Every Stranger Things Character, Ranked

Only the recurring ones because boy, there are a lot of these

36. Eight

An utterly misguided attempt to expand the mythology of the universe, this lame introduction also tanked Eleven’s storyline of the season. With some of the cringiest acting to ever grace the series, the bland personalities of her and her gang as well as her confused arc with Eleven resulted in a painful episode that the show has rightfully discarded.

35. Angela

A brief bully for Eleven that was far too over-the-top for what once had fairly grounded human characters. Whereas the first two seasons had realistic high-school archetypes, this went so far into extreme humiliation that it became cheesy and unpleasant, not even giving us the satisfaction of her comeuppance when Eleven’s revenge is portrayed as a moment of violence rather than one of bravery.

34. Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan

An extremely minor antagonist who will surely become more involved later, but has no defining motivation or personality besides a generically tough military man.

33. Grigori

A villain in season 3 that acted as the imposing foe towards Hopper, he gets little personality besides him being an obvious allusion to the Terminator, which itself gets a little ridiculous when he becomes practically indestructible after every fight.

32. Officers Powell and Callahan

Two of Hawkins’s worst cops that aren’t very interesting aside from brief jokes about the town’s liveliness, but only exist to show the incompetency of the police without Hopper (like how they casually let flash mobs with the goal of killing teenagers form).

31. Suzie

A delightful surprise in the season 3 finale, Suzie is a fairly one-note character without much that’s notable. Her relationship with Dustin and her dorky personality makes her moderately endearing, but the visit to her Mormon family in season 4 felt like wasted time on an unfunny Cheaper By The Dozen situation, rendering her limited screen time mostly forgettable.

30. Karen

The largely insignificant mother of Mike and Nancy who becomes a bit awkward when she’s pursuing a far younger Billy, but has a few candid moments with Nancy and Mike that occasionally makes her seem like a compassionate and inspirational mother.

29. Ted

The patriotic, lazy, and chicken loving dad that never got any development or even concern for the constant danger his children are in, but is good for a few funny lines here and there.

28. Yuri

An illusive airplane pilot that was never as funny as his lengthy chortling would indicate, but gets a slight bit of redemption as he bravely helps out our heroes in Russia that redeems his peanut butter smuggling personality.

27. Mayor Kline

Another one-note character that felt too detached from reality for this universe, though Cary Elwes is having a ball in the role. His smarmy charm as the corrupt politician leading Hawkins gave Elwes a few fun notes to play him on, but generally was too much of an underdeveloped caricature to distinguish him as a standout foe.

26. Jason

What started as someone who showed an alternate side to Lucas’s development and had a reasonable motivation for vengeance eventually devolved into a wasted idea. His journey could have been an engaging foe to the Hawkins gang, but escalated into something that derailed the pace and later turned Jason into a brutal caricature who got a shockingly unceremonious death once the writers ran out of ideas for him.

25. Mr. Clarke

The nerdy science teacher who existed in the first three seasons to provide the mumbo-jumbo needed to understand everything from the Upside Down to magnets. He wasn’t in the show for long, but he had a few spare moments as the goofy teacher who has many fun interactions with the main cast.

24. Enzo

The prison guard who ended up being surprisingly appealing in his efforts to free Hopper from prison. Through his little humor and empathetic backstory, he was a worthy addition that gave Hopper to bounce off of during his grueling imprisonment in Russia.

23. Erica

Lucas’s little sister who has had her fair share of meme-able moments, but was weaker when she was added as a series regular. There’s been plenty of times where she supplies the right dose of levity, but was trying too hard when they added her as a core member of the Scoops Troop in season 3.

22. Dr. Owens

A pleasant subversion of expectations, Dr. Owens starts as a suspicious worker at the lab that quickly evolved into a likable character. His caring relationship with Eleven and Paul Reiser’s performance makes him effortlessly charming, and someone who I hoped survived his explosive encounter with the military.

21. Alexei

The short-lived, beloved Russian scientist who sweetly helped our protagonists save their children in exchange for a Slurpee. His bromance with Murray was cut short when he was murdered at the fair, causing every viewer to scream at their televisions in unison.

20. Argyle

The designated driver in season 4 was probably always too high to drive, but his stoner personality delivered lots of entertaining moments. Used in small doses, Argyle had just enough funny lines to prevent him from being a tired stereotype.

19. Barb

The poor friend of Barb who suffered a tragically vicious end and promptly caused the internet to riot for justice. Her responsible nature that only wanted her friend to stay safe made her death even sadder and a potent way to progress Nancy’s arc. Gone, but never forgotten.

18. Bob

Much like Barb, but with even more screen time to make his death resonate with the audience, Bob started out as someone who could have easily been suspicious and transformed into a genuinely kind and heroic guy through simple characterization and a fun performance, leading to the loss of this superhero that sadly made Joyce suffer even more.

17. Vecna/001

A refreshing villain that brought season 4 to life, his creepy spirit paid homage to the classic Freddy Krueger and was a menacing force towards many of our characters. The use of flashbacks to reveal 001 is Vecna was effective, and even though the consequences he brought slightly underwhelmed by the finale, he will surely have an equally imposing presence next season.

16. Murray

An initially minor conspiracy theorist whose importance expanded with each season, Murray’s character has always been a bit too broadly goofy to make for someone I actually care about (making him a karate master was a bit of a stretch, to put it nicely). However, he continues to steal scenes and use his weird persona to earn needed laughs, especially his gleeful mass burning of Demogorgons in the season 4 finale.

15. Brenner

Eleven’s sinister papa is a fascinating look at what someone with such a demented mentality would do with the power over superpowered children. From his first scene, he’s someone you absolutely despise for his manipulation and deception of Eleven, but can also see is someone who cares about her and feels he is changing the world. Played by a charismatic Matthew Modine, Brenner is an intriguing villain you love to hate and has let us understand Eleven’s past, leading up to a poetic death.

14. Joyce

Though she hasn’t had much to do since season 2, Winona Ryder livens up the role of a mother who will stop at nothing to ensure the safety of Will. In the beginning, her concern for her son felt so raw and immediately got the audience invested in her emotional journey. She also has an organic relationship with Hopper that expands upon her personality, and forms a real connection even when she’s dramatically underutilized.

13. Robin

The foil to Steve introduced in season 3, she immediately broke out with her snarky one-liners and chemistry with the main cast. Her humor and undercooked romance in season 4 were far less entertaining than she previously was, but the poignant reveal about her sexuality gave her more agency than simply the comedic relief.

12. Billy

The epitome of an ‘80s jock that started as an extremely hateable bully and eventually got a slight redemption later in the series. Dacre Montgomery wonderfully plays the jerk that can descend into the psychotic brother to Max, and someone that you can take pity on while he’s possessed in terrifying form. His sacrifice could have been even more potent if he had even more personality while he was being controlled by the Mind Flayer, but he changed the dynamics in a unique way.

11. Eddie

Introduced in season 4 as the local freak, Eddie quickly morphed from an exaggerated cliche into someone with a distinct place in the group. While his love for Dungeons and Dragons and heavy metal makes him properly nostalgic, the hatred for him from the entire town adds a vulnerability and loss that gives us emotion to latch onto. His fresh personality may have allowed him to move even higher, but he was killed off too soon and undercut some of his potential.

10. Nancy

The reporter who went from the shy girl working her way into the popular crowd to battling Demogorgons with a shotgun. During the first season, she was rather annoying as she was so eager to start a relationship with Steve, but eventually became a stronger character through her mature love of Jonathan and her methodical investigating of many mysteries. She was never a personal favorite, but consistently had an interesting arc with moments that showed her true growth.

9. Jonathan

The first in a streak of cleverly written characters who has gotten the short end of the stick in the past two seasons. In the first season, I found him wildly enthralling loner who’s determined to help his brother in any way he can, and come out of his reclusive shell for an unexpected bond with Nancy. From there, his awkwardly honest persona is sidelined without any forward progress, stalling in the background much like his brother.

8. Will

The most relatable character in Stranger Things, Will has been put through hell every season without a glimpse of happiness. In the first two, he was tortured by the Upside Down and had to rely on his friends to save him, but had his feelings ignored by them later. Noah Schnapp’s performance has always been in the top-tier of the child actors, and Will’s desperation to regain his childhood has always been sadly sympathetic, rendering his continuous lack of focus even more frustrating.

7. Mike

Yet another player who barely has a purpose anymore, his overall arc was strong enough to catapult him to the top of the list but held him back from the top 5. His relationship with El was once of the cutest and most genuine parts of the entire show, but eventually got lost as time went on and made Mike mostly stagnant. Still, his relationships with friends (especially his subtle affection for Will) is more evident than others and he was one of the highlights in the early installments.

6. Max

Unlike the previous three, Max has become a more nuanced character with every subsequent appearance. Her relationship with Lucas and friendship with Eleven expose her personality as a teenage girl discovering this group of friends, but her beating heart lies in her abuse from Billy. As she dealt with her escape from Vecna and gut-wrenching confessions about her regret, she solidified her place as someone who’s grown from a dark past into an intregal part of the group.

5. Lucas

Lucas is my vote for most improved character, someone who the Duffers continue to build upon as a grounded piece of the show. Season 4 was his best outing yet, battling his exhaustion of being bullied by joining the basketball team, only to realize that he only wants to be with Max and his friends. In the previous three, he was the necessary voice of reason that balanced out the crazy situations and always has a perspective different from anyone else.

4. Dustin

A scene-stealer from day 1, Dustin has always been a hilarious presence in every episode. Having a one-liner for every situation and a sweet smile, his affability even continues to his bromances with Steve and Eddie, where he can seamlessly portray heartfelt feelings between them. He doesn’t get as many intricacies, but he’s always a reliable way to put a smile on my face.

3. Steve

Easily the breakout star of the entire show, Steve went from being a one-dimensional douchebag at the start to being the world’s greatest babysitter. In his friendships with Dustin, Robin, and Nancy, he reveals that he was never a plain jerk and simply wanted popularity, getting redemption from all of this by genuinely caring about protecting the children. With his nail-claden bat and barrage of witty interactions with the children rightfully makes him a magnetic fan-favorite.

2. Hopper

A character who has proven himself to be endlessly compelling, his personality as a gruff cop with a broken past continues to grow with prominence. At the beginning, he was ignoring all of his potential after the loss of a child, only realizing his courage when he gets the chance to help another parent. Though season 3 regressed and turned him into an aggressive buffoon, this misstep was fixed in season 4 where he is tortured and is forced to overcome his weaknesses to return to his family, cementing him as a well-realized lead that only suffers from one mistake.

1. Eleven

Eleven has gotten the most depth out of anyone listed here, as so many shades to her personality have been explored. Her discovery of modern culture after being trapped in a lab for her childhood was a delight, made even better by her heartwarming bond with the group. As we move forward, she discovers more about her past, pop culture, and school that fleshes out her interactions as a teenager while also being a deadly weapon that has to overcome her past trauma. Without a major mistake (besides the side quest with her sister), she continues to be someone complex that has plenty of untapped potential remaining.

Thanks for reading this ranking, and if you want more like it, subscribe to and share Almost A Critic for more content! My ranking of the seasons can be found here, my review of Stranger Things 4 (Volume 1) can be found here, while my thoughts about Volume 2 can be found here!