Stranger things (3)

The kind and sincere manager of a local radio studio, Bob began a relationship with Joyce Byers. He wanted to build a future with her and proposed moving in, but Will's illness disrupted their plans. When Will found himself under surveillance in the lab and then attacked by creatures from the Upside Down, Bob proved himself, using his computer skills. He disabled the security system and helped his friends escape the lab. Bob himself was unable to escape—one of the creatures caught up with him in the hallway. Bob died before Joyce's eyes. The second season ended with the death of its kindest character, and it broke the hearts of more than one viewer.

An energetic and independent new resident of Hawkins, with a passion for arcades and skateboarding, Max quickly earns the respect of her friends in the second season. Max attracts the attention of Lucas and Dustin, leading the boys to even begin a playful battle for her affections. Initially skeptical of stories about the Demogorgon and the Upside Down, Max becomes convinced of the truth after a personal encounter with the creatures from a parallel world. The red-haired heroine joins the gang, falls in love with Lucas, and displays exceptional determination in battle.

The death of her half-brother Billy during the battle at Starcourt Mall weighs heavily on her, and Max isolates herself from the others, filled with guilt. When new victims appear in Hawkins, Max realizes she has become Vecna's target, but Kate Bush's music brings her back to reality. Having discovered the enemy's weakness, Max agrees to act as bait to help her friends reach Vecna. The evil proves stronger, and Max experiences a near-death experience, but Eleven brings her back to life. At the end of season four, Max is in a coma. In season five, the teenager remains unconscious in the hospital, but her storyline doesn't end there.

A witty and observant ice cream shop employee and Steve Harrington's partner, Robin is able to spot what others miss. She helps Steve and Dustin decipher a Russian radio code that leads them to a secret Russian base. After the destruction of Starcourt Mall, Robin takes a job at a video store with Steve. She gradually becomes part of the gang, participates in the investigation of Vecna-related murders, and forms a strong partnership with Nancy Wheeler. Together with Steve and Nancy, she attacks Vecna ​​in the Upside Down. After a rift splits the city, Robin helps the victims and tries to reconnect with Vicki, with whom she develops a crush. In the final season, Robin and her friends fight Vecna ​​and also becomes a local radio star.

The youngest daughter of the Wheeler family, Holly is present during the Wheeler family's conflicts, accidentally catching snippets of conversations related to Barb's disappearance and the activities of Hawkins Lab, and being nearby when her parents attempt to protect the house from suspicious agents. As she ages, she becomes more alert and independent: she helps Max Mayfield by lending him crayons to draw visions, and she indirectly participates in the connection with the Upside Down when her toy is used to contact the children trapped on the other side. During the "earthquake"—the moment the rifts open—she is the first to notice the "snow," which turns out to be ash from the Upside Down. Holly is a leading character in season five, stepping into the spotlight for the first time and meeting Vecna.

A former investigative journalist known for his penchant for uncovering hidden conspiracies, he was initially hired as a private investigator by the parents of the missing Barb Holland. Murray investigated the case and concluded that top-secret activity was involved. Later, Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers sought his help in exposing Hawkins Lab.

In 1985, Murray helps Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper infiltrate the base beneath Starcourt Mall and participates in an operation to disable the machine attempting to open the gate to the Upside Down. After Hopper disappears, Murray, along with Joyce, deciphers a message confirming Jim's survival and joins the rescue effort in Kamchatka. There, Murray helps free Hopper and destroy the monsters. Returning to the United States, Murray remains a trusted ally of Hopper and the Byerses, and one of those who continues to fight Vecna ​​in the final season. In the new episodes, he has become a smuggler, smuggling weapons and food into Hawkins, helping his friends.

Vecna, formerly known as Henry Creel, was a man with rare psychic abilities who later became a key force in the Upside Down. Initially, he used his abilities to torment his family, and later killed his mother and sister, framing his father. After Victor Creel's arrest, he ended up in Hawkins Lab, where Dr. Martin Brenner made him the first test subject—001.

Brenner suppressed the boy's abilities with a special device, but in 1979, Eleven unknowingly freed Henry, who then went on a rampage through the lab. Eleven stopped Henry and banished him to the Upside Down, where he eventually transformed into the monster known as Vecna. Initially with the help of the Mind Flayer, and beginning in 1986, he began killing the citizens of Hawkins, opening new gates. Despite the heroes' efforts to stop the villain, Vecna ​​survived the encounter at the end of season four. Season five promises a final showdown.

Joyce Byers' eldest son, a withdrawn and observant teenager, found himself caught up in the events after his brother's disappearance. Initially, he dismissed his mother's stories of an otherworldly creature as stress, but he changed his mind when Nancy reported Barb missing. Jonathan helped set a trap for the Demogorgon.

Jonathan and Nancy's relationship gradually blossomed into romance. He later participated in the fight against the Mind Flayer and left Hawkins with the rest of the Byers family and Eleven. In California, Jonathan made a new friend, Argyle, but a constant sense of danger forced him to abandon his application with Nancy. He decided to stay close to his brother and did not apply to the college he coveted. Jonathan is unable to admit his decision to Nancy and, instead of telling her the truth, begins to avoid her. Jonathan remains a considerate brother and, accompanying Mike and Will in their search for Eleven, helps in the fight against Vecna. Returning to Hawkins, he witnesses the Upside Down begin to consume the town. In the final season, Jonathan will not only care for his brother but also compete with Steve for Nancy's affections.

A former Hawkins High student, Steve was a slacker, popular teenager in the first season, and Nancy Wheeler's boyfriend. After Barbara's disappearance, he mistakenly believed Nancy had cheated on him with Jonathan Byers and even publicly humiliated her. However, after witnessing a supernatural manifestation, he abandoned his initial prejudices and helped fight the Demogorgon. Over time, Steve became a loyal ally of the gang (Dustin Henderson became a particularly close friend).

In 1984, Steve participated in the battle against the Mind Flayer, and later, after finishing school, he worked at an ice cream shop with Robin Buckley. In the summer of 1985, he helped decode a Soviet radio message, which led to the discovery of an underground base beneath Starcourt Mall. In 1986, Steve took a job at a video store with Robin, but continued to investigate supernatural events in the city with the gang. After discovering a gate at Lovers' Lake, Steve and his friends found themselves in the Upside Down, and then, in the season four finale, participated in the final battle with Vecna. Despite their attempt to stop the threat, the fourth Gate still opened, wreaking havoc on Hawkins. At the end of season four, Steve helped the victims and watched as the Upside Down spores continued to spread. In the final season, Steve will fight not only for Hawkins but also for Nancy's heart, as it seems he is still in love with her.

The Wheeler family's eldest daughter, Nancy is an aspiring journalist whose life is changed by the disappearance of her best friend, Barbara Holland. Trying to understand what's happening, she teams up with Jonathan Byers and discovers that Barb was the victim of a being from another reality. Thus, Nancy finds herself drawn into the events surrounding the Upside Down. A year later, she grieves her breakup with Steve Harrington and, together with Jonathan and Murray Bauman, uncovers Hawkins Lab's involvement in Barb's death.

During her internship at The Hawkins Post, Nancy faces disdain from her male colleagues but continues her investigation into the rats' strange behavior. She soon tracks down the Mind Flayer and helps stop the spread of the infestation. After the Byers family moves to California, her relationship with Jonathan suffers. In 1986, Nancy again finds herself at the center of an investigation, this time related to the Vecna ​​murders. Nancy is the only character to have been shown the future by Vecna, who reveals that everyone she loves is dead. In season five, Nancy assumes a leadership role, plans forays into the Upside Down, and attempts to change the bleak future she sees in her visions.

Will and Jonathan's mother. She was the only one in the first season who was certain that Will was alive. Joyce was the first to recognize her son's attempts to contact the outside world through light and, together with Hopper, saved Will. In 1984, Joyce was in a relationship with Bob Newby, but, sadly, the latter died during the climactic battle at the end of the second season. After losing Bob, Joyce continued to protect her children, remaining alert to the slightest sign of danger.

In 1985, she was the one who noticed magnetic anomalies, leading to an investigation into Soviet activity beneath Starcourt Mall. During the Gate's closure, she lost Hopper, presuming him dead. Later learning that Jim was alive, Joyce traveled to Russia with Murray Bauman and, after surviving a plane crash, infiltrated the prison and freed Hopper and his cellmate, Dmitry Antonov. Joining forces, the heroes destroyed the Demogorgons. Returning to Hawkins, Joyce reunited with her family and witnessed the emergence of rifts threatening the city. In the final season, the heroine actively participated in the Battle of Hawkins.

The Hawkins police chief, who found himself at the center of events after the disappearance of Will Byers. Beginning his investigation, Hopper gradually uncovered the secrets of the lab whose experiments had started it all. Working with Joyce Byers, Hopper found Will in the Upside Down and helped bring him back to life. Hopper later discovered Eleven was alive and hid her in a cabin in the woods to protect her from the authorities. After the lab's closure, he officially adopted her, naming her Jane Hopper.

In 1985, Jim and Joyce participated in uncovering a secret Soviet base beneath Starcourt Mall attempting to open a new Gate, and nearly died. Everyone thought Hopper was dead, but in reality, he was captured by the Soviet military and imprisoned in Kamchatka. After surviving torture, Hopper escaped with the help of guard Dmitry Antonov and was later freed by Joyce and Murray Bauman. He participated in the destruction of the Demogorgons held in the prison, dealing the final blow to the hive mind. Returning to Hawkins, Hopper reunited with Eleven and witnessed new Upside Down rifts begin to consume the city. In season five, Jim is once again at the center of events, regularly foraying into the bleak parallel reality to reach Vecna.

Lucas's younger sister, Erica, gradually transitioned from a sardonic observer to an active participant in the events. First appearing in the second season, she mostly occupied herself with teasing her brother, but by the summer of 1985, Erica unexpectedly found herself drawn into an investigation into secret Russian bases beneath Starcourt Mall. At the request of Steve, Robin, and Dustin, in exchange for a lifetime of ice cream, she crawled through a vent and opened the door leading to a Russian lab where work was underway to open a portal to the Upside Down. Erica demonstrated exceptional mathematical abilities and remarkable powers of observation, making her an easy addition to the team.

In 1986, Erica became a full-time member of the Hellfire Club, replacing her brother, who was busy with basketball competitions at the time. Later, while participating in the fight against Vecna ​​in the season four finale, she and her friends witnessed Hawkins being torn apart by new portals. Erica will clearly play a significant role in season five. She already has one memorable pie scene to her credit.

A charismatic and aggressive high school student who moved to Hawkins from California after his parents' divorce. His strained relationship with his half-sister, Max, reflected the pressure of his abusive father. Billy worked as a lifeguard at a pool for a time, but one day he encountered the Mind Flayer, who made him a conduit and began using his body to create an army. During the final confrontation at Starcourt Mall, Billy, obsessed with betraying Eleven, suddenly remembers that he is not truly that kind of person. Memories from the past compel him to save Eleven and die for her. Max grieved over the loss of her brother, setting in motion a chain of irreversible tragic events in the following seasons.

The flamboyant and eccentric leader of the Hellfire Club and an accomplished guitarist, he was friends with Dustin, Mike, and Lucas and remained their senior mentor in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. In the spring of 1986, Eddie witnessed the death of Chrissy Cunningham, murdered by Vecna, and was mistakenly accused of murdering her. The tragedy forced him into hiding until the gang joined the investigation.

Eddie learned of the supernatural world, joined the group, and was part of the attack on Vecna ​​in the Upside Down. To protect his friends, he used his guitar to distract a swarm of otherworldly bats and, refusing to flee, engaged in a battle that cost him his life. Despite the unfair accusations from the residents of Hawkins, who still believe him to be Chrissy's killer, his friends cherish the memory of Eddie as a man who demonstrated incredible courage and devotion.

A key character, distinguished by his pragmatism and desire to understand events before accepting them. In 1983, he participated in the search for the missing Will and was the only one to be wary of Eleven, doubting both her intentions and the supernatural nature of the events. Only after encountering government agents and threats from Hawkins Lab did Lucas realize Eleven was protecting them, and he later reconciled with his friends and helped fight the Demogorgon.

In 1984, Lucas fell in love with Max Mayfield, a new member of the gang. By 1985, the characters' relationships had been on and off, but Lucas remained part of the team, contributing practical ideas. For example, it was he who suggested using fireworks against monsters. In 1986, after joining the basketball team, Lucas distanced himself from his friends, but after realizing his mistake, he apologized and returned to them. Lucas witnessed Vecna's attack on Max, her clinical death, and the subsequent opening of the Gate. When it became clear that Max had fallen into a coma, Lucas began spending days and nights in the hospital room, hoping that she would one day return to him. In season five, Lucas continues to believe and hope that Max will wake up.

One of the most observant and resourceful characters on the show. He faced ridicule from childhood, but this didn't stop him from quickly gaining respect among his friends thanks to his wit and resourcefulness. In 1983, he, along with Mike and Lucas, participated in the search for Will and became a mediator between the friends when Eleven's appearance caused tension within the group.

Dustin later played a vital role in investigating supernatural events, from discovering Darth, revealed to be a young Demogorgon, to participating in the operation against the Mind Flayer. In 1985, he participated in the uncovering of a Russian base beneath Starcourt Mall, working alongside Steve, Robin, and Erica. In 1986, Dustin became a member of the Hellfire Club. He accompanied Eddie Manson on a covert operation in the Upside Down, where the latter heroically died while distracting the monsters. Dustin later informed Uncle Eddie that his nephew remained a loyal friend to the very end and that he sacrificed himself to save the city. As Eddie's closest ally, Dustin may take over the Hellfire Club in season five, assuming it still exists.

One of the central characters. In 1983, after learning of Will Byers' disappearance, he, Dustin, and Lucas began their own search, which led them to Eleven. It soon became clear that the girl was connected to her friend's disappearance, as she had opened the gate to the Upside Down. Mike became Eleven's first ally outside the lab, and later her love.

After Will's return, Mike dealt with the loss of Eleven, who seemed to have died during the battle with the Demogorgon. A year later, Mike helped Will cope with the aftermath of his stay in the Upside Down and participated in the operation to close the Gate. Eleven returned, but in the following years, she and Mike had a difficult relationship. Mike was constantly involved in all events related to the Mind Flayer, the secret Russian base under Starcourt Mall, and the return of Vecna. In season five, Mike, the heart of the group, will once again take center stage alongside Eleven, Will, and the rest of the gang.

The central figure, the disappearance of this protagonist, set in motion the series' chain of events. The first season recounts how, in November 1983, Will was abducted by Vecna ​​and spent a long time in the Upside Down. He was able to communicate with his mother, Joyce, through light. It was she and police officer Hopper who brought Will back to the real world. However, Will's connection to the Upside Down remained. Strange visions, distortions of reality, and the Mind Flayer's influence grew stronger. In 1984, Will became a conduit for the Mind Flayer, using the boy to attack the lab, but the intervention of family and friends helped exorcise the Flayer from Will.

After the Gate closed, Will was able to return to his normal life, but he still felt lonely because in 1985, his friends had become romantically involved (Lucas with Max, and Mike with Eleven). Will was the first to realize that the Mind Flayer had possessed Billy, thus triggering a new investigation. After moving to California, Will continued to support the depowered Eleven, and when the government began hunting her again, Will and his friends set out to rescue her. Returning to a devastated Hawkins, the boy again sensed Vecna's presence, realizing that the main struggle was not yet over. Will reveals a new side and will be one of the main characters in the final season.

A child with innate psychokinetic abilities. Immediately after birth, she was taken by Dr. Brenner, assigned the number "011," and raised as a test subject at Hawkins National Laboratory. She spent her first years in isolation, following orders and constantly testing her powers. Eleven witnessed Henry Creel—"001"—kill the other children and most of the staff. She turned against him, sending him through a gate to the Upside Down, after which she fell into a coma and lost all memory of the event for a long time.

Later, after escaping the lab, Eleven met Mike, Lucas, and Dustin, helped them find Will, and, risking her life, confronted the Demogorgon. Her friends long believed her dead, but in fact, Eleven survived—she hid with Jim Hopper, who adopted her as his daughter, giving her the name Jane Hopper. Over the next few years, Eleven battled Vecna, experienced memory loss and the restoration of her powers, lost her supernatural powers, participated in an experiment to restore her abilities, and repeatedly risked her life to protect her friends. She will likely become a key player in the final battle in season five, which will bring an end to the conflict.

Alexei is a Soviet scientist forced to work on the secret Project Key. His task is to open a gate to an alternate dimension (the Upside Down). After his colleague failed to complete the task, Alexei was given only a year to rectify the situation.
After the failure in Kamchatka, the operation was moved to Hawkins, Indiana, where the space-time structure had already been weakened by a previous interdimensional intrusion. There, Alexei found himself in a hidden base beneath the Starcourt Mall.
At some point, Alexei escaped with Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers. Since he didn't speak English, Murray Bauman became his translator and guide to American culture. Alexei took a genuine interest in life behind the Iron Curtain: he enjoyed soda (he especially loved the strawberry Slurpee), watched cartoons (he liked Looney Tunes and Woody Woodpecker), and even won a toy Woody Woodpecker—his favorite character. These everyday details helped create a very lively, humanized image: the viewer sees not a caricatured "enemy," but a human being with his own joys and fears.