Is Eddie Munson really dead in 'Stranger Things'?

Newcomer to Stranger Things for its 4th season, Eddie Munson is introduced as a guitar-playing, D&D master, and leader of the Hellfire Club. Munson is portrayed by Joseph Quinn, a British actor who was relatively unknown before his appearance in Stranger Things.

The end of season 4 shows Munson in the Upside Down luring Vecna's bats away from the rest of the group before meeting his demise. It's a death that shook fans the most. Eddie's character development from side-line metalhead to unconventional hero might just represent one of the series' best character evolutions to date.

Though his last breath was quiet, his final scenes were far from it. Atop his own trailer in the Upside Down, he delivered the most metal of metal performances as he knocked out Master of Puppets by Metallica to distract the hellish bats away from Vecna's lair. As Dustin declared, "Eddie never stopped being Eddie."

Too many characters?

Could Stranger Things be taking a leaf out of Game of Thrones' book and start killing off popular characters? Who knows. But there is a sense that things are becoming a little overcrowded. Even Millie Bobby Brown told The Duffer brothers that they need to start killing people.

With this in mind, Eddie's death seems somewhat unsurprising. That said, many fans are still questioning whether he's really dead at all.

Is Eddie Munson really dead? What if he's not?

Among a few of the theories out there, it has been suggested that Munson's body could be taken over by Vecna who's looking for a body to take over. After all, there was a similar story with Will and in the mysterious environment of the Upside Down almost anything is possible. Could Eddie just be unconscious? Could Eddie come back as some sort of undead vessel? Does Eddie really have more to give in the show?

What those in the know have to say

Theories aside, the show's producers have confirmed Eddie isn't returning. What's more, Quinn has concurred, quashing all hope that Eddie could return in season 5. He said:

"Duffer Brothers told me that I would be in at least four episodes, but I wasn't optioned for another season, so I thought maybe if I did all right, they might invite me back. That didn't work, clearly! So they killed me, but that's OK, I guess. I'll dust myself off!"

"Sometimes, dead is better"

As this Pet Sematary quote by Stephen King proclaims, sometimes it is better to kill off a character. After all, bringing characters back from the dead might lower the stakes and lessen the deaths that do otherwise occur – as hard as that is for fans to accept.

Realistically, the only way Eddie Munson could come back is as a memory, flashback, or some sort of apparition. Otherwise, I think it's safe to say that yes, Eddie Munson really is dead.