All 44 Main Characters in Stranger Things, Ranked

These friends don't lie (or at least some of them don't).

The season of Stranger Things is coming to a close. After the finale closed out this incredible show last week, I am pumping out my last posts and rankings after my epic, two-month long coverage of my favorite show of all time. And this, alongside my episode ranking, is one of my most ambitious posts ever. Every main character in Stranger Things, ranked. Now what do I mean by main character? I don't know. I just decided who made it and who didn't. If they aren't included on this list, just assume they'd be ranked low. So here it is. My epic, 44-character ranking of Stranger Things.

44. Grigori

A very over-the-top and forced homage to The Terminator

The main antagonist of the Russia plot line in season three is where the show got a little bit too cute with its 80s references. Grigori is basically just the T-800 from the first Terminator movie. He has Arnold's iconic haircut and look. He rides a motorcycle. And he has absolutely zero personality besides being a killing machine. Stranger Things has usually benefitted from drawing from the 80s, but Grigori's character was so on the nose and cartoonish. The Duffers went a little too far with this one, but at least he has a brutal (and fun) death.

43. Lt. Robert Akers

A generic evil soldier who feels like a poor addition to an overstuffed cast

Speaking of a brutal and fun death, this jerk-face got what he deserves. Lieutenant Akers serves as one of our secondary antagonists of season five, and I just found him to be uninteresting, stupidly evil character. I don't think the Duffers are great at writing the military, especially in season five, because it just comes out as cheesy, generic soldier speak, and that dialogue is the most prominent with Akers. He doesn't have any development: he just wants to find and kill Eleven...because. That's not interesting. And it feels like it's forcing conflict into an already very busy season.

42. Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan

A somewhat interesting threat in season four is completely wasted in season five

The whole military plot line in season five is teased in season four as we see Sullivan searching for Eleven, thinking she is the one behind the murders that Vecna is truly responsible for. That is an interesting idea, and I wish it was one they explored more in season five rather than the direction they went. Dr. Kay essentially took over Sullivan's role in season five, which left him just as this side character who was taking orders from her. I think there was a huge missed opportunity to develop this into a truly compelling conflict with a scary but interesting human villain at the center. Instead, we get an often cringe-inducing storyline that just throws Sullivan off to the side and pretends he was never important.

41. Dr. Kay

Linda Hamilton's villainous doctor feels like a copy of Brenner without any of his complexities

I get what they were planning on doing with this military plot line, because it does ultimately motivate Eleven to make her final decision, but I just think it was weakly executed. Had Dr. Kay's character been set up in previous seasons, maybe she would've been more interesting, but as it stands, she just feels like this bland, uninteresting mix of the worst parts of Sullivan and the worst parts of Brenner. She's got all the uncomfortable, generic military dialogue and personality traits while also having this incredibly evil plan that does not have any layers. There's never a reason provided for why she's doing what she's doing. She's just evil for evil's sake. And that is just uninteresting.

40. Tom Holloway

A forgettable misogynist who ultimately feels pointless when he dies

I get what they were trying to do by showing the Hawkins Post guys as misogynists who constantly belittled Nancy, but at a certain point, it just felt over the top. Stranger Things will sometimes drag its bullying plot lines too long, and that is certainly the case with Tom Holloway and the rest of the jerks at the paper. Look, this guy is designed to be an incredibly unlikable character, but there's a difference between being unlikable and being a bad character. Do I think Tom is a bad character? Not necessarily, but, like many small Stranger Things villains, he just feels a little bit cartoonish and over-the-top. He's so horrible and so rude to Nancy that it just becomes too much at times. I think he does strengthen her arc in this season and causes some good conflict between her and Jonathan, but as a character himself, he's not the best.

39. Yuri Ismaylov

An over-the-top Russian pilot that is both horrible and funny

I don't know how I feel about Yuri. On the one hand, he's hilarious. He legitimately provides some of the biggest laughs in the entire show. On the other hand, he's included in a very serious and intense plot line. Joyce and Murray trying to rescue Hopper from a Russian prison is an emotionally powerful story, and I just think Yuri's energy throws that off a bit. There are times where we are supposed to feel the tension and urgency of this story, and Yuri just breaks the tension by cracking some annoying joke. Even when he's not cracking jokes, his personality is just inherently loud and abrasive, and that can sometimes be too much to handle. So there are times where I do like this character. And there are times where I absolutely cannot handle him.

38. Jason Carver

A good way to show the building anger of Hawkins executed to middling results

On paper, I think Jason is a really good idea. Through three seasons of this show, the citizens of Hawkins have barely reacted to the insanity going on all around them. Season four changes that. As soon as Chrissy is killed, there is an uproar. People start to get angry. And Jason, her boyfriend, being the leader of that makes sense. But, like so many of the smaller Stranger Things villains, he often comes off as cartoonishly angry and crazy. I just don't buy that the captain of the high school basketball team could interrupt the police and turn the town into a mob. He turns the whole city into this insane cult chasing down Eddie, and I just think there should've been a little more nuance and subtlety to his character and this entire plot line. However, I think Mason Dye, the actor, does a great job at portraying the dwindling sanity and rationale of this character, and I think he provides a good layer of additional conflict in this season. I just wish he was written to be a little less dramatic.

37. Terry Ives

The story of Eleven's mother is much more interesting than her actual character

This section of the ranking has a bunch of characters who really only exist to help other characters along on their arcs. Terry Ives, of course, services Eleven's arc in season two. We actually do meet her initially in season one as Hopper and Joyce start to uncover that Eleven is the kid they've been chasing, not Will, which sets her up to be a major part of Eleven's backstory. I think her inclusion in season two is one of the stronger parts of Eleven's story. In her rebellious stage, it makes sense that she'd go looking for her mother. And I think Terry's story of her birthing Eleven and having her taken away from her is appropriately sad. But again, she isn't much of a character in her own right. She acts almost more as a plot device to move Eleven along in her journey. But she's effective at doing that.

36. Barbara Holland

Everyone has a strange attachment to this relatively minor, uninteresting character

Guys. I have to be completely honest. I just don't like Barb that much. I think she is the most overrated character in the show. I get it. She is an unfair victim of the Demogorgon and of Nancy's ignorance, but she's just not that interesting in her own right. Sure, she's the nerdy friend who Nancy starts to draw away from when she begins dating Steve, but that idea is much more in service of Nancy's arc. And that's where I think Barb is most effective. She works as a way to motivate Nancy to search for the Demogorgon and become the badass that she becomes throughout the series. But on her own...Barb just isn't that interesting. I think Shannon Purser being nominated for an Emmy is absolutely ridiculous. She's a fine actress, but the fact that she was nominated and some of these other cast members were not is shocking to me. Winona Ryder, Charlie Heaton, Natalia Dyer, Matthew Modine...none of them were nominated for season one. So it's just weird to me that Shannon Purser was. But whatever. Barb is just a little bit overrated to me.

35. Larry Kline

Hawkins's sleazy mayor is made better by a great performance from Cary Elwes

Kline feels like the better type of completely unlikable character. Whereas Tom just came off as cheesy and often unnecessary in how horrible he was, Kline's sleaziness and awfulness feels fun and effective. Part of that is Cary Elwes's gleeful portrayal of this complete dirtbag of a mayor. And part of it is this odd charm that he has despite being a completely horrible human being. This is the type of character that you love to hate, and I think he works perfectly as that.

34. Lonnie Byers

Will and Jonathan's crappy dad is incredibly unlikable but works as an antagonist

Speaking of characters you love to hate, Lonnie Byers is the frickin' worst. From the minute you meet him, you can just tell that this guy is a complete deadbeat dad. You understand exactly the type of father he was to Jonathan and Will. Jonathan and Joyce carry such a disdain for him that it makes it all the more horrible when he shows up for Will's funeral to extort his son's supposed death for money. He works perfectly as this foil to Joyce: this guy who seems to have it all together but is just the sleaziest, most selfish jerk on the inside. One of the most satisfying moments of season one is when Joyce kicks Lonnie out of her house and gets him off this show for good. Thank God this piece of crap never wormed his way back into the Byers's life.

33. Kali Prasad

008 is an interesting character, but her return felt slightly underwhelming

Oh, Kali. What a strange, strange character. I appreciate that the Duffers wanted to tie off all the loose ends of the show by bringing Kali back despite her being in the most reviled episode of the show, but I still don't know how I feel about her inclusion. I think she does serve as a great foil to Eleven. Whereas Eleven has gotten to see the beauty and love the world has to offer, Kali has not. She has been lived in darkness and pain her whole life, and that is all she understands. That informs her character and her interactions with Eleven...but I just don't know that she's necessary in season five. The cast was already huge going into the season, and throwing her on top of everyone else just makes her feel a bit forced in. She's also a really tough character to like because she's automatically conflicting with all of our other characters. Like, we've spent four seasons being invested in Eleven and Hopper's relationship, so when Kali comes in at the end of the show and essentially creates a rift in their dynamic, it just makes her incredibly tough to like. I'm very mixed on this character. Only time will tell how her inclusion in the final season ages.

32. The Mind Flayer

The menacing puppet master behind all of the events in the show works as a final boss

I was debating whether to include the Mind Flayer on this list, but at the end of the day, it's the true force behind all of the events of the show. I wish they hadn't waited until the final episode of the show to reveal this, but I do think that it's cool to have the Mind Flayer be the true evil of Stranger Things. I would still say Vecna is the main antagonist, but having the Mind Flayer be this ethereal, overarching force that is seemingly the puppet master of the Abyss is a cool idea. It makes the Upside Down and the Abyss and everything feel more alien and frightening than it would if it was in Vecna's control, and I really do appreciate that. Now, it's tough to put the Mind Flayer higher because it isn't much of a character, but I am really pleased with it as the final boss and ultimate antagonist of Stranger Things.

31. Vickie Dunne

Robin's girlfriend is fun, but doesn't really have much to do in any of her appearances

I like Vickie, but she's not designed to be a huge character. She's doesn't do anything that bothered me endlessly, but she also doesn't really do anything that makes her stick out as memorable. She's more there to serve Robin's character and be this emotional tie that she now has to Hawkins. It also allows her to finally be comfortable in her own skin and provide Will with her wisdom and advice. Like I said, this section of the ranking is mainly characters who service other characters, so Vickie works more as that than as her own character. She's a fun addition. Amybeth McNulty is able to match Maya Hawke's nervous, rambling style. She's a solid character. But not much more than that.

30. Murray Bauman

A character that started off fun and got progressively more annoying

My least favorite of the main cast is, of course, Murray Bauman. Now, there are times where I like Murray. I think he's at his strongest when he's a recurring character in seasons two and three, but I don't really think he works as a main cast member. He's a lot to take. His zaniness and constant sarcasm is just too much at times, which is why he works with limited appearances. He's so much weirder than most of our main cast, so it just feels like too much when he does get upgraded to a series regular. He's probably the least important of the main cast, so I don't really mind him that much, but I just found myself being more annoyed than excited whenever he was on screen in the later seasons.

29. Ted Wheeler

One of the funniest characters on the show

Ted Wheeler is absolutely hilarious. This man is the definition of a couch potato. The Duffers are clearly in on the joke that Ted is this typical 80s dad who reads the paper in his lazy boy, watches the news, and then goes to sleep. Joe Chrest does a fantastic job of being this out of touch man who is so oblivious to everything going on with his family. He isn't in the show a ton, but anytime he makes an appearance, he gets a laugh. Quotes like "What'd I do?" and "Heavens to Betsy!" just get me every time. Of course, I can't put him higher than this because he doesn't have any sort of big arc or iconic moments. But he serves his purpose in the show perfectly.

28. Dmitri "Enzo" Antonov

The sweet-talking Russian guard was a solid addition to season four

Hopper's main ally in prison was, in my opinion, one of the most underrated parts of season four. Tom Wlaschiha brings his Jaqen H'ghar energy to Stranger Things with this incredibly charming, enigmatic guard at Kamchatka that is trying to help Hopper escape for his own selfish means. By the end, however, you get the sense that Enzo is truly a good guy who does want Hopper to escape. That makes him feel like this honorable, noble character who, although seemingly not worth trusting, is an ally after all. Much like Ted, he isn't a big enough character for me to put him higher, but he was just another thing that made season four the perfect season of TV that it was.

27. Suzie Bingham

Dustin's Mormon girlfriend is always fun whenever she pops up

I love Suzie. Sure, she's barely in the show, but when she does pop up, she's absolutely fantastic. The NeverEnding Story is one of my favorite scenes in all of Stranger Things, and so much of that is due to the perfect plant of Suzie in the first episode and the incredible reveal that she does indeed exist in the finale. Even the way they use her in season four is great as we get to see her insane family and a little bit more of her personality. She's one of these small parts of the show that just make it so special.

26. Chrissy Cunningham

Vecna's first victim is fantastic with how little screen time she has

I think Chrissy is honestly one of the most impressive character on the show. She appears in one episode. She has probably ten total minutes of screen time. And they do not waste a minute with her. When we initially meet her, we see her as this happy cheerleader who is dating the basketball star. That automatically paints a picture in our minds of who this character is. But as we go deeper into the episode, our expectations are subverted as we see that she is struggling behind the scenes. She is dealing with horrific body shaming from her mother which is being exploited by Vecna to torture her. The only time we see her truly happy is when she meets with Eddie and the two of them share a really beautiful moment of connection. That warms us up to both of their characters as this unexpected pairing turns out to be something really comforting for Chrissy in the darkest moments of her life. All of this leads to her final, horrible moments as she is brutally murdered in Eddie's trailer, which you truly do feel because we've spent a full episode getting invested in this character and her relationship with Eddie. I think Chrissy is a great character. Her placement is this low simply because she is a smaller character, but she is one of the most effective smaller characters in the show.

25. Argyle

The true funniest character on the show

I get it if you're not an Argyle fan, but I personally loved him. The California plot line is probably the weakest of our main season four stories, but Argyle brings some much needed humor and levity to it through some absolutely hysterical moments. I think the stoner humor works really well. Eduardo Franco is able to execute this awkward, cooky character with so much confidence that it actually makes him super charming and likable. He gets some super fun moments in the finale as he comes up with the idea for Eleven to piggyback in the Surfer Boy Pizza freezer. Again, not a character that makes or breaks the show for me, but just a fun little addition that elevates one of the weaker parts of season four.

24. Alexei

The lovable Russian scientist was a surprisingly heart-warming addition in season three

Ah, poor Alexei. It's easy to forget how little Alexei is in season three because of the impact that he made, but this guy is really only in three episodes before he gets shot by Grigori. In those three episodes, though, they turn this should-be evil Russian scientist into one of the most innocent, heart-warming parts of the show. He has this child-like innocence to him where he loves slurpees and cartoons. He forges this fun relationship with Murray and gets excited about all of the weirdness of America. And just as you are starting to adore this character and love his fun dynamics with our other characters...he gets killed. In the middle of a carnival, where he should feel safe. It's such a devastating moment for both Alexei and Murray. They are able to take a character who does not speak English, who you get to know over three episodes, and make his death one of the most heart-breaking in the entire series. That shows you just how good Stranger Things is at creating compelling minor characters.

23. Sam Owens

The suspicious doctor who turns out to be good is one of the most underrated characters

I think Dr. Owens is truly one of the most underrated parts of both season two and the show in general. Stranger Things has always been great at subverting tropes of classic 80s movies, and Owens is one of the best examples of that. After season one made us not trust Hawkins Lab at all, we go into season two with our guard up. Owens seems to have replaced Brenner as the untrustworthy monster at the center of it all. It was a stroke of genius to cast Paul Reiser, who plays the sleaziest, most dishonest character in Aliens, as this doctor who you just do not trust. But as you get further into season two and you see the shadiness of Hawkins Lab, you also see Owens rebelling against that. You see him get angry at some of his scientists for suggesting that Will's life is expendable. By the end, you realize that he is a genuinely good person despite working for a bad, dangerous organization. And they continue that idea in season four, where he is this good-hearted doctor who wants what is best for Eleven working with Brenner, who is incredibly nefarious and dangerous. I do wish he had made some sort of appearance in season five, because it feels like we didn't really get closure with his character, but as it stands, he is one of the most underrated people in the entire show.

22. Scott Clarke

An absolute scene-stealing character who finally gets in on the action in season five

I frickin' love Mr. Clarke. He is played as the man who "taught Dustin everything he knows" and they really lean into that. He feels like a grown-up version of one of the kids, and I mean that in the best way possible. Throughout each of the first three seasons, they use him as this character who explains scientific questions that the characters have about the Upside Down despite never letting him in on what's truly going on. When he's brought back in season five, however, he finally gets told about the Upside Down and all of the insanity in Hawkins. I love that they brought him back for season five and finally included him in the main gang. Beyond just the way they utilize him, he steals every single scene he's in. Randy Havens has this confident nerdiness to him that honestly feels like a more subdued version of Gaten Matarazzo's performance. Mr. Clarke is just the best. Every time I watch this show, I am reminded how much of an unsung hero he is.

21. Derek Turnbow

The delightful dipshit is season five's best new character

Stranger Things doesn't have a ton of new protagonists in season five, but even if they did, the standout would still be Derek Turnbow. Derek is introduced as this incredibly annoying kid who you immediately hate. He is so abrasive and spoiled and just says things that make your blood boil. But as soon as he starts being abrasive and annoying in favor of our heroes...he is amazing. He's so funny, and you just want to cheer every time he flips off one of our villains. One of the funniest and best moments in the finale is when he tells Vecna to "Suck my fat one!" They even do manage to give him a little bit of an arc as he starts off as this bully who Holly hates and, by the end, he is saving Holly from Vecna. Sure, he's somewhat horrible and annoying, but he also cares about his friends and family, and that ultimately makes him lovable.

20. Jonathan Byers

One of the most up-and-down characters who ultimately gets a satisfying arc in the final season

Now we're really starting to get into our main characters. Of our main cast since season one, Jonathan is definitely the weakest. But he's still a good character, and a lot of that is due to him being one of the most consistently written characters on the show. He is always a quiet loner, but he deeply, deeply cares about the people he loves, whether it be Will or Nancy or Joyce. We see much of that come out in season one when Will is missing. The way he deals with the trauma and grief of possibly losing his little brother actually makes him one of the best characters in season one. He's not as interesting in later seasons. He can actually get very frustrating with the amount he whines and acts angry. That's probably why he's lower on the list, simply because he's not always the most likable of our main heroes. But I do love the resolution of his character as we see him reconcile his relationship with both Steve and Nancy. I actually missed this upon my first watch of the finale, but apparently, they mention that he goes to NYU, which is a great little full-circle moment, because Joyce mentioned that he's wanted to go to NYU since he was six years old in season one.

19. Erica Sinclair

Lucas's sassy little sister is always doing something awesome whenever she appears

Erica Sinclair was first introduced in season two in the most minor of appearances...and yet she still made an impact. Her sassiness and confidence immediately felt fun and unique, so it was a welcome surprise when she became an upgraded character in season three. To me, she is exactly what I would've wanted Murray to be. Even when she's a series regular, Erica is not a major part of the show or consistently in every episode. She's used the right amount so that you appreciate and enjoy her personality and humor. I love that they made her so against Lucas's nerdiness in season three only for Dustin to convince her that she is actually a nerd...so she becomes this huge D&D player and this math whiz that might honestly be the nerdiest person in the show. But they manage to make her be both incredibly nerdy and confident, which just gives her a magnetic personality that you remember.

18. Karen Wheeler

The Wheeler's powerful mother is always there for her children

Season five finally allowed Karen Wheeler to get the public recognition that she deserves, because she is such an awesome character. Even though she isn't really involved in the main story of most of the seasons, she's always there as this mother who is trying to connect with her kids and keep her family together despite having a deadbeat husband. She has that mama bear instinct that you expect from a character like this, but it oftentimes remains subdued and quiet. Her strength lies in resilience and subtlety, but when it does explode out and you get these huge moments of her being a badass, it's awesome. Many of those moments obviously came in season five, whether it be her stabbing the Demogorgon with her wine bottle or her blowing up the Demodogs in the hospital. Either way, this character has always been one of the quiet strengths of Stranger Things, and I'm glad she got a few moments in the spotlight in season five.

17. Billy Hargrove

One of the most tragic characters on the show is elevated by one of the best actors on the show

I think Billy is a really, really good character who is as close to greatness as you can be without quite getting there. For almost all of season two, we understand him as this completely racist jerk who is horrible to Max, he's bullying Steve, and he's making some questionable comments about Lucas. We understand him more when we see that he is living in the shadow of an abusive father who just ridicules him every chance he gets. This is more expanded on in season three when we see that he did used to have a loving mother and became a monster when his mom left, which gives him more layers. When he does get infected by the Mind Flayer, his story becomes so tragic. You can see that he was once happy, but his life has just put him on this dark, sad path that ends with him becoming the Mind Flayer's pawn. Throughout season three, he has so many moments of quiet vulnerability where Dacre Montgomery just has the most painful, upset look despite him doing evil Mind Flayer things. I do love his redemption, but I wish we'd seen more real Billy and not just possessed Billy throughout the season so that we could understand him better as a person. I think that would've made him even more compelling and tragic, but as it stands, he's a very good character that is elevated by a stunning performance from Dacre Montgomery.

16. Martin Brenner

The nefarious doctor behind it all has many more layers than you'd expect

In season one, Brenner works as the enigmatic mad scientist who is chasing after Eleven. We don't really see him as a character. He feels more like this sinister force who is adding another layer of conflict and danger in the midst of Will's disappearance. Matthew Modine has this strangely calm yet very eerie presence that just makes Brenner intimidating as a character. In season four, however, he returns with a much more layered and complex role. He's still an undeniably bad human being, but you see that he does care about Eleven and does think of himself as her "papa" in his own twisted way. That's a really interesting way to complicate a character and make him more interesting without losing what made him villainous in the first place. Like so many of the smaller characters in Stranger Things, he just adds a little bit of nuance and complexity to the show that makes it better.

15. Bob Newby

Sean Astin's ill-fated nerd was one of season two's biggest standouts

One of the things Stranger Things is so good at doing is introducing characters that only stay with us for a season yet make such an impact. Bob the Brain is one of those characters. Sean Astin gives life to this guy that is just a good person at his core. When they call him "Bob Newby, Superhero", that means something. He doesn't have superpowers or abilites that make him special. His simple, good-natured character makes him a superhero. When all the stuff with Will starts going down, instead of being scared and abandoning Joyce, he tries to help. And he doesn't try to help in his own way. He tries to help by letting her direct him. He asks "What can I do?" and listens without asking any other questions. This ultimately leads to his absolutely gut-wrenching demise, which just hurts every single time you watch it. Bob is one of the highlights of season two. I absolutely adore this character.

14. Holly Wheeler

The youngest Wheeler gets a very welcome and compelling expansion in season five

I cheated a bit when I said Derek was the best new character in season five, because Holly is basically a new character. She has technically been in every season before this, but she finally has a role to play here, and it's a great one. We've spent so much of this show with Mike and Nancy, and Holly feels like the combination of the two of them. She has the quiet strength and power of Nancy while also having the loyal heart of gold that Mike has. I love this little arc that she gets where, through her relationship with Max, she discovers her courage and embraces herself as Holly the Heroic. You see this play out beautifully when Max, Eleven, and Kali do vanish from Camazotz in the finale and Holly is the one to step up and lead the kids away from Vecna and into the cave. If ever there was a sequel to Stranger Things (which I am not saying I want at all), I would want it to follow Holly Wheeler.

13. Joyce Byers

The small but mighty matriarch of the show is one of the most consistent characters

Much like Jonathan, Joyce is one of these characters that is consistently written throughout the show. She is arguably the main character of season one, and you immediately get this sense of unmatched love and protectiveness inside of her. She is so motivated to find Will that she does not care if everyone else views her as crazy. After seasons one and two, when Will is no longer in peril, she does kind of sit on the back-burner. She's not as major of a character, but they still find a way for her to have power and agency through smaller actions and moments. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She will stand up to Hopper, Murray, Vecna, evil Russians, whoever. She's not one of the flashiest characters in the show. She's not the one that gets the coolest moments (with the exception of her incredible F-bomb in the finale). But she is just consistently good, and that is enough.

12. Mike Wheeler

One of season one's best characters finally gets back to form in season five

Mike is the heart of the show in season one. The kids are really the main protagonists that we are following along, and Mike, being the main kid, is the one you are the most invested in. You see him have this deeply emotional bond with his friends which causes him to go out looking for Will. Once he meets Eleven, he extends that bond to her. Then they move away from that in seasons two through four. He becomes bratty and kind of annoying. But season five gets him back to his true, loyal self. One of my favorite parts of season five was how well they fixed his character. You see him being loyal and heading the hunt for Vecna. You see how much he cares about Will and Eleven and Holly and all of his other friends and family. Finn Wolfhard gives by far his best performance as this character in his final outing. Of course, the show ends with him giving a beautiful speech about his belief that Eleven did survive the destruction of the Upside Down and is living somewhere in peace. That is the Mike Wheeler I know and love. And I am so glad they got him back in season five.

11. Vecna

The show's big bad is scary, mysterious, and compelling all at the same time

I think introducing Vecna in season four was one of the best choices this show has ever made. Through three seasons, you view the Upside Down as this ethereal, alien dimension that feels Lovecraftian in its monsters and its construction. Having Vecna tie it all together makes the show feel more cohesive and just cooler. Beyond that, this dude is just awesome. The way he looks is memorable. The way he kills people is memorable. His voice is incredible. Jamie Campbell Bower knocks it out of the park with his performance both as the monstrous form of the character and as Henry Creel. I love how he ties everything back to Eleven and Hawkins Lab. And I honestly love the idea that he was a vessel that the Mind Flayer used but, instead of trying to fight back, he embraced that and joined forces with the horrors of the Abyss. For three seasons, Stranger Things did feel like it was missing a true big bad. Well, we got one, and he is perfect.

10. Lucas Sinclair

One of the overlooked emotional cores of the show, especially in later seasons

I get people who don't love Lucas, but I have never been in that camp. In season one, he's designed to be the antagonistic one in the friend group. He does not like Eleven. He doesn't want her there. But once he does come around, you see him as this loyal, caring character, even if he does have a slightly annoying side to him. Where Lucas really shines, however, is in the final two seasons. Season four gives him a really interesting arc where he is floating away from the nerdy flock and is joining the basketball team. That's such a real conflict that so many people in high school face. Wanting to be popular and fit in with the cool crowd is so relatable, and they really do a nice job of exploring that with Lucas. His relationship with Max, though, is what cements him as one of the show's emotional cores. You see how much he loves this girl and wants her to be okay, and his determination to help her through whatever she's going through makes him just an awesome character.

9. Nancy Wheeler

The typical 80s girlfriend transforms into an Ellen Ripley-esc badass throughout the series

If you don't love Lucas, I somewhat understand. I have seen people who dislike Nancy, and I just don't get that. I think she has one of the coolest arcs in the entire show. They give her something different to do each season. Season one, she's this John Hughes-esc good girl who has fallen into the popular crowd because of her jock boyfriend, but, after Barb goes missing, she starts turning into this Ripley-esc badass. Season two sees her deal with the guilt of Barb's death and the unfairness of the cover-up at Hawkins Lab. Season three, she pursues her dream of being a journalist only to be humiliated by a bunch of misogynistic dickwads, and she has to fight her way through that. Season four, she is working her own way through journalism and clearing her own path to success as she deals with her flailing relationship with Jonathan. Season five sees her embrace her independence and become the powerful woman that her mother is. Seeing Nancy Wheeler with a shotgun always gets me pumped. I don't care that Natalia Dyer is 5'4. She is a badass.

8. Will Byers

The show's most wasted potential finally becomes one of its best characters in season five

Will is such a strange character, because he's so integral to the central conflict of the show, but he never actually gets a ton to do. He's pretty active for about half of season two, but then he gets possessed by the Mind Flayer and then is completely sidelined for seasons three and four. Leading up to season five, the Duffers heavily teased that Will would be the emotional core. And they were correct. Will gets so many incredible moments that do feel like a completion of his character in this fifth and final season. The main themes of this season are about accepting one's identity, and so much of that hinges on Will accepting himself. Through four seasons, he's been kidnapped, used, cast aside, and in season five, he finally gets to fight back. Through his relationship with Robin, he discovers his inner agency and is able to unlock his powers in one of the most satisfying and incredible moments of the show. In the penultimate episode, he finally stops being afraid of Vecna by revealing that he is gay to his friends and family. Part of the reason Will was so sidelined in the past was because he was not comfortable in his own skin, but season five allows him to be and thus makes him one of the strongest characters in the entire show.

7. Eddie Munson

One of the most immediately lovable and tragic characters in all of Stranger Things

I'm only nineteen years old, so I haven't really been around for that many shows that are as big as Stranger Things. But I cannot imagine any shows have had a character appear for the fourth season and only the fourth season and make as big of an impact as Eddie Munson did. Everyone universally fell in love with this guy as soon as season four debuted. He's just so relatable. He starts off as this outsider, this freak that embraces his weirdness, but we see that he does actually have a soft side to him. When he sells drugs to Chrissy, you see that he is a truly good-hearted person who is just misconstrued by the people around him. And they continue that when he is framed for Chrissy's murder. After he sees Vecna kill Chrissy, he becomes terrified, and the world that rejected him now additionally hates him. Despite this, he has this beautiful arc of learning how not to run away. They give him this incredibly heartfelt big brother relationship with Dustin that shows you how much this guy cares about being your true self. He gets some of the best moments in season four, especially his Master of Puppets solo in the Upside Down. And, of course, his final moment of not running away and fighting the Demobats at the cost of his own life is possibly the most heart-breaking scene in the show. I love that Dustin carries on Eddie's legacy in season five, because this man is one of the best parts of the near-perfect season four.

6. Robin Buckley

Maya Hawke's nervous weirdo shines for different reasons in all three seasons she's in

This may be a relatively hot take, but I absolutely think that Robin is one of the best characters in Stranger Things. I love her introduction in season three as you see this person who has known Steve in his jerk era start to warm up to him because of this new development he's received through the first two seasons. You believe this is going somewhere romantic and then the Duffers pull off one of the most genius subversions in the show and reveal that she is gay. After she comes out to Steve, she becomes this much more open, bubbly person in the next two seasons who still works as this platonic, good friend that shows Steve he doesn't need a girlfriend to have purpose. But what really gets her this high is her role in season five. Will needs a little bit of some outside motivation to accept himself in the final season, and Robin provides that. She sees someone that feels so much like she did when she was closeted and slowly but surely helps motivate him to reveal his sexuality to his friends and family. Maya Hawke gives her best performance in season five and really solidifies Rockin' Robin as one of the best characters in the entire series.

Before we move on, let me say one quick thing: I love all of the characters above these five. But none of them come close to my top five favorite characters in Stranger Things. These next five are legitimately some of my favorite characters in television. Honestly, they might be some of my favorite characters in all of fiction. To me, these characters at the top are at the core of what makes Stranger Things so special. So here we go.

5. Dustin Henderson

The funniest member of the party is also the one who's got the most emotion tied to him

I think pretty much everyone universally agrees that Dustin is the best of the main kids, and it's not really even close. Lucas, Mike, Will...they're great. But none of them are Dustin. What makes this character so great is how well they've developed him across seasons. In season one, he is the obvious standout because of how funny and charming he is. Gaten Matarazzo just has a uniquely hilarious energy that makes him the scene-stealer in that first season. In season two, though, they take him in a completely different route by pairing him up with Steve. Suddenly, the funniest character in season one now has this incredible brotherly bond to one of the other best characters in the show, and there's an emotional tie-in between the two of them. His character is defined by these relationships he crafts and how much he takes from Steve and Eddie, and that just makes him so lovable. You see how he admires those two and wants to be like them, and that idea is so endearing. This makes it even more devastating when he's a broken version of himself in season five after Eddie dies, and you see it affecting his relationship with Steve. Some of the most heart-breaking stuff in season five is when Dustin breaks down in Steve's arms and says he "can't let it happen again!" I love his final graduation speech as he does pay tribute to Eddie and embraces himself as the nerd and the freak that can also befriend those he normally wouldn't be expected to. I just adore Dustin. One of the best characters in all of TV.

Okay. I love Dustin to death. He's so close to the top four. But when I tell you I have shuffled around this top four so many times, I mean it. Every single character in this top four has been my number one at some point. So think of it as these four characters being tied for the top spot. Because that's just how I'm choosing to think of it so I don't go insane.

4. Eleven

The show's most iconic character gets an absolutely perfect ending in my eyes

The reason that I view all of these characters as tied for the top spot is because they are all incredible for different reasons. Eleven is perhaps the most obvious reason. She's the main character. She gets the most screen time. The most development. And the best and coolest moments. They also give her so many different stories and types of development, and all of it feels consistent with her character. It's so interesting to have this abused girl who was a lab rat for most of her early development finally get released into the real world and meet good people who actually do care about her. Her entire arc in the show is about learning and becoming. The series-long story is basically just about her becoming a true human being, and there's something innately profound about that.

If you just look at where she started, it really shows how great the development of this character has been. When she met Mike in the woods, she could barely talk. Throughout all of season one, most of her dialogue is a word or two. She didn't understand simple concepts like friendship. And, by the end of season five, she finally understands that she can choose. She can have agency and make her own life decisions without anyone forcing her to do anything. And that is what ultimately motivates her to go down with the Upside Down. So she doesn't have to live a life on the run. So she doesn't have to put her loved ones in danger. That's such a powerful way to wrap up this incredible character who has been the face of the show since she first walked into our hearts with that torn hospital gown.

3. Max Mayfield

The most heartbreaking and uplifting character on the show...and the one I connect with most

It pains me to not put Max in the top spot, because in a way, she's my favorite character on the show. She is the one that I truly connect with the most. Her arc of overcoming trauma and depression and trying to reconnect with the life inside you is so powerful to me. When I'm having a bad day or am just feeling down, one of my go-to methods of making myself feel better is watching the Running Up That Hill sequence, because it is such a powerful message. And so much of that is due to how they've built up and executed Max's character. She has this complicated relationship with Billy that you see affect her personality and the way she acts around the boys. After Billy's death, you see her struggle with how to handle that. The Duffers played this beautifully, because you see that Max has some mixed emotions about losing Billy. The guy was horrible to her, but he was her brother at the end of the day. And they let her confess those mixed emotions. That's so beautiful and tragic to me.

I love that she is this target of Vecna's that ultimately does choose her friends and her life instead of giving into the depression and grief that Vecna represents. And we see that even continued in season five as she desperately searches for a way out of Camazotz and back to Lucas. I love that they give her this mentor role with Holly where she teaches the youngest Wheeler to believe in herself and choose life. To me, Max is just representative of optimism and hope and how friendship and love can carry you through the worst of times. That is such a powerful concept. And, of course, Sadie Sink is just the only person that could play this role. She is, in my opinion, the best actor on the show, so she just adds the cherry on top of this already perfect character. God. Writing this blurb makes me want to move Max to the true top spot. This is why I say they're all tied for me, guys. Because these four are truly some of my favorite characters in all of fiction.

2. Steve Harrington

The greatest redemptive arc in all of TV makes for one of the best characters in all of TV

What do I say about this character that hasn't already been said? Steve Harrington is the fan-favorite for a reason. Because he is one of the best characters in the history of television. Again, one of the things Stranger Things does so well is subvert classic 80s tropes and turn them into something much better. Steve might be the best example of that. In season one, he is the worst. The dude straight-up sucks...but you get the sense that there may be more to him than meets the eye. And, after he gets punched in the face by Jonathan, you see that he realizes he might be the jerk. He becomes truly introspective and realizes that he was in the wrong, so he goes and apologizes to Nancy and Jonathan...and, in the process, saves them from the Demogorgon. That redemption is, in my opinion, the best redemptive arc in all of TV (I would give it to Jaime Lannister, but season eight exists).

And, of course, they continue that incredible development in season two, where you see him form this incredible bromance with Dustin. From the same character who was a bully and a jerk in season one blossoms the world's greatest babysitter, who cares deeply about everyone around him. He is so protective of the kids and Nancy and Robin, and you just see that ooze out in every action he takes. He is always learning how to be a better person, whether it's through finding out that Robin is gay or being alienated from Dustin in season five. He is always able to step back and realize what he can do better, and that is so unique and powerful for a character who was such a jerk in the first season. I was Steve Harrington for Halloween this past year. I have a poster of him hung up in my apartment. This dude is probably one of my five or ten favorite TV characters of all time. I mean, all of the top four are probably in the top five or ten, but you know what I mean. There's just one character who barely, barely, barely edges out Steve.

1. Jim Hopper

One of the most compelling fictional characters of all time

If you combine everything I love about a character: powerful arcs, great, memorable personalities, cool moments, emotional bonds...Jim Hopper checks every single box. When you meet him, he is this checked-out, alcoholic police chief. He is just so unable to pull himself out of this spiral of darkness and depression that he has been down since his daughter's death. Initially, he does not treat Joyce's claims that Will is missing seriously. But as he does more investigating and digs a bit more, he sees that something is truly wrong. And, through this, he gets a chance at redemption. He gets to rediscover himself and the great man he once was by helping to find and save this kid when he couldn't save his own daughter. That is such a powerful, emotional arc that hits me every time I watch season one.

And they are able to continue that level of power and emotion by giving him another daughter: Eleven. Season two onwards sees Hopper rediscover how to be a father, and that is just as powerful as watching him rediscover his own greatness. You see his anger and overprotectiveness and fear get in the way of his relationship with El. You see him struggle with what to do. And, at the end of season five, he faces his worst fear: losing another daughter. It's devastating, watching him have to accept that Eleven is going to sacrifice herself, but you see him process this and eventually learn to live with it. His final conversation with Mike is the perfect completion of his arc. You see him tell Mike to not go down the path that he went down after he lost Sarah. He can still live, which is what Eleven would have wanted. What a perfect way to end this absolutely perfect character. And, although I would say Max, Steve, and Eleven are all my favorite characters in this show (and Dustin, too, although he's maybe just a slight step below), with a gun to my head, Hopper is my favorite.