Stranger Things character guide: Season 3 recap and season 4 predictions

After a nearly three-year-long hiatus, Stranger Things is finally returning to Netflix this month! Fans cannot wait to see what their favorite characters are up to, including Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Max (Sadie Sink), and the rest of the gang. Season 3 ended on a seriously intense note, with El leaving Hawkins with the Byers to move to California after Hopper’s (David Harbour) shocking “death,” and Max still not fully processing Billy’s (Dacre Montgomery) bitter fate.

Of course, we know for sure now that Jim Hopper is alive (but seemingly not well), and as for the rest of the characters, it looks like they’ll all be in danger come Stranger Things season 4. The teasers and trailer look absolutely insane for the next installment, and we cannot wait to binge season 4 part 1.

Watch the Stranger Things season 4 trailer here!

While we wait, let’s break down all the main characters ahead of Stranger Things season 4.

Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things seasons 1-3.

Eleven from Stranger Things

Eleven’s not in a great place at the end of Stranger Things season 3. After her father figure Hopper sacrifices himself to close the Upside Down during the big showdown at the Starcourt Mall, everyone believes he’s dead. Plus, Eleven still doesn’t have her powers back which is certainly concerning. In the season 3 finale, she reads a note Hopper wrote and breaks down. It’s such a heartbreaking scene!

As we’ve seen from the Stranger Things season 4 trailer, Eleven isn’t exactly fitting in now that she’s living in California with the Byers. She’s in high school and isn’t making any friends. For better or worse, it looks like she won’t in school for much longer as they’re approaching Spring Break and dangers are ahead. We’re really hoping El gets her powers back in season 4, and now that we know Hopper is alive, we really hope they get to reunite.

Millie Bobby Brown recently teased that Eleven will be in the “darkest state she’s ever been in” come Stranger Things season 4. I’m hyped!

Dustin from Stranger Things

Dustin comes back from summer camp ahead of Stranger Things season 3, but it’s all he can talk about because he lands himself a girlfriend named Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) there. Unsurprisingly, the group start to suspect that Suzie isn’t real, but Dustin comes out on top after he finally reaches her via radio on the Fourth of July.

Dustin needs the number of Planck’s Constant and suspects Suzie will know it, which she does. But before she agrees to list off the numbers, she makes Dustin sing the theme song from The NeverEnding Story with her. It’s a really humorous scene that leaves the other characters listening seriously confused, but it’s what Dustin has to do to save the day. He spends the majority of season 3 with Steve (Joe Keery), Robin (Maya Hawke), and Erica (Priah Ferguson) as they try to figure out what the Russians want with Hawkins.

In Stranger Things season 4, we’re hoping Dustin is still dating Suzie long-distance, and maybe she’ll even make an appearance in Hawkins! That might not be the case, however, if the dangers of the Upside Down make their way onto land soon. By the trailer, it looks like Dustin will be back working closely with Steve and Robin, which we love to see.

Mike from Stranger Things

Mike and Eleven’s relationship gets more serious in Stranger Things season 3, and they even have their first major fight and brief split. Because Mike and Eleven spend all of their time together at Hop’s kissing in El’s room, Hopper feels really uncomfortable. He wants to set boundaries, but despite help from Joyce (Winona Ryder), he can’t seem to get the words out. Instead, he threatens Mike and makes him feel like he’s not welcome at his house.

Because of this, Mike starts avoiding Eleven because he doesn’t know what to do. She gets upset, but they eventually get back together in the end of season 3 and even share their true feelings for each other. They’re in love and so cute together, but being apart in Stranger Things season 4 won’t be easy.

Based on the season 4 trailer, we know El and Mike will be reunited during Spring Break, but we also know it won’t all be paradise for the two lovebirds. A new threat is coming to hunt them down, and it looks like Mike and Eleven will be apart again because of it.

Max from Stranger Things

Max is a major fan-favorite character in Stranger Things, and we understand why. She’s fun, spunky, and an all around great addition to the show. But the end of Stranger Things season 3 is a tragic one for Max, and we’re expecting that to still be affecting her in Stranger Things season 4. Though she and her step-brother Billy didn’t have a great relationship, they were still family and Billy’s death really traumatizes Max.

In the season 4 trailer, Max’s voiceover narration can be heard as she’s reading to Billy. She says everything’s been “a total disaster” since his death, and we can only imagine what that means. She’s likely still trying to work through her grief while a new threat from the Upside Down arrives.

We don’t think Max will die in season 4, but there’s a really chilling scene in the trailer that proves she’ll likely be in danger. At a graveyard, we see her levitating while Dustin, Steve, and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) look up in horror. We don’t see Eleven around, so who else could be using their powers to make this happen? We really hope Max is safe!

As a bit of insight, Sadie Sink revealed that she’s “really happy” with Max’s storyline in season 4, teasing that fans will get to see “a different side of her.” Ooh!

Will from Stranger Things

Though Will (Noah Schnapp) is no longer possessed by the Mind Flayer in season 3, he can still sense when danger is coming. The beginning of the season is hopeful as Will plans to spend his summer hanging out with his friends and playing Dungeons & Dragons. However, as all three of his guy friends are now in relationships, he feels left out. Mike and Eleven are always spending time together alone, while Lucas is dating Max. Though Dustin’s girlfriend doesn’t live in Hawkins, he spends season 3 with Steve, Robin, and Erica at the mall.

Come Stranger Things season 4, and Will will be in California with his family. We see him and Eleven at school in the trailer, though we can’t tell if Will has better luck than Eleven at making friends or not. Whatever happens in season 4, we hope Will is safe! He’s endured way too much throughout the show so far.

Schnapp did an interview in Nov. 2021 where he suggested Will might not face too much danger this season. “I get to be part of the less scary storyline this season which was really fun,” he dished. Phew!

Lucas from Stranger Things

Lucas and Max are still going strong in Stranger Things season 3, and the group bands together to take down the Mind Flayer again. Just like Mike, he’s pretty preoccupied by his romantic relationship and unfortunately, that means the guys have less time to hang out with Will. Lucas has been a great character throughout the series, but we’re ready for him to have a bigger role!

In season 4, Lucas is still in Hawkins with Mike and Dustin, but there might be some changes to the friend group. In the trailer, we see Lucas run into the gym at school in a basketball team uniform while Mike and Dustin watch from the bleachers. They don’t look impressed. Now that the kids are in high school, they might be making new friends. However, we know Lucas joins the group to investigate the Creel House, so maybe the Upside Down will bring them back together. Naturally!

Billy from Stranger Things

Billy isn’t exactly everyone’s favorite character in Stranger Things, but that doesn’t mean he deserved to die. The step-brother of Max had been portrayed as a pretty big jerk in season 2 and season 3, however he gets possessed by the Mind Flayer and everything changes for him. Because of this, he helps kidnap other people in Hawkins so they build an army and create the Spider Monster. In the end of season 3, Billy sacrifices himself at the Starcourt Mall to save Max and the group, which is such an intense scene.

We see the Spider Monster stab Billy with its legs, as Max screams out and watches him die. Even though they weren’t super close, it’s understandably traumatic for Max to go through.

As for Stranger Things season 4, of course there’s speculation that Billy could be back. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that IMDb lists Dacre Montgomery as being part of the cast for the new season, which is interesting. We’ll have to wait and see if he makes an appearance — either as a flashback or resurrected in present-day — or not.

Hopper from Stranger Things

Stranger Things season 3 is a big one for Jim Hopper, and we’re sure season 4 will be even more epic for the fan-favorite character. At the start of season 3, Hop is dealing with the fact that Eleven and Mike’s relationship is getting more serious and they’re basically attached at the hip. Joyce helps him try to set some boundaries — including keeping El’s door open three inches — but this proves easier said than done.

Hop works with Joyce, Murray (Brett Gelman), and Alexei (Alec Utgoff) to figure out what’s going on with the Russians in Hawkins, leading up to showtime at the Starcourt Mall. Sadly, Hopper sacrifices his life in order to allow Joyce to close the Upside Down, which is so heartbreaking. The season 3 finale does have a mid-credits scene, however, that teases Hop could still be alive.

In Feb. 2020, Netflix released a teaser for Stranger Things season 4, which showed that Hop was still alive and now living in Russia. We’re expecting season 4 to be a rough one for Hopper as he’s presumably still in Russia trying to get home. According to David Harbour, his character has the “the best storyline” in season 4. We cannot wait to see it!

Joyce from Stranger Things

After everything that happens in Stranger Things seasons 1 and 2, it’s not entirely surprising to find out in season 3 that Joyce is considering moving out of Hawkins. Will had gone through such life-threatening situations, and it’s not like Jonathan was really that much safer. Though Joyce and Hop still have that will-they, won’t-they relationship in season 3, it’s obvious he wants her to stick around.

By the end of season 3, Joyce agrees to go out on a date with Hopper to a nice restaurant called Enzo’s. Of course, they don’t actually get to go because Hopper seemingly dies as the Upside Down gate gets closed. In the final moments of season 3, Joyce packs up the house and gets ready to move out of Indiana with Jonathan, Will, and Eleven, the latter of whom she’ll be taking care of now that Hopper is gone.

In the Stranger Things season 4 trailer, we see Joyce get a package with mysterious stamps. Is it from Russia? Is Hopper sending her something? We’re really hoping we get to see the two reunite in season 4.

Steve from Stranger Things

Steve has another hilarious and entertaining storyline in season 3, working at an ice cream shop at the mall called Scoops Ahoy alongside a new character named Robin. He and Robin soon get caught up in the mystery of the Russians in Hawkins, and work closely with Dustin and Erica to get to the bottom of it. Because the Russians think they’re working for someone, they catch Steve and Robin, beat them up, and even drug them. Fortunately, they get away relatively unscathed.

At the end of Stranger Things season 3, Steve and Robin decide to get new jobs and apply to work at their local video store. The guy working there is hesitant about Steve because he’s not a movie buff, but Robin convinces him to hire him.

In Stranger Things season 4, we predict Steve and Robin will still very much be a team as the new threat comes to Hawkins. Based on the trailer, Steve will likely get in on the action again as the group tries to take down Vecna and whatever else is here from the Upside Down. Let’s hope he doesn’t get stuck with babysitting duty again!

Robin from Stranger Things

Robin stole everyone’s hearts when Stranger Things season 3 premiered. Her relationship with Steve is so hilarious, and even turns heartfelt when they have a heart-to-heart in the bathroom where Robin reveals she likes girls. Steve falls for Robin but he shifts gears when he finds out, and the two remain great friends.

According to Maya Hawke, Robin will get some well-deserved character development in Stranger Things season 4. “The Duffer brothers are just really free and really smart,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “They’re not allowing themselves to get stuck. They keep changing. They keep growing. They keep investing and building the characters. It’s an honor to be a part of it, and work with them, and watch them build these people, especially Robin. … They really dig into her this season and I’m really, really grateful.”

Nancy from Stranger Things

Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) are still going strong in Stranger Things season 3 as they spend the beginning of their summer working for the Hawkins Post. Nancy is a budding journalist while Jonathan does photography. They eventually get fired, however, as they start to investigate something sinister going on in Hawkins. Of course, it’s connected to the Upside Down.

Nancy has a pretty big role in season 3 as she tries to figure out what happened to the possessed townswoman Doris Driscoll (Peggy Miley), and is present at the Starcourt Mall battle in the finale. In the end, she’s heartbroken over the fact that Jonathan has to move to California with his family. Will their relationship work long distance? We’ll find out in season 4!

Based on the Stranger Things season 4 trailer, it looks like Nancy will be back with the gang trying to take down the new threat of Hawkins. She’s there in the teaser when they go inside the Creel House. It doesn’t look like Nancy and Jonathan have any scenes together in the action-packed trailer, but she does have a moment with Steve. Many fans are rooting for Nancy and Steve to get back together, but I love her with Jonathan!

Jonathan from Stranger Things

As mentioned, Jonathan spends Stranger Things season 3 with Nancy, working at the Hawkins Post and trying to take down the Spider Monster with the gang. He and Nancy have an argument when Nancy goes against what the Post employees tell her to do. Jonathan doesn’t think Nancy understands why he needs the job because he’s not wealthy and she is. They eventually make up, but their class difference is still something that’s apparent to them both.

Jonathan packs up and moves with his mom, his brother, and Eleven at the end of season 3. Come Stranger Things season 4, we know he has a new friend named Argyle (Eduardo Franco) in California, though he’s not in the trailer that heavily. We’ll be curious to see how involved he is in the battle against Vecna back in Hawkins — if at all — and whether or not he and Nancy last.

Suzie from Stranger Things

Suzie is a new character in Stranger Things season 3 as we get to meet Dustin’s girlfriend from camp. As mentioned earlier, Dustin’s friends start to believe that Suzie doesn’t exist because of how great he makes her seem, but they’re all proved wrong when she answers his radio call in a pivotal moment.

Many Stranger Things fans unfairly blamed Suzie for Hopper’s “death,” as because she makes Dustin sing the NeverEnding Story theme song before giving him the Planck’s Constant number, Hop and Joyce are delayed in closing the gate to the Upside Down. Sure, that’s true, but the character doesn’t deserve all the hate!

Netflix has not confirmed whether or not Suzie will be in Stranger Things season 4, but eagle-eyed fans believe one photo proves she will be. We’re sure she and Dustin will still be head over heels for each other in the new season, so fingers crossed she does make an appearance!

Alexei from Stranger Things

Oh man, I’m still not over Alexei’s death. Introduced in Stranger Things season 3, he’s a Russian scientist who is arrested and then taken hostage by Hopper, Joyce, and Murray. The group wants to use Alexei to find out what the Russians are doing and how to get them to stop messing with the Upside Down and close the gate.

The group realizes the kids might be in danger so they head to the Fourth of July fair to go find them. Unfortunately, they can’t find any of them there and instead they find that a Russian named Grigori (Andrey Ivchenko) is following them. In a heartbreaking and sudden move, Grigori shoots and kills Alexei for being a traitor.

Needless to say, Murray and Joyce are absolutely devastated at Alexei’s death, as Hop tries to get away from Grigori. Alexei is one of the most pure, adorable characters in Stranger Things and his death is such a shame! We don’t expect Alexei to return for Stranger Things season 4, but hey, maybe he’ll appear in a flashback.

Stranger Things season 4: Who is Vecna?

Who’s ready to meet Vecna? The next big baddie for Stranger Things season 4 is another character from Dungeons & Dragons. As you can tell from the photo above, this monster is truly terrifying and is more human-like than anything we’ve seen from the Upside Down.

According to Winter is Coming, the character in Dungeons & Dragons is a money-hungry wizard, though we don’t know his true identity in the show. Is he just another monster from the other world or is he someone we know being possessed? Of course, it didn’t take long for many fans to speculate that Vecna could really be Billy, though I don’t love that theory. At this time, it hasn’t been announced what actor is playing the monster, and I’m sure that might be a major clue.

We cannot wait to meet Vecna in Stranger Things season 4, but also hope he doesn’t kill any of our favorites!

Who is Eddie Munson in Stranger Things season 4?

Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) is one of the new characters being introduced in Stranger Things season 4. As we previously reported, Eddie is the leader of The Hellfire Club, Hawkins high school’s Dungeons & Dragons group. Of course, we can expect Mike, Lucas, and Dustin to at least be interested in the club, and photos from the new season see Mike and Dustin rocking Hellfire Club shirts.

According to TV Line, Eddie is:

"“an audacious 80’s metalhead who runs The Hellfire Club, Hawkins High’s official D&D club. Hated by those who don’t understand him — and beloved by those who do — Eddie will find himself at the terrifying epicenter of this season’s mystery.”"

Quinn appeared in Game of Thrones for one season 7 episode, playing a soldier named Koner.

Who is Argyle in Stranger Things season 4?

Argyle is another new character who will be joining Stranger Things season 4. He’ll serve as one of Jonathan’s new friends out in California, and has a fun presence in one of the teasers. Remember the guy driving the pizza truck who yells out “Hold onto your butts, brochachos!”? That’s Argyle!

Netflix shared a brief character description for Argyle which reads: “Jonathan’s new BFF. We stan a fun-loving stoner who proudly delivers delicious pizza pies for Surfer Boy Pizza.”

Who is Victor Creel in Stranger Things season 4?

Horror lovers were thrilled to hear the news that legendary actor Robert Englund would be appearing in Stranger Things season 4! The Nightmare on Elm Street alum is also playing a new character, this one named Victor Creel. This character has been a bit of a mystery so far, and is definitely super creepy. Look at his face above!

Here’s the quick character description Netflix has shared on Creel: “Robert Englund aka Victor Creel is a disturbed and intimidating man who is imprisoned in a psychiatric hospital for a gruesome murder in the 1950s.”

We know the Hawkins kids will be heading to the Creel House to investigate, and things are probably going to get scary!

We cannot wait to watch Stranger Things season 4! Part 1 of the new season debuts on May 27, 2022, with the second part releasing on July 1, 2022.