Baldur’s Gate 3 Nods Spark Stranger Things Finale Twist

Stranger Things has always had a soft spot for Dungeons & Dragons, but the last hurrah in season 5 took things in a fresh direction. This time, the much-hyped showdown with Vecna and the Mind Flayer was shaped by the influence of Baldur’s Gate 3, the hit RPG from Larian Studios. In the final episode, the gang faces off against their old foes, with Joyce Byers landing the decisive blow—lopping off Vecna’s head in a scene that Winona Ryder apparently nailed in just two takes. For those keen on the nitty-gritty, there’s a full breakdown of the finale’s events elsewhere.

Turns out, the creative team behind the show were deep into Baldur’s Gate 3 while mapping out the big finish.

‘We were thinking about D&D, and I was playing Baldur’s Gate 3 at the time, and we felt it was very important that the only way for them to defeat it was for the entire party to work together,’

Matt Duffer shared. That sense of teamwork, a staple in both the tabletop classic and the video game, became the backbone of the series’ last battle.

RPG Roots and a Boss’s Approval

The connection didn’t go unnoticed by Larian Studios. Swen Vincke, the bloke in charge, caught wind of the reference and gave it a thumbs up, simply saying:

‘That’s pretty cool.’

It’s a fair call, considering Mind Flayers are a big deal in Baldur’s Gate 3, and the game’s own finale is a massive stoush against a monstrous Illithid. Like in the show, victory hinges on everyone pulling their weight.

It’s not just a passing nod, either. The parallels between the two stories are hard to miss, especially for punters who’ve spent hours battling through the RPG. Both tales wrap up with a do-or-die fight, and both lean heavily on the idea that mateship and teamwork are the only way through.

Full Circle for the Party

After the dust settles, the Stranger Things crew heads back to where it all began—Mike Wheeler’s basement—for one last D&D session. It’s a neat echo of the show’s very first moments, bringing things full circle. There’s even a cheeky callback after the credits, with Will Byers’s infamous dice roll (a seven, for those keeping score) making a return.

Whether Eleven survives the final clash is left hanging, but the spirit of the game—and the mateship it fosters—remains front and centre. The finale’s blend of fantasy, nostalgia, and a dash of RPG inspiration gives fans plenty to chew on as the curtain falls.