David Harbour Teases Hopper’s Game-Changing Ending In Stranger Things Season 5
Stranger Things star David Harbour has teased that season 5 of the smash-hit sci-fi behemoth will include a game-changing ending for Jim Hopper. Harbour has played the alcoholic small-town chief of police since Stranger Things premiered on Netflix in July 2016, receiving two Primetime Emmy nominations for his role.
With Stranger Things season 5 set to drop on Netflix on November 26, 2025, and will provide an epic conclusion to Netflix’s ratings juggernaut. Many character arcs and plot strands will need to be tied up in the epic battle against Vecna, and Hopper’s fate has been subject of intense scrutiny, and Harbour has teased a game-changing ending.
During theDavid Harbour panel at Rose City Comic Con, which was hosted by ScreenRant‘s Joe Deckelmeier, Harbour opened up on Hopper’s game-changing season 5 ending. While he was careful not to give away any details, Harbour did tease that it was “the biggest thing that happens for him in the series.” Check out Harbour’s comments below:
SR: How hard was it for you to say goodbye to the character that final day on set?
DH: I mean, it’s so surreal… for me, reactions are always delayed. I almost couldn’t process it.
I mean, I can’t tell you what our last day on set was, because it’s a huge spoiler, but it was a very big culmination…and I couldn’t believe that that was our last day. I was like, ‘Oh my god. They really did time it so that the biggest thing that happens in the series for him, in a certain way, is this moment.’ And so I was really focused on playing the crap out of that moment too. And then it just happens and it’s just over.
And I’ve known those guys, the Duffer Brothers, for 10 years, and we’ve been through so much together, and that cast and that crew, it’s just like, it’s really hard to process. It took me, like, another six months to really know how I felt to be honest. It really just just passed through so quickly. It felt very, very surreal.
What This Means For Hopper’s Stranger Things Fate
David Harbour pointing his gun as Hopper in Stranger Things season 2
There are many different avenues the show could take, and many Stranger Things characters are in dire danger heading into the climactic season. There is little doubt Hopper is one of the characters whose fate is precarious, and there will be big moves for his character in the final season, especially as a father figure to the kids, in particular, Eleven.
Stranger Things season 5 will release in three parts between November 26 and December 31.
Harbour doesn’t elaborate on whether Hopper’s game-changing ending is set to be a good or a bad one, but he talks about how emotional it was. Mentioning the surreal nature of ending the show that he’s worked on for 10 years, he mentions that Hopper’s ending felt like a culmination, which could shed some light on what it will be.
Our Take On Hopper’s Stranger Things Ending
David Harbour smiling with tears in his eyes as Hopper in Stranger Things season 3
The character has been through the wringer on the show already, so hopes will be high that he gets the happy ending his arc deserves. Hopper has struggled with the loss of his daughter, and adopting Eleven gave his life meaning; it would be cruel to separate them, though Harbour pushed for Hopper’s death in Stranger Things season 1.
I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one of Hopper or Eleven dies in the battle against Vecna. However, the hope would be that Hopper suvives, marries Joyce, and maybe even has a kid with her. It would be great for him to close out his arc safe and happy, but in the world of Stranger Things nothing is certain.
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