- Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first two seasons of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”
- Below you will find a complete guide to all the named characters on “Stranger Things” you should know before watching season three.
- Visit INSIDER’s homepage for more stories.
The third season of “Stranger Things” is streaming now on Netflix, and in case you haven’t binged the whole series again, we’re here to remind you of every important character and their names.
From Mike’s friend group to all the parents and teachers, keep reading for a review of all your favorite characters.
Eleven (whose real name is Jane) is a young girl with psychic powers.
Eleven, or El, escaped from Hawkins Lab after she spent her whole life being studied and used for government spying. El spends most of the first season with her shaved head or blonde wig, though now it’s grown out into longer curls.
Dr. Martin Brenner used to run the lab where Eleven was born and experimented upon.
Eleven called Brenner her “papa,” though we’re not sure if he’s her real biological father. We do know that he was the man responsible for her mother’s catatonic state and the kidnapping of Eleven. He also may still be alive, though the show has not made his fate clear yet.
Read more: 'Stranger Things' producer seems to confirm Brenner's fate
Eleven's mother, Terry Ives, named her Jane.
She signed up for a secret CIA experiment with LSD and sensory deprivation tanks, and then realized she was pregnant with Eleven. Dr. Brenner and the Hawkins Lab staff took Eleven away from her when she was a baby and tried to cover up her existence.
Now Terry is unable to move or speak much, and sits in a halfway conscious state.
Becky is Terry's sister who takes care of her.
Becky always believed Terry was lying about her baby. But then Eleven turned up at her house on the second season of "Stranger Things."
Will Byers disappeared into the Upside Down, triggering the series' events.
The first season was centered around rescuing Will from the mysterious hidden dimension, and now he's one of the few characters on the show who has an innate connection to the Mind Flayer.
Mike Wheeler is the de facto leader of his friend group.
From leading his friends in Dungeons and Dragons games to spearheading the hunt for Will, Mike spent the first season of "Stranger Things" juggling his friendships with his feelings for newcomer Eleven.
Lucas Sinclair was the biggest skeptic of Eleven from the get-go.
Lucas was initially resentful of Mike's willingness to trust Eleven. But by the end of the first season, the friend group banded together behind the mysterious girl.
Lucas has a little sister named Erica who loves teasing the boys about being "nerds."
Erica likes to play with all of Lucas' old toys, but thinks all of his interests are deeply uncool.
Dustin Henderson is usually the mediator of the friend group, as well as the comic relief.
From the iconic hat to his charming lisp, Dustin quickly became a fan favorite for his trusting nature and loyalty to the group. He is also the go-to resource on all things Dungeons and Dragons.
Nancy Wheeler is Mike's older sister who gets pulled into the drama after her friend Barb goes missing.
Nancy is in high school, and at the start of the first season she's just beginning to break away from her bookish habits and explore dating and a more adventurous side of herself. By the end of the second season, she's taking on Hawkins Lab with her own investigative strategies.
Jonathan Byers is Will's older brother, and Nancy's boyfriend.
Jonathan sets off to try and find his brother Will on the first season, and winds up with Nancy as she tries to find Barb. The two of them get closer during their adventures, and face off with the Demogorgon.
By the end of season two, Jonathan and Nancy are a couple.
Barbara Holland was Nancy Wheeler's best friend.
Barb was Nancy's best friend and the second person taken by the Demogorgon. She was with Nancy and Steve when the Demogorgon pulled her into the Upside Down and killed her.
Murray Bauman is a former reporter who helped Nancy and Jonathan get word to the press about Hawkins National Lab's involvement with Barb's death.
Murray is a bit of a conspiracy theorist, though most of his hunches are at least partially right. he was hired by Barb's parents to get to the bottom of Barb's disappearance.
Steve Harrington was Nancy's almost-boyfriend and became an unexpected hero of sorts by the end of season one.
Steve presents himself as a cliche high school jock who's insensitive and a bully, but by the end of the first season he had come around. The first season ended with Steve and Nancy dating, but she broke up with him on the second season. Now he's just buddies with everyone.
Robin is Steve's new coworker on season three.
They both work at Scoops Ahoy, an ice cream store inside the Starcourt Mall.
Joyce Byers is Will's frantic mom who never gives up on her boy.
Joyce already seemed prone to anxiety and stress, but the disappearance of her son sends her into a frenzy of cigarettes, paranoia, and determination. She's the first to believe Will is in communication with her from a mysterious (and probably supernatural) place.
Chief Jim Hopper is the head of Hawkins' police department.
Hopper is a no-nonsense cop whose personal life seems to be spiraling at the start of the show. But when the time comes for action, he snaps into focus on rooting out the truth about Will.
He saves Will at the end of the first season, and then adopts Eleven by the end of season two.
Read more: Why Hopper may have made a secret link with Hawkins Lab.
Karen Wheeler is Mike and Nancy's mother, and she's oblivious to most of the trouble they get up to.
Karen tries hard to get Mike and Nancy to open up to her about their lives, but the kids keep her in the dark about the supernatural issues plaguing their lives. Her third and youngest kid, Holly, is the only one who stays close to her side.
Ted Wheeler is Nancy and Mike's dad, and he's even more oblivious than their mom.
Mike's home operates as the headquarters for his friends, but his dad Ted is generally clueless about the goings on in the home until the FBI and Hawkins Lab folks turn up at his front door.
Scott Clarke is the science teacher at Hawkins Middle School.
Mr. Clarke is a supportive and kind teacher at Hawkins Middle School who helps Mike, Dustin, and Lucas with their physics questions throughout the first season. He also heads up the AV Club for the kids, and nurtures their curious sides.
The second season introduced Bob Newby, Joyce's boyfriend.
Bob worked at RadioShack and was great with computers and all types of electronic equipment. He was killed inside Hawkins Lab when the Mind Flayer's army of demo-dogs attacked, though.
Dr. Owens was the man who took over Hawkins Lab for the second season.
After Dr. Brenner's seeming death, Dr. Owens was brought in to run the lab and try to help Will get back on his feet. At the end of season two, Owens helped Hopper get an official birth certificate for Eleven naming her as his daughter, "Jane."
Max the newest member of the official friend "party."
Max moved to Indiana from California at the start of season two. She's a skateboarder who loves video games, and has a rotten stepbrother.
Max's stepbrother Billy is a real piece of work.
Billy is violent and anger-prone, and acts like a bully to much of his fellow high school students.
