STRANGER THINGS 5, Volume 1, Ending Explained

by

As a huge fan, I’ve just finished watching Stranger Things 5, Volume 1, and it’s setting up what looks like a really epic finale! They’ve introduced a new character with some interesting abilities, and if you’re curious to know more – and don’t mind spoilers – I’ve written a spoiler-free review you can check out. But be warned, if you want to go in completely fresh, you might want to steer clear!

Table of Contents

Will Unlocks Upside Down Powers of His Own During Stranger Things 5, Volume 1’s Ending Sequence

We had a feeling something like this was coming. In the first part of Stranger Things 5, Will Byers unexpectedly develops powers of his own, just when he needs them. However, unlike Eleven and the other children experimented on at Hawkins Lab, Will’s abilities aren’t connected to that experience. Instead, his powers seem linked to Vecna – even though Vecna (and the Mind Flayer) originally gave both Will and Eleven their abilities. We’ll explain that connection more shortly.

Throughout the first part of Stranger Things 5, Will Byers’ link to the Upside Down and Vecna grew stronger, but so did his self-confidence. These forces collided in the final moments, fully activating Will’s powers connected to the Upside Down. In episode 4, Vecna launches a large-scale attack on the Hawkins military base, MAC-Z, where Will, Joyce, Lucas, and Robin are located. Vecna directly confronts Will, attempting to break his spirit and claiming he’s the perfect person to control in order to take over the world. Through his connection to the Upside Down’s network, Will realizes Demogorgons are surrounding his friends, Robin, Lucas, and Mike, preparing to attack.

Instead of succumbing to Vecna’s influence, Will remembers a heartfelt conversation with Robin, focusing on positive memories of friendship and connection. This act, mirroring Eleven and Vecna’s use of memories, unlocks powers within him as the first part of Stranger Things 5 concludes.

How Did Will Get Powers Like Eleven in Stranger Things 5, Volume 1’s Ending?

Just thinking happy thoughts wouldn’t have given Will Byers powers in the first volume of Stranger Things season 5. Vecna actually gave Will those powers when he tortured him in the first season of Stranger Things.

We Learn From the Stranger Things Play That Characters Who Visit Dimension X and Are Flayed Physically Change, Giving Them Powers

The play Stranger Things: The First Shadow reveals that traveling to Dimension X—the Mind Flayer and Demogorgons’ home dimension, which is distinct from the Upside Down—can physically alter people, granting them new abilities. We see this happen to Henry Creel (Vecna) as a child, when he briefly entered Dimension X in a Nevada cave and was touched by the Mind Flayer. This event, detailed in the play, is confirmed in Volume 1 of Stranger Things 5, and resulted in changes to Henry’s blood that gave him extraordinary power.

Vecna Gives Will Powers in Stranger Things, the Way the Mind Flayer Gave Them to Him

Just like the Mind Flayer gave Vecna his powers, Vecna ultimately gives Will the abilities we see at the end of Stranger Things 5, Volume 1. The first few minutes of the volume show a flashback to when Will was in the Upside Down during the first season of Stranger Things. In this flashback, we see Vecna connecting Will to the Upside Down and a collective consciousness, essentially inflicting the same kind of physical trauma on him that he himself experienced. This changes Will’s body and blood, giving him the potential for these powers. This is similar to what happened to a young Henry Creel when he entered Dimension X and the Mind Flayer physically entered him.

Will’s Powers Came to Him in a Different Way than Eleven’s, But The Source of Them Is the Same

The first part of Stranger Things 5 allows Will to finally start understanding and using his abilities. Although Will developed his powers in a different way than Eleven, the source of their powers is the same. We know Dr. Brenner and the government experimented on Eleven’s mother, giving her powers, and the play The First Shadow reveals more details about those experiments.

In the Stranger Things play, Dr. Brenner reveals they’ve successfully given blood transfusions to ten children with special abilities, and credits Henry/Vecna for making it possible. He even calls Vecna a father figure to these children. This explains how Eleven got her powers: Brenner transfused Vecna’s blood into her or her mother, altering her physically. Will’s powers developed differently; instead of a transfusion, Vecna directly changed him through the flaying process.

Vecna, Will, and Eleven all draw their powers from the same place: the Mind Flayer. The Mind Flayer’s influence – those particles within Vecna, his blood, and the Upside Down – is the source of their abilities. This doesn’t bode well for the future of Stranger Things, and we’ll have to see exactly what the repercussions will be.

Do All of Vecna’s Taken Children, Including Holly, Have Powers?

The finale of Stranger Things 5, Volume 1 suggests that Will’s unlocked powers aren’t unique. Vecna’s method of ‘flaying’ – physically altering – children like Will has created the potential for more individuals with abilities, beyond just Eleven and her siblings. Since Vecna has now flayed five children and plans to flay seven total, and connects them to the Upside Down in the same way he did Will – using a network of vines and a fleshy wall – the ending implies that all of these children may now also be able to develop powers, including Holly Wheeler.

The first episode of Stranger Things 5, Volume 1 hinted at developing powers for Holly Wheeler. Mike gave Holly a Dungeons & Dragons figurine, “Holly the Heroic,” a cleric who can protect against evil and even teleport herself anywhere she imagines. This strongly suggests Holly will have her own special abilities soon in Stranger Things 5.

Will’s Eleven-Like Nosebleed Is Bitchin and We Love the Ending of Stranger Things 5, Volume 1

Throughout the series, Will and Eleven considered each other family, and that bond is now literally true, complete with the strange physical manifestations it brings. The first part of Stranger Things 5 culminates in a deeply moving moment for Will, where he not only discovers he has powers, but truly comes to terms with who he is – and that’s a remarkably empowering experience.

With Will, Eleven, and possibly Holly now having powers, they might stand a better chance against Vecna. While we don’t know what the future holds after the first part of Stranger Things 5, we’re enjoying the present moment. As Eleven would say, awesome!

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 in just 72 hours and is still upset about Eddie Munson. She’s warned that she’ll be heartbroken if Steve Harrington dies in the fourth season.

Read More

2025-11-27 11:38