Stranger Things fans have been left frustrated by a plot hole in the final season of the Netflix show that won't be addressed as the series came to an end this week
13:55, 02 Jan 2026
Stranger Things broadcast its final instalment this week, wrapping up the programme after five seasons spanning nearly a decade. The fifth and concluding run of the Netflix sci-fi horror drama delivered plenty of surprises as the core group united to vanquish the malevolent Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and prevent him from merging the Abyss with Hawkins through the Upside Down.
Hit programmes such as Stranger Things frequently face challenges satisfying everyone with their conclusions, as certain viewers develop expectations that ultimately aren't realised on screen. Whilst some expressed dissatisfaction with the show's ending, the majority felt the final instalment proved adequate.
But in the wake of the fifth and final series wrapping up, certain viewers have highlighted one apparent "plot hole" that's been irritating them. In footage posted on TikTok by a woman called Georgie, she revealed that the aspect which most "ground her gears" regarding Stranger Things 5 was a particular mention the characters made to the well-known tabletop game, Dungeons and Dragons.
Dungeons and Dragons has remained integral to Stranger Things across all its seasons. The principal cast are repeatedly shown playing it, and the youngsters in the programme even christened the creatures they encounter after recognised beasts in the game, including the Mindflayers, Demogorgons, and Vecna himself.
The cast each takes on distinct roles when they engage in the board game, with Mike (Finn Wolfhard) serving as the Dungeon Master or Storyteller who propels the game forward, while other characters embody various popular classes within the game.
Will (Noah Schnapp) named himself Will the Wise in the group's Dungeons and Dragons campaign, a wizard who wields magic learned from books. However, when Will discovers his ability to tap into the hivemind and utilise Vecna's power against him in reality, Mike proclaims that he isn't a wizard but rather a sorcerer.
However, Georgie's video highlights what she considers a "frustrating" plot inconsistency, as sorcerers are inherently magical beings. Given that Will only gained his powers after being seized by Vecna, and his powers originate directly from the villain, he doesn't qualify as a sorcerer - he's actually a warlock.
Quoting from her copy of the Dungeons and Dragons handbook, she explains: "Magic is a part of every sorcerer, suffusing body, mind, and spirit with a latent power that waits to be tapped. Some sorcerers wield magic that springs from an ancient bloodline infused with the magic of dragons. Others carry a raw, uncontrolled magic within them and a chaotic storm that manifests in unexpected ways.
"A warlock is defined by a pact with an otherworldly being. Sometimes, the relationship between a warlock and a patron is that of a cleric and deity, though the beings that serve as patrons for warlocks are not gods. A warlock might lead a cult dedicated to a demon prince, an archdevil, or an utterly alien entity. The arrangement is similar between master and apprentice. The warlock learns and grows in power at the cost of occasional services performed on the patron's behalf."
But there are further inconsistencies with this theory. Warlocks weren't introduced to Dungeons and Dragons until the 90s, and since the show's final season is set in 1987, the characters wouldn't have been aware that warlocks were an available class.
There's another snag - sorcerers didn't feature in the 80s version of Dungeons and Dragons either. Whilst the word sorcerer was occasionally used interchangeably with wizard, it wasn't established as a distinct playable class until the 3rd Edition Player's Handbook came out in 2000.
Therefore, as viewers highlighted in the comments beneath Georgie's video, if the Stranger Things writers were planning to label Will as a type of magic user that didn't exist in the '80s, regardless, they might as well have chosen the most fitting one.
One commenter remarked: "If they were concerned about accuracy to the '80s, they would have just called him a Mage."
Another added: "I mean, he was 'born with it', Vecna chose children with untapped power. But Will gets his power directly from a more powerful entity, willing or unwilling, that is not a god. So he's a warlock."
A third fan shared their appreciation, posting: "As someone who knows nothing about D&D, I appreciate you fact-checking the D&D lore."