steve Harrington. Billy sacrifices his life saving El and her friends, which not only changes Max’s views on him but also becomes a reason for her depression in season 4 of Stranger Things.
4. Dr. Alexei
Dr. Alexei is the (cute!) Russian scientist, a recurring character in season 3 who doesn’t even know English. He helps Jim and Joyce as they uncover a secret Russian mission. Even with no dialogues (understandable, unless you know Russian), he manages to sweep us off our feet, especially when he plays the classic arcade game and wins the massive woody woodpecker toy. It was so sudden, when Alexei gets shot and killed by bad Russian scientists in season 3 episode 7 for going against the team he represented. A wild fan theory claims that Alexei could be still alive somewhere, as the assassins shot him through the doll.
Stranger Things Season 4 deaths
Stranger Things season 4 witnesses the most deaths, including the saddest death of the show – Eddie Munson. It also features the untimely death of a few other new and recurring characters like Chrissy Cunningham, Fred Benson, Jason Carver, Patrick McKinney.
1. Chrissy Cunningham
Chrissy Cunningham is a high school student from Hawkins public school and is the girlfriend of basketball player, Jason Carver. Though we don’t see much of these two, we see Chrissy being more of herself with Eddie Munson, who offers to supply her the strongest cocaine.
Chrissy becomes the first victim of Vecna in season 4, which triggers her depression, as she fell prey to sleep apnea, splitting headaches, and horrific hallucination. Sadly in the first episode of season 4, The Hellfire club, Chrissy is killed by Vecna in Edie’s apartment, eyes gouged out and bones snapped.
2. Fred Benson
Fred Benson is the second victim of Vecna, who dies the same way as Chrissy dies in the episode 2, season 4 – Vecna’s curse. Fred assists Nancy in investigating Chrissy’s death, but dies in the woods tragically. During one of Fred’s hallucinations, we could see him being depressed about a past accident he was involved in, which leads to the death of a girl. This tragedy etched into his mind becomes the reason why Vecna chooses him as a target.
3. Jason Carver
Jason Carver is the most irritating antagonist of season 4 of Stranger Things. Being the boyfriend of Chrissy, he chases the wrong lead thinking they are responsible for her sudden demise. He dies eventually in the piggyback episode (season 4, episode 9), body split open as the upside down gate opens, while he fights with Lucas, assuming he is entrancing Max.
4. Dr. Martin Brenner
Dr. Martin Brenner aka papa is the major antagonist of the show dies in the season 4 episode 8 of Stranger Things. Brenner dies being shot by one of the soldiers as the army officials raid the secret lab. Dr. Brenner, after being an El hater for four seasons straight begs for forgiveness from her only to hear good bye, papa. And, we feel… nothing.
5. Patrick McKinney
Patrick McKinney is the third victim of Vecna, who dies in the middle of a lake in season 4 episode 5 – The Nina project. He is Jason’s friend and a basketball player. Jason and Eddie swims across the lake chasing Eddie, but dies in the middle being attacked by Vecna.
6. Eddie Munson
Eddie Munson first appeared in season 4 episode 1 and became a recurring character. Beginning his journey as a misfit and the Hellfire group’s leader, he becomes a hero, sacrificing his life for his friends.
Eddie dies in the Piggyback episode (season 4, episode 9), being attacked by bats, after delivering a kickass metal concert to them in the upside down world.
7. Max Mayfield
Max Mayfield didn’t die but faced near-death moments almost twice in the season 4 of Stranger Things. First one happens in the episode 4, season 4, when she goes into trance and runs for life out of the upside down world, as her friends try saving her life blasting running up that hill song. Second instance happens in the last episode of Stranger Things as Max offers to distract Vecna to leave out of its body. But, it almost endangered her life, as Vecna half attacked Max, leaving her in coma. Fan theories predict that Max will come out of coma in season 5 of Stranger Things.