Here's Why We Think Steve Harrington Will Not Die In Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2
Steve is reckless, but there is no way he is dying.
So, Hawkins, how are we doing after the emotional rollercoaster that was Volume 1 of the final season of Stranger Things? Will has powers now (I knew he was badass enough to survive the Upside Down for so long in season 1). A character from the older seasons is back. Vecna is on an abduction spree. The stakes are higher than ever before. The internet is filled with people praying for the main cast's safety. Concerns over one character, however, ring the loudest amongst all: Is Steve Harrington really going to die?
Now, yours truly is not a show creator, nor do we have access to some unreleased scoop from the show (how I wish I did!). Which means everything that follows is mere speculation. That being said, as a longtime fan of the show (I was in high school, by the way, when the first season was released), there are some glaring patterns that I have noticed throughout the seasons - and multiple rewatches - that make me sure that Steve is not going to die in the end.
Here's why.
Steve is the darling of Stranger Things. You might be a Justin fan, you might be a Joyce fan, you might a Mike fan, but it's impossible to deny that you don't have even the smallest of a soft spot for the former Scoops Ahoy employee. The Duffer brothers know what we say when we talk about the show online. So to kill the most beloved character in the show after all that he has been through could result in a humongous backlash from the audience, and by extension, a marketing disaster.
Besides, if he had to be killed, why would he be given one of the best character developments in the history of Netflix? That too, when the character arc is still incomplete?
If you track Steve's character, it doesn't make sense for him to die in the end. Steve Harrington, as Billy calls him, is the “King” of Hawkins High School, the jock who bullies people in school. He starts out as an asshole, half-drunk in his popularity and influence in his social circles. But King Steve loves Nerdy Nancy, and, as we see at the end of season 1, he is ready to fight aliens he is absolutely terrified of, just for Nancy's sake.
Following his heartbreak over Nancy, we see Steve grow into a well-rounded, complete character. Whether he likes it or not, his caring side emerges more and more, especially after pairing up with Dustin. By now, it's a running gag that he is the babysitter, and one that he admits that he doesn't really mind, in a vulnerable moment with Nancy in season 4. Steve Harrington has become the antithesis of everything that he was in the beginning of his story.
Now all that's left of him is to actually go and get the girl of his dreams. Steve and Robin are not a thing like they seemed to be initially in season 3. He still loves Nancy, though, and till now, season 5 has been a cold war between him and Jonathan for Nancy's attention. There also seems to be a bit of foreshadowing around Jonathan's ring and his attempts to propose to her, so make of it what you will.
Besides, as anyone who has taken a literature or screenwriting course will tell you, the most practical way to know if a character will die or not is to check his character arc. If there has been no growth in their arc, then they will probably end up dead, irrespective of how likeable they are. Death, in this case, is how they grow. More on that later
This brings me to my next point. Stranger Things is a pretty grim show when it comes to death. The Duffer brothers are not ones to shy away from killing a character, but they never do it to one of the main crew. Eleven and Hopper were revealed to be alive right after we thought they were dead.
Forget that, even Dr Brenner somehow survived a demogorgon attacking his face, only to be shot down three seasons later.
In short, the Duffer brothers take the middle road between killing people off without really doing away with the most bankable stars. There is almost always a new side character introduced every season who gets killed by the end. In season 1, it was Barbara. Season 2 had Joyce’s boyfriend, Bob. Then there was Dr Alexei and Billy Hargrove. At last, in season 4, it was Eddie Munson. These characters are either very likeable, very hot, keep the story going throw their death, or sometimes all of the above.
Coming back to the literature lesson about character deaths, it's not that these Billy, Eddie or Bob were completely flat. However, the shift in their arcs came right before their untimely deaths (or redemption, depending on how you feel about Billy). In season 2, Bob was the likeable supportive boyfriend, but we don't see any growth in his relationship with Joyce, like how we see with Hopper. He is just a happy-go-lucky man till he steps up to be the hero in the end. Billy appears for two seasons, but he is the hot, repulsive brother throughout his screentime till he finally redeems himself. Despite being a fan favourite, Eddie's entire journey is about him hiding from the Hellfire Club witch hunt. In the end, he sacrifices himself in the end to fight the Demobats. Just like Bob and Billy. Do you see where we are getting?
God forbid, but the Duffer brothers could still use a wildcard and make Steve sacrifice himself to protect Nancy and the others. It's their show, after all. From what we know till now, it all leads to this: a major character like Steve will probably not be killed because of how much the audience is attached to him. We also know that characters with little growth are most likely to kick the bucket. Said characters might also be amongst the people introduced later in season 5. What does that leave us with?