Having previously teased major character deaths, the Duffer Brothers double-down on the fact that the Stranger Things season 5 finale won't deliver Game of Thrones-level carnage: "We're not trying to upset anyone"

(L to R) Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, and Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in Stranger Things 5.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Across Stranger Things' five-season run, less than a handful of named characters have met their maker. Despite all of the life-threatening situations our Hawkins heroes (and villains) find themselves in, we've only said goodbye to Barb, Bob, Eddie, Brenner and well, that's it. There was Chrissy and others too, of course, but as it stands, all of the major players are still alive and kicking.

All that looked set to change going into the Netflix show's ongoing final chapter, with creators Matt and Ross Duffer teasing a tearjerking closer and warning longtime fans that it'd boast "the most violent death of any season". Turns out, though, we may not lose anyone in the two hours and eight minutes that remain...

"It's not Game of Thrones. We're not in Westeros. I love Game of Thrones, but it's just a very different type of show than that," Matt told The Hollywood Reporter, following Vol. 2's release. "There's not going to be a Red Wedding situation. I think some things happen in the finale that are very surprising, but we're not trying to shock or upset anyone. I hope by the time people get to the end of the finale that it just feels like there's something inevitable about what happens, and that it doesn't feel painful but feels satisfying."

Everyone has their favorites, but you've only got to take a quick peek at the Stranger Things hashtag on Instagram or Twitter to learn that most viewers are terrified of losing Joe Keery's Steve Harrington. As for Steve's fate specifically, the Duffers are keeping schtum, though they do understand why fans are so worried about him. "It would be the next logical step," said Matt. "He keeps getting beaten up more and more. The only way we could take it further is death."

Joe Keery as Steve Harrington and Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler in Stranger Things season 4 — (Image credit: Netflix)

Elsewhere in the interview, Matt opened up on how "challenging" it has been to come up with an ending that feels satisfying, admitting that it's impossible to cater to the wide demographic of tuner-inners' hopes because they seem to all be tuning in for their own reasons.

"When you read about people reacting to the show, sometimes I feel like they’re watching very different shows. And in a way, they are, right? They’re fixated on different aspects of the show that are more important to some people than others. It just gets confusing," he noted. "So you can’t really work towards satisfying [everyone], because who are you choosing to satisfy?

"At the end of the day, you do kind of have to shut out all the noise and just listen to your gut and the other writers with whom we've been working with for so long, and hope that what we feel is right resonates with everybody else."

Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are streaming now. Don't miss the finale with our guide to the Stranger Things season 5 release schedule. All things Upside Down ain't your bag? Check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix for some watchlist inspiration.