Does Max die in Stranger Things season 4? (Spoilers)

Stranger Things is back and we couldn’t be happier! The highly-anticipated fourth season is split into two parts, with volume 1 releasing on May 27 and volume 2 coming out on July 1. There are new threats in Hawkins and our favorite characters are in danger. The new villain, Vecna, is looking for blood and unfortunately almost kills one of our favorites.

Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 4 volumes 1 and 2.

Stranger Things season 4 is seriously action-packed. The first half of it focuses on the introduction of Vecna and his victims. Max (Sadie Sink) becomes intrigued by the murders after Chrissy is killed at her classmate Eddie Munson’s (Joseph Quinn) trailer, which happens to be right next to hers. She’s super isolated in season 4 volume 1, basically dropping all of her friends and even breaking up with Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) after the events of the season 3 finale. She’s grieving over the death of her step-brother Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) and has to deal with her mom who’s been drinking.

As Max investigates the murders and tries to figure out why these kids specifically were murdered, she realizes that she’s having the same symptoms they did before they died. By looking through the school counselor’s files, she discovers that Vecna preys after people who are vulnerable and have a bad home life. Thankfully, she’s reunited with some of her friends by then, so she has their help to make sure she’s not next.

Does Vecna kill Max in Stranger Things season 4 volume 1?

Max does not die in Stranger Things season 4 volume 1. But it’s a close one. By episode 4, “Dear Billy,” Max is fully aware that she might be killed any day now. Because of this, she writes letters to all the important people in her life, including one to Billy. She goes to his gravesite and starts reading it aloud, while Steve (Joe Keery), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas watch nearby.

Steve walks over to Max to see if she’s okay only to find her in a trance. It’s Vecna’s curse. Her eyes are rolled up into the back of her head and she sees Billy in another dimension. Meanwhile, Dustin and Lucas run over to Max and try to wake her up. Billy starts playing mind games with Max and she gets away from him, going deeper into the Upside Down.

Max discovers Vecna’s home in the Upside Down, and he’s surprised to see her there. His tentacles grab her and tie her to a tree as she tries to fight back. Steve, Dustin, and Lucas watch as Max starts to levitate, which we know is what happens right before Vecna kills his victims.

However, just in the nick of time, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) gets through to Dustin on the walkie talkie and tells him to play Max’s favorite song. By speaking with Victor Creel (Robert Englund) at Pennhurst Mental Hospital, Nancy and Robin (Maya Hawke) realize that music can snap people back to reality if they’re under Vecna’s spell.

Does Max die in Stranger Things season 4 volume 2?

Although Max makes it out alive in season 4 volume 1, it’s another VERY close call for her in volume 2. She’s still being followed by Vecna and the group comes to the conclusion that she is supposed to be his fourth victim. In episode 9, “The Piggyback,” Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) decides she might be able to save Max if she goes into her mind and fights Vecna. She does this, but it’s a lot harder than she might’ve thought.

Eleven eventually gets the upper hand on Vecna, but it’s pretty much too late. He had already started taking Max, and her bones had begun to break. She comes back to life temporarily and talks to Lucas, but she then dies in Lucas’ arms. It’s so incredibly heartbreaking.

That said, it’s not the end of Max just yet. We flash forward two days and all the friends are reunited. Lucas is at the hospital, reading to Max who is in a coma. Lucas says her heart stopped for over a minute and she died clinically, but she came back.

What is Max’s favorite song in Stranger Things?

By playing Max’s favorite song, a portal in the Upside Down opens up and she’s able to see the real world. The song playing is “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush, which is played multiple times throughout the season.

Be sure to stream all nine episodes of Stranger Things season 4 right now on Netflix. Stranger Things season 5 is now in the works!