Stranger Things star shares theory on what really happened to character in series 5 finale amid backlash from fans

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Stranger Things finale

Stranger Things' Sadie Sink has shared her thoughts on what she believes really happened to Eleven.

On December 31, fans of Stranger Things were gifted with a two-hour-long finale to wrap up almost 10 years on air.

The show, one of the biggest to have graced Netflix, propelled the likes of Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Joe Keery, and Caleb McLaughlin into the spotlight.

We've seen many of the Stranger Things cast grow up, making the show's finale even more of a tear-jerker, and one person's fate that everybody's been discussing since the ending aired is that of Eleven's.

Seemingly, El died when the Upside Down was destroyed, but Mike put forward a more optimistic theory, suggesting that their psychic friend actually managed to escape and that the El we saw 'die' at the gate was just an illusion.

Eleven seemingly died in the Stranger Things finale (Netflix)

Basically, the ending has been left to fans' interpretation, and the only people who really know what happened to El are the actor who portrayed her (Brown) and the show's creators, IGN reports.

As the rest of the cast don't actually know what happened to the show's main character, they're in the same position as Stranger Things fans who have been left to decide for themselves what they want to believe.

Sink, who portrayed Max in the series, was recently asked about her thoughts on it all and if she thinks El is alive or dead.

"I think she's dead, I don't know," she told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. The audience then groaned in disappointment.

Sink responded: "Is that like a hot take or something? I think Mike's story is just one last story, and then they say goodbye to childhood. But that's just one final tale. And that's it. I think it's just like a coping thing."

"That's my interpretation, I'm sorry," she added.

Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of Stranger Things, have actually explained why they left El's story somewhat open-ended.

Sadie Sink admitted that she believes El is dead (The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon/YouTube)

Matt told Tudum: "There are two roads that Eleven could take. There’s this darker, more pessimistic one or the optimistic, hopeful one. Mike is the optimist of the group and has chosen to believe in that story."

Meanwhile, Ross added: "We thought it would be beautiful if our characters continued to believe in that happier ending even if we didn’t give them a clear answer to whether that’s true or not.

"The fact that they’re believing in it, we just thought it was such a better way to end the story and a better way to represent the closure of this journey and their journey from children to adults."

I believe.