The finale of Stranger Things leaves the fate of Eleven ambiguous, with creators the Duffer Brothers explaining two potential paths for her character. While Mike Wheeler imagines a hopeful escape and a new life for Eleven, the brothers suggest this is a fantasy. They intended for Eleven to "go away" to provide closure for the Hawkins story, believing it more beautiful for characters to hold onto a happier ending, even without a definitive answer on her survival or whereabouts.