Does anyone in Hawkins, Indiana, really die? Stranger Things fans are speculating that Billy Hargrove may be back for the show’s fourth season after he appeared to die by the hands of the Mind Flayer during the season 3 finale.

The character, played by Dacre Montgomery, was introduced during Stranger Things season 2 alongside Max Mayfield (played by Sadie Sink) as the new kids in Hawkins. While Max immediately befriended Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (played by Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (played by Gaten Matarazzo) and Lucas Sinclair (played by Caleb McLaughlin), her stepbrother became the high school bully.

Throughout his character arc, Billy was known as the villain until a change of heart gave him a redemption story in his final moments. After being possessed by the Mind Flayer for most of season 3, Billy sacrificed himself during the Battle of Starcourt to save Max and her friends.

“I really hope people will associate Billy with what he did in the end. I really tried to humanize him as much as I could, especially with what I was able to get included about his parents,” Dacre told Vulture in July 2019. “I tried to empathize with him as much as possible. It’s hard, but he’s a human being. We all have elements of good and bad in us, and to successfully portray such a conflicting personality was a rewarding acting challenge that doesn’t come around too often.”

Further discussing his character, the Australian actor explained that Billy was “misunderstood.”

“I really enjoyed this dynamic of playing two wildly different characters — one is misunderstood, and the other is trapped on the inside of a body as ‘Flayed Billy,’ or whatever you want to call it,” Dacre added. “It was incredibly difficult to portray, but I still loved it.”

As for a possible return to his character, the Broken Hearts Gallery actor said in 2019 that he “put Billy to bed in my head,” but did the fictional teen really die?

“I knew it was coming in that this was going to be the outcome,” he told U.K.’s The Independent in July 2019. “And I don’t think I would have been given the season that Billy had if I wasn’t dying — I think because I was on my way out, I was given an amazing opportunity to do a wide array of things. I’m very grateful.”

Despite various interviews in which Dacre as assured fans Billy won’t be returning. Fans still aren’t convinced, especially with some major season 4 hints. Scroll through our gallery to uncover them all. 

Love J-14? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars.