Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1!Max’s fate in Stranger Things season 5 is understandably one of the biggest focal points for the show’s final installment. There has been no shortage of heartbreaking moments in the Netflix series, but what happened to Sadie Sink’s Max at the end of Stranger Things season 4 was one of the most emotionally crushing sequences thus far.
Since her debut in season 2, Max has grown into a fan favorite character, cementing herself as one of the most important figures in the show. As her bond with the younger characters grew, so did the complexities surrounding Max as a character. Season 4, in particular, was an interesting look at how Billy’s death took a toll on her, whether through grief, guilt, or a mixture of both.
It was a surprise when Max became a target of Vecna, and an even bigger surprise when the Duffer Brothers went through with essentially killing the character. Max might be in a coma, but the Stranger Things creators confirmed Max’s fate, explaining that she was alive but “brain dead.” Thankfully, Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1, doesn’t take too much time updating viewers on Max’s true fate.
Max Is Still In A Coma At The Start Of Stranger Things Season 5
Despite the time that has passed after Stranger Things season 4, Max is still in a coma throughout the events of season 5’s first four episodes. However, that hasn’t stopped Lucas from giving up hope that she will come back. He even continues to play Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” while visiting in an effort to wake her up, though she hasn’t shown him any signs that his methods are working.
As for her appearance, Max looks to be in somewhat better shape than the last time we saw her. Her broken bones have healed, and she no longer has a neck brace, so if and when she wakes up, she hopefully won’t be restrained to a bed any longer. Granted, Max seemingly went blind as a result of Vecna’s curse, and it’s unclear if that would remain permanent if she ever wakes up.
What Happened To Max After She “Died” In Season 4
By the end of Stranger Things season 5, episode 3, “The Turnbow Trap,” it’s revealed that the mysterious figure keeping an eye on Holly at the Creel house is Max, just not the real-life version. Max reveals to Holly that she really did die at the hands of Vecna, but she felt something “calling” to her before finding herself in the Rainbow Room following Henry’s massacre. Max then finds herself trapped in Vecna’s mind, moving from memory to memory.
Vecna’s mindscape essentially became a maze, and just as Max felt like giving up, she found herself back in the Rainbow Room, but this time, she heard “Running Up That Hill” playing. Unbeknownst to Lucas, Max was hearing the music while in a coma. While in the memory of the night that Vecna killed her, Max encountered a portal-like door that led to the hospital room. Before she could go through, the song ended, closing the portal. To make matters worse, Vecna found her trying to escape.
Why Max Is Living In The Cave Within Vecna’s Mindscape
While trying to escape Vecna, who was in his Henry Creel form, Max ended up in the memory that Holly is eventually taken to. Rather than go into the Creel house, Max ran through the woods and into the cave as Vecna followed. Oddly, Vecna refused to get close to the rock wall, so he didn’t follow Max into the cave. It’s unclear what was stopping him from going in there, but Max explains to Holly that his inability to enter the cave is the reason she made it her home within the mindscape.
The rest of Stranger Things season 5 will need to uncover the truth about the particular memory involving the rock structure and cave, including what happened to Henry and why he can’t enter that area. However, the bigger question is whether Max and Holly can find a way out of Vecna’s mind so they both can return to the real world. Holly, in particular, is one of Vecna’s victims, whom he plans to use to “reshape the world.”
Volume 1 of Stranger Things season 5 is now available on Netflix. Volume 2 will be released on December 25, followed by the series finale on December 31.
- Release Date
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November 26, 2025
- Network
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Netflix
- Episodes
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8
