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New ‘Stranger Things 5’ poster hints at a fan-favorite character's death and we aren’t ready

Netflix released a poster featuring the key cast members ahead of the show's Vol. 2 premiere

Maya Hawke's Robin was almost a casualty in 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 1. While she did survive, the latest poster featuring the key characters paints a bleak picture of her chances of survival in Volume 2. Earlier, Netflix released a poster featuring the key cast members ahead of the show's Vol. 2 premiere on Christmas Day, but Robin was missing in it, sparking death theories on social media.

The poster featured nine prominent characters — Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) in the first row. Gaten Matarazzo's Dustin Henderson, Sadie Sink's Max Mayfield, and Caleb McLaughlin's Lucas Sinclair took the second row. Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) completed the poster by taking the third row.

Also missing were David Harbour's Jim Hopper and Winona Ryder's Joyce Byers — two characters whose names were propped up right alongside Hawke's character by fans. Some believed that one or all three characters would likely kick the bucket as the remaining four episodes promise to be a humdinger. That said, much of this is pure speculation, and there is always the possibility that some of the names featured in the poster are candidates who could die as well.

Robin was introduced in Season 4 of the hit Netflix show and has quickly become a fan-favorite since. Her death will surely rattle the show's faithful, especially with volume 2 releasing on Christmas Day. There have been no major deaths in the first four episodes, but the same pattern might be unlikely in the upcoming three chapters.

While the wait continues, here's a look at the full synopsis of 'Stranger Things' Season 5. "The fall of 1987. 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. 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."

'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 2 releases 5:00 p.m. PST on December 25, 2025.