Dungeons & Dragons has always been a big part of Stranger Things, but, in Stranger Things season 5, it was actually Baldur's Gate 3 that inspired the final showdown.
In the last-ever episode, the Party goes up against Vecna and the Mind Flayer in a battle that results in Vecna being decapitated by Joyce Byers (in a dramatic scene that only took Winona Ryder two takes) – you can read a full breakdown of everything that happened in our Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained.
As it turns out, the sequence was influenced by Larian Studios' beloved RPG, Baldur's Gate 3. "We were thinking about D&D, and I was playing Baldur's Gate 3 at the time, and we felt it was very important that the only way for them to defeat it was for the entire party to work together," Matt Duffer told Variety.
"Everyone had fully realized – either through self-acceptance or they've resolved all their various issues – moving into that final battle, they're absolutely primed," he continued. "They're the ultimate team, and it's the party working all together to defeat this thing. And they each have their own individual skills, right? And that's where I go back to Dungeons & Dragons, and something like Baldur's Gate. Because that's how you take down these monsters that seem otherwise unstoppable. Lots of video game references were applied to that final battle."
Larian boss Swen Vincke has responded to the shoutout, sharing an article about the inspiration and simply writing: "That's pretty cool."
That's pretty cool https://t.co/BBYH80v2INJanuary 6, 2026
It makes sense that Baldur's Gate 3 inspired Stranger Things, since Mind Flayers play a huge role in the RPG – and the ending is similarly a massive battle against a huge, Illithid foe which requires all your allies' strength.
After the final confrontation in Stranger Things (in which Eleven may or may not die), the Party even return to play D&D one last time in Mike Wheeler's basement in a poignant mirror of the very first scene – and, after the credits, there's a callback to Will Byers's fateful dice roll (it was a seven).
While Stranger Things has wrapped up on Netflix, though, some fans are convinced that a secret episode is on the way, which you can read about in our Conformity Gate explainer.
For even more on the final episode, check out our Stranger Things season 5 finale review. Or, fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best Netflix shows.
