Which 'Stranger Things' Is Episode 9? How the show’s ninth chapters shaped key finales

Two different episodes labeled "Chapter Nine" have been major turning points for Stranger Things, while the show’s final season closed with an eight-episode run — not nine — prompting an energetic fan debate about whether a secret ninth episode was ever intended or filmed. Across the series, "Episode 9" has meant two season finales that pushed the story into new territory, and after Season 5 wrapped on December 31, 2025, viewers debated whether anything more would follow.

Which seasons actually have an Episode 9?

If you type "Stranger Things episode 9" into a search bar, you get at least three different answers depending on the season you mean.

• Season 1: runs eight episodes total, so there is no episode 9.
• Season 2: has a Chapter Nine finale titled "The Gate", released October 27, 2017. It closes the Mind Flayer arc and gives Eleven a pivotal moment. Runtime: roughly 62 minutes.
• Season 3: eight episodes, so again no episode 9.
• Season 4: split across two volumes, its second volume ends with Chapter Nine: "The Piggyback", released July 1, 2022, a super-sized finale with heavy visual effects and long runtimes for the season’s concluding chapters.
• Season 5: the final season was released in three volumes across November and December 2025, and the series finale is Chapter Eight: "The Rightside Up", which premiered on December 31, 2025 in North America. Season 5 contains eight episodes in total.

Quick comparison table

Why Episode 9 matters in the show's structure

From season to season, the Duffer Brothers treated "Chapter Nine" as a place to land big emotional payoffs, resolve major arcs, and raise the stakes. Season 2's "The Gate" stitched together the Will possession story, Eleven's return to Hawkins, and a final confrontation that leaned into the series' supernatural mythology. Season 4's finale went even bigger visually, and it was delivered across a split season, which made Chapter Nine feel like a climax built on long, serialized buildup.

Critics and fans have often judged these ninth chapters by how well they balance spectacle and character. Some viewers praised the ambition and emotional beats, while others felt pacing and crowding of characters diluted the impact. Across reviews, common notes were:

• A push toward blockbuster-scale action, with longer runtimes and more effects,
• A desire among some critics for more focused emotional consequences, rather than repeated set-piece rescues,
• Appreciation for returning to the show's character core in the final act.

"The ninth chapters became where Stranger Things aimed to pay off both heart and horror, sometimes successfully and sometimes unevenly."

Season 5 and the 'secret' Episode 9 debate

When Season 5 concluded on December 31, 2025 with Episode 8, "The Rightside Up," the official record was clear, the season had eight chapters. The finale arrived as a feature-length event, and it premiered simultaneously on Netflix and in hundreds of North American theaters. Nevertheless, a viral fan theory dubbed "Conformitygate" surfaced in the days after the finale, arguing that the epilogue the show provided might be a fabricated reality in-universe, and that a genuine, darker ninth episode could be released later to reveal the truth.

Why the theory gained traction:

• The franchise has used unreliable realities and memory-altering villains before, so the conceit fits the show's DNA.
• Fans combed the finale for odd details, continuity slips, and visual cues they said could justify a later reveal.
• High-profile finales and cinematic events invite speculation, particularly when creators have used secret cuts or alternate endings in the past across other franchises.

How creators and outlets responded: the official release schedule and studio posts list Season 5 as an eight-episode season, and major outlets reported the finale as Episode 8. Some outlets and reviewers treated the fan theory as a cultural story about grief and denial, rather than a confirmed production plan. The Duffer Brothers have historically played coy about Easter eggs, and while fans will always speculate, there is no public, verifiable evidence that an additional, canonical ninth episode exists for Season 5.

Multiple viewpoints: fans, critics, and official channels

• Fans: many embraced the idea of a secret chapter, driven by love for the universe and an appetite for more closure or darker twists. Social media amplified micro-evidence into larger theories quickly.
• Critics: reactions to the Season 5 finale were mixed. Some reviewers praised emotional closure and spectacle, others argued the show leaned too heavily on fan-service and spectacle at the cost of narrative risk.
• Official channels: Netflix and press coverage list an eight-episode final season, and publicity materials named the finale as Episode 8. Behind-the-scenes posts from cast showed the end of filming and closure for the ensemble.

What fans should take away

• If you mean a specific "Episode 9," the concrete answers are: Season 2 and Season 4 each have a Chapter Nine finale, and they are significant to the series mythos. Season 5 officially ends at Episode 8.
• Fan theories about secret episodes are part of TV fandom, and they reflect how invested viewers remain. Theories can be fun to unpack, but they should be treated as conjecture until validated by creators or official material.

Looking ahead: what Episode 9s tell us about the franchise

Even as the main story concluded, the way the series used ninth chapters shows its appetite for mixing big genre moments with nostalgic, character-driven beats. Whether you prefer the quieter scares of early seasons or the large-scale finales of later ones, the "Episode 9" label has come to signify a final hurrah from Hawkins, a push to resolve long-running threads, and an opportunity for the showrunners to aim for ambitious payoffs.

If you want a clean checklist:

• Rewatch Season 2's "The Gate" for the first major nine-episode finale and emotional closures,
• Revisit Season 4's "The Piggyback" for the most expansive, cinematic ninth chapter,
• Remember Season 5 concluded with Episode 8 on December 31, 2025, and treat post-finale rumors with healthy skepticism until official confirmation appears.

For longtime viewers, these finales are less about episode numbers and more about how the series chose to say goodbye, with big set pieces, a focus on friendship, and the occasional twist that makes you want to press play again.