Stranger Things 5: Duffer Brothers Explain Eleven's Ambiguous Fate After Vecna's Defeat

• Stranger Things Season 5 concludes with Vecna's death, leaving Eleven's fate uncertain.
• Mike theorizes Kali helped Eleven escape the Upside Down, and she's now living under a new identity.
• The Duffer Brothers call Mike's theory an "optimistic fantasy" that wouldn't work in reality.
• Ross Duffer states they never intended for Eleven to live with the group, as she "had to go away" for the story to close.
• Matt Duffer adds that even if alive, no one could contact her, emphasizing the need for characters to move on.

Why It Matters: Eleven's ending is intentionally ambiguous, allowing characters to believe in a hopeful, yet unconfirmed, future.