5 Stranger Things Characters Later Seasons Effectively Ruined

There's a lot to love about these Stranger Things characters, but recent seasons have let them down big time, from undoing their arcs to losing them completely in the background.

We can only hope that season 5 rights at least some of these wrongs.

Jonathan Byers

Jonathan had a pretty epic underdog story, going from being a weird outcast to heroic fan favorite pretty quickly. He had a big role in the first few seasons, but recently felt quite discarded.

His move to California didn't do much for his character arc, as there wasn't much going on, apart from him dealing with 'normal' problems like his long-distance relationship with Nancy, college dilemma, and protecting Will. Everyone else was out saving the world, making Jonathan feel a bit boring.

Robin Buckley

Robin was introduced in the third season and quickly went from Steve's snarky coworker to playing a vital part in deciphering Russian communications and joining the Hawkins gang in solving the season's mystery. Robin was brave, intelligent, and witty, but her character seemed to lose some of her essence in season 4.

Her witty confidence was replaced by anxious rants, she was still smart but suddenly unsure of herself, and her character felt awkward and out of place in most of the storyline, where she should have continued to play an active role.

Will Byers

The whole story starts with Will's disappearance, and since being rescued from the Upside Down, his character has had the potential to take center stage, especially with his connection to Vecna and the Mind Flayer. However, Will feels more and more like he is disappearing into the background as characters like Mike, Eleven, and Max take center stage.

We're not saying everything should revolve around Will, but as we near the end, his character should already be playing a more prominent role, instead of being quietly abandoned along the way.

Mike Wheeler

Mike went from being a loyal friend, willing to risk his life to save those he cares about, to being a moody, hormonal teenager, lovestruck by Eleven.

The level-headed leader of the Hawkins gang and has more recently been spending his time obsessing over Eleven and pretty much-losing interest in his friends. His role in seasons 3 and 4 felt diminished, and his treatment of his friends felt out of character, especially Will who he seems to disregard.

Steve Harrington

Steve went from being a typical highschool douche, to working with the Hawkins gang, he developed further as a character, and proved himself to be an absolute hero, all the whilst realizing the value of platonic friendships and being okay with being alone.

Then season 4 came along and undid all of that progress, pushing him back towards Nancy as if nothing he learned before matters. As much as many of us would love to see 'Stancy' happen again, it's disappointing to see Steve doing a 180.