All characters from Season 5 on Netflix

Eleven, a girl with powers of telepathy and psychokinesis, is an experiment subject at Hawkins National Laboratory and escapes to find safety in town. Eleven is eventually adopted by Hopper, changes her name to Jane, and begins to adjust to a normal life with the other Hawkins children. In addition to Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown has appeared in the Enola James series, two Godzilla movies, Electric State, and more. In 2024, she married Jake Bongiovi, the son of musician Jon Bon Jovi, and in 2025 they adopted a daughter.

Mike, the middle child of the Wheeler family, is one of Will Byers’ best friends and one of the leaders of the Hawkins group. In Season 1, Mike and Eleven grow closer to each other and begin to develop a romantic relationship with each other throughout the series. Wolfhard co-directed and co-wrote Neon’s Summer of Hell with Billy Burke and has starred in such projects as Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Saturday Night, and The Legend of Punchline.

One of Will’s best friends, Dustin is one of the members of the party and often works with Steve and the rest of the Hawkins team to solve what’s going on in the Upside Down. As a self-proclaimed Dungeons and Dragons player along with Lucas, Mike, and Will, Dustin is always planning strategically. Matarazzo has voiced characters in projects such as “Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy” and “Angry Birds 2,” and starred as Tobias Rugg in the 2023 revival of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” He also hosted a prank show called “Prank Encounters” for two seasons.

Caleb McLaughlin returns as Lucas Sinclair, an original member of the show’s young ensemble and Max Mayfield’s on-and-off lover. Lucas briefly left the group in season 4 when he joined Hawkins High School’s basketball team, but returned to his friends by the end of that season and was by Max’s side when Max battled Vecna. In addition to “Stranger Things,” McLaughlin has appeared in “High Flying Bird,” “Concrete Cowboy,” “The Book of Clarence,” and “The Deliverance,” among others.

Stranger Things all started with the disappearance of Will Byers in the first episode of season one. Although he was rescued at the end of the first season, Will never completely shook his unique connection to the Upside Down, often continuing to endure telekinetic powers and ominous visions throughout the series. Noah Schnapp was cast as the youngest member of the main ensemble in season 1 and has grown with this character. He has also appeared in “Hubie Halloween,” “Abe” and “Waiting for Anya.”

Sadie Sink made her debut in Season 2 as the clever and fearless Max Mayfield. By season 3, Max was dating Lucas, but by season 4, the two had broken up. Nevertheless, they were reunited when she became Vecna’s target. With the help of her friends and Kate Bush’s cassette tape, Max played a pivotal role in defeating Vecna ​​at the end of season 4, but in the finale she is left in a coma, her mind split between the real world and the Upside Down, and possibly not safe yet. In addition to appearing in next year’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Sink has previously starred in The Whale, two Fear Street films, the Taylor Swift short film All Too Well, and Broadway’s John Proctor Is the Villain.

Joe Keery stars as high school crush Steve Harrington. He is a popular student and also Nancy Wheeler’s boyfriend when the show begins. By season 2, he and Nancy break up, but manage to remain friends. Steve has established himself as an “unofficial” babysitter for the younger children, as he is often tasked with caring for them.

Keeley has since appeared in several other shows, including “Fargo” and “No Activity,” as well as the films “Molly’s Game,” “Slice,” “Spree,” “Free Guy,” and “Marmalade.” The actor has also embarked on a solo music career, releasing albums Twenty Twenty and Decide under the stage name Djo. His latest album “The Crux” was released in April 2025.

Maya Hawke plays Robyn Buckley, a witty, multilingual co-worker and best friend of Steve’s who worked together at Scoops Ahoy’s ice cream shop and then the video store. Their friendship deepens after Buckley comes out as a lesbian in season 3.

Hawke, the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, joined the series in season 3 and has since appeared in various projects. She appeared in films such as “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Do Revenge,” “Asteroid City,” and “Maestro,” and played the voice of Anxiety in “Inside Head 2.” Her upcoming projects include appearances in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the Billy Wilder biopic Wilder & Me, and the romantic comedy Wishful Thinking.

Joyce, the mother of Will and Jonathan Byers, is a single mother dedicated to protecting her children and protecting the town of Hawkins from the dangers that lurk in the Upside Down. Throughout the show, Joyce teams up with the Hawkins and Hopper kids to protect Will, who returns from the Upside Down in season two. Since appearing in Stranger Things, Ryder has reprized her role as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice.

Jim Hopper is the chief of the Hawkins Police Department, overseeing the town from criminal activity. After his daughter Sarah dies of cancer, Hopper takes in Eleven as a father figure and guides her through her adolescence as her powers grow stronger. Throughout the series, Hopper and Joyce also develop feelings for each other. Harbor has also appeared in Thunderbolts, Black Widow, Violent Night, Hellboy, Gran Turismo, and Creature Commandos.

Nancy Wheeler, Mike’s sister, is a curious and ambitious hero, determined to uncover all of Hawkins’ secrets, paranormal or otherwise. She has been dating Jonathan Byers since season 2, but their relationship has been rocky and she remains the key culmination of a love triangle with Jonathan and Steve Harrington. Natalia Dyer has played the character since season 1 and has also appeared in films such as Velvet Buzzsaw and Based on a True Story.

Will Byers’ older brother and Nancy Wheeler’s boyfriend, Jonathan is a reserved young man who has expressed a full range of emotions since his debut as a wallflower-like teenage shutterbug in season one. Although he is protective and supportive of his younger brother Will, he is sometimes distant in his relationship with Nancy, resulting in frequent conflict with Steve. Charlie Heaton returns as the character for Season 5 and has previously appeared in The New Mutants, The Souvenir Part II, and more.

Priah Ferguson plays Lucas’ younger sister, Erica, who often helps out her brother and his friends. An unlikely hero, she ultimately played a key role in the group’s efforts to battle supernatural creatures from the Upside Down.

After her breakout role on the hit show Ferguson, she starred in the Netflix film The Curse of Bridge Hollow, voiced characters in animated films such as The Hamster and Gretel and My Dad the Bounty Hunter, and appeared in short films such as Glitter Ain’t Gold.

Jamie Campbell Bower plays Vecna, the series’ main villain and season 4’s main antagonist. His human identity is Henry Creel and he was born with supernatural abilities. He is also known as Number One and has a common past with Eleven as a test subject at Hawkins Laboratory.

Since playing the role of Vecna, Campbell Bower has continued his acting career with appearances in the films Horizon: Chapter 1, Emmanuel, and The Witchboard. He will be participating in the new season of “The Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Power.” Beyond his acting career, he formed a band called “Blood Magic” with drummer Kyle Adams, and released their debut single “Death/Rebirth” in 2024.

Brett Gelman brings to life Murray Bauman, a conspiracy theorist, private investigator, former investigative journalist and longtime friend of Hopper, who helps Nancy, Jonathan, Hopper, and Joyce fight the Upside Down.

Gelman continues to act in several other projects, including most recently starring in the Apple TV drama “Lady in the Lake.” He has contributed his voice acting skills to other projects such as Netflix’s “I Heart Arlo” and “Inside Job.”