Stranger Things season 5 drops mysterious teaser hinting at what’s to come in the endgame

Stranger Things season 5 is set to let viewers witness their beloved crew's final battle against the dark forces of the Upside Down. This supernatural alternate dimension has claimed the lives of many residents of the fictional town of Hawkins, located in Indiana, throughout the years.

With most of the characters reprising their respective roles for one last time, Stranger Things season 5 volume 1, comprising the first four episodes, is scheduled to premiere on November 26, 2025. On July 16, 2025, Netflix released a new teaser trailer for the highly anticipated fifth and final season of the sci-fi horror series, which premiered almost a decade ago in 2016.

What happens in the new Stranger Things season 5 teaser?

In a voiceover in the teaser, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) can be heard referencing a "burn" that is supposed to begin soon, implying that he and the team are planning to set fire to the dimension. Later on, Jim Hopper (David Harbor) urges Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) to fight just one more time.

The teaser cuts to Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), who is in the hospital due to the coma she fell into in the finale of season 4. Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) can be seen crying as he sits beside Max's hospital bed. Whether or not she will wake up from the coma is expected to be revealed in the upcoming season.

Elsewhere in the teaser, Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) hugs Mike, while Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) and Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) share an emotional moment. Lucas' sister Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson) also joins the crew, as they try to face off against Upside Down.

Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) can be seen mourning Eddie Munson's (Joseph Quinn) death in season 4. The teaser ends on a high-stakes note as Vecna seemingly tries to gain control of the fire.

What is the plot of Stranger Things season 5?

Set in the fall of 1987, Stranger Things season 5 picks up where season 4 left off. The new season will air in three parts, with the first volume scheduled to premiere on November 26, 2025. Volume 2, comprising episodes 5 to 7, will be released on December 25, and the finale will be out on New Year's Eve, marking the end of the year as well as the long-running show.

An official synopsis of the show reads:

"Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding."

It continues:

"As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time."

Besides the characters seen in the teaser, season 5 will see the return of many other characters, such as Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), Vickie (Amybeth McNulty), Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher), Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly), Lt. Akers (Alex Breaux), and Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton).

Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix.