10 Best Character Duos in Stranger Things, Ranked

One of the best aspects of Stranger Things is the series’ tendency to partner up characters to create some brilliant and unexpected duos. Whether platonic, romantic, or begrudging, Stranger Things’ partnerships have contributed to some of the Duffer brothers’ revolutionary show’s most memorable and important moments. There are too many partnerships to list, but some of them have stood out as the funniest, most heart-warming, most intense, and most emotionally-resonant, so will be remembered for years after Stranger Things‘ fifth and final season.

Some honorable mentions include partnerships between the likes of Eleven and Max, Murray and Alexei, Will and Jonathan, Joyce and Bob, and, of course, Mike and Eleven. While these duos stand out for their own reasons, some have become more memorable and important to series than anyone could have anticipated. These partnerships are formidable, unbreakable, and could create some of the strongest bonds in the final battle against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) in Stranger Things season 5’s final episodes.

10) Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers

Although their romance has been tumultuous at times, Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) have a fantastic partnership in Stranger Things. Their off-screen relationship gives them brilliant chemistry on-screen, making them a great investigative team when working for the Hawkins Post, and a strong team when fighting Vecna and other monsters from the Upside Down. While the friendship between Nancy and Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) is great, and a rekindled romance has been teased, it’s clearly Jonathan who she belongs with.

9) Murray Bauman and Joyce Byers

While Stranger Things focuses a lot on a young cast, it’s been great to see the interpersonal bonds between the adults develop, too. One of the best is the connection between Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and former Chicago Sun-Times investigative reporter Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman). This duo, primarily brought together in Stranger Things seasons 3 and 4, has contributed to some of the show’s funniest and most entertaining moments. They have proven to be a strong team, too, as their dedication, knowledge, and risk-taking enabled them to travel to Russia and save Hopper (David Harbour).

8) Steve Harrington and Dustin Henderson

Who would’ve known in Stranger Things’ first season that one of the most iconic duos would be that of Steve “The Hair” Harrington and the young Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo)? In season 2, Dustin enlists Steve’s help in recapturing the growing Demodog, Dart, and, since then, the pair have helped each other on many occasions, most notably when unpacking the mystery of Russians in the Starcourt Mall. Their partnership has been strained more recently, especially when Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) came on the scene in season 4, but Stranger Things season 5 promises to bring this entertaining duo back together.

7) Max Mayfield and Lucas Sinclair

Sadie Sink made her Stranger Things debut as Max Mayfield in season 2, and she quickly formed a romantic bond with Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) after arriving at Hawkins Middle School. Max and Lucas’ relationship has been through ups and downs, culminating in an epic down when Vecna briefly killed Max, only for Eleven to attempt to save her, leaving her body comatose and her consciousness trapped in Vecna’s memory prison. Even so, Lucas has shown true commitment and love for Max, and is willing to go to extremes for her, which shows his growth throughout the series.

6) Dustin Henderson and Eddie Munson

While the partnership between Dustin and Steve has been great to watch, Dustin shares a special kinship with Eddie in Stranger Things season 4 that makes their bond even stronger. Both die-hard fans of Dungeons & Dragons, and members of Hawkins’ controversial Hellfire Club, Dustin and Eddie’s friendship empowers them to unlock new aspects of themselves. Dustin becomes more outspoken and confident, and Eddie becomes a true hero — even to the point of sacrificing himself for his new friends. This partnership continues even after Eddie’s death, as Dustin is dealing with his grief in Stranger Things season 5.

5) Mike Wheeler and Will Byers

We’re not including the partnership of Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in this list, as their connection has not always been solid. Conversely, the friendship between Mike and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) will never be broken. Childhood friends and now bonded by shared trauma, Mike and Will have a beautiful friendship that has only become more poignant over the years. While Will’s romantic feelings for Mike may not be reciprocated, their bond still makes them strong enough to take on Vecna, and has even inspired Will to harness the extra-dimensional villain’s psychic powers for himself.

4) Robin Buckley and Steve Harrington

Steve’s growth in Stranger Things has truly been something to behold, and while his bonds with Nancy and Dustin have helped this, it’s been his friendship with Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) that has been the most brilliant to see. Robin first appeared in Stranger Things season 3 and has since become central to the series’ cast, but is most regularly seen alongside her former Scoops Ahoy colleague. Steve and Robin bounce off each other brilliantly, creating some of Stranger Things’ best moments, yet both are also steadfastly protective of their friends — even holding up against Russian torture.

3) Will Byers and Robin Buckley

While Robin’s friendship with Steve has been great to watch develop over the last few years, her more recent connection to Will Byers holds more significant importance. After catching Robin making out with her girlfriend (Amybeth McNulty) at the Hawkins Memorial Hospital, Will reaches out to her for advice regarding his own sexual identity questions. Watching Robin offer heartfelt advice and seeing this advice inspire Will’s transformation into a superpowered character in Stranger Things season 5 has been truly powerful, so we’re excited to see the otherwise-unlikely duo of Robin and Will develop in season 5’s upcoming episodes.

2) Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper

It’s no surprise that Jim Hopper (David Harbour), the former Chief of Hawkins Police Department, is included in the top two spots on this list, as he is one of Stranger Things’ most popular and beloved characters. His partnership with Joyce Byers has been at the heart of the adult cast’s investigation throughout Stranger Things, as Joyce reached out to high school-friend Hopper to help search for her missing son in season 1. Over the years, their romance has been teased, thwarted, and finally paid off, creating one of the show’s most satisfying and heart-warming arcs.

1) Eleven and Jim Hopper

While his romantic connection with Joyce is brilliant, it’s Hopper’s paternal connection to Eleven — later renamed Jane Hopper after he adopted her — that is Stranger Things’ most beautiful partnership. Eleven and Hopper formed a fast father-daughter connection when the former was found in Stranger Things season 1, which snowballed into an official adoption. Hopper’s apparent death had a huge impact on Eleven, and his return was equally as emotional, and this has all finally culminated in them embarking on a mission into the Upside Down in Stranger Things season 5. We hope this fantastic duo doesn’t end in disaster again.

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