Stranger Things Season 5 has already confirmed several Season 1 characters appearing in the upcoming fifth and final batch of episodes. Netflix's sci-fi epic will finally come to a close later this year, ending The Duffer Brothers' story of a group of teens battling the fierce forces of a hellish alternate dimension.
Since its debut, one of the best parts of Stranger Things has been its killer cast of characters, several of whom have been a part of the story since Season 1 and will also appear in Season 5. Fans have been with characters like Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven and Finn Wolfhard's Mike Wheeler for nearly a decade at this point, so they have seen this lovable bunch of personalities grow up and will have to say goodbye with the release of Stranger Things Season 5.
Season 5 still has no specific release date announced but is expected to debut on the service sometime this fall. Some speculate it could come in two batches like Season 4 did. Stranger Things 5 marks the final season of the mainline series, with several spin-offs already in the works to succeed the acclaimed show.
Every Stranger Things Season 1 Character Set to Appear in Season 5
Joyce Byers
Leading Stranger Things' adult characters since the beginning alongside David Harbour's oafy small-town sheriff is Winona Ryder's Joyce Byers. Joyce arrived on the scene in the series as the distraught single mother of the missing Will Byers, looking to bring her son back into her arms.
Since then, Joyce has become a force to be reckoned with, having come face-to-face with the Upside Down multiple times. She has also found love in the form of Harbour's Jim Hopper, who some have speculated she could marry in the upcoming final batch of episodes.
Jim Hopper
Over the five seasons of Stranger Things, David Harbour's Jim Hopper found purpose. Hopper started as a mourning, wayward sheriff in Hawkins—a town where nothing exciting traditionally happens. However, as the super-powered Eleven came into the picture (along with the forces of the Upside Down), he was called to protect the town and its various residents.
Harbour's character has grown significantly over the five seasons of the series. His icy, cold exterior has been melted as he accepts love in the form of Joyce Byers and takes on being the adopted father of Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven/Jane. He also miraculously returns from death after sacrificing himself in Season 3 to seal the gate to the Upside Down.
Eleven
Since the beginning, Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven has been the beating heart of the Stranger Things franchise. In Season 1, fans are introduced to Eleven as a lost little girl on the run from a mysterious government agency.
In the time since then, audiences have come to know who exactly Eleven is/was, being a super-powered child who was taken from her home and experimented on to turn her into a Cold War-era weapon. After escaping from the CIA and getting close to the other teens of Hawkins, she has learned what it means to be a real teenager and the value of friendship.
Mike Wheeler
Acting opposite Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven in Stranger Things' central band of teens is Finn Wolfhard's Mike Wheeler. Mike once discovered Eleven and harbored her in his parents' basement after she escaped from her CIA captors.
Coming into Season 4, Mike has grown up. He is no longer the shy Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) party leader fans were first introduced to. He has other priorities, like his (now longtime) girlfriend, Eleven, whom he has been in love with since the end of Season 1.
Dustin Henderson
Gaten Matarazzo's Dustin Henderson has been Stranger Things' funnyman since the show's first episode. He is the series' central D&D party's comic relief and is the most publicly nerdy of the bunch. This new season is reportedly set to see Dustin deal with some heavy stuff; luckily, his friends will be nearby.
Like many of the show's teenage characters, Dustin has matured plenty since Season 1, but he still has the heart of a child beating in his chest (which is a good thing). The most marked change in the character since Stranger Things premiered is his developing relationship with local cool guy Steve Harrington, with the pair becoming one of the most beloved duos in the franchise.
Lucas Sinclair
Played by Caleb McLaughlin (who has said he wants to play one particular DC superhero), Lucas Sinclair is another member of the show's central D&D party and one of Mike's best friends.
In the more recent Stranger Things installments, Lucas has a complicated journey. After joining the Hawkins High School basketball team, he has had to balance his on-again-off-again relationship with Sadie Sink's Max and his newfound popularity (which sidelines his primary group of friends).
Will Byers
Will Byers (brought to life by Noah Schnapp) is Stranger Things' "boy who lived." For all intents and purposes, Will jump-started the sci-fi series as he went missing in Season 1, resulting in the discovery of Eleven and the mysterious otherworldly realm known as the Upside Down.
Ever since being taken and trapped in the franchise's dangerous dark dimension, Will has never been the same. Being a teenager is hard enough, but Will has had it worse than usual, as he has continued to share a connection with the Upside Down and its inhabitants. Will is also rumored to have a crush on one of his best friends, Mike Wheeler, which will reportedly be explored in Season 5.
Nancy Wheeler
Natalia Dyer's Nancy Wheeler is the older sister of Finn Wolfhard's Mike Wheeler, who got roped into Stranger Things' sci-fi plot as her best friend Barb also went missing in Season 1.
Nancy started the show as a 'goody goody' high school student but has grown into a full-blown adult throughout its four seasons. This has led her to take on a job at the local Hawkins newspaper as she pursues a career in journalism alongside her boyfriend, Jonathan Byers.
Jonathan Byers
Jonathan Byers (played by Charlie Heaton) was thrust into action in Stranger Things Season 1 after his younger brother, Will, went missing. Since then, he has joined the fight against the Upside Down, doing everything he can to protect Hawkins (and, more importantly, Will) from the mysterious evil dimension.
Since Season 1, Jonathan has graduated from high school, is now dating Nancy Wheeler, and works as a photographer for the local Hawkins newspaper to save up for college.
Steve Harrington
Joe Keery's Steve Harrington has been a fan favorite on Stranger Things for years. Introduced as the resident cool guy in Season 1, Steve is humbled a bit when he leaves high school to discover that life is perhaps not going to go as planned.
He went from being the most popular person in Hawkins to just another fledgling young adult, trying to make ends meet. This has grounded the character a bit, though, as he has done away with his 'cool dude' attitude and been more welcoming to new friends like Dustin Henderson and Robin Buckley.
Karen Wheeler
While never truly made a main character, Karen Wheeler (played by Cara Buono) has appeared in every season of Stranger Things. She is a typical '80s mom who loves wallpaper, mall aerobics, and her iconic up-do haircut.
In the five seasons of Stranger Things, Karen has seen her three kids, Mike, Nancy, and Holly, all grow up. She has also faced a few moments of personal growth as she was tempted by the young and alluring Billy (Dacre Montgomery) during Season 3.
Ted Wheeler
Joe Chrest's Ted Wheeler is another Stranger Things character that has kind of just always been there. However, while his wife, Karen, has been given moments of proper character development, Ted has remained Ted.
Ted is mainly known for sitting on the couch with a cold beer in hand and watching TV, utterly oblivious to the otherworldly drama that may be going on outside or the life-threatening adventures his kids are going on right under his nose.
Holly Wheeler
Even though she has never been directly a part of the mainline Stranger Things story, one could argue Holly Wheeler, who was played by Anniston and Tinsley Price in the initial seasons but has since been recast in Season 5, has seen the most significant change over Stranger Things five total seasons.
Over the course of the series, Holly, the youngest of the Wheeler children, has gone from a literal toddler to a burgeoning pre-teen. Now that she is a bit older and portrayed by Nell Fisher, she may be pulled into the action for Stranger Things Season 5 along with her big brother and sisters, Mike and Nancy.
Created by The Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things has run on Netflix since 2016. It follows the residents of Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s who discover their sleepy, idyllic community may secretly be connected to a monster-filled other dimension known as the Upside Down.
Click here to learn how much everyone has changed from Stranger Things Season 1 to Season 5.
