Eleven

**Jane "El" Hopper** (born **Jane Ives**), better known as **Eleven**, is one of the main protagonists of *Stranger Things*. Her character is portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown.

### Aliases

El, 011, Jane Ives, The Weirdo, Eleanor, Shirley Temple, Mage

## Appearances

### Portrayed by

Millie Bobby Brown

Eleven was kidnapped and raised in Hawkins National Laboratory, where she was experimented on for her inherited psychokinetic abilities. After escaping the lab, she was found by Mike, Lucas, and Dustin. Upon discovering her abilities, Mike believed that she could help find Will, their missing friend. During their time together, she and Mike formed a strong bond and quickly grew to like each other. It was ultimately revealed that, in a lab experiment, she made contact with a creature from another dimension, accidentally opening an inter-dimensional gateway. In an attempt to protect her friends, Eleven eventually faced and destroyed this monster in a showdown at Hawkins Middle School, mysteriously vanishing in the process.

Eventually, she was found to be alive, secretly living with Jim Hopper at his grandfather's old cabin. After she grew impatient from being separated from her friends, Eleven went on a journey by herself, discovering her past in the process. Realizing that she could not leave her friends behind, she returned to Hawkins, reuniting with them, to help defeat yet another extra-dimensional threat. Eleven was then taken in by Hopper as his adopted daughter. This also allowed her to attend the Snow Ball dance with Mike.

## Personality and Traits

During the summer of 1985, Eleven's romantic relationship with Mike continued to blossom, much to Hopper's dismay who took steps to complicate it. This resulted in Eleven forming an unlikely friendship with Max. Upon learning that the Mind Flayer had reappeared to stop her and get revenge, taking over Billy and other people in Hawkins in the process, she joined her friends to defeat it. Amidst the ensuing fight to stop the Mind Flayer, Eleven lost her powers. Following Hopper's apparent death, she was taken in by the Byers family. Three months later, before moving out of Hawkins with the Byers, Eleven and Mike made plans to visit each other at Thanksgiving while also professing her love for him.

Raised in Hawkins National Laboratory and completely deprived of socialization, Eleven was timid, socially withdrawn and extremely cautious of other people. However, she became fiercely protective and showed unyielding loyalty towards those who cared for her, especially to Mike whom she fell in love with, to the point of sacrificing herself to destroy the Monster when it threatened to harm her friends. Even after being separated for a year, Eleven showed considerable determination in saving her friends by returning to them in Hawkins from Chicago when she sensed them to be in grave danger through the Void, reuniting with them in the process.

If Eleven attempted to defy Dr. Brenner's orders when under his control, she would be locked in a cramped room as punishment, potentially for hours on end. These painful experiences lead her to develop severe claustrophobia. She also showed some signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, frequently remembering her harrowing experiences at the lab following her escape.

Due to a very limited vocabulary, she could not effectively communicate her thoughts and emotions and had little to no understanding of simple concepts such as friendships or promises. These difficulties communicating often lead to misunderstandings with her friends. Despite this, she was a quick learner and came up with creative ways of explaining concepts as shown when she flipped the *Dungeons & Dragons* game board to explain the nature of the Upside Down.

Episodes of intense stress and fear had the potential to trigger Eleven's powers, releasing them in unpredictable and sometimes dangerous ways. She was reluctant to harm innocent life and had no malicious intent but was sometimes forced to maim or kill in extreme circumstances. She did not take this lightly as these instances were always followed by strong feelings of guilt and self-loathing (not to mention the physical toll these acts had on her body). Despite having killed before, upon being pressured by Kali into trying to kill, she refused to after seeing the man she was about to kill had children and then stopped Kali from shooting him. In every event of having to resort to killing someone, she has done it in self-defense.

After nearly an entire year of living with Hopper, Eleven's vocabulary expanded significantly, although she still struggled to understand complex words and social cues.

### Psychic abilities

Eleven was born with a vast array of preternatural abilities, acquired through a combination of inheritance and exposure to hallucinogenic drugs while in utero during her mother's time as an MKUltra test subject. These abilities were the reason she was abducted at birth and raised at Hawkins National Laboratory, where she was experimented on.

The effect of the subsequent direct experimentation on Eleven and her powers is unclear. It is possible that her powers laid dormant and could only be unearthed through further experimentation. However, it is also possible that Eleven had access to these powers at birth, but merely gained understanding and experience of them during her time in the laboratory. As her mother displays similar psychic powers, it is possible the experimentation on her mother during her pregnancy augmented her powers or she simply naturally developed stronger abilities.

Initially, exercising her abilities to accomplish small tasks was shown to be rather difficult for her. However, with practice, Eleven was able to accomplish greater and greater feats. Nearly a year after the events of November 1983, Eleven became able to use her telekinetic and telepathic powers far more easily and without as much effort and concentration, easily closing doors, lifting objects, and entering her mental void by simply placing a blindfold on and using the white noise from a television.

Her abilities are somewhat linked to her emotional state, being at their strongest when influenced by her anger and fear. Being in distressing situations would occasionally cause Eleven to unleash her powers involuntarily. This was most likely how Eleven had opened the Gate: her fear of witnessing the Demogorgon possibly magnifying her powers to the point where she was able to open an interdimensional portal. This was also observed in "The Flea and the Acrobat" when she unintentionally flung Lucas across the junkyard during his fight with Mike. In "Will the Wise", following an intense argument with Hopper, Eleven had a "psychic tantrum", causing her to violently break all of the cabin’s windows. With help from Kali, Eleven learned to harness her anger at will, allowing better control over her powers. She would go on to use this knowledge to aid herself while closing the Gate.

Using her powers takes a physical toll on her body. When using her powers to perform more menial tasks, Eleven usually only suffers from nosebleeds. Based on how her powers are executed, it is likely the source of this blood is actually her brain. When accomplishing more daunting tasks, however, she would become physically exhausted, often to the point where she'd be unable to walk. Her most extreme acts caused bruising on her face, her eyes to become bloodshot, her ears to bleed, and occasionally even unconsciousness. However, if Eleven was sufficiently satiated, this physical toll could be alleviated. Eventually, Eleven’s body had grown accustomed to the recurrent use of her powers, being able to go longer durations without succumbing to complete exhaustion.

Eleven's powers would occasionally affect the nearby electricity; when attempting psychic communication, nearby lights would sometimes flicker or even go out entirely. The Demogorgon, while traveling between dimensions, had remarkably similar effects on nearby electricity, suggesting her abilities may also cause distortion of the electromagnetic field.

After removing a piece of the Mind Flayer which had been lodged under her skin after being bitten by one of the entity's mouthed tentacles, Eleven's powers ostensibly vanished. While the exact cause of this is currently unclear, it is presumed to be an aftereffect of the Mind Flayer's bite. Three months following the incident, she was still unable to use her abilities. It remains to be seen if they will ever return.

* **Telekinesis:** Her most recurrent power, she is able to manipulate objects, people and creatures with her mind. When amplified by her emotions, her telekinesis is strong enough to lift large and heavy objects; she flipped a Hawkins Power and Light van in the air in "The Bathtub", and in "The Lost Sister", she was able to channel her anger in order to pull a train car towards her. Moreover, in "The Mind Flayer", she was able to throw and kill a Demodog with her mind. Eleven could also use this ability to attack and cause physical damage to people (primarily in self-defense), even being able to affect internal organs to some extent; she was able to squeeze Troy's bladder in order to make him urinate himself and later broke his arm. Additionally, she has thrown people against walls on several instances, broken the neck of an orderly at Hawkins Lab, and was even able to crush the brains of several agents at once.
	+ **Levitation:** Via telekinesis, Eleven could suspend objects in the air, making them levitate. This was first displayed in "Holly, Jolly" where she made Mike’s model of the Millennium Falcon float. This ability is not restricted to objects, as shown in "The Monster" when she saved Mike by levitating him to safety after he had jumped off a cliff. In "The Gate", Eleven herself levitated as she was closing the Gate, possibly as a side effect of her using so much power.
* **Extrasensory Perception (ESP):** Eleven can gain information through the mind rather than the physical senses. She could recognize people taken into the Upside Down from photos, though she had presumably never met them before, and could sense Will's corresponding location in the other dimension.
	+ **Remote viewing:** Via ESP, she can seek out and find targets in different locations than her own. When amplified by sensory deprivation, this ability is powerful enough to find targets over vast distances, even as far as other dimensions.
		- *See also: The Void*
	+ **Telepathy:** Often used in tandem with her RV abilities. When she has located her target, she can choose to communicate with them mentally.
	+ **Psychometry:** Or "token-object reading", Eleven can gain information about a person by touching objects associated with them. In "The Weirdo on Maple Street", she was able to correctly identify which game piece was Will's when demonstrating with the *D&D* board.
* **Technopathy:** To some extent and with varying results, she can transmit the voices of people and other sounds in other locations over electronic speakers.
* **Portal Manipulation:** Eleven can open and manipulate portals to the Upside Down. She was first revealed to have this power in "The Monster", where it was shown that she had accidentally opened the Gate upon making contact with the Demogorgon. Eleven later manages to close the Gate in "The Gate". In "Trick or Treat, Freak", she manipulated a portal that the Demogorgon had opened in order to make it large enough for her to pass through. This ability may be rooted from the primary telekinetic power.
	+ **Dimensional Travel:** After the Gate was opened, it allowed Hawkins Lab scientists to go into the Upside Down. She herself entered the dimension after defeating the Demogorgon in "The Upside Down."
* **Biokinesis:** Eleven could manipulate the bodies of living creatures to a certain extent, as shown when she disintegrated the Demogorgon.
* **Teleportation:** Tentative. She appears to possess this ability as shown when she was somehow transported to the Upside Down upon defeating the Demogorgon, though the exact specifics of how this happened are unclear. It's highly possible the Demogorgon could have played a part, considering it appeared to have abilities similar to Eleven's. Another possibility is that the teleportation was an unintended side effect from Eleven exerting so much power. In any case, if she does possess this ability, she most likely has no knowledge of it.
* **Memory Reading:** Eleven is able to view the memories of others via contacting them through the Void. This ability was first displayed in "Dig Dug" where she was able to see several of Terry's memories. She later used this ability in "E Pluribus Unum", viewing the memories of Billy Hargrove's abusive childhood in order to find the Mind Flayer's lair.

### Regular Abilities

* **Survival skills:** While living in the woods for a month, Eleven learned crucial survival skills, such as hunting (by using her powers) and how to make a fire.
* **Morse code:** She was taught how to read and signal Morse code by Hopper as a means for them to safely communicate.

### Familial

**Terry Ives**

While Terry is her biological mother, Eleven originally had no knowledge of her or even the fact that Brenner had kidnapped her at birth. However, Terry tried desperately to get her daughter back and still believed she would one day return. After learning that her mother was alive through the Void, Eleven defied Hopper's rules to meet her. However, when Eleven finally met her mother, she was heartbroken to see her mother catatonic and learned that Hawkins Lab was responsible for causing her mother to be mentally unstable. Despite this, Eleven harbored some love towards her mother, even though she knew that Terry could not raise her as a result of being mentally broken. Although Eleven was saddened and horrified of her mother's tragic fate, she still loved her mother.

**Becky Ives**

Becky is Eleven's aunt. Like Terry, Eleven had no knowledge of her due to not knowing the circumstances of her birth. Becky believed Terry really miscarried and in extension believed that Jane did not exist. Becky helped Eleven (Jane) look for her "sister" Kali. Eleven stayed the night at Becky's house, but ran away due to her calling the police in regards to her being found.

**Jim Hopper**

Chief Hopper was an ally of Eleven and later became her adoptive father. He rescued her and her friends from government agents, safely bringing them to the Byers house to meet with the others. Their relationship likely had little opportunity to develop at this time as they were preoccupied with saving Will. Hopper ultimately had to reveal Eleven's location to Hawkins Lab in order to save Will, a decision he did not take lightly. Hopper appeared to have some awareness of Eleven's status following her self-sacrifice, providing her with Eggo waffles on Christmas Eve. Eleven's disappearance reminded Hopper of the loss of his daughter, and he became determined to find her.

Hopper eventually found Eleven in the woods and began taking care of her, relocating her to his grandfather's old cabin. The two developed a complicated father-daughter dynamic as they lived together for almost a year. For her safety, Hopper neither permitted her leaving the cabin, nor did he permit her to communicate with Mike or her friends.

After the shutdown of Hawkins Lab, Hopper officially took Eleven in as his adopted daughter and allowed her to attend the Snow Ball.

### Non-Familial

**Martin Brenner**

Eleven's history with Dr. Martin Brenner runs deep: not only did he define her childhood, but he was potentially responsible for her very existence. Brenner had experimented on her mother Terry, who had volunteered to become a MKUltra test subject. While undergoing these tests, Terry mysteriously became pregnant. After discovering the pregnancy, Brenner took the child away directly from birth, raising her at Hawkins Lab.

Throughout childhood, Eleven was treated harshly and severely. Brenner appeared to be Eleven's only source of social engagement, and thus she grew to be dependent on his attention. Brenner built himself up as a father figure, establishing a somewhat tender demeanor when in her presence. However, an unstated threat was present in even the most affectionate words he uttered, lurking just beneath the surface.

When Eleven performed well, Brenner would "reward" her with affection. When Eleven disobeyed him, she would instead be subjected to cruel psychological torture. Even when Eleven was on her best behavior, she spent much of her time in solitary confinement, locked in a "bedroom" cell. Brenner's only true interest in the girl was her extraordinary power; her physical or mental health was merely of tangential importance to his goal. When Eleven performed extraordinary feats, Brenner appeared proud of her accomplishments.

After Eleven escaped from the lab and experienced genuinely loving relationships for the first time, she could finally see through Brenner's façade. When he eventually found her and promised to take her home, she rejected his offer, instead crying and reaching out to her new friends.

**Mike Wheeler**

Mike and Eleven developed a special relationship in the six days they knew each other, as they quickly fell in love with each other. Out of the three boys who found her, Mike grew the closest to Eleven, partly due to her staying at his house. Although Dustin and Lucas eventually developed trust for her, Mike was the first to do so. Eleven, in turn, was clearly at her most relaxed while alone in the company of Mike. Unlike Dustin and Lucas, Mike understood right away that, despite her powers and strange appearance, she was ultimately just another kid and did not mean to cause trouble for him and his friends. His respect for her deepened when she aided and defended him and his friends in the search for Will.

Mike even invited her to be his date to the Snow Ball, an offer which she happily accepted and kissed her. Due to her love for Mike, to protect him and their friends, Eleven used all her powers to disintegrate the Demogorgon and vanished to the Upside Down. Mike became devastated at this and called her on his Supercom for 353 days in a row as well as keeping the pillow fort in perfect condition in regards to her memory, unaware that Eleven was actually alive and also trying to contact him through the Void.

After almost a year, when they finally reunited they shared a long awaited hug just to be separated again. Mike tells Eleven that he “can’t lose her” to which she promises he will not. Eleven leans in to kiss Mike but is interrupted by Hopper calling her name. Afterwards, Eleven and Mike attended the Snow Ball where they shared their second known kiss as they danced to the song “Every Breath You Take”.

In 1985, their relationship was blossoming more and more, much to her father's dismay. Hopper even became concerned to the point of threatening Mike into not spending time with Eleven. Fearful, Mike did as he was told and kept his distance from El, lying to her and saying his nana was sick. With the help of Max, Eleven quickly saw through his lie and when Mike refused to explain himself, she broke up with him quoting Max earlier "I dump your ass". Max and Eleven leave quickly on the bus and Mike is left there with Will and Lucas heartbroken. Eleven was frustrated at Mike for seemingly wanting to control her and not believing in her, though he would later reveal to everyone except Eleven that he was only behaving like this because he loved her and he couldn't lose her again. Mike would then later reveal that he only avoided Eleven because Hopper had threatened him and they reconciled in the hospital while waiting for Nancy and Jonathan to get back. Mike saved Eleven's life 3 times. When she got seriously injured on her leg, he helped her walk and take care of her. When she was in pain, he was very worried about her. When the Mind Flayer's strange growth continues to pulsate from **Eleven**'s left leg, making El scream in severe pain, Mike kept holding onto her and holding her hand and trying to comfort her and to help keep her still, while Jonathan attempts to get the creature out of her left leg but Eleven says that she can do it herself and success to get the creature out. After the battle, they are seen hugging and then are seen together in the back of an ambulance. Three months later, Eleven was getting ready to move out of Hawkins with Will's family, although she was still unable to use her powers, Mike is optimistic that they will come back. They make plans to see each other at Thanksgiving, while Mike also wishes her to come by during Christmas. El recalls how Mike expressed his feelings for her at the cabin and kisses him, telling him she loves him too. They share long tearful hugs outside of the Byers house. In the moving truck, Eleven already missed Mike showing she really didn't want to leave him.

**Lucas Sinclair**

Lucas was initially suspicious of Eleven, dismissing her as a "psycho". Although Dustin and Mike made efforts to become friendlier, Lucas kept some distance from her, viewing her as a distraction from the search for Will. Eleven, lacking social skills and confidence, was unable to convince him that she was truly on their side. When Eleven was discovered to be manipulating the compass to keep the boys from finding the Gate, Lucas grew angry, accusing her of being traitorous. After Eleven ran away, Lucas had little interest in finding her. However, after Lucas realized that she was justified to keep the boys away from the dangerous forces at Hawkins Lab, his opinion of her changed. Following the kids' reunion, Eleven and Lucas apologized to one another and remained friendly.

In 1984, when Eleven revealed herself to be alive, she embraced Lucas and Dustin. Lucas said they've missed her, with Eleven saying she missed them too.

In 1985, Lucas and Eleven were shown to still be good friends with each other. The two would work together, along with their friends, in trying to stop the Mind Flayer who had returned to Hawkins. When Eleven was choked by Billy, Lucas was shocked and worried for her, showing he does care for her. After Lucas found out that Eleven and Max spied on him and Mike, Lucas was upset, but quickly forgave Eleven. During the fight at Hopper's Cabin, when the Mind Flayer grabbed Eleven by her leg, Lucas managed to save her by chopping off the Mind Flayer's tentacle with an axe. After retreating to Bradley's Big Buy, while taking care of Eleven, Lucas decided to steal some fireworks to help Eleven fight against the Mind Flayer's proxy. Lucas's decision proves to be good when he again manages to save Eleven by throwing the exploding fireworks at the Mind Flayer. After the Mind Flayer's defeat, three months later, Eleven said goodbye to Lucas as she left Hawkins with the Byers family.

**Dustin Henderson**

Dustin's initial attitude toward Eleven lay somewhere between Mike's open-mindedness and Lucas's skepticism. He became considerably kinder to her after discovering she had “superpowers”, although he retained a degree of indifference towards her. After an incident with Lucas, he was quick to call her out on a questionable use of her power, though he later admitted that it was “awesome.” While it is unclear if he saw her as a member of their “party” at that point, he did assist Mike in looking for Eleven after she had ran away. After Eleven saved him and Mike from bullies, he proudly declared that she was their friend and thoroughly cared about her from that point on.

In 1984, when Eleven revealed herself to be alive, she embraced Dustin and Lucas. Dustin revealed to her that they've reminisced her and talked about her almost everyday. Eleven was even surprised that Dustin had teeth which Dustin proudly showed them off to her.

In 1985, Eleven used her powers to make Dustin's toys move to lure Dustin to a spot where she and the others welcome him back from Camp Know Where. When Dustin revealed he got a girlfriend, El was shocked and went with him to help build Cerebro so he can contact his girlfriend Suzie. However, Eleven decided to leave on the journey to the top of Weathertop so she can spend romantic time with Mike, leaving Dustin upset. Later, after Dustin managed to get a short transmission to Mike, El used her powers to locate him at Starcourt Mall and comes to his rescue by stopping some Russians from killing him. After she saved Dustin, she happily shared a hug with him. When Eleven's leg wound began pulsating, El was helped by Dustin. After the fight against the Mind Flayer, Eleven said good-bye to Dustin before leaving Hawkins with the Byers family.

**Joyce Byers**

Joyce became very protective of Eleven in the short time they knew each other. Unlike Brenner, who largely treated the girl as if she were a soldier, Joyce respected that she was only a child, treating her in a somewhat motherly fashion; as she taken from her birth mother Terry Ives when she was a baby. This was likely the first relationship of that kind that Eleven had experienced. Joyce reminded her that she was very brave, thanking her for all her help in the search for her son Will and assures her that she'll be with her the whole as she tries to locate Will in the homemade sensory deprivation tanks. This is later proved to be true as Joyce comforts Eleven when she finds Barbara Holland's corpse, giving Eleven the courage to find Will. A year later, when Eleven revealed herself to be alive, Joyce embraces her and asks for help in saving Will from the Mind Flayer by closing the gate which Eleven accepts.

A year later, Joyce continues to have a good relationship with Eleven. She even supports her relationship with Mike Wheeler, unlike Hopper. When Joyce learns that Eleven and her friends are in danger, Joyce immediately goes out to rescue and protect them. After successfully closing the gate and killing the Mind Flayer, Joyce sadly tells Eleven that Hopper died in the process. Three months later, Joyce takes Eleven in and allows her to live with her family as they move out of Hawkins.

**Will Byers**

Though Eleven and Will Byers were never formally introduced to one another when he was taken to the Upside Down, they could definitely have been considered allies. Eleven was more than willing to help Will's friends and family find him, which they were all deeply thankful for, especially Joyce. Eleven's only direct interaction with Will took place while she was immersed in her mental void; she found him in Castle Byers, comforting him and telling him to "hold on a little longer" while Joyce and Hopper searched for him.

In 1985, they appear to have officially become friends, as shown by how they both have had the opportunity to spend time with the Party during the summer. However, Will was secretly upset that Mike was spending so much time with Eleven, as Will wanted to play *D&D* and catch up to missing childhood. When Eleven dumps Mike, Will tries to get Mike to forget about her by playing a *D&D* campaign. But when Mike's enthusiasm to talk to Eleven still stays, Will snaps and lashes out at Mike for wanting to spend time with some "stupid" girl, causing Mike to angrily lash out and defend Eleven. When Will realized that Mind Flayer's back, he didn't hesitate to work with Eleven to stop the Mind Flayer, even suggesting she might know a way to stop him. After Eleven was bitten and injured by the Mind Flayer, Will did everything he could to treat and help her. Eleven was even saved by Will from the Mind Flayer as he threw fireworks at him. Three months after the battle at Starcourt Mall and the closure of Starcourt Key that possibly killed Hopper, Eleven moved in with the Byers.

**Max Mayfield**

Although Max seemed to admire Eleven and was willing to become her friend, Eleven was cold towards her and appeared to be jealous of her after mistaking her hanging out with Mike as something romantic. However, in 1985, Max and Eleven start to bond over the fact that their boyfriends are constantly lying to them, and the become instant best friends, as they shopped and have fun at the Starcourt Mall, with Max giving Eleven good advice. Eleven was allowed by Max to make her own decisions which was something she never done before as she most of her life in Hawkins Lab and being in the company of Mike or Hopper. Eleven was also introduced by Max to powerful female figures such as Wonder Woman. When Eleven suspected something was wrong with Max's stepbrother Billy, after spying on him, Eleven was helped by Max in investigating Billy. After discovering that the Mind Flayer returned and Billy was flayed, the two girls worked together, along with their friends to stop the Mind Flayer. After Eleven was injured by the Mind Flayer, she was treated by Max. During the battle against the Mind Flayer at Starcourt, Max continued to help Eleven. After the Mind Flayer's proxy was killed, Eleven comforted Max, who was saddened by Billy's death. Three months later, Eleven said goodbye to Max as she left with the Byers family, moving out of Hawkins.

**Benny Hammond**

Benny was the first person Eleven encountered after escaping the lab. During their short time together, Benny treated her kindly and cared about her well being, a stark contrast to her treatment at the lab. Fearing that she was a victim of abuse, he called Social Services hoping to help her. Unfortunately, this good deed would lead to his death at the hands of DOE agent Connie Frazier. Eleven later killed Connie and other agents in order to defend herself and her friends; whether intentional or not, she avenged Benny with this action.

**Troy Walsh & James Dante**

When Eleven saw Troy and James bullying her friends, she instantly disliked them. After Mike stood up to Troy for insulting Will, she used her powers to make Troy urinate in front of his classmates, humiliating him. When Troy sought revenge and threatened to hurt Mike and Dustin, she used her abilities once again to push James to the ground and breaks Troy's right arm. The two boys fled in terror. Although they clearly did not like Eleven, they had gained a newfound respect for - and fear of - her and her friends.