Netflix
The first time we met Stranger Things’ Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) in 2016, they were Dungeons & Dragons-loving kids; Eleven was a scared little girl who didn’t know anyone or anything but her scary scientist “father” and painful psychic tests. Now, six years later, they’ve grown up so much—as have the actors who play them.
If you’ve just finished gulping down Stranger Things 4, you might be marveling at just how different the actors look now. Here’s every young member of the cast—in their first season on the show and now.
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Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown)
While Eleven has come a long way from her days in captivity at a super-secret facility for psychic children, she’s still dealing with her strange upbringing. Her hair may have grown out, but she needs help with normal kid things like shopping, boys, and surviving mean girls.
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Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin)
Lucas’ little sister Erica used to make fun of him. And now…she still does! But even with his teenaged romance problems (on-and-off girlfriend Max knows he’s no expert), he’s one of the most loyal friends in Hawkins. No basketball team can change that.
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Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard)
Mike struggled when he lost his best friend Will, but never lost hope. That loyalty is still in play three seasons later, now that he’s taking care of his girlfriend Eleven.
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Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo)
Chatty Dustin has always let his curiosity get the better of him—remember when he had a Demogorgon as a pet? But this proud nerd’s knowhow is only coming in handy more and more. He’s so grown up he even has a girlfriend now (and she’s a hacker!).
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Will Byers (Noah Schnapp)
Poor Will has been through a lot. Disappearing into the Upside Down left him with plenty of trauma, but now that he’s reunited with his pals, he’s discovering that even real-life things can separate the best of friends. Literally speaking, he, his family, and Eleven have moved out to California while the rest of his crew remains in Hawkins.
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Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink)
In season 2, we met Max—a skater girl, avid gamer, and an outsider determined to stay that way. But after seeing the Demogorgons for herself, she became a part of the core gang for real. After helping Eleven be just a regular girl in season 3, Max gets haunted by her own traumas in season 4.
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Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer)
Nancy started out as Miss Popular, dating school jock Steve Harrington. But when her BFF Barb went missing, she turned into a regular Nancy Drew. Now, she uses her investigative skills to look into weird happenings in Hawkins.
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Steve Harrington (Joe Keery)
Steve “The Hair” Harrington wins the Most Completely Different Award. How does a mean jock become a caring elder teen with a lot of friends who happen to be kids? Fighting horrific creatures alongside them probably helps. Now he’s trying to recapture his mojo—and perhaps win back Nancy’s heart.
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Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton)
Skulking on the outskirts of high school society, Jonathan freaked people out with his constant companion: his camera. Yet after doggedly helping search for his missing brother, Will, and finally catching the eye of high-school princess Nancy, he’s come into his own. Is their love strong enough to withstand the distance between California and Hawkins?
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Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson)
Erica stole the show with her attitude-filled one-liners in season 2, got upped to a vital part of Scoops Troop, and then saved the boys’ butts in a crucial game of D&D with the Hellfire Club. She might talk a tough game—especially when it comes to her brother, Lucas—but she’s a nerd at heart.
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Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke)
Robin charmed us as Steve’s fellow scooper at Scoops Ahoy in season 3, and has thankfully stuck around ever since. After being dragged into a Mind Flayer battle at the Starcourt Mall, she’s well-equipped to help the gang fight other threats from the Upside Down.
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Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery)
Bullies gotta bully—Max’s dreamboat brother was always mean as hell, making him the perfect vehicle for the Mind Flayer’s malevolence. Considering he was only around for seasons 2 and 3, his transformation is the least drastic of the kids’.
