Stranger Things Season 4 almost broke the internet, as one of the most highly anticipated series released on Netflix in 2022. With a new villain descending on Hawkins, the group of courageous friends find themselves dispersed and disconnected, and it seems like there is little hope on the horizon. The Upside Down is suspended in time, stuck in the moment where Will breached the divide between the two worlds, and Vecna is plucking up victims like lambs to the slaughter.

Related: Stranger Things: Every Season Of The Show, Ranked

Eleven and the gang have since made their stand, attempting (and failing) to protect their beloved hometown, and after four successful murders, doomsday has arrived. The nearly four-hour-long finale is crammed full of twists, turns, and heartache, and has subsequently opened a whole other can of worms as fans debate the unanswered questions of Stranger Things Season 4.

8 Max: Alive Or Brain Dead?

Stranger Things Season 4 Mysteries Max, Eleven and Lucas Season 4

After baiting Vecna successfully, Max finds herself trapped with the monstrosity in her mind where Kate Bush can no longer save her (thanks, Jason!) and the poor girl suffers the same fate as Chrissy and the others before her. Physically dead for over a minute, Max is revived by Eleven, although with the extent of damage done to her body, some fans believe a quick death would have been more humane.

Max slips into a coma and is confined to a hospital, practically in a full-body cast and likely blind; but that's not even the worst part! When El enters her mind, Max is nowhere to be seen, seemingly lost in a black void, if she still exists at all. Venca's victims don't just die, their energies (and powers) are subsequently absorbed by Vecna himself, so why should Max's fate be any different? Maybe El was too late, and her friend's mind is gone fore good.

With a great deal of time and obsession, El could potentially explore the void like she had done once before for Papa, but with everything going down in Hawkins, it is unlikely that she could sacrifice that much time. Will probably has a better chance at determining Max's mortality, as he too is connected to Vecna and the Upside Down. If he learns to focus clearly, Will could potentially read Vecna's mind, either luring Max back into the real world or at least giving the group some much-needed inside information.

7 Is There A Russian Gate?

Stranger Things Season 4 Mysteries The Russians Season 4

In an absurd twist of events, Joyce, Murray, and Hopper break back into the Russian prison with the goal of fighting the Demogorgon(s), subsequently weakening Vecna enough to give El the upper hand. The Russians appear to have been attempting to weaponize the creatures from the Upside Down and have kept (or bred?) several species in seemingly suspended animation. It's no surprise when the hoard of creatures breaks free and runs rampant across the prison, but luckily the Americans know just how to take these guys out.

Related: Stranger Things: 10 Most Terrifying Creatures

Having access to Demogorgons and those mysterious shadow particles (that resemble the Mind Flayer) suggests the possibility of a Russian Gate, although one is never seen. Most fans believe that the creatures were captured in Season 3 and transported back to Kamchatka, which seems like an awful amount of work. The Russians have shown interest in opening Gates before, so who's to say they weren't successful in their homeland after all?

6 Will Nancy Choose Jonothan Or Steve?

Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan

One cannot simply create a successful horror without adding some sexual tension to the mix, and this love triangle has many fans divided between Steve and Jonothan supporters. This cliched drama has been playing out since Season 1 when Nancy dumped Steve for Jonothan, and the happy couple has been dating since. Distance has unfortunately created some tension between the two, fueled by Jonothan's constant lies regarding college and their future, while all the while Steve gets to spend a significant amount of quality time with his ex.

Many fans swoon when Steve shares his dream of having six bundles of joy with Nancy, eager to throw dishonest Jonothan under the motorhome right then and there. The couple is finally reunited in the last moments of Season 4 episode 9, but there is clearly a rift in Nancy and Jonothan's relationship, one which the dashing Steve is more than happy to fill. It is unlikely that Nancy would approve of Jonothan's new passion for...plants, so even if the lies as are forgiven, are the pair even compatible anymore?

5 Where Is Vecna Now?

Stranger Things Season 4 Mysteries Vecna surives Season 4

With the triple-threat of assaults, it really did seem that Vecna would meet his end after Nancy, Steve and Robin added the finishing touches, however, it became tragically clear that it won't be that "easy" to defeat him. Vecna's corpse is miraculously missing from the lawn of his childhood home in the Upside Down, implying that he pulled a Voldemort and escaped into the darkness.

The Upside Down seems to have existed long before Henry Creel arrived, but it appears that they have formed an almost inseparable bond in the past few years, and perhaps their mortality is somewhat connected too. If Vecna is harmed when the Demodogs are attacked in Russia, then surely he can also draw power from the creatures of the Upside Down as well? Maybe Vecna needs to be destroyed along with the alternative reality, or at least at the same time all Gates are obliterated, for him to truly be wiped from existence. This is a seemingly impossible feat considering Hawkin's current situation, and also likely means that someone would need to sacrifice themselves by remaining in the Upside Down, dealing the final, fatal blow to Vecna, right at the source.

4 Will Will's Sexuality Be Confirmed?

Stranger Things Season 4 Mysteries Will and Mike Season 4

Many Stranger Things fans have been abuzz since Mike outed his best friend on international television in Season 3, insensitively insinuating that something is wrong with Will because he doesn't like girls. Not much has been said on the matter since, but most viewers can't deny that Mike and Will's heart-to-heart in Season 4 episode 8 had a deeper meaning, for Will at least. When Mike opens up about his insecurities about dating the all-powerful El, Will practically declares his love for Mike while simultaneously boosting his friend's ego as Jonothan watches on from the front seat.

Related: 11 Series That Promote LGBTQ+ Awareness

The brothers later have a meaningful conversation at Surfer Boy Pizza where Will shares that his differences make him feel like a mistake, but the subject of sexuality never arises. This is set in the 80s after all, and it is the Millenial way to slap a label onto everything, so throwing the term "gay" around could detract from the message being portrayed. Hopefully, Will has realized that, regardless of his sexual orientation, his friends and family will undoubtedly support him, even if some of them are too self-absorbed (ahem...Mike!) to notice his heartache.

3 Who Is This Sullivan?

Stranger Things Season 4 Mysteries Sullivan Season 4

Jack Sullivan is an influential Lt. Colonel of the US military who believes that Eleven is to blame for all of Vecna's victims and will stop at nothing to kill the girl in order to protect his country. He first instigates an attack on the Byers' residence in an effort to catch El in her comfort zone, and seeks her out again in Nevada, ordering his agents to end her life. It is clear that Dr. Owens and Sullivan know each other from the past, although fans aren't familiar with his sinister visage. He appears to be a military man through and through, saving no room for empathy or compassion when carrying out his orders.

The fact that Sullivan shows no surprise when facing the concept of superhuman entities, combined with his supposes relationship with Dr. Owens, suggests that Sullivan has worked with the Hawkins Laboratory before, if not since the beginnings of experimentation. Either the government is smart enough to keep a watchful eye on these unnatural proceedings, or, much like the Russians, the US military planned to weaponize these poor kids all along, if they proved to be submissive and manageable, which El clearly isn't.

2 Is Dr. Owens Alive?

Stranger Things Season 4 Mysteries Dr Owens Season 4

Dr. Sam Owens is one of the few adults in Eleven's life who sees her as an individual instead of a scientific specimen and fans cheer when he takes a stand against Dr. Brenner, ensuring El of her freedom to choose her course in life. Papa refuses to lose control of the situation and restrains Dr. Owens, handcuffing him in a room before drugging Eleven and taking her hostage. The Nina project's civil war has conveniently given the military time to catch up, and once again a laboratory is turned into a bloodbath as Papa makes a 'heroic' attempt to carry El to freedom.

While searching the facility, Sullivan stumbles across the handcuffed Dr. Owens, and the good doctor pleas for the girl's life to be spared. The scene pans off to the exterior battle between El and a helicopter, but viewers are not sure if Dr. Owens was slaughtered at this time or if Sullivan simply left him for dead. There seems to be no reason to keep him alive, however, he could provide useful information seeing that Sullivan will need to track down El once again.

1 Is Eleven Stronger Than One?

Stranger Things Season 4 Mysteries Eleven and One Season 4

Well, if this question was answered in Season 4 then there would probably be no reason for the 5th installment of Stranger Things. While the infamous One may have more years of experience, Eleven has successfully overpowered her 'mentor' more than once. Even if her blows were not fatal in the end, it appears that El has more brute force behind her attacks, although Vecna has more in his arsenal. Not only does he have a built-in army of Upside Down creatures at his beck and call, but Vecna supposedly absorbs the powers of those he has killed, meaning he potentially possesses the capabilities of all the children murdered in the Massacre at Hawkins Laboratory.

Positive memories have proven themselves to be potent forces in their own right, as Max bravely demonstrates in Season 4. Henry Creel is shown to have a relatively troubled childhood as the misunderstood outcast, so it is unlikely that he has access to many happy moments. El may have had her fair share of struggles, but she also has a plethora of cheerful content to choose from, potentially giving her the upper hand in the end. It may be a bit cheezy, but the power of positivity may end up being Vecna's downfall in the final season, as he relies purely on anger and rage to fuel his attacks.

More: Stranger Things: 10 Fan Theories From Season 4 That Just Make Sense