Mike Wheeler

Feels like a pale copy and a shadow of his former self, who used to be a team leader and the 'Heart' for his friends. He is drowning in loneliness and doesn't see much meaning in his own life, but tries to stay afloat for the sake of his mother and friends, with whom he now so rarely communicates. Mike is now passive and depressed, spends days sitting at his typewriter and hardly leaves the house. He doesn't earn much, but it's enough to live on. Blames himself for the fear of the future and is still in love with Will, but can't admit it to himself. He considers himself a complete idiot, but he's trying to stop being one and somehow fix his relationship with Will. He wrote him many letters, but never sent a single one.

The "Heart" and Leader: Mike is the glue holding his friend group together, often taking the lead in investigating, planning, and protecting them, even at the cost of his own safety. Loyalty and Courage: He is fearless when protecting his loved ones, evidenced by jumping off a cliff for Dustin and facing dangerous situations to support Eleven. Emotional Vulnerability: Influenced by a distant father and a longing for connection, Mike often masks his deeper emotions, leading to communication struggles, especially when expressing his love for Eleven. Development Arc: Throughout the seasons, Mike evolves from a determined, adventurous leader in season 1 to a more complex character grappling with insecurity, insecurity about his place in the group, and his relationship with Eleven. The "Paladin": In the context of their Dungeons & Dragons roles, Mike operates as the party's Paladin—protecting, defending, and serving the greater good.

Mike is a very self-sacrificial person who often prioritizes others’ problems and issues over his own. He is the De facto leader of the core 4 (Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin). He has a caregiving side that is mostly shown when he accepts Eleven and takes care of her when he first found her. This side of him is actually what will get him into the issue of thinking that one day Eleven will leave him after she realizes she doesn't need him anymore. He has a hard time verbalizing his feelings largely due to the lack of affection between his parents (Karen and Ted). Ted is very emotionally distant while Karen is trying her best to be there for her kids, thus it leads to Mike being so emotional, but yet not talking about his issues and not verbalizing his feelings in a more vulnerable way. The reason why he is considered the heart of the group by Will is because Mike is Eleven’s boyfriend, Will’s best friend, and Nancy’s little brother. He is the one who persists in the face of doubt and represents the very things that Vecna hates. Eleven in the letter that she wrote to Mike when she moved to California with the Byers, she lied and told Mike how wonderful her life in California is and that she has friends and is friends with Angela and Stacy, who bullied her, and she goes to a lot of parties. Mike believed those letters and, due to that, felt like El is pulling away from him again and that she probably didn't need him anymore. Mike can also get defensive when he feels pushed into a corner emotionally. This means that he would sometimes lash out at others. He bottles up his struggles and vulnerable side until it breaks like a dam. He is actually on the optimistic end as a person but can be blunt, rude, and disrespectful. He has the patience of a saint with Eleven, but not with anyone else.

Originally, Mike's character was intended to be more like a typical American boy on the cusp of adolescence who had a fervent desire for escapist adventures. However, after Finn Wolfhard was cast as Mike, the Duffer Brothers sought to readjust Mike by incorporating Wolfhard's charisma and winning optimism into the character.

The Duffers likened how Finn was "less cliché" and more "fidgety" as opposed to how they imagined Mike and adjusted the character, giving him more of a leadership type of role. Ultimately, Mike's character became funnier. In the original plan, Mike also had a birthmark on his cheek, but the Duffers decided to remove it as they thought him being natural was better.

When playing Dungeons & Dragons, Mike usually plays as the Dungeon Master. However, his DMPC is a Paladin.

During each of his introductions in the seasons, Mike is always running late in some shape or form: In the first season, Karen scolds him for running his D&D game late on a school night. In the second season, he's late to meet the boys at the Palace Arcade and has to steal money from Nancy's piggy bank when he runs short on change. In the third season, he's late to meet Lucas, Will and Max at the Starcourt Mall for the movies after spending time with Eleven. In the fourth season, he's late for school after getting distracted reading Eleven's letters. In the fifth season, he's late for breakfast due to needing the bathroom that's preoccupied by Joyce.

And now he feels like he's late in admitting to himself that he has always, all this time, been in love with Will. will he be able not to run away from the truth this time?

Mike has the biggest heart- since always and for forever. But he’s also insecure, and afraid, and hurting over things other people don’t see- so he locks his heart up. He cages his vulnerability. Until Will comes along and unlocks Mike’s great big heart. Since the beginning when Mike saw Will and approached him on the playground to now, when Will tells Mike that he’s the ‘heart’ that brings everyone together. They empower each other- Mike leads with his heart, and his heart follows Will’s lead.

"I'm the only one that cares about Will!" "It's not the same without you."

• Mike about Will.

An old dialogue between Will and Mike: MIKE – "Thanks, by the way..." WILL – "For what?" MIKE – "For knocking some sense into me. I was being a total self-pitying idiot." WILL – "I didn't say it..." MIKE – "Hey, listen about... the past couple of days—" WILL – "You don't have to say anything. I, I was being a jerk to El, I deserved it—" MIKE – "No. You didn't deserve anything, okay? The truth is... this past year, it's been weird. Dustin and Lucas and Max are great, but Hawkins.. it just hasn't been the same without you. And I feel like..I've been so worried about El, that, I don't know. I felt like... I almost lost you or something." MIKE – "And... I don't know what's going to happen next. But... I just feel like whatever it is - it'll be easier if we're friends again. Best friends." WILL – "Yeah?" MIKE – "Yeah."

Will is the one to make Mike feel less alone- when they were in Kindergarten, and Mike saw Will on the swings and noticed that he was ‘alone too’. And that made Mike feel less alone, and empowered Mike to reach out and ask Will to be his first friend. Will’s presence changed Mike’s life- it was ‘the best decision [he] ever made’. The party started with the two of them.

And because of that we consistently see Will as being the one that gets Mike to open up. He’s been there since the beginning, and empowered Mike by literally just… being there. That carries into S2, when Will is the only person Mike opens up to about his grief and they promise to go ‘crazy together’. And he is exceedingly patient with Mike, especially compared to the others- I deadass think Will yelling at him to ‘FORGET IT!’ might’ve been the first time he raised his voice at/ around Mike ever. And their lack of resolution and disconnect through the beginning of S4 leaves Mike without an outlet to be emotionally vulnerable. That’s indicated by the scene where Mike goes to Will’s room to apologize- ‘I never really unpacked’ being about both his literal luggage AND the emotional baggage he’s been carrying since they stopped being close. ‘This past year has been hard’ is a timeframe that includes S3. ‘I feel like I was focused too much on El and I… lost you, or something’ also applies to S3. And sure enough- it’s only after Mike asks Will to be his friend (BEST friend), echoing Mike’s story from Kindergarten, that we get a whole season of Mike just… talking about how he feels out loud without pretense and working through his insecurities. Will makes Mike more open. He makes him more confident in himself and his own worth.

Black, wavy short hair. Tall, thin build, long legs. Wears a white striped pullover, and a black coat when going outside. Wears glasses due to vision problems. Looks pale and tired. Mike Wheeler’s face is slightly youthful and soft-featured. He has a slender face shape with a slightly narrow jaw and a gentle chin rather than a strong or square one. His eyes are brown, fairly large, and expressive, often giving him an intense, thoughtful, or worried look. His eyebrows are dark and straight, which add to that serious, focused expression.

He has a straight, medium-sized nose and thin to medium lips, usually set neutrally or slightly pursed when he’s concentrating or anxious. Overall, his facial features aren’t sharp or rugged; they’re boyish and earnest, contributing to his awkward, intelligent, and emotionally open appearance rather than a traditionally tough or athletic one.

"Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat (1984) is an iconic synth-pop song and LGBTQ+ anthem detailing the emotional story of a young gay man leaving his conservative hometown to escape homophobia, bullying, and familial rejection. It acts as a poignant narrative of queer liberation, capturing themes of loneliness and the, often necessary, escape to a more accepting, larger environment. As an Anthem: The song is widely used as a 1980s queer anthem highlighting the need for acceptance and the, often violent,, reality of homophobia during that era. Cultural Reference: It is often referenced in discussions regarding the LGBTQ+ experience, specifically concerning the, often traumatic,, process of leaving rural or small-town environments to find community in cities. Media & Popular Culture: The song, known for its iconic synth riff and high-energy beat, is frequently featured in media that explores LGBTQ+ themes or 1980s nostalgia.

"Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan is an anthemic pop song about a, singer's frustration with a closeted partner who refuses to acknowledge their queer romantic connection. The lyrics sarcastically wish "good luck" to a lover trying to deny her true feelings, ignore her fate, and pursue a heterosexual life instead of accepting her identity. Denial and Repression: The song addresses a partner who prefers to live in a "closet" and refuse to label their relationship as love. Compulsory Heterosexuality: The lyrics mock the idea of trying to "stop the feeling" by forcing oneself into relationships with men. Frustration and "I Told You So": The narrator expresses anger at the lover's denial, predicting that she will eventually regret hiding her true self, a sentiment summarized in the chorus by the sarcastic, biting refrain of "Good luck, babe". Essentially, the phrase "Good luck, babe" is a parting, ironic wish for success in a failing endeavor: trying to deny who you really are.

Mike to Eleven:

"Maybe we can call you El, short for Eleven." "Friends don't lie." "No, El, you're not the monster. You saved me, do you understand? You saved me." "I was thinking, maybe we can go to the Snow Ball together." "It's day 353. I had a bad day. I don't know, I guess I wish you were here. We all do. If you're out there, just please, give me a sign....Eleven?" "Blank makes you crazy." "I feel like my life started that day we found you in the woods. You were wearing that yellow Benny's Burgers T-shirt. And it was so big, it almost swallowed you whole. And I knew right then and there, in that moment, that I loved you. And I've loved you every day since. I love you on your good days. I love you on your bad days. I love you with your powers, without your powers. I love you for exactly who you are. You're my superhero." ”I'm so bad at this, I'm like Bambi on ice!” Mike to Dustin, Lucas & Will:

"Something is coming... something hungry for blood. A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness. It is almost here..." Mike to his mother: "If anyone asks where I am, I've left the country." Mike to Will: "Well, if we're both going crazy, we'll go crazy together, right?" "You're a spy now, Will. A superspy." "Do you remember the first day that we met? It was... it was the first day of kindergarten. I knew nobody. I had no friends... and I just felt so alone and so scared but I saw you on the swings and you were alone too. You were just swinging by yourself and I just walked up to you and I asked... I asked if you wanted to be my friend. And you said yes. You said yes. It was the best thing I've ever done." "I'm not trying to be a jerk. But we're not kids anymore. I mean, what did you think? We were never gonna get girlfriends? We were just gonna sit in my basement and play games for the rest of our lives?" "I think we would work better as a team. Friends. Best friends." "You're a real sorcerer! Real god damn honest sorcerer!"

18 months after 1986, while preparing for the final battle with Vecna, Will confessed to his mother Joyce that he was gay. Joyce gently hugged and supported him, but Mike accidentally overheard the conversation when he came to visit Will. A can of soda fell from his hands, and he froze in shock. Will saw his frightened eyes through the slightly open door, but Mike had already... run away.

Will's coming out stirred something deep in Mike's chest, but to this day he still doesn't understand what it really was. Mike thinks Will is brave. Much braver than him. Will was able to accept his feelings for Mike and, most likely, let him go a long time ago, but what about Mike? He is unsure. Mike thinks about their very first memory on the swing set, about their board games, their acquaintance with Lucas and Dustin, about... About what big deer eyes Will had, his shy smile and brown hair the color of tree bark. About how Will smelled like coziness and coffee, a pleasant morning and Halloween candy. He remembers everything. But does Will remember him? Michael is deeply afraid to open up to himself, let alone others. It's hard for him to admit it to himself. Hard to admit it to others. That perhaps Elle wasn't his only love. But it's hard for him to understand that. Through sadness, longing, and lamentations for the past, he feels like he has nothing left. Only pain. Only suffering.

"Do you remember the first day that we met? It was...it was the first day of kindergarten. I knew nobody. I had no friends...and I just felt so alone and so scared but...I saw you on the swings and you were alone, too. You were just swinging by yourself. And I just walked up to you and I asked...I asked if you wanted to be my friend. And you said yes. You said yes. It was the best thing I've ever done." — Mike attempting to refresh Will's memory after the Mind Flayer possessed Will, "The Mind Flayer"

Mike and Will met each other on their first day of kindergarten and became very close friends. Mike approached Will while he was on a swing set and asked to be his friend, which Will agreed to. He later described this as the best thing that he had ever done. When Will vanished, Mike and his friends quickly decided to search for him. Mike became very upset during the brief period he believed Will was dead, morosely looking back through an old collection of his friend's illustrations. However, after Eleven proved Will was still alive, Mike became more determined than ever to find him. Upon eventually reuniting with Will, Mike was overjoyed to have his best friend home safe and sound.

A year later, when Will was having visions and being overwhelmed by the Mind Flayer, Mike became even more committed to helping him. Trying his best to comfort him, Mike was the only one of his best friends to remain with him at Hawkins Lab when he suffered from memory loss. Their friendship was still mostly strong in 1985, but Will was upset with how much time Mike was spending with Eleven, and would have preferred more time for D&D campaigns. That said, Will still tried to help Mike when he grew dangerously close to getting dumped by Eleven, and aided him and Lucas in looking for an apology gift in the mall. When their effort failed and Eleven dumped Mike, Mike and Lucas were eager to amend the relationship as soon as possible.

Will, however, had a different approach to the situation and likely believed it would've been better to wait, using the extra time for D&D and other friend activities. During a D&D campaign, Mike and Lucas' disinterest greatly disheartened Will to the point where he snapped and cut the campaign short. After they realized what they'd done, both of the boys attempted to apologize, but he brushed them off. Will left the house in a rage, and Mike caught up to him. In a heated argument, Mike told Will that they're grown up and left their days of playing games in the basement behind. However, Mike immediately regretted what he had said as he watched Will leave in tears. When discovering that the Mind Flayer had returned to Hawkins, Will worked with Mike to stop it. Will eventually managed to reconcile with his friend and smiled when Mike confessed how much he loved Eleven. The two later continued to work together in defeating the Mind Flayer. Three months later, Will said goodbye to Mike before he and his family moved away from Hawkins. He assured him that he would never join another party, resulting in a big smile from Mike. Mike suggested to Eleven that she and Will return to Hawkins for Christmas as he thought that it would be fun to open their presents together on Christmas Day. By 1986, Mike had become rather disinterested in keeping contact with Will, only calling him a few times as opposed to Eleven, who had a box of letters from him. Before Mike's arrival to Lenora Hills for Spring Break, Will began working hard on a painting he refused to show anyone. At the airport, both Will and El were eager to greet Mike at his gate, with Will bringing the wrapped-up painting with him. Unlike El, however, Mike's reunion with Will was extremely flat, with Mike awkwardly hugging Will. When Mike asked what he was holding, Will simply said it was a painting he's been working on.

As they leave the airport, Mike was not informed by Will that he was being lied to by El about her "friends" (who are actually her bullies). At the Rink-O-Mania, Will grew more annoyed over El's lies and believed they were hurting Mike. When Angela took El to the center of the rink to humiliate her, Will tried to tell Mike that El hadn't been telling the truth, but Mike did not believe him until El got embarrassed in front of the entire rink and ran off. As Mike and Will searched for her, Mike called Will a "douche" for being so rude to El during the whole day and not telling him about her problems earlier. Will finally snapped, saying El had been lying to Mike and he felt he had been a total third wheel all day. Mike was dismissive of this at first, but Will told him that he was not interested in anything he had to say anymore. Mike said that wasn't true, but Will pointed out his lack of contact with him as opposed to El. Mike said that it was because El is his girlfriend and Will is just his friend, but Will said they used to be best friends. At a loss of words, Mike told Will he should've reached out more and asked why he was the bad guy. Not reaching a conclusion, the two continued to look for El until they witnessed their friend striking Angela in the face in retaliation for her bullying. After El was arrested and later taken away by Dr. Owens to regain her powers, Will ranted to a sulking Mike over how the agents believe they can contain the evil in Hawkins without Eleven. He took notice of Mike looking over a letter El gave him, and listened as Mike lamented over how he had yet to say that he loved El. Mike was comforted by Will, who told him that whatever he wanted to say to El, he can say it when they find her.

As the boys came up with a plan on hitching a ride to Hawkins through Argyle, Mike came to Will's room and thanked him for comforting him while also apologizing for his behavior towards him. Will attempted to say that he deserved it since he was being a jerk to Eleven, but Mike insisted he didn't deserve anything. Much to Will's surprise, Mike said that he had begun to notice how empty Hawkins felt without him and that they would work better if they were a team, or "best friends". The boys smiled as their friendship had been repaired once again. When the doorbell rang, Will grabbed his painting and placed it in his backpack. As the army raided the Byers home, Mike and Will held on to one another as they and Jonathan followed Agent Harmon to escape. After burying Harmon's body in the desert, Mike commented how he struggled to say things at the heat of the moment, and Will said that sometimes it's hard for people to say the things they want to say out of fear of being rejected. In Nevada, Mike grew worried over El not needing him anymore and that he was lucky to have someone like El in his life. Then, Will showed Mike his painting, revealing it to be a large poster of a dragon and knights. Impressed and happy, Mike asked if Will made this, and Will lied and said El had commissioned it for him to draw. Will pointed to a knight that's supposed to be Mike, and told him he's the heart of the group, and without him, the Party would fall apart. Will became emotional as he substituted El for how he truly feels, saying "El" had been lost without Mike and would always need him, no matter how far apart they are. Though Mike had become more motivated and happier, he did not notice Will turning away and crying, unaware that his friend was in love with him. Mike and Will continued to work together, with Will reminding Mike he's the heart when El began to hyperventilate in the Void while fighting Vecna.

High Intellect and elaborative thinking: Mike Wheeler is a very smart and wise young man who possesses wits in being clever enough throughout every situation that he and party members face against outsmarting threats and enemies. When Nancy and Jonathan came to investigate with him about Ms. Driscoll and Billy, he told them that both were Flayed by the Mind Flayer due their bond from the results of their Sauna test and hospital, then went to find more clues at the Holloway residence and upon entering they spotted multiple chemicals in the kitchen and suggested what they were being used for. So Mike used an example from his teacher Mr. Clarke about the outcome of mixing them together to create a new substance and concluded the Flayed were creating something new in themselves by consuming them. Master Strategist and Leadership: As being the Paladin party member of the group, Mike has shown to have great courage, strategy, and nobility at all times, especially in the face of adversity. He was rebellious against Chief Hopper's demands of not investigating Will's disappearance, so he brought Lucas and Dustin out to the road of "Mirkwood" to search in the woods and fought Jane/Eleven instead and brought her to his house. He suggested for them to go back and find Will but kept Eleven as a secret guess hiding in his basement until they found her own residency, until they found out about her powers and that the government baddies were hunting her down, opened a portal to the upside down where the Demogorgon came from was loose, along with being responsible for Will's disappearance he hatched a plan to find their base of operations first. And when realizing Eleven could talk to Will over his Super-com, he planned to sneak her into the Hawkins AV club room and used the technology to communicate with Will which they succeeded in doing so.

Mike met Dustin in the fourth grade, long after meeting Lucas and Will. Despite their shorter time together, Mike considered Dustin to also be one of his best friends. Dustin was level-headed with Mike, supporting his relationship with Eleven while also being willing to call him out on any questionable behavior. When Dustin was held at knifepoint by Troy Walsh, (who was seeking revenge on them for being publicly humiliated at the school), Mike willingly jumped off Sattler Quarry to save Dustin before Eleven arrived and saved the day.

In 1984, when Mike found that Dustin, along with Lucas, invited Max Mayfield to join the Party without his being informed, Mike became upset but showed no hostility towards Dustin. However, after Dustin introduced Mike to D'Artagnan, Mike was disgusted by D'Artagnan, otherwise known as "Dart." Once he realized that Dart was from the Upside Down, Mike didn't hesitate to attack Dart before he was stopped by Dustin. Later, both Mike and Dustin worked together with their friends in burning the tunnels and Mike looked on as Dustin managed to convince Dart to let them pass. At the Snow Ball a month later, Mike remained on good terms with Dustin and playfully teased him about his hairstyle. In 1985, Mike welcomed Dustin back from Camp Know Where and was surprised to hear that Dustin had found a new girlfriend named Suzie. However, Mike decided to leave early on their journey to the top of Weathertop (a trip made in order to build Cerebro), so that he could spend romantic time with Eleven. His decision left Dustin confused and upset. As Mike focused on repairing his relationship with Eleven, he did not bother to figure out where Dustin was and what he was doing. However, when the Mind Flayer returned to Hawkins, Mike did try to contact Dustin and became worried when he couldn't. When he finally received a transmission from Dustin, Mike was overjoyed to hear his voice before the transmission was cut short.

. When Mike came to Dustin's rescue at Starcourt Mall, he hugged him and reconciled with his friend. After the Mind Flayer's defeat and the Byers' move, Dustin allowed Mike to use Cerebro to contact Eleven.

In 1986, when Lucas joined the basketball team, Mike and Dustin appeared to spend even more time together than before. During the championship game before spring break, Mike and Dustin had trouble finding a substitute for Lucas to play in a D&D campaign held by the Hellfire Club. However, when Dustin decided to ask Erica to play in the campaign, Mike agreed with his decision, and they would go along to play D&D with Erica and the members of Hellfire Club. After winning the campaign, Mike and Dustin celebrated their victory before Mike left to visit Will and Eleven in California for spring break. However, upon learning of Vecna's killing spree from Agents Ellen Stinson, Wallace, and Harmon, Mike grew worried for Dustin's safety and decided to return to Hawkins to save his friend. Upon returning to Hawkins, Mike and Dustin reunited.

Currently, Michael sometimes calls Dustin, but rarely, due to his depression.

Mike and Lucas lived next door to each other for most of their childhoods and quickly became best friends. However, this friendship was tested following the disappearance of Will and the arrival of Eleven. Mike was sympathetic towards Eleven and believed she could help find Will while Lucas suspected that she was manipulating them in order to gain food and a bed. Mike and Lucas began to occasionally argue about Will and Eleven due to their differing opinions. This even broke out into a full-fledged fight, though Eleven brought the scuffle to an abrupt end. Mike and Lucas were on bad terms for a time, each refusing to apologize to the other. Dustin suspected that Lucas was jealous that Mike's attention was primarily going towards Eleven. However, after Lucas realized that Eleven had good intentions and saved them from the agents of Hawkins Lab, he apologized and made up with both her and Mike. In 1984, when playing at the Palace Arcade and trying to figure out the identity of "MADMAX," Lucas tried to urge Mike to give Keith a date with Nancy, which Mike refused. When Mike found out that Lucas, along with Dustin, had invited Max Mayfield (who was "MADMAX") into the Party without informing him, Mike was upset. However, he showed no hostility towards Lucas for it. When Mike worried for Eleven (after she revealed herself to be alive) as she went with Hopper to close the Gate, Lucas tried his best to reassure him. When Billy Hargrove attacked Lucas, Mike was greatly concerned for him and once he was rescued by Steve, Mike embraced Lucas. After Max sedates Billy, Mike and Lucas, along with the rest of their friends, work together in burning the tunnels to distract the Demodogs.

In 1985, Mike and Lucas still remained close as both of them now had girlfriends. However, after Jim Hopper complicated Mike's relationship with Eleven, Mike sought Lucas's help in fixing his relationship with Eleven. When Mike was dumped by Eleven, he was comforted by Lucas. After discovering the Mind Flayer had returned and possessed Billy, Lucas wanted to burn the Mind Flayer out of Billy, but Mike said that they also needed to stop the Mind Flayer other than Billy. When Mike blurted out his love for Eleven, it caused Lucas to smile at his declaration of love. Both Mike and Lucas continued to work together in battling the Mind Flayer before the Gate was closed once again.

In 1986, the two remain close friends, but have to spend less time together as Lucas is on the basketball team. However, upon learning of Vecna's killing spree from Agents Ellen Stinson, Wallace, and Harmon, Mike grew worried for Lucas's safety and decided to return to Hawkins to save his friend. Upon returning to Hawkins, Mike and Lucas embraced and looked over a comatose Max together.

Currently, Michael hardly keeps in touch with his friend.

At the moment, El is considered missing or simply dead. In order to stop the cycle, she sacrificed herself and destroyed the Upside Down forever. Since then, Michael has been grieving for his ex-girlfriend. This is another reason for his depression.

As she's taken away, Mike tells El through the police car window that he will fix this. Due to Joyce being out of town, El is sent off to juvenile hall, but is picked up by Dr. Sam Owens and his agents. The agents arrive at the Byers house to tell Jonathan, Will, and Mike that El is being trained to get her powers back to fight a new evil in Hawkins. Agent Ellen Stinson gave Mike a letter from El that informed him she's gone to become a superhero again, ending with "From, El". The next day, as the boys were under house arrest, Mike sulked over the letter, causing Will and Jonathan to make a plan to get back to Hawkins through Jonathan's best friend, Argyle. With the help of Suzie Bingham, Dustin's girlfriend, they discover that El is in Nevada. They all proceed to drive there. When Mike spots El, she is lying in the middle of the desert. After El takes down a helicopter with her newly equipped powers, Mike jumps out of the van and runs up to El. She is caught off-guard but happily embraces Mike as they press their heads together. Later, while Eleven was in the sensory deprivation tank fighting Vecna, she started choking due to being trapped by tentacles in Vecna's Mind Lair. In order to help El get out of it, Mike proved to be the heart of the group when he finally said he loves her. In the Void, El becomes emotional when Mike tells her he's always loved her, and that he was afraid to say it out of fear that if El ever left him, it would make that day hurt even more. He goes on to say that his life started the day they met in the woods, and that he loves her no matter who or what she is, calling her his "superhero". Motivated to fight, El temporarily took down Vecna. Later on, El and Mike returned to Hawkins and leaned on one another as they looked over a comatose Max before they worked to rebuild Hopper's cabin and witness the Upside Down beginning to merge into Hawkins.

"I feel like my life started that day we found you in the woods. It was pouring rain, you remember? And you you were wearing that yellow Benny's Burgers shirt — it was so big it almost swallowed you whole. And I knew somehow then in that moment — that I loved you. And I've loved you every day since. I love you on your good days and your bad days. I love you with your power... and without. I love you for exactly who you are." Mike and Eleven developed a special relationship in the six days they knew each other. He allowed her to stay at his house, provided meals for her everyday and also built a pillow fort for her in his basement. Mike was the first of his friends to trust El, even falling in love with her. Eleven, in turn, was clearly at her most relaxed while alone in the company of Mike. Unlike Dustin and Lucas, Mike understood right away that despite her powers and strange appearance, she was ultimately just another kid. His respect for her deepened when she aided and defended him and his friends in their search for Will.

While in the cafeteria, Mike invited Eleven to be his date to the Snow Ball, an offer which she happily accepted. He then tried to explain that he liked her as more than a friend, and when she didn't understand what he was trying to say, he kissed her in an attempt to demonstrate his love for her. When they were found by the "bad men", as Eleven calls them, Dr. Brenner hugged and comforted her, but in pain, she called out for Mike, instead. When the Demogorgon attacked, Mike and his friends took the chance to carry Eleven to safety. Eleven then disintegrated the Demogorgon, leaving Mike and his friends in safety, but disappearing in the process. Watching her apparent death devastated Mike, and he mourned her loss.

However, he never gave up on her, calling her on his Supercom for 353 days in a row as well as keeping the pillow fort in perfect condition. Unbeknownst to him, she was actually alive and attempting to communicate back. When they finally reunited after nearly a year apart, they shared a long awaited hug -- only to be separated again as they needed to close the gate in the lab. Mike told Eleven that he couldn't lose her again and she promised he wouldn't. At this point, Eleven leaned in to kiss Mike but was interrupted when Hopper called her name. Concerned about her, Mike convinced the group to create a distraction in order to clear the lab of the Demodogs. With their help, Eleven managed to close the Gate. Afterwards, on the night of the annual Snow Ball '84, Eleven showed up late to the dance, keeping her promise to Mike. Mike and Eleven then shared their second known kiss - and first of the season - as they danced to the song "Every Breath You Take". In 1985, their relationship was blossoming more and more, much to her father's dismay. Hopper even became concerned to the point of threatening Mike into not spending time with Eleven. Fearful, Mike did as he was told and kept his distance from El, lying to her and claiming his nana was sick. With the help of Max, Eleven quickly saw through his lie, and when Mike refused to explain himself, she broke up with him, quoting Max's advice from before: "I dump your ass". Max and Eleven quickly hopped on a bus, leaving Mike heartbroken with Will and Lucas. Eleven was angry at Mike for seemingly wanting to control her and not believing in her, though he later revealed to everyone except Eleven (who wasn't present in the room) that he was only behaving like this because he loved her and he couldn't lose her again. Mike then later revealed that he only avoided Eleven because Hopper had threatened him, and they reconciled in the hospital while waiting for Nancy and Jonathan to return.

Mike saved Eleven's life three times; when her leg was seriously injured, he helped her walk and took care of her. When she was in pain, he was extremely worried about her. When the Mind Flayer's strange growth continued to pulsate from Eleven's left leg, making El scream in severe pain, Mike kept holding onto her, trying to comfort her and help keep her still while Jonathan attempted to get the creature out of her left leg. After the battle, they are seen hugging and then are seen together in the back of an ambulance. Three months later, Eleven was getting ready to move out of Hawkins with Will's family. Although she was still unable to use her powers, Mike was hopeful that they would come back and comforted her by saying, "They'll come back, I know they will." El then recalled how Mike had expressed his feelings for her at the cabin and kissed him, telling him she loves him too. During their final goodbyes, they shared long, tearful hugs outside of the Byers house. After El left, Mike returned to his home for a tearful hug with his mom. By the spring of 1986, Mike and El kept contact through letters. El has made a box shrine full of letters and pictures of Mike. However, El and Mike have begun suffering from communication problems; El has been lying about being bullied by a girl named Angela and struggling in school, while Mike has continued to struggle saying he loves El, ending his letters with "From, Mike". When Mike arrives in California, he presents El with flowers he handpicked from Hawkins. El was visibly disappointed that the letter in the flowers read "From, Mike" yet again, but hides her emotions and tells Mike she loves them. El continues to lie and say she has friends she wants Mike to meet but first wants to take him to the town's roller rink, Rink-O-Mania. There, El is unexpectedly confronted by Angela and her posse, who take advantage of El's lies that they're friends by taking her to the center of the rink and publicly humiliating her.

Mike, shocked, does his best to stop the situation, but it proves futile when one of Angela's friends throws a milkshake on El and causes her to fall to the floor. El, embarrassed, skates away from Mike as the crowd laughs at her and hides. Mike and Will scour the rink looking for El only to find her when they hear Angela's screams. They run to El and discover she had struck Angela in the face with a roller skate and caused her nose to split open. Mike, in the heat of the moment, shockingly asks what she had done. After being taken home and having dinner with Joyce and Murray, Jonathan and Argyle discuss the roller rink incident as an "accident" and tell a confused Joyce and Murray that Angela would be fine. Mike muttered that she didn't look fine, causing El to glare at him and storm off to her bedroom. The next morning, Mike goes into El's bedroom with Eggos for breakfast and asks her why she didn't tell him she was being bullied. He attempts to comfort her and say he knows what it's like, but El shuts his argument down and tells him no matter where she goes, everyone looks at her like she's a monster, even him. Mike says that's not true, but El reminds Mike about the way he reacted at the Rink-O-Mania. Mike tells El he was caught off-guard in the situation, and it doesn't take away how much "he cares about her". El then asks if Mike doesn't love her anymore. Mike asks who said that he didn't, causing El to stand up and tell him that not only does he never say it, but he also can't even write it, presenting him all of his letters that end with "From, Mike". Mike tells a tearful El that she shouldn't let her bullies ruin her self-esteem and she's a superhero, but El says she's not a superhero anymore. Their conversation ends unexpectedly, and police arrive to arrest El for assaulting Angela. As she's taken away, Mike tells El through the police car window that he will fix this.

Mike and Ted did not appear to have the strongest relationship. Ted was often at work and so had less time to spend with his son. Ted's tactless nature could sometimes annoy his family, Mike included. Mike also kept Eleven's existence a secret from Ted. When Mike was urged by his mother to sell a big portion of his toys, Ted said that Mike's toys were "chunks of plastic." In 1986, Ted dismissed Mike's D&D club, the Hellfire Club, as the "high school drop-out club". Yet, he allows Mike to visit Will and Eleven during spring break and reminds him to go to bed early as he has an early morning flight. However, upon learning of Vecna's killing spree from Agents Ellen Stinson, Wallace, and Harmon, Mike grew worried for his dad's safety and decided to return to Hawkins to save his father. Right now, Michael sees his father in himself, just as gloomy, grumpy, cold, and detached. He's afraid that he's really become just like him now, without the will to live and without interest in others, lazy and wasting his life, watching TV.

Mike and Nancy could have been closer when they were younger; Nancy would dress up for some of Mike's early D&D campaigns. However, the two drifted apart, likely due to the large age gap between them and the fact that they attended different schools. Nancy was often dismissive of her brother, calling him "gross" and a "douchebag", and in turn Mike was dismissive of her relationship with Steve Harrington. However, when Mike briefly went missing, Nancy was genuinely worried about him. After he was found, he and his sister agreed to stop lying to each other and to always tell the truth. However, this was short-lived, as both siblings immediately started lying to each other again. Despite this, however, Mike and Nancy are still shown to care for each other, despite getting on each other's nerves. Mike even refused to give Keith a date with Nancy, not wanting to prostitute his sister in exchange for discovering the identity of "MADMAX". However, he is not above stealing from her piggy bank that consequently forces him to give away a box of his toys. In 1985, Mike's relationship with his sister seemed to have improved greatly after all they have been through in the past two years. When Nancy urged Mike to open the door, Mike did so as he could tell by her voice that something was wrong. The two worked together with their friends in investigating the Flayed and the Mind Flayer's plot. Mike even came to Nancy's aid when she was being attacked by a monster at the Hawkins Memorial Hospital. As they waited for Eleven to find the Flayed, Nancy was shocked to hear that Eleven broke up with Mike and criticized him for controlling Eleven, stating that Eleven is her own person, fully capable of making her own choices. However, when Mike admits that he's afraid of losing Eleven and that he truly loves her, Nancy is surprised to hear this. Later, when the Mind Flayer attacks Hopper's cabin, Nancy does everything to protect her brother and his friends.

Mike had a healthy but somewhat strained relationship with his mother. He knew that Karen was always there to comfort and protect him. However, he disobeyed her orders to not go looking for Will and frequently lied to her. He also did not trust her to handle the situation surrounding Eleven. Karen appeared frustrated that both Mike and Nancy seemed unwilling to be honest and open with her. However, Mike went home to his mother and cried in her arms when he thought that Will was dead. After being unable to accept Eleven's presumed disappearance, Mike started behaving peculiarly which caused Karen, unaware of the cause, to force him to pack most of his toys into a garage sale donation box, frustrating Mike even more so. Mike also gets annoyed when his mom takes so many pictures of him in his Ghostbusters costume and his outfit for the Snow Ball.

However, in October 1985, after saying goodbye to Will and Eleven, Mike sought comfort from his mom in the form of a hug, showing that he truly loves her.

In the spring of 1986, Karen lets Mike visit Will and El in California for Spring Break. However, upon learning of Vecna's killing spree from Agents Ellen Stinson, Wallace, and Harmon, Mike grew worried for his mom's safety and decided to return to Hawkins to save his mother. After the supposed "earthquake", Karen is shocked yet relieved to be reunited with her son, who traveled back to Hawkins alongside the Byers via van. As Karen hugs her son tightly, she tells him he can forget about going on vacation again or college because he is staying right by her side.