Stranger Things Finale Ending Explained: Does the Crew Defeat Vecna? What Happens to Each Character

After much anticipation with drops of Volume 1 and 2 from season 5, Netflix premiered the final episode of the hit series and answered many burning questions viewers had about how the epic saga would end. One being how the crew would take on Vecna, a.k.a. Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower), stop him from merging their world with the Abyss and destroy the Upside Down once and for all.

Luckily, Volume 3 picked up right where the last started: with the crew following Steve (Joe Keery)'s plan dubbed "Operation Beanstalk," which involves climbing up the radio tower in the Upside Down and waiting until the Abyss is close enough for the tower to poke through the rift to help Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) enter Vecna's mind.

They had just broken through the military barrier into the Upside Down to begin their mission, as the guards, led by Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton), began to trace how it happened and where they might be.