If Stranger Things continues to expand after season 5 with spinoff shows, the best idea for it doesn’t include any of the characters introduced in all five seasons. Since its release in 2016, Stranger Things has remained one of Netflix’s biggest TV shows, which is why its ending with season 5 came as a big surprise. Stranger Things season 4 ended on a massive cliffhanger that left many questions and mysteries that season 5 will have to address, while also giving the main characters a satisfying ending.
At the end of Stranger Things season 4, a massive earthquake hit Hawkins and opened cracks across town. Through these, the Upside Down started to bleed into the human world, setting up a dark future for Hawkins. Now, Stranger Things is set to end with season 5, but it won’t be a definitive end for this world, as the Duffer Brothers have teased an expansion with spinoff shows. At the time of writing, there’s no word on who could lead these shows, but the best idea for them is one that doesn’t include any known characters.
Stranger Things Might Expand With Spinoffs After Season 5
There’s More To Explore In The World Of Stranger Things
The universe of Stranger Things has been in constant expansion for a while now but away from TV, thus leaving this format to the main series. Stranger Things has expanded with books, video games, podcasts, a stage play, and more, though not all of these are considered canon. However, the Duffer Brothers refuse to let the franchise end with season 5, and they are planning to keep adding to the world of Stranger Things with spinoffs, which have been said to be in development since 2022.
In 2023, Netflix announced a straight-to-series order for an animated series within the world of Stranger Things.
In December 2022, it was reported that an anime spinoff series, titled Stranger Things: Tokyo, was in development, but this hasn’t been confirmed by Netflix. However, in 2023, Netflix announced a straight-to-series order for an animated series within the world of Stranger Things, with the Duffer Brothers serving as executive producers. In January 2025, the Duffer Brothers confirmed that Stranger Things will continue beyond season 5 as they have more stories to tell, confirming these are currently in the works. However, it’s unknown who could be starring in these spinoffs.
An Anthology Series Would Be Stranger Things’ Best Spinoff
Hawkins Is Full Of Potential Stories For A Stranger Things Spinoff
There haven’t been any hints about who could get their own spinoffs out of the known Stranger Things characters, but the best idea would be an anthology series without already established characters. Surely, a spinoff focused on Eleven, Steve, Robin, or any other of the main characters from Stranger Things would be fun and, more than anything, would feel familiar, but that’s not exactly what I would like to see from a Stranger Things spinoff show.
I think a spinoff series would benefit more from focusing on other Hawkins residents.
As the Duffers said, there are many more stories to explore in the universe of Stranger Things, which is why I think a spinoff series would benefit more from focusing on other Hawkins residents. Throughout Stranger Things, the audience has only seen how the events around the Upside Down and Hawkins Lab affect Eleven, the rest of the Hawkins crew, and those involved with Hawkins Lab, but not how these have also impacted other Hawkins residents – and I refuse to believe no one outside the main characters has been affected by them.
An anthology spinoff series could focus on different Hawkins residents in every episode and how the opening of the gates to the Upside Down, the Demogorgon, Mind Flayer, the Starcourt Mall incident, and a lot more impacted their lives. Some of their stories could have crossed over with those of the main characters at some point, adding to the events of the main series. This would properly expand the universe of Stranger Things, without having to rely on Eleven and the rest and telling more stories parallel to theirs.
What Could The Stranger Things’ Spinoff Series Be About?
There Are Some Interesting Options For Stranger Things’ Future Spinoff Shows
The Stranger Things spinoffs will most likely be used to solve some of the show’s biggest mysteries, as that gives them plenty of material to explore. Eleven’s “sister”, Kali, introduced in season 2 (and never seen again, unless she returns in season 5), would be a great choice for a spinoff series, as well as recurrent characters like Dustin’s sister, Erica. A Stranger Things spinoff series could also explore young Henry Creel’s time in Hawkins Lab, as it’s thanks to him that Eleven and the other kids have powers.
It’s unknown how many Stranger Things spinoffs shows there could be, and if the success of the first would dictate the fate of the rest, but there’s plenty of material for them to choose from, both among the characters the main show has established and those it completely left behind.
