Stranger Things Finale Inspired by Lord of the Rings

The creators of Stranger Things have revealed that the Season 5 finale was heavily inspired by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The series concludes with Episode 8, titled 'The Rightside Up,' which features a substantial epilogue set 18 months after the climactic events. This extended ending covers the destruction of the Upside Down, the death of Vecna, and the graduation of the core characters from Hawkins High School. The finale runs for 2 hours and 8 minutes, with a significant portion dedicated to wrapping up character arcs, including a marriage proposal between Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers. The end credits utilize D&D-style illustrations to pay tribute to the cast and the show's nine-year journey.

Stranger Things officially concludes with Season 5 Episode 8, titled 'The Rightside Up.' The episode features an epilogue set 18 months after the events that led to the destruction of the Upside Down and the death of Vecna. During this time, the characters move on with their lives, starting with the core group's graduation from Hawkins High School. The show comes to a close with the end of the Dungeon and Dragons campaign that began the Netflix series nine years ago. The torch is passed to a new generation of D&D fans, including Holly Wheeler and Derek Turnbow.

The finale has a runtime of 2 hours and 8 minutes, with a decent chunk of that time devoted to the epilogue. This section includes a successful marriage proposal from David Harbour’s Jim Hopper to Winona Ryder’s Joyce Byers. The ending credits show famous scenes as D&D illustrations, characters in the style of D&D character profiles, maps of locations from the show, and a final image showing Stranger Things as a D&D players manual.

Matt and Ross Duffer told Deadline that the epilogue and the end credits were inspired by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Matt Duffer explained the reasoning behind the extended length. "We thought about [The Lord of the Rings] Return of the King a lot, just in terms of the length of the epilogue," Matt Duffer said. "I always defend the Return of the King epilogue, but I'm one of those hardcore Lord of the Rings fans, to the point where I've watched all extended editions in a row on a single day. If you do that, the epilogue feels absolutely perfect and not long at all. In fact, if it felt shorter, it would feel absolutely distressing."

Matt Duffer compared the viewing experience to watching the entire season of Stranger Things. "I think, Stranger Things, if you watch Season 5 all the way through, it's going to feel great. You just want to spend extra time with these characters. Anyway, that was sort of the reference for the epilogue. Then we love the credits at the end of Return of the King. So that was the initial idea, and they were these very simple illustrations."

Ross Duffer added that the credits served another purpose beyond the cinematic reference. "We wanted to be able to pay tribute to our cast and how much they've grown through the years. Obviously, it's not to say the whole show was a D&D campaign. It was just a way to pay tribute to everyone and also let the audience, hopefully, take in this journey that they've been on for nine years."

The Duffer brothers' reference to The Return of the King points to specific stylistic choices in Peter Jackson's film. The epic trilogy concludes with an epilogue set four years after the hobbits return to the Shire. In that film, Frodo leaves Middle-earth for the Undying Lands with Bilbo, Gandalf, and the remaining Elves. He gives Sam the Red Book of Westmarch, detailing their adventures, and bids farewell to his friends. A saddened Sam returns home and is comforted by his family.

The end credits of The Return of the King show the main characters in illustrative form, serving as a goodbye following their extensive adventures. The Stranger Things finale adopts a similar approach, using D&D illustrations to map out the journey. The credits feature maps of locations from the show and character profiles, culminating in a final image that frames the entire series as a Dungeons and Dragons manual.

The Season 5 finale of Stranger Things marks the end of a nine-year journey for the series. By utilizing a lengthy epilogue and stylized credits, the creators aimed to provide a satisfying conclusion for the audience. The inspiration drawn from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King highlights the desire to give the characters and the story a proper send-off, allowing fans one last look at the world of Hawkins before closing the book.