The finale of Stranger Things has left fans in a state of mourning, celebration, and, perhaps most of all, deep contemplation. While the journey of the Hawkins crew has reached its official conclusion, the fate of the show’s heartbeat—Eleven—remains the biggest mystery of the series.
In a world defined by monsters and parallel dimensions, it’s fitting that the show ended not with a simple “happily ever after,” but with a question that has sparked endless debate. Now, Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield) has stepped forward to offer her own interpretation of that ambiguous ending, and her “hot take” might be harder for fans to swallow than a trip to the Upside Down.
The Ultimate Sacrifice: What Happened to Eleven?
To understand Sadie Sink’s perspective, we have to look back at the final moments of Season 5. In a climactic act of heroism, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) seemingly sacrifices herself to ensure she can never again be used as a super-weapon by the government or act as a bridge for a new Vecna-level threat from The Abyss.
Following a traumatic 18-month jump, we see the surviving members of the party reunite for their high school graduation. It is a bittersweet moment of closure, yet Eleven’s absence looms large. However, the show offers one last sliver of hope through Mike Wheeler. During their final Dungeons & Dragons campaign, Mike floats a theory: what if Kali Prasad (Eight) used her powers of illusion to help Eleven fake her death? In Mike’s version of the story, Eleven is living a peaceful, hidden life in a remote village bordered by three waterfalls.
Sadie Sink’s “Hot Take”: Coping vs. Reality
While Mike and the rest of the D&D group choose to believe in the “Waterfall Theory,” Sadie Sink isn’t quite as optimistic. During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Sink was asked for her interpretation of Eleven’s fate.
“I think she’s dead,” Sink admitted. “Is that like a hot take? I think Mike’s story is just one last story, and that’s how they say goodbye to childhood. It’s a coping thing. I think the ending is stronger that way.”
For Sink, the beauty of the finale isn’t in a secret survival, but in the emotional maturity of the characters. By believing in a happier version of Eleven’s fate, the group is able to process their grief and move forward into adulthood. To her, Eleven’s death is the definitive end of their childhood “magic.”
Why the Duffer Brothers Refused a “Full Happy Ending”
Fans might be surprised to learn that the Duffer Brothers did briefly consider a more traditional conclusion for Eleven. In an interview with Josh Horowitz, they revealed that they explored a version of the script where Eleven got to live a “full happy ending”—complete with a marriage to Mike and a life free from lab experiments.
Ultimately, they realized that version didn’t fit the themes of the show. Ross Duffer explained that Eleven represents the “magic of childhood” itself. For the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to truly close, that magic had to go away.
“There was never a version where Eleven was hanging out with the gang at the end,” Ross Duffer shared. “The fact that they are believing in a happier ending, even if we didn’t give them a clear answer, was a better way to represent their journey from children to adults.”
The Only Person Who Knows the Truth
Despite all the theories, the Duffer Brothers have confirmed that there is a factual truth to what happened to Eleven. However, they are keeping that secret under lock and key. In fact, they’ve only shared the real answer with one person: Millie Bobby Brown.
This means that even the cast members, including Sadie Sink and Finn Wolfhard, are left to interpret the finale just like the fans. Whether you choose to believe Mike’s hopeful tale of a girl by the waterfalls or Sadie’s grounded take on a tragic sacrifice, the Duffers have achieved their goal: they’ve made Eleven’s legacy immortal through our own belief.
As the “Conformity Gate” theory and other fan speculations continue to swirl on social media, one thing is certain—the ending of Stranger Things wasn’t just about closing a portal; it was about the stories we tell ourselves to find peace in the face of loss.
