What is Camazotz in Stranger Things 5? All the episode titles explained

6 November 2024, 17:29 | Updated: 6 November 2024, 17:56

By Katie Louise Smith

Stranger Things 5's episode titles have officially been confirmed but what does Camazotz mean and who has gone missing? Here's what we know.

This is a CODE RED! The Stranger Things 5 episode titles have just been announced and the theories are going into absolute overdrive.

Stranger Things 5, which is now confirmed to be released in 2025, is getting closer and closer but the plot and the ending are obviously still heavily under wraps.

To celebrate Stranger Things Day (November 6th, if you know you know!), Netflix finally revealed all eight episode titles for the final season giving fans their latest taste of what to expect. (The Vanishing of WHO? What does Camazotz mean? 'The Rightside Up' finale episode? I'm crying!)

Fans are now dissecting every episode title, what they could possibly mean and who they might be linked to. Thanks to several behind-the-scenes photos and videos, we already have some clues as to what might happen. Here's a deep dive on everything we know so far about episode 5 based on the episode titles.

• Read more: Stranger Things 5 will focus on Will and Vecna will return as the villain
• Read more: Stranger Things fans are convinced Eddie’s tattoos foreshadow his season 5 return

What does Camazotz mean in Stranger Things season 5?

Stranger Things 5 episode titles revealed

Season 5, episode 1: The Crawl

The episode title for season 5's first instalment was announced waaay back and fans immediately flooded the internet with theories on what it could mean.

With the show's plot taking heavy influence from Dungeons & Dragons lore and gameplay, the title could refer to a 'dungeon crawl'. In the game, a crawl sees the heroes "navigate a labyrinth environment, battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find."

As we know, a huge gateway to Upside Down has now emerged in Hawkins so could we potentially see the characters set off on their own dungeon crawl inside the Upside Down to try to track down a now-missing Vecna?

The Duffer Brothers have already teased that things will be "moving pretty fast" when the season starts which could hint at a high-stakes opener.

Season 5, episode 2: The Vanishing of [Redacted]

The full episode title – which calls back to the very first episode titled 'The Vanishing of Will Byers' – has not yet been revealed by Netflix but fans have already theorised that it might be about Nancy and Mike's younger sister Holly Wheeler.

In the first teaser for season 5, Holly (now played by Nell Fisher) can be seen screaming in horror as something terrifying unfolds in the Wheeler house but it's currently unclear if what she's seeing is real, or if she's under the influence of Vecna.

We won't know for sure who vanished until Netflix confirm that full episode title, though.

Season 5, episode 3: The Turnbow Trap

If you've been locked into Ross Duffer's behind-the-scenes Instagram dumps, then 'Turnbow' might ring some bells. Back in March 2024, Ross posted an image of a billboard with a poster promoting 'Turnbow Land Development & Realty'.

So far, the Turnbow family or the company have not been mentioned in any previous seasons so there's very little information about them. And now that the Upside Down has spread to Hawkins, its unclear if the billboard is in the Upside Down or if it has been taken over by the vines in the real world.

As for 'Trap' part of the headline? Well, it sounds like it could be fairly self-explanatory... Could someone be using Turnbow land to set a trap to catch someone (or something) else?

Season 5, episode 4: Sorcerer

Marking the half-way point of the final season, 'Sorcerer' could prove to be an interesting and pivotal episode.

In Dungeons and Dragons, the sorcerer is a playable character class who is a master of arcane magic, widely regarded as the most powerful form of D&D magic.

In the show, El has been dubbed the Mage by the Party because of her powers, and Will is a Cleric, capable of casting magic. With Will's connection to the Upside Down back at the forefront of the final season, the episode title could possibly hint at his powers increasing, becoming more powerful than his Cleric character. It could also possibly hint at stronger powers for El... or even Vecna.

A huge fan theory that has surfaced is the potential return of Kali (a.k.a. 008). Much like El, Kali shares a similar power to Vecna in which she is able to cast powerful illusions. If she returns, could she be the titular Sorcerer?

There's also a 1977 action-thriller film titled 'Sorcerer' that it could reference. The plot depicts "four outcasts from varied backgrounds who are assigned to transport cargoes of aged, poorly kept dynamite that is so unstable that it is 'sweating' its dangerous basic ingredient, nitroglycerin."

As always with Stranger Things episodes, the title will likely have a double meaning.

• Read more: What happened to 008? Here's how Stranger Things 4 sets up Kali's return

Season 5, episode 5: Shock Jock

Again, Ross Duffer's BTS posts might give us some hints for this one. The WSQK Radio Station will play a major role in the new season as the base of operations for the Hawkins squad. In the season 5 teaser, the location features quite heavily and appears to be where the Byers family – including El and Hopper – are now living.

"Shock Jock" is a term used for a talk-radio DJ who "expresses opinions in a deliberately offensive or provocative way". Jock itself could also refer to any number of 'jock' characters from Hawkins High School. Following Jason's death, it's possible that his friends will attempt to seek some kind of vengeance.

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A post shared by Ross Duffer (@rossduffer)

Season 5, episode 6: Escape from Camazotz

'Camazotz' has two references that are key to Stranger Things 5. The first being the obvious D&D reference...

Camazotz is the god of bats and evil from the Greyhawk campaign setting. Of course, the Demobats played a key role in season 4 and were the reason why Eddie died. The Upside Down is teeming with them, and they're all part of the Mindflayer's hive mind.

But the title appears to refer to Camazotz as a place rather than a person. The Stranger Things writers have confirmed that season 5 has taken inspiration from A Wrinkle In Time, and in that story, Camazotz is a planet which is controlled by evil entities. People who live on the planet act and behave in similar, mechanical ways because they're controlled by an entity called IT. (It's giving Mind Flayer!)

We'll have to wait and see what Stranger Things' version of Camazotz is.

Season 5, episode 7: The Bridge

No idea on this one – your guess is as good as ours here! Could the title potentially refer to a bridge between the real world and The Upside Down? Or could The Bridge be a literal person connecting the two? Perhaps Will or El?

Or potentially even Max, who is currently braindead and blind, and whose consciousness now seemingly belongs to Vecna? We'll have to wait for more confirmation on Max's state but it appears as though her mind and physical body are now in two different dimensions.

Discussing the importance of Max being in a coma, Matt Duffer told Netflix Geeked: "We went and broke season 5. So season 5, and the fact that she's in the coma. I can't really get into the details but it is important that she is. And that is going to have a major effect on 5. It's not a 'cheat', it's incredibly relevant to 5."

We'll need more info on this one before we're able to dive further into those theories.

• Read more: Stranger Things 4 originally planned to kill off Max permanently

Season 5, episode 8: The Rightside Up

And finally, the series finale episode... perfectly titled 'The Rightside Up'. Details about what happens in the final ever episode of Stranger Things are understandably under strict lock and key but the episode title definitely hints that the Upside Down will finally be defeated at the end of the show.

Interestingly enough, season 5's final episode title mirrors season 1's final episode title: 'The Upside Down'. At the end of season 1, we see Eleven sacrifice herself in order to save her new friends by destroying the Demogorgon. We later discover that she ended up transporting herself to the Upside Down and was only able to escape thanks to a small gate that was left behind.

In order for the Upside Down to truly be defeated in the real world, all portals and gates must be closed. The episode title certainly hints that they might happen...but at what cost?!

Read more about Stranger Things here:

• Stranger Things Season 5: Release Date, Spoilers, Cast, News and Trailers
• Stranger Things creators say they are "not consulting" fans on how season 5 will end
• Stranger Things 5 theory explains how 008 will help Eleven defeat Vecna
• Stranger Things fans are convinced Eddie’s tattoos foreshadow his season 5 return
• Stranger Things creators reveal their plans for season 5 made Netflix execs cry

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