The huge concern at the end of Stranger Things season 4 is “is Max alive in Stranger Things?” Though apparently left in a distressed state, the Duffer siblings have a calming upgrade for Max’s (Sadie Sink) fate at the end of the season. The 4th season of the Netflix series marked a critical and psychological arc for Max. It saw her handle the fallout of the occasions of season 3. Her violent stepbrother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) returned from being had and compromised himself to conserve Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) from the Mind Flayer at the Starcourt Mall, leaving Max with a heavy dosage of regret. Season 4 saw Max battle to come to terms with Billy’s death and struggling with PTSD, just to ultimately discover herself the target of the evil Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) as he goes on his frightening murder spree around Hawkins.


While currently thought about a breakout character in season 3, Sadie Sink’s efficiency as Max in Stranger Things season 4 scored prevalent vital honor, specifically for the “Dear Billy” episode in which she attempts to process the truth she might pass away quickly from Vecna and composes letters to her family and friends, consisting of Billy. Season 4 eventually put Max through the wringer as she directly left Vecna’s grasp in the middle of the season with the assistance of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” and the assistance of her good friends, though the last episodes would see her briefly pass away. As audiences excitedly wait for additional information on Stranger Things season 5, the developers behind the program are used information on where some characters will remain in the future.


What Is Max’s Fate?

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While talking to Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Duffer siblings broke down the significant spoilers of Stranger Things season 4. In reviewing the fates of lots of significant characters, the developers confirmed Max’s fate at the end of the season, guaranteeing Max lives in Stranger Things, however remains in a bad method. See what the Duffers discussed below:

“Right, she’s braindead, but she’s alive. [Laughs] Braindead and blind and all of her bones broken, but she’s doing great. She’s seen better days.”

The Stranger Things season 4 finale almost saw Max satisfy her end as Vecna lastly got to her and started his killing approach on her, breaking both her limb and making her go blind prior to Eleven directly stopped the bad guy, and she got up and passed away in Lucas’ arms. Though Eleven apparently brought her back to life while supervising her in deep space, the last minutes of the ending saw Millie Bobby Brown’s heroine and her good friends go to Max and Lucas in the health center, where Max remains in a coma and appears unresponsive. Despite apparently living and warding off Vecna’s prepares to open gates to the Upside Down around Hawkins, Eleven could not discover Max in deep space while at the health center, leaving lots of to question what the future held for her.

Interestingly, audiences weren’t the only ones left unsure about Max’s fate as Sink confirmed right after the release of season 4 that she didn’t understand whether her character would live heading into Stranger Things season 5 as the Duffers have actually stayed tight-lipped with their cast. By the time Sink appeared on Today in January 2023, she might validate that Max would still appear in season 5, however she could not expose more than that. She discussed throughout the interview, “Spoiler-free, just with the way my character ended in season 4, I have no idea what is going to happen, but I’ll be there.” She acknowledged that season 5 would be “scary and sad” for the stars to bid farewell and carry on to other tasks as the program ends, however likewise that it would be “exciting to move on to the next chapter” too.

The creators’ confirmation that Max is alive is sure to be soothing news for those concerned about the fan-favorite character, though their note that she’s “braindead” does pose a unique challenge for the Duffers going into season 5 in how they either bring Max back or allow her an emotional sendoff.

Could Max Get Better?

A blended image features Sadie Sing as Max in front of Vecna in Stranger Things

Given the wait between seasons 4 and 5, there has been no shortage of theories about Max still being alive in Stranger Things. She might be in a “bad way” at the end of season 4, however theories about just how Max could heal or get better following her initial conflict with Vecna abound. These theories range from her being saved by Eleven again to her being saved by another character Stranger Things fans haven’t seen in a while.

The prevailing theory is that Max’s mind is still trapped in the Upside Down with Vecna, just as One told Eleven that their siblings were still with him after he took their lives. Eleven, being able to travel into the Void and potentially into the spaces of others’ minds, is theorized to be able to reach Max’s mind and help to bring her back to her body. Other theories, however, indicate that after the time jump between seasons, Max’s body could begin to heal on her own, but another one of Eleven’s siblings might give her a hand.

Eight, who chose the name Kali (Linnea Bethelsen), last seen in season 2, has a unique ability compared to those seen from Eleven. She has the ability to make others see things that aren’t there. Her power specifically taps into vision. If she’s spent more time honing her skills over the years since last seeing her little sister, it’s possible that Kali might have tapped into a deeper ability regarding sight than before, that even if Max somehow wakes up, Kali could help to restore her vision.

Still, other theories indicate that Max will not survive the final season of Stranger Things. There is the possibility that, even if her mind is still trapped with Vecna, Max could find a way to fight him from the inside. While many fans expect either Will or Eleven to make the ultimate sacrifice in season 5, others think it could be Max to save her friends, just as Billy did after being possessed by the Mind-Flayer. While Max could recover in Stranger Things season 5, she could likewise be among the couple of primary characters in the series to pass away in fight.

Source: Josh Horowitz/Twitter