Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 ending explained: Will Byers' shocking transformation as Controller—key to victory and new stakes for Volume 2

The first volume of the final season of Stranger Things ended with a huge story twist, changing the dynamics of the main encounter and making Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) the show's new protagonist. A vicious military conflict and the revelation of a controlled force within Will, connected to the adversary Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), were the climaxes of the four-episode volume that built up the series' final denouement.

Hawkins under quarantine and merging worlds

Hawkins remains under military quarantine months after the catastrophic events of Season 4's finale, in Volume 1. The Upside Down and the real world have become one due to the four rifts (or "Rifts") that Vecna created, and the result is a gradual, corrosive end of the universe. The military, under the mysterious leadership of Dr Kay (Sarah Connor), has established a base in the Upside Down. Their official mission is to stop the breach, but their actual goal seems to be to take advantage of the people or things in the parallel reality.

Efforts to find and kill Vecna, aka Henry Creel, are the central focus of the first episodes. The presence of US military forces complicates this pursuit as they aggressively pursue Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who is now training with Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) in the Upside Down while dodging capture.

ALSO READ: Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 review: Familiar frights persist in engaging but predictable build-up to final countdown

Vecna's dark strategy

The fact that Vecna's plan includes abducting and using children from Hawkins is a major plot point in Volume 1. Under the guise of an "imaginary friend," such as Mr. Whatsit, Vecna begins his mission to "reshape the world" by preying on kids whom he views as "weak and broken." He tells Will that these children are particularly vulnerable.

Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) is one of the children that the Party figures out Vecna is kidnapping and keeping in his Upside Down lair. The Upside Down's hive mentality apparently affects these kids, just as it did Will in Season 1 when the Demogorgon infected him. For Vecna, the only way to prove that the Upside Down has complete power over Hawkins is to finish a ceremony that calls for twelve children.

Rescue attempt

Attempts to free the kidnapped children take the stage in the volume's penultimate episode, which takes place at a military facility that Hopper and Eleven have separately infiltrated on the assumption that Vecna is held there. A legion of Demogorgons storms the battlefield in the climax, plunging headfirst into the fray and slaying every single soldier. Vecna appears and directly confronts Will and his group.

In the first volume's climax, the most noteworthy change is how Will Byers' long-standing, passive bond with Vecna becomes an active, aggressive force.

Will's pre-existing psychic bond

A mental knowledge of Vecna's presence—the usual "pressure" at the base of his neck—has always been a defining feature of Will's connection to the villain, which dates back to his original kidnapping in 1983. Using this heightened perception, Will is able to predict what Vecna will do throughout the first volume.

The last assault by the Demogorgons, ordered by Vecna to eliminate Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Robin (Maya Hawke), causes Will to change drastically. Will shifts the psychic flow in the other direction while Vecna tries to dominate him. In three distinct places, he telekinetically immobilises and eliminates the Demogorgons attacking his friends. Eleven's pale eyes reflect his physical hardship. The ensuing nosebleed that Will had validates the use of true authority.

Will's transformation

Will is catapulted from his role as a mere receiver of Vecna's signal to that of a possible controller of the hive mind at this very instant, granting him access to Vecna's ability to govern beings bound to the Upside Down. Matt and Ross Duffer, the show's producers, have made it clear that Will does not have Eleven's natural telekinesis but is instead "puppeteering" Vecna's power via his unbreakable bond to the hive mind.

This turn of events now views Will Byers, the series' first victim, as a valuable tool in the showdown. The plot has essentially circled back to its beginning, with the effects of Will's initial involvement with the Upside Down serving as the focal point of the conflict.

Max's coma and confinement in mindscape

Season 4's confrontation between Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) and Vecna left her in a coma, partially explaining her unknown destiny. Even though her physical body is in a Hawkins hospital, we learn at the end of Volume 1 that Vecna is awake and confined to her "memory world" or mindscape—what she calls "Henry's prison"—in her consciousness.

Holly Wheeler, another of Vecna's recent victims, appears to Max inside this mental world. Max, who had previously discovered a method to temporarily traverse this mental maze by recalling her song, has been retreating to a safe haven. A possible internal danger to Vecna's awareness in Volume 2 is hinted at by Holly's entrance, which gives Max fresh motivation to try a coordinated escape.

Unresolved storylines

The finale also leaves several additional narrative strands unanswered.

Instead of leading to Vecna, Hopper and Eleven find out the stunning news that Dr Kay has Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), Eleven's "sister" with the illusion-making power, Eight, seized during their infiltration of the military base. The military's plans for Kali and her role remain unclear.

In The Adult Crisis, Holly is kidnapped, and Karen (Cara Buono) and Ted (Joe Chrest) are badly hurt in the Demogorgon attack on the Wheeler house. This tragedy, which also highlights the physical incursion of the Upside Down, intensifies the risks for the Hawkins family.

Volume 1 cliffhanger

Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 ends with a cliffhanger that sets up the series finale, which will hinge on two interrelated factors: Eleven's sheer power and Will's newly unlocked influence over the hive mind. The show confirms that Vecna is closer than ever before, ritualises the spatial union, and unleashes his Demogorgon army.

As we enter Volume 2, we wonder if Will will be able to maintain his connection to Vecna's power or if, following the narrative precedents of other "chosen one" stories, he will be asked to make a final sacrifice to cut off all ties with the Mind Flayer and Vecna. The group's ability to unite their unique skills against a foe who is both fully developed and actively pursuing their downfall has escalated the stakes to an unprecedented level.

FAQs:

Q: What is Will Byers' new power, and how does it work?

A: Will Byers' long-standing psychic link to Vecna transforms into an active, offensive power in the Volume 1 finale. He is able to reverse the psychic flow from Vecna's hive mind and telekinetically control or destroy creatures like the Demogorgons that are tethered to the Upside Down. Co-creators have clarified that he is not gaining the same innate telekinesis as Eleven, but is instead "puppeteering" Vecna's power through the permanent connection formed during his original abduction and possession. This establishes Will as a key asset in controlling the forces of the Upside Down.

Q: What is Max Mayfield's fate after the Volume 1 finale?

A: Max's physical body remains in a coma in a Hawkins hospital. However, the ending reveals that her consciousness is awake and trapped inside Vecna's mindscape, which she refers to as "Henry's prison." This mental space is comprised of Henry Creel's (Vecna's) memories. Max has managed to find a safe haven—a mysterious cave that Vecna is terrified of entering—and is now plotting an escape with Holly Wheeler, another of Vecna's victims.

Q: What is Vecna's grand scheme with the kidnapped children?

A: Vecna is systematically abducting children, including Holly Wheeler, to complete a ritual involving a total of twelve children. He explains that these children are "perfect vessels" because they are perceived as "weak and broken." The ritual's purpose is to fully manifest the Upside Down's control over Hawkins by channeling their combined energy to complete the dimensional merge, essentially "reshaping the world" into his own psychic domain.