As many of you may know, the long-awaited Stranger Things 4 was finally released this past summer, after 3 years of anticipation. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the complexity of Stranger Things filming, fans had to wait basically twice the expected time for a new season to be released. However, many would say it was indeed worth the wait. The fourth season introduced some great new characters and had a plot twist so surprising that it arguably established the season as the best one yet. In honor of the new season, I am going to be ranking my favorite characters, and explaining why. 

Starting off with my #1- Robin Buckley

I feel like everyone’s favorite is usually either Robin or Steve, especially in the most recent seasons. For me though, Robin is clearly the better character. In terms of personality, her sarcastic, somewhat immature humor always makes me laugh. She also has wit and intelligence, as she was the one who helped crack the Russian code back in season 3. Her friendship with Steve is one of the best parts of the show, and I always look forward to their interactions. I also feel like she is the LGBTQ+ representation that the show needed. I love both steve and robin, but for my favorite character, I feel like Robin gets a heads up for me because of Steve’s history….(let’s not forget how he treated Jonathon in season 1).

#2: Steve Harrington

So next is our favorite himbo dad character- Steve. I feel like this one is self-explanatory. Steve’s personality is great. As I said before, his friendship with Robin is very wholesome and funny, which I feel like it really adds to the show, especially when I need a break from seeing people’s bones be cracked like every episode…I also really like Steve and Dustin’s old-married-couple-esque relationship and Steve’s role as the dad of the six little nuggets in the show. His relationship with other characters on the show adds some comedic relief, and you can also just tell how much he truly cares about other characters. 

#3: Max Mayfield

Ok, so this one gets a little deeper than the others. I love Steve and Robin’s personalities, but what I really love about Max is her depth as a character. Max is one of the bravest and most caring characters on the show in my opinion. She has a tough outward personality, but underneath that, she cares deeply about those close to her, and I feel like this is particularly evident in her relationship with Lucas. She really is just a softy at heart. And I feel like this just makes her story even sadder. Max has been through some of the most difficult trauma out of anyone on the show, yet she manages not to take out her struggles on other people. Between her lack of parental figures, abusive father, abusive brother, and then dealing with her conflicting feelings about her brother’s death, Max has just been through so much. Yet through all of this she has persevered, and it is not until the most recent season that she somewhat lets it affect her relationship with others(Lucas), and even then she never really treats Lucas badly. Max is such a strong character, and I also love the cool skater vibe she exudes too. Definitely one of my favorite characters.

#4: Will Byers

I don’t think I know a single person who dislikes Will. He is just so sweet, and completely undeserving of what he goes through in seasons 2-4. He cares so much about his friends, even when they don’t treat him the same way(cough cough Mike cough cough). I feel like we don’t see much of his outside interactions with others on the show besides the trauma he goes through, which kind of disappointed me. But I just know that he is one of the most wholesome characters who just outright hasn’t done anything wrong, ever. I love him and thought his confession in Season 4 was really brave(if you don’t support Byler please leave).      

#5: Joyce Byers

Joyce is the epitome of a girl boss mom. When she has her mind set on something, She always gets it done. Not to mention her theories about creepy things going on are ALWAYS right(season 1  and will, season 3 and her magnets, season 4 and Hopper, etc.). She is just never wrong, even when everyone around her keeps on gaslighting her into thinking that she is. She’s just such a strong person who’s been through so much but yet cares SO much about people around her. She is such an amazing mother, and singlehandedly saved Will from being possessed by the mind flayer back in season 2. Overall, I just love Joyce for her determined and caring personality, and how clever she is in figuring out the abnormalities going on. 

#6: El

Ok I feel like some people might be mad at me for putting El lower than these other 4, especially with her saving the world multiple times and all. Don’t get me wrong, I love El, a lot. She has so much pressure on her to do the right thing at all times and has had the least normal childhood/life out of anybody on the show. I feel for her because she is always just trying to have normal adolescence but always gets wrapped up with the whole saving the world thing. The only reason she isn’t higher up is just that I don’t particularly love her personality. I do think that part of it is her lack of fully even knowing English into season 3 though. She is so cool and brave though and Mike 100% does not deserve her(not to mention he likes the idea of her more than her actual self).

#7: Dustin Henderson

Dustin is one of the most underrated characters in my opinion. When Will talks about the “glue” that holds the group together and says Mike, I feel like it’s really Dustin. He is always the one mediating fights between the other characters, and overall just causes the least conflict out of all of them(besides Will). He always has a positive attitude and I love his nerdy personality. He’s such a sweetie and I’ve already said this but his relationship with Steve is so wholesome to me.

#8. Hopper

Hopper is such a softie at heart despite his seemingly tough outward personality. The way he adopted El and was such a good single parent to her just shows how sweet he really is. You can tell he truly cares about her and fully thinks of her as his daughter. He also just cracks me up in an almost inexplicable way. Just the way he phrases things is so funny to me. He would even be higher if all the other great characters didn’t exist.

#9: Lucas

Ok here’s another SUPER underrated character. I feel like Lucas deserves more screentime because we don’t see that much of him(hence why he’s a bit lower on the list), but he really is so caring. The way he treats Max is exactly how a boyfriend should treat their girlfriend, especially this season; He tells her that he truly is there for her, but yet does so in a way that isn’t pushy or defensive at all. Even in this season, when he realized that becoming friends with the jocks was a mistake, he immediately left them. He has just always been both a good friend and boyfriend, and needs more attention.

#10. Erica

She is just hilarious to me. Despite her lack of screen time in season 4, she was one of the characters who carried season 3. With her help in defeating the Russians and her hilarious attitude through it all, she is one of my favorite characters. 

Honorable mentions- Argyle, Eddie, Enzo, Murray, Mr. Clark, 

My least favorite characters(besides the obvious villains)- Yuri, Dr. Brenner, Patrick Mickinley(basketball dude), and Mike Wheeler