Top 10 Biggest Clues that Eleven Survived at the End of Stranger Things

1. She couldn't have used her powers with the hedgehogs on and pointed at her

   

   When the heroes return to Hawkins on the truck, the military stops them and points the hedgehogs at the truck. We've previously seen that those hedgehogs make Eleven fall to the ground and experience immense pain, making her unable to use her powers and causing her to cry out in pain, so how could she have communicated with Mike in the void? It doesn't make sense.

2. The missing "011" tattoo

   

   This is the biggest clue, since actor Millie Bobby Brown has the tattoo in real life, so the director must have specifically made sure to make it not visible on Eleven's arm, perhaps hinting that the Eleven we saw at the portal was not her.

3. No nosebleed

   

   I only recall one time when Eleven didn't have a nosebleed after entering the void, and that was when she was with Kali, without even using a blindfold. Other than that, I believe we always saw her have a nosebleed when using her powers, yet there wasn't a drop of blood when she "sacrificed" herself.

4. It doesn't fit Eleven's character

   

   El made a big deal about keeping promises throughout the series. Remember her quote, "Friends don't lie." I don't think we ever saw El lie one time in the whole show, which is impressive. She promised Hopper that she'll come back to Hawkins safe, and that what Vecna told him, that she's going to kill herself, was a lie.

5. We saw a figure escaping that looked like Eleven

   

   In this very brief frame, right after Hopper looks around to find El, we see a figure running that suspiciously looks like El.

6. We saw two waterfalls instead of three

   

   During the flashback when we hear Mike's theory, we see El walking toward a village with two waterfalls, but if this was only Mike's story, then we would have seen three because he told El they'd be together in a place with three waterfalls.

7. David Bowie's "Heroes" playing at the end

   We've heard this song after every fake death in the series. Will and Hopper.

8. Hopper's speech to Eleven

   

   Hopper gave Eleven an emotional speech about why she should live, and it was even featured in the trailer. That speech was so moving that Kali put down her gun after hearing it. Kali's actor even said she believes Kali changed her mind about wanting El to end herself to end the cycle of suffering after she heard it.

9. The heartbeat sound

   Right when the screen cuts to black after Eleven's "sacrifice," we hear a faint heartbeat. Why would that be included if not as a clue that Eleven is alive?

10. No body was seen

    It's an unspoken rule that if we don't see a body, the character is most likely alive. Why leave any doubts and no resolution for your fans?