Iron Maiden’s ‘The Trooper’ Soundtracks Eddie Munson Tribute In Stranger Things Finale

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Published January 2, 2026 by Ned Tepper

Stranger Things has officially wrapped, and for metal fans, the final episode landed one last punch.

This time, it wasn’t Metallica carrying the emotional weight, but Iron Maiden, with ‘The Trooper’ soundtracking a moment that felt ripped straight from Eddie Munson’s soul.

The Season Five finale, which aired on New Years Day, jumps forward 18 months, revealing the core group graduating high school.

In a twist nobody saw coming, Dustin Henderson is named valedictorian and instead of delivering a polite send off, he turns the ceremony into a full blown tribute to his fallen friend Eddie Munson, who does not return in the final season.

The Trooper

As Iron Maiden’s ‘The Trooper’ erupts through the auditorium, Dustin tears off his graduation gown to reveal a reworked Hellfire Club shirt reading ‘HELLFIRE LIVES’.

It’s loud, defiant, and unmistakably Eddie, the choice of song cuts deeper for long time fans, pulling directly from Piece of Mind, the album Eddie once held up while yelling “This is music!”

When Principal Higgins attempts to shut it down, Dustin grabs the microphone and launches into a speech rejecting conformity and the pressure to be “normal,” before yelling a line that longtime fans instantly recognised: “THIS IS OUR YEAR!” He then snatches his diploma, flips Higgins the bird, and storms off the stage.

The moment mirrors a speech Eddie himself delivered back in Season Four, Episode One, laying out his dream graduation scenario word for word:

“I’m gonna walk that stage next month, I’m gonna look Principal Higgins dead in the eye, I’m gonna flip him the bird, I’m gonna snatch that diploma, and I’m gonna run like hell outta here.”

The callback lands with precision, it’s a clean, emotional full stop on Eddie Munson’s arc, honouring his impact without dragging him back from the dead.

Iron Maiden clearly noticed too, with ‘The Trooper’ now cemented as part of Stranger Things history, the full finale soundtrack leaned heavily on classics, but this was the moment that hit hardest.