season 4 teaser, but season 3's callback to Will's season 1 death fakeout already implied he would survive, though in a dangerous setting. Stranger Things has become one of the most popular television shows in recent history, with much of its popularity due to the likability of its main characters like Hopper. The last 3 seasons have featured the deaths of beloved characters such as Bob, Barb, and Billy, but characters from the core group have yet to actually be killed off; every time it ends up as a fakeout.
The final episode of season 3 ended with the news of Hopper dying as Joyce destroyed the machine connected to the Upside Down. A mid-credits scene showed a Russian prison facility using Demogorgans as weapons, and one guard references an unseen prisoner as “the American.” This last scene led to much speculation about if Hopper somehow survived and was the American, but nothing was confirmed until Stranger Things released a teaser for season 4 titled “From Russia, with Love” showing Hopper alive and doing labor at a Russian prison. However, Stranger Things hinted that Hopper would be alive and in danger before the teaser confirmed his fate.
One may have thought “Heroes” was played after Hopper’s death simply to create a more emotional undertone as a beloved character was grieved, but it had a much more critical function. Peter Gabriel’s rendition of the song “Heroes” played during the season 1 scene where everyone believes Will to be dead, and was only used one other time in the series: when Hopper was believed to be dead in the season 3 finale. Stranger Things was using “Heroes” as a connection to Will's survival revelation, implying Hopper would be alive but not safe.
In Stranger Things season 1, episode 3, “Holly, Jolly,” Will is declared dead after his body is found in the quarry and Peter Gabriel's rendition of "Heroes" plays as the characters grieve his "death." The same setup is used for Hopper’s death in season 3, where “Heroes” plays after Eleven reads his letter. The song's lyrics are understood as showing heroism when in a desperate situation with almost unbeatable foes, and having the optimism to fight against them. This obviously applies to Stranger Things, where Will and Hopper were placed in seemingly hopeless circumstances of assumed death, yet both survive. Not only did the song clue into Hopper surviving, it meant that he would be trapped in a dangerous and unknown setting like Will was in the Upside Down.
When Will was discovered to be alive in the Upside Down, he still faced imminent threats from the Demogorgon and the officials at Hawkins Lab. Similarly in Russia, Hopper will have to attempt to survive the Russian prison guards and officials, as well as the Deomogorgans they are using as weapons. Saving Hopper from Russian adversaries will be just as foreign to the group as trying to conquer the Upside Down was in season 1. Considering Will’s revelation of being alive was through Eleven’s connection to the Upside Down, it’s possible season 4 will also reveal Hopper’s dangerous situation to the group through the Upside Down.
It’s unknown if Hopper’s confirmed death in Hawkins was due to Russian or U.S. government coverup like Will’s, but so far none of the established characters know he is alive. Since the Russians near the machine disintegrated when it was destroyed and there were no ashes where Hopper disappeared, it's possible Joyce cued into that and still has hope for his survival. Stranger Things will most likely not keep Hopper separated from the group for the entire season, which means Hopper will have to find a mode of escape - possibly mirroring Will communicating and traveling through the Upside Down.