- - Stranger Things' Linnea Berthelsen Pushes Back on Kali Villain Theories

Whitney DanhauerJanuary 11, 2026 at 12:49 AM

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For years, Stranger Things fans have debated whether Kali was meant to be a villain. According to the actress who played her, that was never part of the plan.

In an exclusive interview, Linnea Berthelsen explains that she never approached Kali as an antagonist and says she always felt protective of the character.

“I’m hired to protect the character,” Berthelsen says. “So in my world, she could never be a villain.”

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While she acknowledges that the series has very clear villains, Berthelsen doesn’t see Kali fitting into that category. From her perspective, Kali’s actions were more about survival as opposed to hurting people or seeking power.

She explains that Kali’s motivations were always tied back to Eleven and a desire for connection.

“It was always about Eleven,” Berthelsen says. “It was about finding a way to be worthy of unconditional love.”

That doesn’t mean Kali always made the right choices. Berthelsen admits that some of the character's methods were flawed, but says the intention behind them mattered.

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“Sometimes it was the wrong means to get there,” she explains, “but at the end of the day, she was always trying to protect Eleven.”

Berthelsen also talks about how Kali’s arc fit into the larger story. She says the transitions Matt and Ross Duffer planned for the character happened exactly as they were meant to and were necessary to set up what came next. Without that turning point, she doesn’t think the later chapters of the series would have landed the same way.

As for the long running fan theories about Kali turning dark or even aligning with Vecna, Berthelsen keeps her answer simple. She’s never seen the character that way and still doesn’t.

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“I’ve never seen her as a villain,” she says. “I see her more as a burned child.”

It’s not how fans always see her, but for Berthelsen, Kali was never a villain. She was just trying to protect Eleven and make it through.

All episodes of Stranger Things are now streaming.

This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”