It was an emotional exchange in the final moments of the finale, when Mike tells pals Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) that the Eleven standing in front of the Mac-Z portal was simply an illusion made by Kali to allow her sister to escape the U.S. Army’s grip.
Amid a montage of Eleven leaving and eventually making her way to the village, the group tearfully proclaimed, “I believe.”
But for co-creator and twin Ross Duffer, her fate isn’t clear. Instead, he explained, “She lives on in their hearts, whether that’s real or not.”