As the highly anticipated final season of Stranger Things approaches, fans are deep-diving into the show's lore, spinning out compelling, dark, and often shocking theories about the fates of the beloved characters. The narrative threads left dangling at the end of the last volume have inspired speculation about everything from bodily harm to the very nature of the show's reality.

The dark, enigmatic world of Hawkins continues to fuel intense fan debate, generating intriguing, detailed predictions about who will survive and what sacrifices will be made.

A leading theory currently circulating on the Stranger Things fan site proposes that Will Byers will suffer a severe injury, specifically losing an eye, either in the upcoming volume or the series finale of Stranger Things 5.

This theory draws heavy inspiration from the characters in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), a central element of the show. In D&D lore, one of the iconic heroes, Vecna, is a character who loses an eye.

Given Will’s deep and enduring connection to the Upside Down and Vecna, many enthusiasts believe his loss of an eye would serve as a powerful, symbolic parallel to his lifelong tormentor.

Losing an eye is seen as a rite of passage for many mythical heroes, representing a profound sacrifice for greater knowledge or victory, making it a dark but thematically appropriate end for Will’s arc.

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Beyond the physical danger to the characters, another widely discussed, albeit highly divisive, theory challenges the entire foundation of the show’s sprawling storyline and setting.

This radical fan theory posits that the entire narrative of Stranger Things is a fictional construct, specifically, the elaborate Dungeons & Dragons campaign that the main group has been playing since the very first season.

The argument suggests that the Upside Down, the terrifying monsters like the Demogorgon and Vecna, and all the supernatural chaos of Hawkins are simply the collective imagination of the kids.

Proponents of this idea point to moments where the D&D game directly precedes or mirrors a real-life event, suggesting that the real-life events are just the culmination of their imaginative play.

While these wild theories offer a clean, if perhaps disappointing, resolution to the supernatural elements, many fans find it unsatisfying, feeling it would negate the genuine peril and emotional investment built up over four seasons.

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Do any of these fan theories, including Will Byers' tragic eye injury and Eleven's psychic power, sound plausible as the series moves toward its conclusion? Let us know in the comments below.