Dmitri Antonov

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**Dmitri "Enzo" Antonov (Дмитрий "Энцо" Антонов)**, is a recurring character in the fourth season of *Stranger Things*. He is portrayed by Tom Wlaschiha.

Dmitri was a Soviet prison guard stationed at a military facility in Kamchatka, and a member of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs. He struck up a complicated friendship with the American prisoner Jim Hopper and helped Hopper find a means of escape; however, after being double-crossed by a key contact, Antonov was stripped of his rank, and imprisoned for his treasonous activities. Antonov and Hopper then banded together to survive the wrath of the Soviets' captured Demogorgon.

## History

### Background

At some point, Dmitri married and had a son named Mikhail. His uniform indicated that he was a member of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs, and held the rank of "starshina", a senior enlisted man, roughly the equivalent of a sergeant major in the U.S. Army.

### 1986

At some point, Dmitri was approached by an imprisoned Jim Hopper and bribed into helping him find a way out of the prison and back to the United States. As per their agreement, Dmitri would help him escape the prison and set up transportation to America. In the first step of their plan, Dmitri, going under the pseudonym Enzo, sent Joyce Byers a package with a Russian doll and a letter informing her that Hopper is alive. The two eventually linked through payphones, where he told her to meet with Yuri Ismaylov in Alaska and to bring $40,000 in cash. In return, Yuri would fly her to Russia to retrieve Hopper, who by then would have escaped the prison and would be waiting for pickup at his rendezvous point. Joyce, having already told a mutual friend of Hopper Murray Bauman about the situation, set out to Alaska with him to follow through with Dmitri's instructions.

Hopper eventually found an opportunity to make a move against a vulnerable prison guard. After subduing him and blowing up several other guards, he escaped on a snowmobile to Yuri's warehouse and hid out there. However, all parties are caught off guard when it is revealed that Yuri had completely deviated from the plan to maximize profits for himself, having informed the warden of the prison of Hopper and Dmitri's plot. Hopper is recaptured by law enforcement. Yuri also drugged Joyce and Murray, two Americans wanted by the KGB, and travelled to Russia with them as his prisoners. Dmitri is then arrested for treason and ultimately became an inmate in the prison he once worked at.

Now on the same level, Dmitri and Hopper are forced to work together to find a new means of escape. The two are eventually selected to take part in a battle against the Russian Demogorgon. In order to prepare, Hopper antagonized Dmitri until he attacked him. Hopper takes advantage of their subsequent skirmish with the guards to snag a lighter and alcohol off of one of them, planning to use it against the Demogorgon. In a holding cell, Hopper vented out his frustration with the belief that he is a curse to the people he cares about, even believing that he ultimately caused the death of his own daughter. Dmitri opened up to Hopper as well, revealing that he is married and has a son of his own. The two are later taken alongside several other men to a 'final meal', where they are spoiled with plenty of food before their battle with the Demogorgon the following day. While Dmitri attempts to motivate the men into sticking together during the fight in order to come out on top, Hopper revealed the morbid nature of the meal, explaining that they are likely being given the food so that they themselves are nutritious enough for the Demogorgon.

The following day, Dmitri, Hopper, and the rest of the men are brought out to the arena. Hopper does not notice that Joyce and Murray are spectating, having overwhelmed Yuri and infiltrated the prison to save their friend. As the Demogorgon is released, the group collectively began to battle it, with several dying in the first minute. Hopper utilized the lighter and alcohol to create a flame, using it to keep the Demogorgon back. In the control room, Joyce and Murray seized control and attempted to open the gate to the arena. As the rest of the group is killed, Dmitri desperately worked to get the gate the rest of the way open while Hopper fended off the Demogorgon. The two eventually made it through to meet Joyce and Murray on the other side. Dmitri watched as Hopper and Joyce embraced one another.

The quad, holed up in the control room, looked for an exit to prison. Before leaving through an underground sewer system, they discovered a laboratory of sorts filled with adolescent Demogorgons called Demodogs, likely being bred or developed for personal use of the Russians. The group left through the tunnel and arrived on the surface far outside of the prison. Needing transportation back to the United States, Dmitri forced Yuri to bring them to the last resort-- a helicopter called Katinka that has long been out of use. Yuri insisted that it needed a few tweaks before it would be able to work again, though he actually began sabotaging the vehicle. While waiting, the group had Dmitri make a call to the United States claiming he had a "sick relative". When they received a call back, Hopper and Joyce were informed that their children are in danger. Realizing that they can help them by destroying the Demodogs and the Russian Demogorgon at the prison, they decided to head back, leaving Dmitri to watch after Yuri.

After a considerable amount of time, Dmitri called Yuri out on sabotaging Katinka. Yuri insisted he owes the Americans nothing. Rather than resorting to threats, however, Dmitri reminded Yuri of his heroic history as well as the growing threat in the United States that he claimed will eventually reach Russia. He mentioned that Yuri was a war hero, and that, by refusing to assist them in getting back home to help fight the bigger threat, he was essentially dooming the world and going against what he once stood for, before leaving him alone. Yuri eventually gave in and began work on the helicopter.

After defeating the last of the Demodogs and the Russian Demogorgon at the prison, Murray, Joyce, and Hopper were elated to find Dmitri and Yuri descending to them in a functioning Katinka.

While Hopper and Joyce were confirmed to have been brought back to the United States following their final escape, Dmitri, Murray and Yuri's paths are unknown.

## Personality and traits

Dmitri is described as "smart and charming" and has a dry sense of humor. As seen by his willingness to assist Hopper in escaping Kamchatka, he seems to have no special allegiance to his government or duties. However, Dmitri does seem to be loyal to his country's people and his family as evident when he confronted Yuri Ismaylov by explaining how the monsters from the Upside Down would kill their loved ones if they did not stop them from conquering the world. He is also determined to get back to his son through any means necessary. In addition, Dmitri does have a positive streak and is willing to take opportunities and risks, showing he is a brave man. He also has a sense of honor as he was impressed with Hopper's determination and kept his promises with him while calling Yuri out for losing his sense of dignity.

## Abilities

* **Multilingualism**: Dmitri can speak both Russian, his native language, and English, and he uses English to communicate with Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers and Murray Bauman.
* **Reflexes**: During the prisoners' battle with the Russian Demogorgon, Dmitri uses his quick reflexes to get out of its way.

## Relationships

### Familial

**Unnamed wife**

Nothing is known about Dmitri's relationship with his wife.

**Mikhail**

According to Dmitri, he once had a good relationship with his son, Mikhail, but the two of them drifted apart. Despite this, Dmitri loves his son and wishes for the best for him.

### Non-Familial

**Yuri Ismaylov**

**Joyce Byers**

**Jim Hopper**

After Hopper's capture and imprisonment, Dmitri took note of Hopper's high profile as an American prisoner and offered to help him escape in exchange for payment, which a desperate Hopper agreed to. The first step in their loose alliance included Dmitri contacting Joyce Byers by sending her a package with a letter and a doll informing her that Hopper was alive. Making contact with him through a payphone, Joyce was told to travel to Alaska with several tens of thousands in cash to meet a man named Yuri, who would fly her to Russia and retrieve Hopper. Eventually finding an opportunity, Hopper blows up several guards and escapes on a snowmobile to the rendezvous point, which left Dmitri bewildered. When Joyce and Murray arrive in Alaska, they are unexpectedly drugged and brought along as prisoners by Yuri, who has also informed the warden of the prison of Dmitri's treason, completely deviating from the plan to maximize profits for himself.

Now an inmate in the prison he once guarded, Dmitri and Hopper are forced to work together to find a new means of escape. The two are eventually selected alongside many other prisoners to take part in a battle against the prison's captured Demogorgon. Hopper, believing his time is running short, vents to Dmitri, explaining that he believes he himself is a curse to everybody he loves and that he believes he indirectly caused the death of his own daughter despite knowing the risks. This caused Dmitri to view Hopper in a different light and share that he is a father as well. The night before the Demogorgon battle, during the group's final meal, Dmitri motivates the rest of the group to stick together during the battle in order to defeat the monster. The following day, as the battle commences, Dmitri and Hopper are the only surviving prisoners, having worked together to escape the cage and eventually join Murray and Joyce in beginning a siege on the prison.

## Behind the scenes

His character was first revealed on November 20, 2020 via the show's official social media accounts along with several other new characters.

## Trivia

* Dmitri was originally supposed to die at the end of Season 4 Vol 2.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Official Twitter thread revealing new season 4 characters.November 20, 2020
2. ↑ "'Stranger Things' Season 4 Originally Killed Off (Spoiler), Reveal Duffer Brothers" Collider. July 5, 2022.