Fans have been waiting years for Stranger Things 5, and it’s finally set to arrive sometime in 2025. Netflix revealed the season 5 episode titles in advance, and viewers are eager to see what they could hint about what’s next for the kids in Hawkins as the series comes to a close.
What Are the ‘Stranger Things 5’ Episode Titles?
While Netflix and the Duffer brothers have stayed pretty tight-lipped about the final season’s plot, they gave fans something to chew on during Stranger Things Day in 2024 by releasing the full list of episode titles.
Season 5 will feature eight episodes with the following names:
- Episode 1: “The Crawl”
- Episode 2: “The Vanishing of …”
- Episode 3: “The Turnbow Trap”
- Episode 4: “Sorcerer”
- Episode 5: “Shock Jock”
- Episode 6: “Escape from Camazotz”
- Episode 7: “The Bridge”
- Episode 8: “The Rightside Up”
Fans were quick to notice that episode 2’s title was partially blurred out when the clip of the names was released. Tudum later confirmed it wasn’t a glitch and the creators are keeping the full name a secret for now.
What the Episode Titles Could Reveal About ‘Stranger Things 5’
If there’s any fandom that loves to analyze even the tiniest clues, it’s the Stranger Things one. Plenty of theories have already surfaced about what the titles might hint at.
For the first episode, “The Crawl,” some fans speculated it could refer to a classic Dungeons & Dragons move, the dungeon crawl. In D&D, a dungeon crawl is when players explore a dangerous location like a dungeon, cave, or abandoned lab, battling monsters and avoiding traps — something that would fit perfectly with Eleven and her friends diving deeper into the Upside Down.
Episode 2’s title, “The Vanishing of …,” is a clear callback to the very first episode of Stranger Things, “The Vanishing of Will Byers.” With rumors swirling that Mike and Nancy’s younger sister, Holly Wheeler, plays a bigger role this season, some fans theorized her name might fill in the blank.
In March 2025, Ross Duffer shared a photo of a billboard advertising Turnbow Land & Realty, hinting at a new residential development in Hawkins. With episode 3 titled “The Turnbow Trap,” it’s possible the gang could be setting a trap for Vecna in a newly constructed part of town.
“Sorcerer” sounds like another Dungeons & Dragons nod — potentially pointing to Eleven tapping deeper into her powers. Meanwhile, “Shock Jock” could hint at Hawkins’ local radio station (WSQK) playing a bigger role, especially after Ross shared behind-the-scenes photos showing the set.
Other than “The Crawl,” the title generating the most theories is “Escape from Camazotz.” In D&D, Camazotz is a bat god tied to darkness, death, and sacrifice. Meanwhile, in A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, which the Duffer brothers cited as inspiration, Camazotz is a planet ruled by evil forces. Either way, it sounds like the Upside Down is about to get even more dangerous.
“The Bridge” is broad enough to invite speculation about a connection. Maybe a literal bridge between Hawkins and the Upside Down? As for the finale, “The Rightside Up” suggests a major victory, although whether everyone makes it out alive remains to be seen.
How the ‘Stranger Things 5’ Episode Titles Tie Into Past Seasons
Fans have pointed out that many of the season 5 titles echo earlier chapters of the show. “The Vanishing of …” mirrors Will’s disappearance in season 1, while “The Crawl” fits the Dungeons & Dragons themes that have run through the series since the beginning. Even “The Rightside Up” feels like a full-circle moment, flipping the Upside Down that haunted Hawkins from the start.
