Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Entertainment
  2. TV
  3. Sci-Fi Shows
  4. Stranger Things

Stranger Things fans are debating the biggest question of the finale: Do you believe?

News
By Nick Staniforth published 3 January 2026

“I have to believe otherwise I won't stop crying.”

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler in the Stranger Things season 5 finale
(Image credit: Netflix)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
1
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Is it really a good finale to a show if the ending doesn’t spark stupid amounts of speculation about what the heck has happened? That’s certainly been the reaction to the end of Stranger Things, which left fans wondering whether Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and his theory were correct about what happened to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). Naturally, ever since we saw what may or may not have been our waffle-loving hero admiring a waterfall, fans have speculated on Reddit about whether what we were seeing was real or whether Mike and the rest of the party were choosing to believe something that softened the blow of losing a friend.

Some fans had their business hats on, factoring in how well the show had done for Netflix and that, besides the planned spin-offs, a potential reunion further down the line would be inevitable. “I believe Netflix will want to keep the door 3 inches open for a revival in a couple of years, so yes,” wrote one fan, anticipating that Eleven is about as done with the fight with the Upside Down as Steve Rogers is done with the MCU.

One thing that fans have been quick to jump on is the song choice used in the show’s final moments. Never one to skimp on great tunes through the season’s decade-long run, the show ends with David Bowie’s “Heroes,” which keen-eared viewers were quick to spot and highlight the importance of in past seasons when it came to other characters presumably kicking the bucket. “‘Heroes’ played at the end, which also happened when Will and Hopper’s deaths were faked. So yes,” wrote one fan in guessing if El was alive or not.

Latest Videos From
Watch full video here:

Another fan broke down the final supposed farewell between El and her friends, all of which suggests that Mike is correct in his theory. “She managed to get to the Upside Down seemingly with ease and without being seen. Those sonic radars mean they can hardly walk, so to crawl over there without anyone seeing her, well, it seemed odd at the time. She got out without being seen because she was actually invisible. And I saw Mike's graduation sonic flashback as more of a lightbulb moment in this context.”

Of course, there’s the obvious response that so many will be having that one fan didn’t hesitate to admit: “I have to believe otherwise I won't stop crying.” Well, we’re sure you’re not the only 001. For our review of the Stranger Things finale and how it all went down, head here.

You may like
  • Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things season 5 episode 8 Duffer Brothers debunk Stranger Things theory, joke they'll reveal Eleven's fate "20 years from now"
  • The Boys season 5 finale It's the Stranger Things finale all over again as The Boys fans seem to be creating their own Conformity Gate
  • Antony Starr as Homelander in The Boys season 5 Ahead of The Boys series finale, Homelander star seeimignly shades Stranger Things' low-stakes final episode
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
Netflix Streaming Services
Nick Staniforth
Nick Staniforth
Social Links Navigation
Contributing Writer

Nick is a freelancer whose work can be found at Screen Rant, The Digital Fix, and Looper. He loves movies, TV, DC, and Marvel. He also believes that the best Robin Hood is still a talking fox.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things season 5 episode 8
Sci-Fi Shows Duffer Brothers debunk Stranger Things theory, joke they'll reveal Eleven's fate "20 years from now"
 
 
The Boys season 5 finale
Superhero Shows It's the Stranger Things finale all over again as The Boys fans seem to be creating their own Conformity Gate
 
 
Antony Starr as Homelander in The Boys season 5
Superhero Shows Ahead of The Boys series finale, Homelander star seeimignly shades Stranger Things' low-stakes final episode
 
 
Lucas, Dustin, Will, and Mike in Stranger Things: Tales From '85
Animated Shows Stranger Things: Tales From '85 gives us the epic final showdown we deserved in season 5 – and there's not even a Demogorgon in sight
 
 
Eleven in Stranger Things: Tales From '85
Animated Shows Stranger Things: Tales From '85 ending explained – Does Nikki die? Where did the monsters come from?
 
 
Stranger Things: Tales From '85
Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things: Tales From '85 review: "Makes you nostalgic for the early days of Stranger Things"
 
 
Latest in Sci Fi Shows
Doctor Who
Sci-Fi Shows Doctor Who could be off air for 5 years industry insiders predict, but it will survive like "Marvel"
 
 
Stranger Things
Sci-Fi Shows David Harbour says he's developing "several" projects with Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown
 
 
Docto Who season 2 finale
Sci-Fi Shows Doctor Who's Christmas cancelation is the best thing that could happen to the show
 
 
Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor in Doctor Who season 2
Sci-Fi Shows Doctor Who showrunner makes shock departure and Christmas special canceled as sci-fi classic is set to be rebooted
 
 
Sam Witwer as Maul in Maul – Shadow Lord
Star Wars Movies Star Wars fans are "over the timeline between" the prequels and original trilogy
 
 
Ella Purnell as Lucy in Fallout season 2
Sci-Fi Shows Ella Purnell's first Fallout experience was being terrified by the "scary graphics" on New Vegas
 
 
Latest in News
Diablo warlock in the Warlock Class Cinematic Trailer.
Diablo Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred stats reveal ARPG players prefer Warlocks to Paladins by almost 2 to 1
 
 
A cartoonish wild cat cooks over an open flame with a smile
RPGs Dev makes offer I can't refuse: get our new RPG cheap by downloading our survival game for free
 
 
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners character Rebecca with a shotgun
Action RPGs Action RPG Wuthering Waves hits Steam record thanks to Lucy and Rebecca from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
 
 
Destiny 2 character Lodi in brown suit
Destiny "I am utterly livid": Destiny 2 lore master says secret scene reveals "the potential that was ahead"
 
 
Halo 2
Halo "I look at AI almost like a toddler": OG Halo artist says devs relying on AI face "a rude awakening"
 
 
Nier Automata mask in Stellar Blade DLC
Action RPGs After saying the first game beats Nier Automata, Yoko Taro is hyped for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Diablo warlock in the Warlock Class Cinematic Trailer.
    1
    After 392 billion monsters slain in Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred, Blizzard stats reveal ARPG players prefer Warlocks to Paladins by almost 2 to 1
  2. 2
    Dev makes a Steam offer I can't refuse: get our whimsical new cooking RPG at a huge discount by downloading our dog survival game for free
  3. 3
    Cyberpunk 2077 veteran "floored" as action RPG Wuthering Waves hits Steam record after adding Lucy and Rebecca from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
  4. 4
    Fable drops the original games' good and evil binary for a "subjective and multifaceted" reputation system, which is why you don't have horns or halos
  5. 5
    "I am utterly livid": Destiny 2 lore master says secret scene reveals "the potential that was ahead" before the game abruptly ended

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...