There are many unanswered questions in the final two episodes of Stranger Things season 4. Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), who, unlike Eddie (Joseph Quinn) and Robin (Maya Hawke), did not pass through the gate from the Upside Down and back into the real world, was among the characters whose fates were left in question following the dramatic conclusion of episode seven.
The kids learned that Vecna was opening doors to the parallel realm each time he killed someone at the end of episode six, and Steve was the first to pass through the “water gate” to get there. When Steve was sucked through, he came face to face with a swarm of animals that resembled bats.
He was followed by Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Eddie, and Maya, but not before Steve had already been bitten numerous times. Robin was quite worried that he would have rabies when Nancy sewed him up, but a new theory in advance of Volume 2 implies there might be something far worse on the horizon.
We have never encountered bats in the Upside Down before, so we are unsure of the potential harm they could do. However, things might not be looking well for Steve because it seems like everyone and everything in the dimension is trying to get our heroes.
According to one notion, Steve might transform as a result of the bites. This may be for good or evil, as one Reddit user speculated(opens in new tab) that Steve might soon emerge as the show’s main antagonist. According to this hypothesis, the bites could cause him to transform into the Dungeons and Dragons mythology figure Kas, a lieutenant of Vecna who also happens to be a vampire—hence the significance of the bat bites.
Others, though, are worried that Steve won’t be able to heal from his wounds at all. Before the show’s last season, one Redditor predicts(opens in new tab) that the Duffer Brothers would murder off a fan favourite character. Meanwhile, on Twitter, someone predicts(opens in new tab) that Steve might give his life to save Nancy.
The Duffer Brothers also addressed the unsettling rumour that a significant character would be killed off in the forthcoming episodes in their interview with Variety(opens in new tab). Ross Duffer remarked, “I really don’t want to say, but I would be worried about the characters heading into Volume 2, for sure. “It’s a darker season, and the kids are getting older, so I hope that makes some sense. So everyone is at risk. Additionally, there is a rather foreboding impression that things might not go well.”
To learn exactly what will happen to Steve, we must wait until the July 1 publication of Volume 2. Check out our guide to the Stranger Things season 4, part 1 ending for more information, and be sure to see the post-credits scene. Check out our list of the top Netflix shows available for streaming right now in the interim.
