The creators' confirmation that Max is alive is sure to be soothing news for those concerned about the fan-favorite character, though their note that she's "braindead" does pose a unique challenge for the Duffers going into season 5 in how they either bring Max back or allow her an emotional sendoff.
In an interview on theHappy Sad Confused podcast released today, the Duffer brothers said that Max is alive, but “brain dead, blind, and all of her bones are broken.”
She dies in Lucas' arms in a heart-wrenching scene. But! Eleven — still inside Max's mind — is able to revive her, thanks to Mike's encouragement! At the end of Volume 2, we learn that Max was dead for just over a minute, but ultimately survived Vecna's attack.
She is “not really alive,” co-creator Ross Duffer told our sister site Deadline this past summer, “in the sense that you and I think of alive.” But that also doesn't mean that she's dead-dead. What's killing Sink, metaphorically speaking, is the thought of being done with the show.
In episode 4 of season 4 of Stranger Things, "Dear Billy," Vecna tries to kill Max. Her friends use the beautiful power of music, specifically "Running Up That Hill," to bring her back.
In the final moments, Max is in a coma. With that said, if Max were to make a full recovery, would she be blind? Well, based on the injuries she sustained, it's likely Max will be blind going forward.
Max's death allows Vecna to open the fourth gate, and rip a huge hole in the middle of Hawkins. However, Eleven is still watching all of this unfold from The Void. Refusing to believe that Max is dead, El places a hand on Max's body and appears to transfer their happiest memories to her.
After serving as bait for Vecna, she becomes his “final sacrifice,” getting her bones broken and losing her vision during a low point. Once the fight is over, she dies in Lucas' arms, unable to see or feel anything as Eleven looks on from her mindspace.
Just before Max died, Eleven rallied her strength, defeated Vecna and freed Max -- but the damage had already been done. Even though Max was free from Vecna, she died in Lucas' arms. She was dead for over a minute, until Eleven brought he back to life.
Max's death was used a device to push Murphy toward killing Josh in the series finale. Max didn't need to die to wrap up the story this way. Sure, Murphy needed to have a complicated place to land.
Technically, Max does die from sustained from Vecna's curse during "The Piggyback" before Eleven uses her powers to restart her friend's heart. Before doing so, Vecna breaks Max's limbs and causes her to go blind before she dies in Lucas' arms.
Through the window, Max saw her real body levitating above the cemetery, her friends panicking on the ground below. Bracing herself, Max pulled at a vine in Vecna's neck, causing him to writhe in pain and accidentally release her from the vines' grasp.
Max is powerless to do anything, watching as her stepbrother is taken apart by the Mind Flayer. Although they did not have the best relationship, Max feels defeated and, eventually, became clouded with enormous guilt.
As Vecna continued to go after young victims in order to open more portals, he set his sights on Max Mayfield, since she was investigating the deaths of Chrissy and another student named Fred Benson with help from her friends (including Dustin, Steve, and her boyfriend Lucas).
At his empire's height, Vecna was betrayed and destroyed by his most trusted lieutenant, a vampire called Kas the Bloody-Handed, using a magical sword that Vecna himself had crafted for him, now known as the Sword of Kas.
Vecna as Billy tells Max: "[L]ate at night, you have sometimes wished to follow me. Follow me into death. That is why I am here, Max, to end your suffering once and for all" — alluding perhaps to suicidal feelings Max hasn't mentioned.
This ultimately destroyed Vecna. Though they're clouded with cataracts, Vecna in Stranger Things has both of his eyes.
The fan-favorite character ended the season in a coma with her bones broken and eyes blinded at the hands of Vecna. Max technically died for one whole minute before Eleven revived her friend, but Eleven's powers weren't enough to bring Max fully back to life.
In the Upside Down, Eleven is being restrained by Vecna's vines while he attempts to kill Max, breaking her legs and arms before he begins to take her eyes.
Refusing to allow Max to die after their battle with Vecna, Eleven pulls out the stops to save her life. As Lucas begs Max to stay alive, cradling her in his arms, Eleven uses just enough power to get Max's heart beating again.
Max taking his powers back and learning how to control the blue flame at Tezca's instruction gives Max control over his powers and the chance to embrace his capabilities.
Unfortunately, yes… Max (Casey Deidrick) dies in the penultimate episode of In the Dark, and it's one of the worst decisions the series ever made. Max gets shot while escaping into the elevator after saving Murphy from the fundraiser scheme as it goes wrong.