Top 10 Best Stranger Things Duos

Because friends don't lie - they team up to fight monsters instead.

We are almost there! About two and a half weeks remain until the release of Stranger Things 5. One of the things Stranger Things is so good at is nailing is its character interactions. This show has given us so many iconic duos that it was hard to pick out just ten that I loved. That said, I took any rules off, so these duos can be romantic, familial, or simply plutonic. Here are my ten favorite duos in Stranger Things.

10. Murray Bauman and Alexei

One of the quickest, saddest, and best bromances in the show

Honestly, I kind of wish we got more of this duo, because they are just so much fun. For how little actual time we spend with Alexei, it's crazy how compelling and lovable he is. Part of that is his budding relationship with Murray. Since Murray obviously speaks Russian, he is the only one that Alexei can really bond with, and once they do, their relationship is so much fun. Murray's weirdness paired with Alexei's child-like innocence just makes for an incredibly fun duo and makes it hurt a lot more when Grigori shoots Alexei. Stranger Things is great at crafting unlikely duos that are just absolutely incredible, and that is no different with this pairing.

9. Lucas Sinclair and Dustin Henderson

The classic best friend pair with electric chemistry

Speaking of unlikely pairings - this is not one of them. In fact, this is one of the best relationships from the beginning of the show. Lucas and Dustin are absolutely hilarious and just represent exactly what a great nerdy friendship could and should be. Spoiler alert: Dustin appears a few more times on this list, and it's no surprise, because his rapport with other characters is just incredible. I love how they pick these stupid little fights about Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. They just feel like truly best friends. In light of Dustin's other iconic pairings, I feel like his relationship with Lucas gets overshadowed, because it isn't unexpected or as prominent, but they are just great together.

8. Max Mayfield and Eleven

The girls who are nothing alike become best friends

Season two saw Max join the party and Eleven be jealous of her. Season three continues that in the beginning and then gives us a fun twist after Eleven realizes that her whole life cannot be Mike. I love the Starcourt montage backed by Madonna's Material Girl, and I think it just emphasizes how important it is for Eleven to have female friends and be an actual teenage girl. Max shows her how to live her life beyond "stupid boys", and that's really fun to watch, considering the trauma that Eleven has faced. I love that their bond continues in more subtle ways throughout seasons three and four, and I am excited to see them (hopefully) reunite if or when Max awakens from her coma.

7. Will and Jonathan Byers

The brotherly bond carries much of season one's emotional weight

Will and Jonathan's bond is a unique one on the show, because we don't really see much else from the various sibling duos that we have. Nancy and Mike barely interact. Max and Billy don't like each other. But Will and Jonathan have a truly heart-warming and touching relationship that emulates the real feeling of being brothers. I have a younger brother, so this bond has a truly special place in my heart. The Duffers, being the excellent writers they are, understand that Will is barely a character in season one, so we need something extra to make us care about him being found. Through showing us flashbacks of his relationship with Jonathan and showing us how much he cares about him, we really buy into the emotions of the first season's story and their tight-knit, beautiful bond.

6. Eddie Munson and Dustin Henderson

The second best of Dustin's older male friendships

Season four introduced us to fan-favorite Eddie Munson, and part of his being a fan favorite was due to his incredibly fun and heartfelt relationship with Dustin. Joseph Quinn and Gaten Matarazzo have electric chemistry (as one would expect), but they also really nail the more emotional moments. You can see that Dustin views Eddie as a role model, like an older brother figure. The look on his face during Eddie's Master of Puppets solo says everything about their relationship. The most devastating part of Eddie's heroic sacrifice is Dustin's reaction and how much it hurts for him. I am not ready emotionally to see how much Dustin is traumatized by Eddie's death in season five, but I hope he carries on his legacy graciously.

5. Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper

The core romance of the series

To me, Hopper and Joyce are the most important romantic pair in the show. These two have been building towards an eventual relationship since the first episode of the series, and it was so satisfying to see them finally get together in season four. Everyone in this show deserves a happy ending, but it feels like both Joyce and Hopper have been through the ringer, so they really deserve it. Their chemistry and dynamic is so fun but also does really hit in the poignant moments. One of the most underrated and subtle scenes in the show comes at the end of season two, right after Bob dies. A traumatized and grieving Joyce is sitting in her room and Hopper just comes in and sits down across from her. There are no words exchanged. He doesn't hug her or try to comfort her physically. His presence is enough to comfort her, and that just shows how important these two are to each other. Such great characters and such a great, compelling romance.

4. Max Mayfield and Lucas Sinclair

Although not the core, the most compelling romance of the series

In my opinion, Max and Lucas are the best romantic pair in the show. Prior to season four, this would not be the case, but season four made both of their characters two of the best on the show and their relationship really, really compelling. Max's arc in season four is absolutely incredible, and Lucas's support and attempt to help her just makes it even more touching. I love their cute interactions, like when they're sitting in the house and can't talk so they begin to write notes to each other. It goes without saying, but Caleb McLaughlin and Sadie Sink have incredible chemistry. These two are just so amazing. And I hope to God that Max wakes up and they get the happy ending they deserve.

3. Robin Buckley and Steve Harrington

A perfect subversion of a classic 80s trope along with great chemistry

Season three introduced Robin as a smart, funny, cute partner for Steve, and it seemed like she would be the perfect new romantic interest for him. Then Stranger Things does what it does best: it subverts the classic trope of the overlooked girl being the one true love and reveals that Robin is gay. Steve's response and continued support and friendship of her makes this one of the most endearing and heart-warming duos on TV. Not only are Maya Hawke and Joe Keery fantastic, but these two just feel like real, down-to-earth friends. They support each other. They make fun of each other. And they love each other. Another one of my favorite subtle moments in the show is when Robin finally gets to talk to Vickie at the end of season four and Steve just looks at her happy and smiles. These are obviously two of the show's strongest characters, and their relationship just adds to both of their greatness.

2. Jim Hopper and Eleven

The beating emotional heart that anchors most of the show's tearjerking moments

To me, Hopper and Eleven are the emotional core of the show. Pretty much everyone would say that El is the main protagonist of Stranger Things, and Hopper is probably the second most important character behind her. Both of their arcs in season one set them up as tragic, broken people who needed a father figure (in Eleven's case) and a daughter (in Hopper's case). Thus, the Duffers decided to have Hopper adopt her in season two and gave us one of the most emotionally potent relationships on the show. A lot of the show's biggest moments that will make you cry come from this relationship. Whether it's Hopper telling El about Sarah, his "death", his speech that Eleven later reads, or their emotional reunion at the end of season four, these two have so many great moments together. They would be number one, they just happen to be in the same show as the greatest duo in the history of television.

1. Steve Harrington and Dustin Henderson

The most iconic and unexpected duo in all of Stranger Things

To be fair, I have not watched a ton of TV shows. A lot of the old, iconic shows or sitcoms are blind spots for me. But I don't see how another TV show could top this absolutely iconic duo. Steve and Dustin are the show's most iconic pairing for basically infinite reasons. It starts at the unexpected nature of their relationship. After season one, you'd barely expect these two to have share screen time, much less become this. Beyond just being incredibly funny, there's something very endearing about the popular, cool high school jock becoming friends with the nerdy middle school loser. Their tiny interactions are so fantastic. And you can see how much they care about each other. Honestly, most of the time, they feel like a married couple, and I mean that in the best and funniest way possible. This is one of those things that makes Stranger Things what it is. They are just the best. And I cannot wait to see more of them in season five.