Stranger Things cast: Ranking the 12 coolest characters

Stranger Things is one of the best shows on Netflix and has a great cast of characters, so we ranked them according to who’s the best and who’s the worst.

Stranger Things 2 will be released on Netflix on Oct. 27 but while we wait for the nine new episodes to be released for viewers to binge-watch in one sitting, we wanted to look back at the first season and have some fun.

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We ranked the best 12 characters from Stranger Things to settle the debate over who the best character is with these totally subjective rankings. It’s all meant in good fun, except for one particular character, that you’ll see toward the bottom of the rankings.

But this should serve as a starting point for fans to have their own debates with fellow Stranger Things fans to discuss if they liked Eleven the most or whether they liked Sheriff Hopper the best or if they were fans of Mike or Nancy or had a special place in their heart for Poor Will Byers.

And I know you’re wondering as you read this intro if the list of the best characters will include the one actress who played a small part but left a big impression on our hearts, minds and imaginations. Yes, of course, Barb is featured in the ranking of the best Stranger Things characters. How could we leave off Barb after the talented Shannon Purser received an Emmy nomination for her performance?

Let’s start the debate with Steve who is the lowest-ranking character featured on our list and we’ll finish at the No. 1 spot with the character we believe is the absolute best. At the end, please let us know what you think and who you’d rank a little higher and who you’d have lower.

12. Steve

Steve wasn’t supposed to be liked by design. He was the cocky and arrogant high schooler who picked on Jonathan and bragged about his sexual exploits with Nancy. By all accounts, he was the classic high school bully who gets the girl, only to lose the girl because he blagged about what they did together. It’s easy to see why he was so detestable.

The other layer to the hate for Steve was because fans wanted to see Nancy and Jonathan together. He was clearly a better boyfriend for her. He was the shy photographer who hid behind his camera, but he caught her attention and seeing as how they had a big thing in common since Jonathan and Nancy’s younger brothers are best friends and on a mission to find him, it would have been a nice pair.

Steve did get a little bit of redemption toward the end of the first season when he came to the Byers home when Jonathan and Nancy set up a trap to get the Demogorgon. Steve initially left but returned when he saw the Christmas lights flickering like crazy inside the house. He had the baseball bat with nails on the barrel and swung like he was Mike Trout when the monster appeared.

Last we saw him, he was still with Nancy, but we’ll see if that lasts when Stranger Things 2 premieres on Oct. 27.