Netflix has completely burst onto the streaming scene in a definitive fashion, allowing for a bevy of interesting shows to grace viewers with their presence. One such unique show that has completely taken over by storm is Stranger Things, a brilliant horror series taking place in the 1980s that has enraptured fans with high production quality, brilliant direction, a stellar story, and some of the most memorable characters of all time.
That last point is incredibly important when one talks about the popularity of the series — each and every character in Stranger Things has become a mainstay for all the right reasons, allowing for the story to be wildly entertaining yet emotionally resonant at the same time. The main characters are especially major highlights in this regard, with individual arcs that help them grow and endear themselves to audiences as well.
That being said, there definitely are some characters with better arcs than others, and this list will rank all the major character's arcs to add further weight to this statement.
18 Martin Brenner
As is the case with any forgettable antagonist, Martin Brenner's most dominant personality trait is that he's evil... and that's about it.
It's pretty clear that his existence was simply to show the trauma that Eleven went through and the payback she'd eventually get.
17 Sam Owens
Martin Brenner's replacement might be way better than his predecessor and ends up helping out Will quite a bit in Season 2 as well... but his role becomes fairly unimportant post that.
Aside from a brief appearance in the Season 3 finale, there really aren't many moments when he truly shines as a character otherwise.
16 Karen Wheeler
The mother of Mike and Nancy might seem like a fairly decent character... but one can hardly say that she's compelling.
The only moments when she's really important to the story are the feelings she develops for Billy Hargrove and when she compels Nancy to follow up on a story that her superiors were telling her to drop.
15 Bob Newby
Bob could've actually been a fairly compelling character... had it not been for his rather annoying relationship with Joyce and the tension that it caused between him and Hopper.
That being said, he definitely redeems himself when he risks his life to save the children in Season 2 at the cost of his own life — the price that he has to pay, unfortunately enough.
14 Erica Sinclair
Lucas' sister might ultimately be a nice person at heart, but it doesn't change the fact that she ends up being rather annoying to deal with at times.
This ultimately makes her rather unlikable for a major chunk of the series.
13 Lucas Sinclair
Speaking of Erica, it must be said that her brother — while a major part of the group — doesn't really get to develop much as a character.
There isn't really anything special or noteworthy about him, which in itself is rather bad since he gets so much screen time with no end output.
12 Max Mayfield
Meanwhile, a character like Max who barely has enough screen time to establish herself still ends up being way more of a memorable character.
Her fractured relationship with her brother drives most of her motivations, which brings us to the next point...
11 Billy Hargrove
The antagonist of Season 3 spends the majority of his screen time being an absolute psycho who ultimately gets possessed by sinister powers.
That being said, the character is still expanded upon to make sense of his madness, which is done in a respectable manner. His final moments end up being a way to redeem himself, which definitely works given everything that the viewer learns about the character beforehand.
10 Dustin Henderson
Dustin is the goofball of the group and serves as a source of comic relief, which does hamper his character arc somewhat.
That being said, it's still refreshing to see him in the moments where he truly shines, making for some truly entertaining moments indeed.
9 Will Byers
After being abducted in the first season, Will ends up dealing with the trauma of these events while simultaneously helping his friends overcome these greater evils with his newfound "powers."
It's the innocence of this character that really hammers home the point that, at the end of the day, these kids are just really innocent and want to save their town without any personal agendas thrown in the mix.
8 Joyce Byers
The distraught mom of the first season ends up regaining her sanity and lives out a normal life... or, at least, as normal a life as she can enjoy.
Her relationships with Hopper, Will, and the other people around her end up shaping her character as well and serve as a great way to empathize with his character.
7 Robin Buckley
Even though she might've only been a major character for one season, there's no denying the fact that Robin's impact in Stranger Things has been quite noticeable.
From sporting a likable personality to revealing her sexuality in a rather poignant moment, Robin has quickly become a fan favorite on the show for many people.
6 Jonathan Byers
A nerdy outcast with a heart of gold — this cliche has been used in shows time and time again with varying results.
In the case of Jonathan Byers, this personality trait actually ends up evolving into something substantial and positive for this character in many ways.
5 Jim Hopper
For the first two seasons, Jim Hopper was certainly one of the more likable and proactive protagonists for obvious reasons.
However, his behavior in the third season definitely feels somewhat out-of-character and certainly dampens the quality of his character arc somewhat. That being said, the letter he gives to Eleven after his "death" is definitely quite heartfelt regardless.
4 Mike Wheeler
There's a reason why Finn Wolfhard's career has absolutely skyrocketed after Stranger Things — the character he portrays is one of the best parts of the show.
From teenage angst to developing a protective mindset — Mike is definitely a model child in every way and a great part of the show.
3 Nancy Wheeler
The character of Nancy Wheeler never stays stagnant in Stranger Things.
From her relationship with Jonathan to the defiance she shows at the workplace — Nancy has always managed to be a highlight in every way.
2 Steve Harrington
There was a time when Steve Harrington was one of the worst characters in the entire show, and fans couldn't wait until he got his just desserts.
However, it's a testament to the writing of this character that he ended up evolving into a rather decent person over the course of the last two seasons, leading to him turning from a reviled character into a beloved one.
1 Eleven
Eleven is easily one of the more mysterious characters when she's introduced in the first season, eventually developing her character to the point where she easily became one of the highlights of the series.
The manner in which this sheltered and abused child reacts to the love she receives from the people around her is genuinely heartwarming to witness.
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