STRANGER THINGS 5’s Big Cameo….Sure Was a Choice!

by

Many fans were hoping for Eddie Munson’s return, but that didn’t happen. Instead, the first part of Stranger Things 5 brought back a character almost nobody asked for. The show built up a mystery around a locked vault, leading viewers to believe a major character might be revealed. While Eddie was a possibility, it turned out to be Kali Prasad, also known as Eight – a character introduced in what many consider the show’s weakest episode. This unexpected cameo was the big surprise Stranger Things 5 had been teasing.

Who Is Kali Prasad/Eight in Stranger Things?

We haven’t seen Kali/Eight in a while on Stranger Things, but she’s unexpectedly back for season 5.

Kali was introduced in the seventh episode of Stranger Things Season 2, “The Lost Sister,” and was meant to help explain Eleven’s history and powers. Like Eleven, Kali was taken as a young child by Doctor Brenner and held at Hawkins Lab in Indiana. She was one of many children with special abilities, whose mothers were likely involved in the MKUltra experiments. Brenner had given these women Henry Creel/Vecna/One’s blood, hoping to give their children powers. Kali also appears in a memorable flashback, playing with Eleven while her birth mother attempts to rescue her from the lab.

Eventually, Eight and Eleven became separated, and Kali escaped using her powers. Years later, when Eleven reunited with Eight/Kali on Stranger Things season 2, she had gathered a group of friends who were also outsiders. Eleven used her abilities to both help her friends and get revenge on the people who had hurt her at Hawkins Lab.

On Stranger Things, Kali/Eight helped Eleven learn to access her powers by connecting with her feelings and anger. Kali also wanted them to stay close and support each other’s healing. However, Eleven didn’t share Kali’s negative view of the world and disagreed with her extreme methods. Eleven ultimately chose to leave Kali and return to Hawkins to help her friends, like Mike Wheeler and Hopper. Despite this, she used Kali’s guidance to finally close the gate to the Upside Down – the main problem in season two – by remembering painful experiences, including the loss of her mother.

Bitchin’

On Stranger Things, Eleven learned the word “Bitchin” from Kali and quickly adopted it, using it whenever she could. Kali also gave Eleven a punk rock style. While it’s still uncertain if they’ll use the word a lot together in Stranger Things 5, it’s likely we’ll hear it!

Kali/Eight Is the Person in Dr. Kay’s Mysterious Vault

How will Kali/Eight appear in Stranger Things 5? The government brought in Dr. Kay, a powerful military scientist, to investigate the Upside Down and find a way to close it. As expected, the government’s approach is aggressive. Dr. Kay believes Eleven holds the key to understanding the Upside Down, but isn’t sure if she’ll be an ally or an enemy. Throughout most of Stranger Things 5, Volume 1, Dr. Kay tries to track down Eleven. In episode three, it’s revealed the military has a sonic weapon that completely disables Eleven’s powers – she refers to it as her weakness.

While trapped in the Upside Down, Hopper and Eleven manage to capture and question one of Dr. Kay’s soldiers. They’re trying to figure out what Dr. Kay is planning, how much the military knows, and get any information about Vecna. Eleven enters the soldier, Akers’, mind and sees Dr. Kay going through a secure door at her facility, leading to a vault. Akers claims he doesn’t know what’s inside, but Eleven senses he’s hiding something important. Despite his pain, Akers insists he’s unaware of the vault’s contents. Eleven forces the door open, causing Akers to lose consciousness. Ultimately, she only realizes that another powerful individual, like herself, is behind it.

Eleven and Hopper initially suspect someone helped Kay discover Eleven’s weakness. Eleven believes it’s Vecna, but Hopper doubts that, considering Holly Wheeler’s disappearance. However, the person behind Dr. Kay’s secret room in Stranger Things 5 isn’t Vecna – it’s actually Kali, also known as Eight. Here’s the story of what happened.

Kali/Eight’s Stranger Things 5 Cameo, Explained

Driven to defeat Vecna, Hopper and Eleven battle their way to the vault. However, just before they reach it, Hopper stops Eleven from going in with him. He plans to sacrifice himself, taking Vecna with him, to keep Eleven safe, but the explosion he expects never happens.

Then, Hopper reappears and signals Eleven to come inside. And that’s when the big reveal and surprise cameo from Stranger Things 5, Volume 1 happens: it’s Eleven’s sister, Kali (also known as Eight).

Eight, also known as Kali, is connected to a lot of medical machines, and her head is shaved like Eleven’s was in Stranger Things. However, this is all we see of Hopper, Eleven, and Kali in the first part of Stranger Things 5 – we don’t see them again after this moment.

Doctor Kay Studied to Create Eleven’s Kryptonite in Stranger Things 5, But What Else Did She Learn?

So, what was the point of Kali/Eight’s brief appearance in Stranger Things 5, Volume 1? We find out the military and Dr. Kay have been studying her to create weapons effective against people with powers. With more people potentially developing powers in the future (like Holly Wheeler!), this could become a problem for Eleven and her friends. But, these weapons might also be the key to defeating Vecna, since he shares a similar power source with Eleven and Eight.

We’re still discovering what Dr. Kay found while researching Kali/Eight, but any additional information she uncovered likely isn’t positive.

Who Plays Kali/Eight on Stranger Things?

Linnea Berthelsen played the character Kali/Eight in Stranger Things season 2 and later made a cameo appearance as the same character in season 5.

What Was the Point of Bringing Kali/Eight Back for a Cameo in Stranger Things 5?

Fans generally disliked the episode in Stranger Things 2 where Eleven spent time with Kali. However, with Vecna now revealed to have given Will powers, and Vecna’s backstory becoming clearer in Stranger Things 5, the story of all the children with special abilities seems important for what happens next. It looks like that storyline will need a conclusion. Will Kali feel a connection to Vecna – they both gained their powers from him, just like Eleven and Will? Or will she oppose him, and perhaps even become another adopted child of Hopper? We’ll have to wait for the release of more of Stranger Things 5 to find out.

But, we have to say, we’d still rather have Eddie return.

Stranger Things 5, Volume 1 is now streaming on Netflix.

Rotem Rusak leads the editorial team at TopMob. She just finished binge-watching Stranger Things – all of it, in just 72 hours! She’s still upset about Eddie Munson, and she’s warned that she’ll be heartbroken if Steve Harrington doesn’t make it in season four.

Read More

2025-11-27 11:04