How Season 4 Ended

Stranger Things Season 4 concluded with a devastating yet heroic finale where the Hawkins group attempted to kill Vecna but ultimately failed to stop him completely. The season ended with major consequences for both the characters and the town itself.

The Battle Against Vecna

The main group split into teams to attack Vecna from multiple fronts. Steve, Nancy, and Robin infiltrated the Upside Down and attacked Vecna's physical body with Molotov cocktails and guns, while Eleven fought him mentally using her powers. In Russia, Joyce and Hopper killed demogorgons to weaken Vecna's connection. Despite their coordinated assault wounding Vecna, he managed to escape before they could finish him off.

Major Character Losses

Eddie Munson sacrificed himself in the Upside Down while distracting Vecna's bat creatures with a guitar performance, allowing the others to focus on their attack. Max became Vecna's final victim—he broke all her bones and blinded her, causing her heart to stop for a full minute. While Eleven used her powers to revive Max's body, Max remains in a coma with her consciousness lost.

Hawkins Is Torn Open

By killing Max (even briefly), Vecna opened the fourth and final gate needed to merge the Upside Down with Hawkins. This created a massive rupture through the town that officials blamed on a 7.6 magnitude earthquake, killing at least 22 citizens and displacing many more. The final scene shows the group witnessing the Upside Down beginning to bleed into their world, with Vecna still alive and lurking somewhere wounded but not defeated.