Will Byers

> Sometimes I think it's just scary to open up like that. To say how you really feel. Especially to people you care about the most. Because, what if... what if they don't like the truth?
>
> Will Byers to Mike, March 25, 1986

**William "Will" Byers**, portrayed by Noah Schnapp, is a main character in *Stranger Things*, having a recurring but pivotal role in the first season, before being promoted to the main cast from the second season onward. He is the youngest son of Joyce Byers, the younger brother to Jonathan Byers, the stepbrother of Eleven, and the boyfriend of Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, and Max Mayfield.

Will was a shy, artistic boy from Hawkins, Indiana who loved to play *Dungeons & Dragons* with his three best friends, mike Lucas and Dustin. However, Will's life would turn upside-down on November 6, 1983; while cycling home from his friends' latest *D&D* campaign, Will crossed paths with a humanoid predator hailing from an alternate dimension. Will tried his best to escape, but the creature cornered him, transporting him to its home dimension. For a week, Will evaded the creature while his family and friends desperately searched for him; he found a way to communicate with his mother Joyce across dimensions by manipulating electricity. Will was eventually captured by the creature and taken to the other dimension's version of the public library, where he was strung up and attached to a mysterious alien vine. Joyce and the local chief of police, Jim Hopper, travelled into the alternate dimension via an interdimensional gateway at Hawkins National Laboratory, and finally managed to locate Will. He was taken to hospital to recover, where he reunited with his family and friends. Although Will returned to his old life in Hawkins, his time in what his friends called "The Upside Down" had left a mark on his psyche; he began to experience visions of the two worlds flickering in and out of existence.

By the fall of 1984, Joyce had started taking Will to Hawkins Lab to be examined by Dr. Sam Owens, who dismissed Will's visions as a consequence of trauma. However, his visions proved to be of a much stranger and more sinister nature. Will began to see a gigantic spider-like creature looming in the skies of the Upside Down, and despite his best efforts to resist, became possessed by the entity. The creature, which Will's friends dubbed the "Mind Flayer", exploited its connection to Will to manipulate Owens and the scientists at Hawkins Lab, resulting in many deaths and casualties at the facility. With the help of Joyce, Jonathan, and Mike's sister, Nancy, the portion of the creature that inhabited Will was driven out of his body, disappearing into the night. Additionally, Eleven, an escaped child test subject from Hawkins Lab with psychokinetic abilities, and a friend to Mike, Lucas and Dustin, used her powers to seal the interdimensional gateway; this cut off the Mind Flayer’s psychic link, and for a time, ended the Upside Down’s incursion into Hawkins. A month later, a recovered Will attended the Snow Ball at Hawkins Middle School with his friends.

By the summer of 1985, many members of the Party were in romantic relationships. Mike had become involved with Will, Lucas with Max Mayfield, and Dustin with a girl from Utah that he met at summer camp. Will was the only member of the Party to not be in a romantic relationship, and with the attention of his friends in short supply, he struggled to feel accepted, or valued. He attempted to organize new *Dungeons & Dragons* campaigns, but grew upset and angry when he saw his friends were clearly losing interest. To make matters worse, Will sensed that the Mind Flayer's presence still lingered in Hawkins, and discovered that Max's stepbrother Billy was being used at its new puppet. Putting his feelings behind him, he joined his friends in once again fighting the Mind Flayer. Three months later, Will tearfully said goodbye to his friends before he and his family moved out of Hawkins, taking Eleven with them.

Dr. Owens relocated the Byers and Eleven to Lenora Hills, California. Eleven noticed that Will had been acting "weird", and wondered if he had a crush on somebody. Will stood by Eleven's side at their new school, where she endured frequent bullying by Angela and her friends. Mike flew out to Lenora to spend spring break with Eleven and Will, but during his visit, Eleven got involved in a minor incident involving Angela at the local roller-skating rink. Eleven ultimately got taken away by police, but later, two mysterious agents arrived at the Byers house to protect and supervise Will, Jonathan and Mike. The house would later be attacked by the military; one of the agents was wounded in the attack, telling the boys to find 'Nina' before succumbing to his wounds. The three set out on a road trip to find Eleven, with Jonathan's friend Argyle joining them. During their trip, Will indirectly revealed his romantic feelings for Mike, to which Mike remained oblivious.

After finding Eleven in the Nevada desert, the four helped Eleven by creating a makeshift sensory deprivation tank in the kitchen of a nearby pizza restaurant; this allowed her to use psychic projection to fight Vecna, a newly surfaced evil from the Upside Down. Two days later, the group returned to Hawkins, and were shocked by the scale of destruction inflicted by a recent "earthquake". Upon his return to Hawkins, Will realized that the psychic connection created back in 1984 was not the Mind Flayer, but Vecna. He worriedly told Mike that he still sensed Vecna's presence, and that for the horrors of the Upside Down to end, Vecna has to be killed.

## Personality and Traits

Will is soft-spoken, amicable, sweet, and honest. Like his friends, he is exceedingly intelligent for his age, having an enthusiasm for science and being a member of their school's AV club. He also displays a lot of the same interests as his friends, such as *Dungeons & Dragons*, comics like the *X-Men*, and films like *Ghostbusters*. He is also creative, having a passion for art and writing stories. However, his interests and social status resulted in him being bullied. This, along with his father's prior poor treatment of him, most likely led to feelings of alienation.

After his ordeal with the Upside Down, Will became even more alienated due to his peers labeling him "Zombie Boy" (due to the cover story conceived to conceal what actually happened to him). Additionally, he had grown frustrated with everyone's sensitive treatment towards him, especially with his mother and brother's overprotectiveness. Following his possession by the Mind Flayer, Will developed an aversion to heat and became increasingly distressed by his connection with the entity. The connection also caused him to experience physical pain whenever the vines and biological matter originating from the Upside Down were burned. As Will's mind was gradually taken over, he began to experience memory loss and was manipulated into aiding the Mind Flayer. Eventually, the Mind Flayer's influence over Will was so great, he was able to speak through him and control his body. After the Mind Flayer was exorcised from his body, Will seemingly returned to his usual self with no visible adverse effects.

One of Will’s most notable traits is how he often put other people before himself. This was implied by his actions during the *Dungeons & Dragons* campaign on November 6th, 1983, were he decided to attack the Demogorgon to help the party instead of playing it safe. Also, Joyce recounted a story of how when he was younger, Will gave away his toy truck to a saddened girl in order to make her feel better, even though they wouldn't be able to afford another one.

Will also had a profound sense of responsibility, drawing a picture of Bob as a superhero to commemorate his sacrifice to save everyone. Will is also responsible enough to focus on ways in dealing with the threats from the Upside Down and dealing with personal issues amongst his friends. He has a typical boy mindset when it comes to girls doing boyish activities. When the boys spy on Max (believing her to be the infamous MadMax at the Arcade), Will is skeptical, saying girls don't play video games. When Dustin talks about meeting his girlfriend at Science Camp, Will, bewildered, says, "Girls go to Science Camp?"

In 1985, Will was shown to have the mind and behavior of a child, mostly stemming from the trauma he had endured in the past two years from being trapped in the Upside Down to being possessed by the Mind Flayer. As a result, Will would dress in clothes too young for him, find girls not interesting, or would be interested in playing *D&D*, despite his friends' disinterest. This is mostly because Will is trying to return to his childhood after being affected by the Upside Down for two years. However, his friends' disinterest and maturity, disheartened Will as he started feeling left out amongst his friends. When Will tried to play to a *D&D* campaign with Mike and Lucas after they had problems with their girlfriends, their boredom finally caused Will to snap at his friends. After being told by Mike that they're grown up now, Will broke down in tears as he realized that he can't bring back the childhood he lost while destroying Castle Byers during his breakdown. However, as Will helped his friends when they were all nearly killed by the Mind Flayer's avatar, Will started to become mature and three months later, he finally let go some of his childhood interests by giving *D&D* manuals to Lucas's little sister, Erica. Will was very upset about leaving Hawkins and cried as he said goodbye to his friends and as Jonathan drove him away.

In 1986, Will started to act more mature and even said a few curse words like his friends normally do. However, like Eleven, Will struggled to adapt to his new home and school while having trouble making new friends. Will also tried his best to help Eleven as she became a target of bullying. Will was shown to be extremely - and almost unreasonably - selfless, as he managed his love for Mike as well as their friendship, giving Mike advice about his relationship with Eleven even while harboring strong feelings for his best friend. However, Mike's unwavering attention towards Eleven and his scarce attentiveness towards Will still seemed to be an important source of pain and misery for Will. In a coded love confession to Mike, he revealed that he feels like a mistake due to his alienation and sexuality, but that Mike made him feel better for being different. When Jonathan later comforted him and told him how much he loved him, knowing about his struggle with his sexuality, Will broke down in tears and embraced his brother, happy that someone close to him accepted him for who he was.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

After his rescue from the Upside Down, Will developed "True Sight", and began seeing visions of the Upside Down. Dr. Owens originally believed Will's episodes were related to post-traumatic stress disorder. Will's experiences were not only real, but were signs of an approaching threat. After being possessed by the Mind Flayer, Will acquired "now-memories", and was able to see what the entity saw.

Will appeared to have no control over his abilities. He experienced visions at seemingly random intervals. His now-memories were more of a side effect of the Mind Flayer’s possession. While Will lost these abilities when the Mind Flayer was expelled from his body, he was still able to sense the creature's presence.

* **Neck-Sense**: A side-effect that lingered following his possession by the Mind Flayer, Will could sense activity in the Upside Down’s hive mind, experiencing a strange sensation in the back of his neck. He compared the sensation to that of a rollercoaster drop, only much colder and scarier. In 1985, Will’s neck-sense alerted him to the presence of the revived Mind Flayer. Upon returning to Hawkins in 1986, he experienced the sensation once again, suggesting distance to be a key factor in his experiences.

### Former Powers

* **True Sight**: Will began seeing visions of the Upside Down following his rescue from the dimension. Mike compared this ability to "True Sight" from *Dungeons & Dragons*, described by Dustin as “the power to see into the Ethereal Plane." Will would be in both the regular world and the alternate dimension simultaneously. Will could not control these visions, and experienced them unpredictably. The visions happened more and more frequently until the Mind Flayer took control of Will’s body.

* **Now-Memories**: Following his possession by the Mind Flayer, Will acquired the ability to see what the creature could see, as well as feel what he could feel. Will was able to use this ability to spy on the Mind Flayer, allowing Will to know of the tunnels beneath Hawkins. Will also knew the Mind Flayer's weakness. However, this ability was a double-edged sword, because it allowed the Mind Flayer to spy through Will.

* **Superhuman Strength**: At the last stages of his possession, Will was briefly granted superhuman strength by the Mind Flayer, much like the Flayed. He was able to break out of Joyce's restraints and choke her during the attempt to use heat to force the Mind Flayer out of Will. This bout of strength was accompanied by an unknown black substance coursing through his body, making his veins appear black under the skin.
* **Electrical Manipulation**: While trapped in the Upside Down, Will could manipulate electricity in the regular world to a small degree. He could turn his tape player on or off, attempt to use the telephone, and attempt to communicate with the Christmas lights in Holly, Jolly. It seems Will only possessed this ability while he was in the Upside Down. He has not been seen doing it since then.

### Abilities

* **Expert Artist**: Will's drawings were exceedingly detailed and remarkable, especially considering his age. Will could explain complex events (which he could not describe verbally) through his drawings. When Will was overwhelmed by the shadow monster, his drawing skills were used to show Joyce and Hopper about the growing tunnel network beneath Hawkins and also determine to Hopper's location when he was trapped in the tunnels.
* **Evasion**: As noted by his brother, Will is talented at hiding. This is possibly the reason why he survived in the Upside Down for so long.
* **Firearms**: As shown in "The Vanishing of Will Byers", Will appeared to have know how to load and use a gun, a skill he most likely learned from his father. His proficiency in using it is unclear.
* **Morse Code**: Will knew Morse code, as shown in "The Mind Flayer" where he managed to signal the Mind Flayer’s weaknesses.

## Relationships

### Familial

**Joyce Byers**

Will had a deep and affectionate relationship with his mother. Unlike Lonnie, she encouraged Will's artistic abilities, choices, and interests. Although she was quite busy, she tried making time to spend with Will. She got off early and bought tickets for them to see *Poltergeist,* despite her initial reluctance for Will to see it. She also tried her best to understand *Dungeons and Dragons,* despite not knowing much, but Will nonetheless appreciated the effort.

While he was trapped in the Upside Down in 1983, Will repeatedly tried to contact her, putting himself at risk of being found by the Demogorgon. Joyce was determined to find him and even entered the Upside Down to save him. She refused to believe he was dead after Will's fake corpse was found in the quarry. When Will was found, she sobbed that she loved him more than anything in this world and was overjoyed when he woke up. A month later, Joyce's relationship with Will has remained strong. She listened and tried to understand Will's campaign as the family ate Christmas dinner.

By 1984, Joyce had become overprotective of Will. She dropped him off and picked him up. She made sure where he is at all times. Will was frustrated by her reluctance to let go out on his own. When Will experienced another episode and tearfully said that he just "wanted it to be over", Joyce promised him she will never let anything bad happen to him again. Joyce was dismayed when Will started suffering from memory loss and berated the doctors for failing to treat him. Eventually, Joyce realized that her son had the Shadow Monster inside of him. She realized that heat was the means to force the Shadow Monster out of Will. She exposed Will to extreme heat, which successfully drove the monster out of him. A month later, she taught Will to dance in preparation of the Snow Ball. While Will attended the Snow Ball, Joyce sat outside with Hopper. She told Hopper that Will wanted some space so she gave him "a few feet".

By 1985, her overprotectiveness of Will has subsided. When Joyce said goodbye to Jonathan as he left for work (rubbing off a smooch mark from Nancy, who secretly spent the night with him), Will showed his disgust. Joyce told Will that one day he will fall in love and understand. While with Hopper and Alexei, Joyce called Karen on a payphone to check up on Will. When Alexei explained to her, Hopper, and Murray that the Russian's are building a gate to the Upside Down under the Starcourt Mall, Joyce wanted to go back to Hawkins, because she believed the children to be in danger.

When the kids were being sent away to the safety of Murray's warehouse, Joyce told Will to listen to his brother. Will expressed his worry about her safety, causing Joyce to tearfully hug Will. She told him she would be fine, much to Will's discomfort as Joyce was squeezing him too tight. After closing the Gate (and losing Hopper in the process), Joyce found Will (along with The Party) unharmed outside the mall. She and Will ran towards each other and tearfully embraced.

**Lonnie Byers**

Lonnie was unsupportive of Will and his interests, and as a result, they weren't very close. Will tried his best to have a good relationship with Lonnie, attending baseball games and other activities with him, even though Will had no interest in these things. Will got little to nothing back from Lonnie. Lonnie even made derogatory remarks towards Will. This behavior was possibly a factor in Lonnie and Joyce's divorce. When Will disappeared and a supposed body was found in the quarry, Lonnie returned to Hawkins. Lonnie purportedly came for Will's funeral and to help Joyce's mental state. After Will's funeral, Joyce discovered a lawyers' advertisement in Lonnie's luggage. Joyce realized that Lonnie came merely for the money that Lonnie thought could be obtained by suing the owners of the quarry. Joyce realized that Lonnie never really cared for Will. Joyce angrily threw Lonnie out of the house.

**Jonathan Byers**

Jonathan is Will's older brother by four years. Due to their father's absence, Jonathan became a role model and a substitute father for Will. After Lonnie failed to take Will to a baseball game, Jonathan gave Will a mixtape with what would become Will's favorite song, The Clash's *Should I Stay or Should I Go*. When they heard Joyce arguing on the phone with Lonnie, Jonathan shut his bedroom door. Will asked if their father wasn't coming, and Jonathan asked if Will even liked baseball. Will said he didn't but tried to say it was fun to go with their father sometimes. Jonathan than asked if Lonnie did what Will wanted to do, such as the arcade. Jonathan said that Will shouldn't be forced to like things because people tell him to, especially not their father. Jonathan then asked if Will legitimately liked The Clash, and Will happily confirmed so. The brothers turned up the volume on Jonathan's stereo and began jamming together. In 1982, the day Lonnie left the Byers' home permanently, Jonathan and Will built Castle Byers together, using Will's drawings as blueprints. Jonathan found Will struggling to hammer funny, and the two continued to built the fort even after it began raining and got sick afterwards.

In 1983, Jonathan had picked up an extra shift and failed to make sure Will got home safe, causing Will to be abducted by the Demogorgon. The day afterward, Jonathan and Joyce looked all through the woods for Will. That evening, Jonathan brought out photos of Will to make wanted posters. Joyce, noticing Jonathan sobbing quietly, asked him what was wrong. Jonathan, through his tears, said that he should have been there for his brother, but Joyce comforted him and told him it was not his fault. Jonathan is frazzled and emotional when Joyce believed she heard Will on the end of the phone, only for the phone to shock Joyce and become charred. The next day, Jonathan asked Hopper if he could personally go to Lonnie's home since Will was good at hiding, believing if he saw cops, he would get scared. Jonathan later hung posters of his brother at Hawkins High. Despite Hopper's warning not to, Jonathan ditched school to confront his father, searching his car. Finding nothing, Jonathan defended his brother when Lonnie said Will could never take care of himself, and gave him a missing poster. When a body resembling Will is recovered at the quarry, Jonathan is devastated, locking himself in his room and tearfully listened to music. The next morning, Joyce, Hopper, and Jonathan went to see Will's corpse at the morgue. Jonathan, nauseated, couldn't stay in the room, and left gagging. When he realized through Nancy that Will was alive, he became determined to find him. When Joyce and Hopper finally rescued Will from the Upside Down, Jonathan reunited with his brother at the hospital. When a weak Will finally awoke, Jonathan and Joyce tearfully greeted him. Will asked where he was, and Jonathan told him he was finally home. Will pointed to his bandaged hand and asked if was alright, and Jonathan told him it was just a small cut, laughing that Will was concerned over something so silly. A month later, Jonathan picked up Will from the Wheeler home, and allowed Will to open his present from Nancy and Steve, a new camera. At home, Jonathan used the camera to take pictures of Will looking at Christmas presents. The boys spent Christmas Eve with their mother by eating dinner.

A year later, in 1984, Jonathan has become protective of Will, but not nearly as much as his mother. When talking to Will in his bedroom, he noticed Will drawing himself as "Zombie Boy". Concerned, Jonathan attempted to get Will to open up, but a frustrated Will said that he's grown sick of everyone becoming so attentive of him, saying it makes him feel more like a freak. Jonathan told him he wasn't, and Will reaffirmed that he was. After a moment, Jonathan agreed that Will was a freak, catching Will off guard. But Jonathan said that he shouldn't be like everyone else and being a freak is a best since Jonathan himself is a freak. Will asked if that was because he didn't have friends, causing Jonathan to chuckle awkwardly and say he had friends. Will asked then why does he always hang out with him, causing Jonathan to say that his brother is his best friend, and he'd rather hang out with "Zombie Boy" than some "boring nobody". He asked Will who he'd rather hang out with: Kenny Rogers or David Bowie. When Will reacted to Kenny Rogers in disgust, Jonathan reaffirmed his statement, saying that nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world. Will said that some people like Kenny Rogers. Bob interrupted them and said that he loved Kenny Rogers, causing the brothers to laugh when Bob left the room. On Halloween, when driving Will to the Wheelers, Jonathan complained to Will that he didn't get what their mother saw in Bob. Will defended Bob, saying that he didn't treat him different than everyone else, noting how lame it was he couldn't go trick-or-treating alone. Jonathan jokingly asked if he was lame, and Will said that he wasn't, but it wasn't like Nancy was watching Mike. Arriving at the Wheelers, Jonathan stopped Will and told him that if he didn't get in any trouble and got back to Mike's by 9:00, Jonathan would allow him to go trick-or-treating alone. Will happily agreed, high-fiving his brother, and Jonathan, impersonating Bob as Dracula, told him that "he hoped it doesn't suck". After leaving town to assist Nancy in taking down Hawkins Lab, Jonathan returned to find his house in disarray, and realized that Will was at Hawkins Lab. Arriving there, he rescued his brother and mother from vicious Demodogs. Back at their home, Jonathan tearfully rubbed his unconscious brother's hair, apologizing for not being there for him. In the Byers' shed, when interrogating Will, Jonathan attempted to regain his brother's memories by emotionally recollecting the time they built Castle Byers and the first time he showed him The Clash by playing it on his radio. At Hopper's cabin, Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy attempted to get the Mind Flayer out of Will by overheating him and tying him down. Will's cries of pain proved to get to Jonathan, who hugged Nancy and turned away as tears streamed down his face. When the plan appeared to not be working, Jonathan began turning off the radiators, much to Joyce's protest. Jonathan yelled that she was killing him, but after Nancy pointed out that it was working since the Mind Flayer was beginning to exit Will's body through his throat. After the plan succeeded, Joyce and Jonathan hugged a disoriented yet once again normal Will. A month later, Jonathan video-recorded Will practicing to slow dance with his mother in their living room. Will asked if he always had to record everything, and Jonathan smugly said that he only recorded the "good stuff". Jonathan chaperoned Will at the Snow Ball while he took photos for students.

In 1985, Jonathan left for work while Joyce rubbed a kiss mark from Nancy (who secretly spent the night and snuck out of Jonathan's bedroom window). Will expressed his disgust while Joyce said it would be different when he fell in love. When Nancy discovered Mrs. Driscoll's behavior in the hospital was near identical to Will's the year prior, she called Jonathan and asked if Will was safe, alarming Jonathan. The couple reunited with their siblings and friends at the Wheeler home. Will scolded Jonathan for not being with Nancy, but Jonathan bluntly said that he was here now and that's what was important. While the kids battle the Mind Flayer, Joyce told Will to listen to his brother. In October, Will and Jonathan silently drove together as they (and Joyce with Eleven) moved out of Hawkins, with Will crying in silence.

By 1986, Will was starting to be ignored by Jonathan due to his older brother stressing about college and his relationship with Nancy. When dropping off the kids at the Rink-O-Mania, Jonathan called out to Will, smiling as he told him to have fun. Will flatly said he will as he trudged in, and Jonathan was shown to be somewhat concerned. It was then revealed Jonathan planned to attend community college so he can remain close to Will and his family, instead of attending college with Nancy as he did not want to abandon them. After the pair smoke weed to de-stress, they returned to Rink-O-Mania to find an ambulance attending to Angela's broken nose, with Mike, Will, and El sitting glumly. After being picked up by Jonathan and Argyle, Will was annoyed as Jonathan and Argyle joked about the roller-skating incident as they had been smoking weed. The next morning, Jonathan attempted to coax Will and Mike to go see a showing of *Police Academy 3* and not mope around, but Will said it would be better to stay home. Later, the brothers watched television when the doorbell rang with the brothers betting their mom had forgotten something. When Jonathan answered the door, two police officers had arrived to arrest El for attacking Angela. After El's arrest, the brothers attempt to contact their mother, who had flown to Alaska, but their attempts of contact are interrupted by Owen's agents who explained they rescued El and took her away to help her regain her powers and defeat a new evil in Hawkins. The next morning, Jonathan decided to escape from the agents guarding him, Will, and Mike by hailing a ride from Argyle. Later on, when the army invaded the Byers home, Jonathan protected his brother and Mike by shielding them from the gunfire. Throughout the quartet's days of travel, Jonathan and Will worked together to find El's location. In Nevada, Will tearfully told Mike that El will need him and turned away to sob into his hand, something which Jonathan noticed. That night, as the brothers prepared the sensory deprivation tank inside the Surfer Boy Pizza freezer, Will was saddened when observing Mike, El, and Argyle having fun together, Jonathan, noticing, distracted Will by telling him the story of how when they were little, Will had a LEGO figurine named Larry stuck in his nose and Jonathan had to get tweezers to pull him out, causing Will to laugh. Jonathan then began to apologize to Will for not being there for him recently, admitting that his problems have affected their relationship, and told him that he missed how they use to talk more. As Will began to tear up, Jonathan told his brother that he loved him and that no matter what, nothing would change that. Will, through his tears, told him he'll always be there for him, and Jonathan said he knows he is. The two embraced, and Jonathan told Will that things would be okay as Will wept and composed himself. Two days later, after temporarily defeating Vecna, Jonathan and Will returned to Hawkins where they reunited with their friends and worked to rebuild Hopper's cabin before they happily reunited with their mother.

**Eleven**

While they searched for Will, the Party came across Eleven, a young psychic girl. They rescued her from the rain and sheltered her. Eleven was more than willing to help Will's friends and family find him, which they were deeply thankful for (especially Joyce). Eleven's first 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.

By the summer of 1985, Will and Eleven had gotten to know each other, and became friends. Will secretly held some animosity towards her due to Mike starting to date her, which interfered with Will's plans to play *D&D*. When Eleven dumped Mike, Will tried to get Mike to forget about her by playing a *D&D* campaign. But when Mike's continued to focus on his relationship with Eleven, Will snapped at Mike for wanting to spend time with some "stupid" girl. This caused Mike to angrily lash out and defend Eleven. When Will realized that the Mind Flayer was back, Will doesn't hesitate to work with Eleven to stop the Mind Flayer. After Eleven was bitten and injured by the Mind Flayer, Will helped to treat and help her. He helped save Eleven from the Mind Flayer by throwing fireworks at the creature. After the apparent death of Hopper, Eleven moved in with the Byers, and became Will's stepsister. Will and Eleven moved away from Hawkins in October 1985.

By 1986, El and Will attend high school together as freshmen. Will now addresses El - or Jane Hopper, as she goes by publicly - as his sister or stepsister. Will attempted to comfort El during her period of isolation and being bullied. On the last day of school before spring break, Will supported El when she presented her diorama in front of the class, and nodded his head towards her in reassurance when Angela and her cronies tease her. El grew emotional and hurt by the bullying, and stormed out in tears. Will tried to tell her that it wasn't bad as it seemed, but El yelled that friends don't lie. Will said he wasn't lying and called out to El and she walked to her next class emotionally. At the end of the day, Will walked out to find a crowd gathering around Angela and her friends stepping on El's project, and was visibly saddened when El attempts to use her powers to no avail. As the crowd dissolved, Will fell to the floor and tried to tell El that he'll help fix her project, but El began to cry when she discovered her figurine of Hopper has been snapped in half.

The next day, when Mike arrived in Lenora Hills, Will's excitement fizzled into anger when he caught El lying to Mike that Angela and her cronies were her friends. At the Rink-O-Mania, Will's anger festered as El continued to lie to Mike. When Mike left to get socks at the counter for rollerskating, Will confronted El over her lies. He told her Mike would not be happy when he discovers the truth, but she chose to not tell him. Later on, Will instantly became worried when he saw Angela took El to the center of the rink with one of her friends holding video equipment. Will's attempt to explain to a confused Mike proved to be too late as El was humiliated and ran away in embarrassment. When looking for her, Will admitted to Mike he has been jealous how El had a box full of letters from Mike compared to him. Their search came to an end when they saw El had clocked Angela in the face with the foot of a rollerskate, cracking her nose open and giving her a concussion. When eating dinner back home, El and Will glared at Jonathan and Argyle as they explained to Joyce and Murray (in a high state) about the incident, and they both glared at Mike when he says that Angela didn't look fine.

The next morning, when police arrived to arrest El, Will tried to cover for her and explaining what happened was an accident, but the officers say that the warrant they had proved otherwise. At the police station, when the secretary asked if Jonathan, Will, and Mike were parents or guardians, Will proclaimed that he and Jonathan were El's brothers and family. Returning home, they were explained by three agents that El had been taken away to regain her powers and defeat a new evil forming in Hawkins. Will was doubtful Owens and his team could contain "anything without El". The next day, he, Mike, and Jonathan decided to hitch a ride from Argyle, find El's location, and drive back to Hawkins to save their friends. While packing and talking to Mike, Will apologized and admits he was being a jerk to Eleven. Nearly a week later, the quartet finally located El in Ruth, Nevada, and witnessed the return of her powers when she took down a shooting helicopter. After Mike and El shared an embrace, Will, looking happy to see her, embraced and cried in her arms. Will pulled away and asked if she was alright as he touched with the locked collar around her neck. El confirmed she's fine as the collar was released from her neck by a dying Dr. Brenner. That night, Will assisted his sister in making a sensory deprivation tank at Surfer Boy Pizza to defeat Vecna, and hoisted her out of the freezer when she begins to hyperventilate.

Two days later, Will and Eleven returned to Hawkins together and reunited with their friends. As they rebuilt Hopper's cabin, Will expressed to Mike his optimism on how Eleven will have another chance of defeating Vecna as he could sense he was still alive.

### Non-Familial

**Mike Wheeler**

Mike is Will's oldest and most trusted friend. They met on the first day of kindergarten at recess. Mike approached Will and asked to be his friend, which Will happily agreed to.

In 1983, before the boys departed from the Wheeler home, Will admitted to Mike that his D&D roll was a 7 and that the Demogorgon had got him. When Will disappeared, Mike was adamant on looking for him in the woods despite it being dangerous, and told off his monotonous father that he was the only one that was concerned for Will. When a body resembling Will is pulled out from the quarry, Mike is the most devastated, biking home and breaking down in tears to his mother. The next morning, he mourned over his best friend by looking over his old drawings, but realized that Will was still alive when Eleven contacted him through his walkie-talkie. When Eleven got through to Will by using the HeathKit, Mike desperately tried to contact Will, but a barrier of some kind forbad Will from hearing him. When Joyce and Hopper rescued Will, Mike and his friends waited in the hospital, and shook the boys excitedly when Jonathan came to the waiting room to tell them Will was awake. At Will's room, Mike and the others squeezed Will and told him all of the things that happened while he was gone. A month later, the boys have resumed their D&D campaign.

A year later, by 1984, Mike was extremely protective of Will, checking on him after finding him outside alone at the Palace Arcade. He placed his arm around Will and told him he was next on Dig Dug as they headed inside. The next day, when Will is picked up early from school for a doctor's appointment, the boys observed him trudging to Joyce's car from the playground. Mike is concerned about Will since he was unusually quiet, but is noted by Lucas that Will is almost always quiet. On Halloween, Will and Mike join Dustin and Lucas in dressing up as the Ghostbusters crew, meeting at the front with their bikes and greeting each other with the character's names that they're dressed as. That evening, Lucas and Dustin invited a new girl named Max to join them trick-or-treating, much to Mike's annoyance. He asked Will is he agreed to Max joining the Party. Will said it was only for Halloween and figured Mike would be okay with it, but Mike walked away from Will and told him that Max was ruining the best night of the year. When Will began having another episode and was transported to the Upside Down, Mike found him hiding behind a wall and comforted him. As Dustin, Lucas, and Max observed the pair, Mike told them to continue trick-or-treating without them since he was bored anyway. At the Wheeler home, Mike and Will ate candy as Will attempted to explain his visions to Mike. Mike told him that Eleven would have understood, and believed he was going crazy since he constantly feels like he sees her everywhere. The two bond when they agree if they're both going crazy, they'll "go crazy together". The next day, Will and Mike are introduced to a "pet" that Dustin found in his trash, an amphibian of some kind Dustin named "D'Artagnan", or "Dart" for short. Will began to panic internally since Dart was a creature from the Upside Down that he recognized. In the halls, Will alerted Mike, who stormed in and grabbed the box containing Dart before Dustin, Lucas, and Max could show him to Mr. Clarke. In the A.V. Room, the boys agreed to kill Dart only if he attacked when they opened the box. But opening it caused Dart to mutate limbs, run off, and escape from the A.V. Room. Though they couldn't find Dart (since Dustin hid him in his cap), Mike found Will on the field having another episode, standing still with his eyes fluttering. Joyce, who came to school to find Will, shook him until Will finally woke up, frazzled. After Will missed school, Mike came to the Byers' home and told Joyce he knew that Will was connected to the Shadow Monster. Mike slept on the floor in Will's room, as Will, sweaty and fearful, said that he sees what the Shadow Monster is doing. Mike comforted Will and told him he was like a "Super-Spy". The next morning, when Will saw that Hopper was in danger, he, Mike, Joyce, and Joyce's boyfriend Bob located Hopper in a hole in the field. When agents from Hawkins Lab arrived to exterminate the tentacles from the hole, the fire caused Will to fall and convulse, much to Mike's horror. Taken to Hawkins Lab to be treated, Mike discovered that Will was connected physically to the Shadow Monster, and his memories were beginning to fade; the only people he could recognize out of a crowd was Joyce and Mike, who was relieved. Will's plan that he told Hawkins Lab guards to stop the Mind Flayer is revealed to be a trap, and Mike attempted to warn them, but it was too late. Realizing that Hawkins Lab was beginning to be attacked, Mike grabbed a needle and told Joyce that they needed to make Will fall asleep since they can't trust him anymore. Will screamed at Joyce that he was lying, but was forced to sleep by Joyce when she realized that Will has been possessed. At the Byers' home, in their shed, Joyce, Hopper, Mike, and Jonathan attempt to interrogate Will while also getting in touch with him by recollecting memories. Mike approached Will and tearfully recollected the day they first met, saying it was the "best thing he could ever done". Realizing that Will is using morse code to communicate with his loved ones, Mike and Will's family kept telling Will their memories of him. Mike would eventually assist in destroying the tunnels connected to the Shadow Monster - now dubbed the Mind Flayer - to set Will free. One month later, Mike and Will attended the Snow Ball together with their friends. When an unnamed girl asked Will if he wanted to dance with her, Mike elbowed a stuttering Will to say yes as they walked to the dance floor.

Six months later, by 1985, Will and Mike's relationship had slowly started to weaken. Due to Eleven returning, Mike had devoted his time to her instead of Will, while Lucas had begun dating Max and Dustin had acquired a long-distance girlfriend named Suzie. Will, meanwhile, desired to play D&D like they used to and harbored jealousy towards Eleven, but initially kept it under wraps. At the newly-built Starcourt Mall, Will and Mike joined Lucas and Max in seeing *Day of the Dead*. When Will sensed something on the back of his neck, Mike asked if Will was alright, and Will initially lied and said he was fine. The next day, upon Dustin returning home from Camp Know Where, the Party set off to contact Suzie through Dustin's homemade radio, but were ditched by Mike and El right before they could make it to their location. As the quartet watched Mike and El depart, Will commented how "gross" they were. The next day, Will attempted to get Mike and Lucas to play D&D, but they ran off to bike to Starcourt to find an apology gift for El. Will reluctantly joined the boys in finding a gift, asking if they could play D&D soon, but Lucas and Mike annoyingly kept saying no. At the Wheeler home, Will once again attempted to coax his friends in playing a campaign, dismissing their mourning over their breakups with their girlfriends.

The next morning, Will, dawning D&D regalia and playing mythical music, proclaimed that today was a day "free of girls", much to Mike and Lucas' annoyance. Will was invested in the campaign, while Lucas and Mike were incredibly bored. When distracted by a telemarketer, Will attempted to bring back his friends to the game, but Mike smugly explained his moves and told him that Lucas and Mike don't need to play since they would be victorious. Angered, Will ripped off his costume and began packing his things, admitting his defeat. Mike said he was just messing around and attempted to get Will to play again, but an enraged Will yelled at him to forget it and stormed upstairs. In the garage, Mike followed him and told Will that it was a cool campaign but they were not in the mood. Will snapped back and told him that the whole problem was that he and Lucas are never in the mood anymore. Mike denied this, but Will showed his hypocrisy when Will asked where Dustin was since neither he nor Lucas knew. Will said that Mike was destroying everything so he could "swap spit" with a "stupid girl". Mike retaliated by saying that El wasn't stupid and that it wasn't "[his] fault that [Will] didn't like girls", leaving Will speechless. After a moment of silence, Mike breathed in and told Will that while he wasn't trying to be a jerk, Will needed to realize that they weren't kids anymore. Mike asked him if he really thought they were going to spent the rest of their lives playing D&D in his basement, and Will, holding back tears, said that he really did. Mike called out to Will as he biked home in the pouring rain. That evening, Mike and Lucas arrived at the Byers home, banging on the door for forgiveness, with Mike admitting he was being an "asshole". Will, however, was at Castle Byers, mourning how his childhood was snatched from him. Enraged, Will destroyed Castle Byers in a fit of rage, before suddenly getting another tingle on his neck, and realizing that the Mind Flayer has returned. Mike and Lucas, hearing Will, ran to him and asked if he was alright, and Will informed them that their enemy is back.

Reuniting with El, Max, Nancy, and Jonathan, Will worked with Mike and Lucas to defeat the Mind Flayer, who possessed Max's stepbrother Billy. At Hopper's cabin, when Mike professed that he loved El and couldn't lose her again, causing Will to awkwardly stare down at the floor. Three months later, following the Mind Flayer's defeat, Mike assisted the Byers in packing up their belongings. When Will put his D&D boards in the donation box, Mike noted this to Will, asking if he wanted to join another Party. Will noted that that wasn't possible, causing the two to smile. When talking to Eleven, he told her that she and Will could return to Hawkins for Christmas as he thought it would be fun to open their presents together on Christmas Day. Once the packing is complete, Will and Mike tearfully say goodbye to one another as Will, El, Jonathan, and Joyce departed Hawkins for Lenora Hills, California. Mike returned home, disheartened that both his best friend and girlfriend have gone, and is comforted by his mother.

Five months later, in 1986, Will and Mike became distant, with Mike only calling him a few times as opposed to Eleven, who had a box of letters from him. Before Mike's arrival to Lenora Hills for spring break, Will began working hard on a painting he refused to show anyone. At the airport, both Will and El were eager to greet Mike at his gate, with Will bringing the wrapped-up painting with him. Unlike El, however, Will's reunion with Mike was extremely flat, with Mike awkwardly hugging Will. When Mike asked what he was holding, but Will simply said it was a painting he'd been working on. As they leave the airport, Will was surprised to discover El had been lying to Mike about her "friends" (who were actually her bullies). At the Rink-O-Mania, Will grew more annoyed over El's lies and believed they were hurting Mike. When Angela took El to the center of the rink to humiliate her, Will tried to tell Mike that El hasn't been telling the truth, but Mike did not believe him until El got embarrassed in front of the entire rink and ran off. As Mike and Will searched for her, Mike called Will a "douche" for being so rude to El during the whole day and not telling him about her problems earlier. Will finally snapped, saying El had been lying to Mike and he felt he had been a total third wheel all day. Mike was dismissive of this at first, but Will told him that he was not interested in anything he had to say anymore. Mike said that wasn't not true, but Will pointed out his lack of contact with him as opposed to El. Mike said that it was because El is his girlfriend and Will is just his friend, but Will said they used to be best friends. At a loss of words, Mike told Will he should've reached out more and asked why he was the bad guy. Not reaching a conclusion, the two continued to look for El until they witnessed striking Angela in the face in retaliation for her bullying.

When El was arrested and later taken away by Dr. Owens to regain her powers, Will ranted to a sulking Mike over how the agents believe they can contain the evil in Hawkins without Eleven. He took notice of Mike looking over a letter El gave him, and listened as Mike lamented over how he had yet to say that he loved El. Will comforted his friend and told Mike that whatever he wanted to say to El, he can say when they find her. As the boys came up with a plan on hitching a ride to Hawkins through Argyle, Mike came to Will's room and thanked him for comforting him while also apologizing for his behavior towards him. Will attempted to say that he deserved it since he was being a jerk to Eleven, but Mike insisted he didn't deserve anything. Much to Will's surprise, Mike said that he had begun to notice how empty Hawkins felt without him and that they would work better if they were a team, or "best friends". The boys smiled as their friendship had been repaired once again. When the doorbell rang, Will grabbed his painting and placed it in his backpack. As the army raided the Byers home, Mike and Will held on to one another as they and Jonathan followed Agent Harmon to escape. After burying Harmon's body in the desert, Mike commented how he struggled to say things at the heat of the moment, and Will said that sometimes it's hard for people to say the things they want to say out of fear of being rejected. In Nevada, Mike grew worried over El not needing him anymore and that he was lucky to have someone like El in his life. Then, Will showed Mike his painting, revealing it to be a large poster of a dragon and knights. Impressed and happy, Mike asked if Will made this, and Will lied and said El had commissioned it for him to draw. Will pointed to a knight that's supposed to be Mike, and told him he's the heart of the group, and without him, the Party would fall apart. Will became emotional as he substituted El for how he truly feels, saying "El" had been lost without Mike and would always need him, no matter how far apart they are. Though Mike had become more motivated and happier, he does not notice Will turning away and crying, unaware that his friend was in love with him. Mike and Will continued to work together, with Will reminding Mike he's the heart when El began to hyperventilate in the Void while fighting Vecna. After returning to Hawkins, two days later, Will alerted Mike of Vecna's survival, saying that he won't stop until he's killed everyone. Mike comforted Will and said they will be able to kill Vecna once and for all, showing that their bond has improved significantly.

**Dustin Henderson**

Will first met Dustin when Dustin's family moved to Hawkins in the fourth grade, and became best friends.

In 1983, when playing Mike's D&D campaign, Dustin insisted that Will cast a protection spell since it was too risky to fireball the Demogorgon, but Will went with Lucas' suggestion to fireball. Dustin was the last person to see Will before he disappeared; both raced each other, with the winner getting a comic of their choosing. As Will beat Dustin, he said he would take his X-Men #134 as he raced off. Dustin, defeated, cursed under his breath. When Will went missing, Dustin was determined to stay cool and collected while searching for him (unlike Mike or Lucas), as he realized that he needed to be level-headed if he wanted any chance of saving his friend. Dustin wanted the group of kids to stick together no matter what, as he knew that together, they would make the most progress. When a body resembling Will was found at the quarry, Dustin was devastated and began to cry. When discovering Will was alive and making contact with him through the Heathkit, Dustin attempted to call out to Dustin, but a barrier prevented Will from hearing him. When Joyce and Hopper rescued Will from the Upside Down, Dustin reunited with Will at the hospital and hugged him. Dustin and the others told Will what had happened when he was gone, with Dustin informing him that Jennifer Hayes cried at his fake funeral.

A year later, in 1984, Will grew slightly annoyed how overprotective Dustin became of his well-being. Unlike Mike, Will didn't tell Dustin the visions he was seeing, feeling that Dustin wouldn't understand. However, when Will realized the sounds D'Artagnan were making were similar to the noises he heard in Upside Down, he told Dustin this and his visions, which slightly angered Dustin for not being told earlier. After Will was possessed by the Mind Flayer, he was saved when Dustin and the rest of his friends burn the underground tunnel system. A month later, at the Snow Ball, Will laughed at Dustin's hairstyle.

Six months later, in 1985, Will welcomed Dustin back after the latter returned from Camp Know Where. He was also surprised that Dustin gained a girlfriend named Suzie. However, Will did not believe in her existence but did not tell Dustin, not wanting to hurt his feelings. When Max and Lucas ditched Dustin at Cerebro, Dustin said it looked like it just him and Will. But Will awkwardly said he had to leave as well, and suggested that maybe another day they could start playing D&D again, much to Dustin's annoyance. As Mike and Lucas were trying to deal with problems with their girlfriends, Will did not like them excluding Dustin from their Party and not knowing where he is; while not blaming Dustin for not caring and doing his own thing. However, Will came to Dustin's rescue at Starcourt Mall from the Russians and told him that he, Mike, and Lucas could have used his help in dealing with the Flayed; reconciling with Dustin as they shared a group hug. Will also learned that Suzie did exist and sat in awkward silence as she and Dustin sang "*Neverending Story*" while being chased by the Mind Flayer. Three months later, Will tearfully said goodbye to Dustin before he and his family moved out of Hawkins.

Five months later, in 1986, it's unknown how much contact Will and Dustin had since Will's move. However, when learning of Vecna's killing spree from Agents Ellen Stinson, Wallace, and Harmon, Will grew worried for Dustin's safety and decided to return to Hawkins to save his friend. Upon returning to Hawkins, Will reunited with Dustin and happily embraced him along with Eleven.

**Lucas Sinclair**

Will had became friends with Lucas at an early age. Like Dustin and Mike, Lucas was determined to find Will. Lucas saw Eleven's presence as a distraction from finding Will, and he did not accept Dustin's plea for them all to work together. For a while, Lucas attempted to seek out Will on his own. He was devastated when he thought that Will was dead. When Will reunited with the Party, Will hugged Lucas and listens to everything that happened while he was gone. Lucas described their new friend, Eleven to Will.

In 1984, Will did not tell Lucas his visions of the Upside Down as he felt that Lucas would not understand. After Will was possessed by the Mind Flayer, Lucas and the rest of their friends helped save Will by burning the underground tunnel system. A month later at the Snow Ball, Will and Lucas made fun of Dustin's hairstyle.

In 1985, Will was upset that Lucas wanted to spend time with his girlfriend, Max. Will wanted Lucas and Mike to play a *D&D* campaign with him. Mike and Lucas were more interested in solving their girlfriend's problems, instead of playing *D&D.* At a sleepover at Mike's house, Will finally snapped and decided to go home, brushing off Lucas's attempts to stop him. Lucas later tried to apologize. However, Will brushed off Lucas's attempts, saying they should be more focused on Billy and the Mind Flayer. Will managed to reconcile with Lucas and the two exchanged smiles after hearing Mike confess his love for Eleven. Later, the two worked together in caring for an injured Eleven and battling the Mind Flayer with fireworks. Three months later, Will said a tearful goodbye to Lucas before moving out of Hawkins.

In 1986, when learning of Vecna's killing spree from Agents Ellen Stinson, Wallace, and Harmon, Will grew worried for Lucas's safety and decided to return to Hawkins to save his friend. Upon returning to Hawkins, Will and Lucas embraced and looked over a comatose Max together.

**Max Mayfield**

Will met Max Mayfield when in Mr. Clarke's class in October of 1984. When the rest of his friends became curious about her being "MADMAX," the mysterious video game player who had beaten Dustin's high score on *Dig Dug*, Will agreed with Mike that she couldn't be "MADMAX," saying that girls didn't play video games. When Dustin and Lucas confirmed their suspicions and Max joined them in trick-or-treating, Will did not seem to mind and allowed her to join the Party so Lucas and Dustin could be happy. After Will became possessed by the Mind Flayer, Max helped the rest of his friends save him from his possession by burning the tunnels, which helped force the Mind Flayer to leave Will's body.

Six months later, in 1985, Will started to grow jealous and annoyed with Lucas spending time with Max, as he did with Mike and Eleven. Will wanted Lucas and Mike to play *D&D* but was rejected every time. When the Mind Flayer returned to Hawkins, Will and Max worked together with their friends in trying to stop it. When Will found out that Max and Eleven spied on Mike and Lucas, Will was not angry with Max. Will and Max continued to work together in battling the Mind Flayer until his avatar was killed. Three months later, Max, along with the Party, helped El and the Byers pack their belongings. She was the first to be hugged by Will tightly, showing that despite Will's jealousy, he considered Max a best friend.

Five months later, in 1986, it's unknown how much contact Max and Will had with one another since Will's move, especially since Max's depression caused her to cut ties with all of her friends. When learning of Vecna's killing spree from Agents Ellen Stinson, Wallace, and Harmon, Will grew worried for Max's safety and decided to return to Hawkins to save his friend. When Max discovered she was cursed by Vecna, she wrote a goodbye letter to Will, asking Lucas to give it to him if and when he connected with him again. Upon returning to Hawkins, Will is saddened to see Max in a comatose state, but believed that El did the best that she could.

**Scott Clarke**

Will and his friends had a great relationship with their school science teacher, Mr. Clarke. He was very willing to help the boys further their interest in science, even purchasing a ham radio for them. When Will went missing, Mr. Clarke joined the search party for Will. Mr. Clarke saw Will as an exceptional student. Mr. Clarke also helped the Party on several occasions in their quest to find Will, although Mr. Clarke was not aware of most of the Party's knowledge.

After Will returned from the Upside Down, Mr. Clarke continued to be supportive of him and the other boys. In 1984, Dustin, Lucas and Max attempted to show Dart to Mr. Clark. Mike and Will prevented the other kids from showing Dart to Mr. Clarke, which kept Mr. Clarke unaware of the Party's knowledge.

In the summer of 1985, he helped Will's mother, Joyce, to figure out why magnets had been failing around town.

**Jim Hopper**

Will's and Jim Hopper's personal relationship began at the beginning of the series in 1983 with Will's disappearance when Will's mother, Joyce, goes to report Will's going missing to Hopper when she finds he did not show up at school. At first, Hopper seems apathetic to Will's disappearance, chalking it up to Will "playing hooky" and not actually being in any danger. Hopper's attention to the matter becomes more serious after discovering Will's loaded rifle in the shed behind his house and organizes a search. When the fake body of Will is discovered at Sattler Quarry, Hopper is visibly upset as it is brought out of the water. As Hopper continues to unravel the conspiracy surrounding Will's "death", Hopper becomes more committed to finding out the entire truth about Will, going as far as assaulting an Indiana State Trooper to gain access to the morgue where he discovers the body that was pulled from the water is a fake. Once Hopper learns that Will is trapped in the Upside Down, he takes Joyce to the Lab where he negotiates a deal with Dr. Martin Brenner to have him and Joyce allowed into the Upside Down to retrieve Will themselves. After Hopper and Joyce find Will entangled by tendrils with a vine forced down his throat, Hopper performs CPR on Will, reviving him and ultimately saving his life.

Following Will's rescue from the Upside Down, Hopper generally treats Will with more kindness and patience than he does the other Party members. Believing Will may be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress, Hopper takes care to be mindful of Will's sensitivity. In cases where Hopper expresses his displeasure with annoyed and stern remarks to others, he is never seen chastising or raising his voice at Will.

In 1984, Hopper is seen more as a minor father-figure to Will, attending regular visits with Dr. Sam Owens to support both Will and his mother. This is evidenced by Hopper's gentler interaction with Will during these visits, and him telling Joyce to call him first if Will's episodes get any worse. After Will is possessed by The Mind Flayer and Joyce discovers his drawing of the Shadow Monster, Hopper goes to the Byers House to talk to Will about his now-memories, and helps Joyce piece together pieces of the map that Will draws as an interpretation of the now-memories, where he figures out that Will is drawing the tunnel system that is growing underneath Hawkins. When Will begins seizing due to the Hawkins scientists burning the tunnels, Hopper accompanies him, Joyce, Bob, and Mike back to Hawkins Lab. When Dr. Owens and another scientist conduct a test by burning a small tendril that is connected to the "Hive Mind", Will suffers intense pain, and Hopper aggressively intervenes to get the scientist to stop hurting Will through the tendril. When Dr. Owens brings Will to the conference room to examine the images of the map, another scientist continues expressing his annoyance, to which Hopper tells him to shut up to stop breaking Will's concentration. When the "Demadogs" invade the lab, Hopper guides Will, Joyce, and Mike to safety out of the lab.

In 1985, Hopper briefly meets with Will and the rest of the Party at Starcourt Mall before the final battle against the Spider Monster and the Russian invaders.

In 1986, Hopper returns back to Hawkins along with Joyce after being held hostage in Russia. It can be assumed Will was happy to see him again, though it's unknown if he's currently aware Hopper is dating his mother.

**Bob Newby**

Will had a close relationship with Bob Newby since he didn't treat him any different after his disappearance, unlike Will's brother and mother who were over-protective of him. He was passive-natured and empathized strongly with Will, providing Will well-intentioned advice to face his fears. Bob's advice resulted in Will's confrontation with the Mind-Flayer and his possession by the Mind-Flayer. After Bob's death, Will drew a picture of Bob as a Superhero. Bob and Will ironically shared more similar interests than Will did with his actual father.

**Troy and James**

James and Troy often bullied Will and his friends. Due to his interests and small stature, they would call him demeaning names. When Will was missing, and presumed dead, they continued making crude remarks about him. Will was surprised to hear that Troy wet himself in front of the entire school while Will was gone.

**Argyle**

In 1986, after meeting Will and Jonathan, Argyle had no problems carpooling Will and his sister, Jane to school everyday. Though Will was annoyed with Argyle smoking weed with his brother and his laid-back personality, Will did have a good relationship with him. When Jonathan suggested to Argyle to go smoke some weed after being freaked over Agent Harmon's death, the existence of the Upside Down, and Jane being a former test subject known as Eleven, Will was irritated over this. However, Will did allow Argyle to help him, Jonathan, and Mike to search for Eleven and travel across the country to get to Hawkins, Indiana. After finding and saving Eleven, Will and Argyle worked together in building a sensory deprivation tank for Eleven so she could battle Vecna. Two days later, Will and Argyle traveled to Hawkins together.

**The Demogorgon**

In 1983, a Demogorgon was the very creature that sent Will to the Upside Down. Will had to evade this beast for a week until his rescue. Many times he had come dangerously close to death at the monster's hands. When Will was finally captured by the monster, he was taken to its hideout where a vine was forced down his throat, causing him to be mentally linked to the Mind Flayer.

**The Mind Flayer**

In 1984, a year after Will's rescue from the Upside Down, the Mind Flayer sought Will out as a vessel into the real world as Will had managed to become part of his hive-mind after the Demogorgon captured him. A fragment of the Mind Flayer entered Will's mind, gradually influencing him until it was able to fully subjugate his consciousness. The Mind Flayer's fragment was forcefully removed from Will's mind by his mother, brother, and Nancy via hot surroundings and fire. The time in which Will was bound to the Mind Flayer left him with a connection to the beast that allowed him to sense its presence a year later.

In 1985, the Mind Flayer had returned to Hawkins to get revenge and kill the Party, including Will. He battled the Mind Flayer until it was defeated when the Gate was once again closed.

Vecna

Vecna did not come face-to-face with Will throughout the entirety of the fourth season due to Will living in Lenora Hills, California. Upon learning that a new evil was threatening his hometown, Will, with the help of Jonathan, Argyle and Mike, created a makeshift sensory deprivation tank to help Eleven enhance her abilities and fight Vecna to protect Max from his wrath.

Two days later, Will was saddened to find Max alive but comatose after she was resurrected by Eleven's abilities. While cleaning up Hopper's cabin in the woods, Will confessed to Mike that he believed he had thought to have established a connection with the Mind Flayer back in 1984 but now he realizes that the Mind Flayer was a mere puppet of Vecna, with Will confirming that he had survived the final battle and he swore to destroy the Earth and every one of its inhabitants. With the fate of the world at stake, Will insisted that Vecna must be destroyed and Mike promised they would find the means to kill him permanently.

## Appearances

Template:Season One Appearances
Template:Season Two Appearances
Template:Season Three Appearances
Template:Season Four Appearances
\*Can be seen via flashback/manipulating electricity

## Family tree

*note: family trees are only visible on desktop.*
Template:Byers Family Tree

## Memorable Quotes

* Spoken by Will
* Conversations

**Will:**

* "Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go."
* "I'll take your X-Men 134!"

**Will to his mother:**

* "Sometimes the bad guys are smart too."
* "It's like home, but *it's so dark...* It's *so dark and empty!*"
* "*[Referring to the Mind Flayer]* *He likes it cold.*"

**Will to the Mind Flayer:**

* "Go away!"

**Will to Mike:**

* "That's my friend....Mike."
* "*Crazy together.*"

**Will & Mike:**
*Following the Mind Flayer's possession of Will-*

* Will: "At first, I felt it on the back of my head. I didn't know it was there. Now, I feel it, I feel it all the time."
* Mike: "Maybe...maybe that's good."
* Will: "Good?"
* Mike: "Just think about it Will. You're like a spy now, a super-spy. If you know what he thinks, maybe that's how we can stop him."
* Will: "You think so?"
* Mike: "Yeah...I really do."
* Will: "What if...what if he figures out we're spying on him? What if he spies back?"
* Mike: "We won't let him."

*After Will has an episode-*

* Mike: "Sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy."
* Will: "Me too."
* Mike: "Hey, well, if we're both going crazy, then we'll go crazy together, right?"
* Will: "Yeah, crazy together."

**Will & his mother:**
*After learning the shadow monster's exploitation-*

* Will: "I am sorry. [Referring to the Mind Flayer] *He made me do it.*"
* Joyce: "Who? Who made you do what?"
* Will: "I told you, they upset him. They shouldn't have done that. They shouldn't have upset him."

Template:Gallery

## Trivia

### Sexuality

Throughout the series, Will is implied to be gay; notably being the only member of the Party yet to have a love interest and having zero interest in girls. The fourth season heavily insinuates this implication, and Noah Schnapp himself has stated in an interview that Will is indeed gay, and in love with Mike.

In the original Montauk script, Will was described as having "sexual identity issues", with his clothing being ridiculed by bullies and himself realizing that he is "different" than his peers. In ***The Vanishing of Will Byers***, Joyce mentioned to Hopper how Lonnie used to say Will was "queer" and called him a "fag". When Hopper asked if he was, Joyce avoided the subject, and said that what he was "was missing!". In ***Holly, Jolly*** and ***The Body***, Troy and James specifically mocked Will's alleged sexuality, with Troy saying Will probably got killed by "some other queer" and that he was in "fairyland now, all happy and gay". In ***The Flea and the Acrobat***, the boys took notice of their classmate, Jennifer Hayes, crying at Will's funeral. Later on, in ***The Upside Down***, the boys visit Will in hospital and tell him about Jennifer's outburst, but Will seems uninterested.

In ***The Gate***, while Will attended the Snow Ball with his friends, an unnamed girl approached him and asked if he would like to dance. Will stuttered and hesitated, and it wasn't until Mike elbowed him that he said yes. The two were then seen dancing happily, albeit awkwardly.

In ***Suzie, Do You Copy?***, when Jonathan left for work with a kiss mark from Nancy on his cheek, Will commented how gross it was. Joyce said he wasn't going to think it would be gross when he fell in love, but Will rejected the concept. Will also said it was gross how Mike and El were head over heels for each other, spending most of their time together privately away from the rest of the party. In ***The Case of the Missing Lifeguard***, when Will and Mike argue, Will tells Mike he is ruining the Party so he can "swap spit" with a "stupid girl". Mike retaliates saying, "It's not my fault you don't like girls!", leaving Will speechless.

In ***The Hellfire Club***, Eleven writes to Mike, describing how Will is working hard on a painting he refuses to show to anyone; El wonders if the painting could be for a girl. Will's project in Ms. Gracey's class is the influential British scientist and mathematician Dr. Alan Turing. In 1941, Turing had been engaged to Joan Clarke, however, broke it off after admitting to her that he was gay. In 1952, Turing had been convicted for "gross indecency" on account of him being in a gay relationship. Later on in class, a girl attempts to play footsie with him, only for him to awkwardly pull his foot away. In ***Vecna's Curse***, the painting he had been working on is revealed to be for Mike, but he hesitated in giving it him when he arrived in Lenora Hills due to their awkward reunion at the airport. At the Rink-O-Mania, Will admits to Mike he's annoyed with their lack of communication since their move compared to El. Mike says it's because El is his girlfriend, and Will asks what they are. Mike emphasizes that they're friends, but Will says that they used to be best friends. In ***Dear Billy***, Mike apologizes to Will for acting cold towards him, saying Hawkins is not the same without him; Will reacts strongly to this. Before they leave, Will places the painting for Mike in his backpack. In ***The Nina Project***, Mike describes his hesitation when speaking to El. Will replies by saying sometimes, people experience difficulty expressing how they feel, out of fear for how their loved ones may react. In ***Papa***, when Will shows Mike his painting, an impressed Mike asks if he drew it. Will lies and says El commissioned it for him, which catches the eye of Jonathan. Will emotionally tells Mike how when someone is different, they feel like a mistake, substituting El for how Will feels. When Mike looks away, Will turns to the window and sobs into his hand quietly. In ***The Piggyback***, Jonathan (having observed the former interaction) has a heart-to-heart to Will, telling him that he'll always be his brother and always be there for him, no matter what or who he is, causing Will to cry in Jonathan's arms.

### General

* In early development, Will was named Benny. The name was presumably repurposed for the character of Benny Hammond.
* There are some inconsistencies concerning Will's date of birth. In a video posted to the show's official Instagram account, his birthday was shown to be August 28, 1971. However, in "The Mind Flayer", Joyce reminds a possessed Will that his birthday is March 22, 1971. Despite this, the fourth season takes place during March 22, 1986, and Will's birthday was never mentioned. According to the Duffer Brothers, they themselves forgot that Will's birthday was on March 22. In debating whether to change it or leave the implications of the goof alone, one of the solutions they suggested would be to once again retcon Will's birthday to May 22, since it can easily be edited into previous scenes.
* In "The Vanishing of Will Byers", Will tells Mike that the Demogorgon captured his character in Dungeons & Dragons, foreshadowing his abduction.
* The comic that Will won from the race with Dustin was *X-Men 134*. In this issue of the comic, the telepathic mutant Jean Grey uses her powers to pin Mastermind to a wall, putting him in a coma. This is similar to how Eleven ultimately stopped the Demogorgon, by pinning it to the wall and making it disintegrate. In the original pilot script, he wanted Dustin's Uncanny *X-Men 269.* This would've been an anachronism, as that issue was released on October 10, 1990.
* The password for Castle Byers was "Radagast", the name of a wizard from J.R.R. Tolkien's *Lord of the Rings* series.
* One of Will's favorite songs, The Clash's *Should I Stay or Should I Go*, foreshadows the events of the first season - "If I go, there will be trouble. And if I stay, it will be double".
* In "The Body", Joyce mentions at the morgue that Will has a birthmark on his right arm.
* In the first season, his *Dungeons & Dragons* character was a wizard named Will the Wise. In the second season, his character was changed to a cleric.
	+ So far, he is the only one of the boys in the show to have named his *D&D* character.
* In an early outline, Will was originally going to have killed Bob in "Will the Wise" as a result of the Mind Flayer's manipulation.
* Since the second season, Will is shown to possess certain psychic abilities known as True Sight. This is likely a reference to the Stephen King character Danny Torrance, who possessed similar psychic abilities known as the shining in the novel and film of the same name.
* Stranger Things 3 is the only season of the series in which Will appears in every episode.
* In "The Case of the Missing Lifeguard", Will became the first character in the show to utter the word "Fuck"; when he destroys Castle Byers in a blind rage, he curses loudly (though the subtitles miss this utterance). He would soon be followed by Billy, who says the word in "The Sauna Test".
	+ Between the first three seasons, Will had only cursed twice throughout the whole show; the word "Fuck" in "The Case of the Missing Lifeguard", and when he repeats El's phrase - "She said she dumped your ass" - in "The Flayed". This changed in the fourth season with him regularly dropping swears.
* In the *Hawkins Middle School Yearbook*, it is stated that his career goal is to be a comic book artist and his favorite subject is Art. His hobbies are drawing and going to the movies. When he is not studying he is reading comics and playing *D&D*. The extracurricular activities he did in school were the AV Club and the Science Fair. He was also one of the designers of the yearbook.

## References

1. ↑ "MADMAX"
2. ↑ 'Stranger Things’ Star Noah Schnapp on Doja Cat, Season 5, and Will’s Sexuality: ‘He Is Gay and He Does Love Mike’
3. ↑ "'STRANGER THINGS' Duffer Brothers Have Proof THEY DIDN'T STEAL THE SHOW!!!" *TMZ*. April 6, 2018
4. ↑ ‘Stranger Things’ Creators Answer Burning Questions About Eleven’s Origins, Will’s Sexuality (and Birthday!) and More Ahead of Volume 2
5. ↑ "Behind The Scenes Of Stranger Things - Lully Of Truth 293"
6. ↑ "[1]" *Insider*. November 8, 2017