Quiz: Which 'Stranger Things' Character Are You?

Stranger Things may have reached its conclusion, though the Hawkins gang lives on in our hearts. But which character would you be if you were one of them? Take this quiz to find out which member of the Stranger Things crew you'd be if you were forced to confront a mysterious evil force in your '80s small town.

What Inspired Stranger Things

Stranger Things first hit Netflix on July 15, 2016. It became a phenomenon for the streamer, thanks to its blend of '80s nostalgia, its casting of Winona Ryder, and its extremely lovable array of characters.

Initially, the Stranger Things crew seemed to embody a lot of classic '80s stereotypes, from the jock to the nerds to the hardened, cynical cop. However, as the show went on, the characters all revealed rich inner worlds and big hearts that made them beloved by fans across the world.

The show was created by Matt and Ross Duffer, better known as the "Duffer Brothers." The duo intended for the series to be a tribute to the films they loved as children, and drew inspiration from a variety of '80s gems.

“In some way the show is just an ode to our childhood,” Ross told Esquire. “Not just the friendships and the family, but also all the stories we grew up loving. In a way, it's allowed us to Peter Pan it a little bit just for 10 years. We just get lost in this world, which is a reflection of what it felt like growing up.”

These inspirations run the gamut from Stephen King and Steven Spielberg to the game Dungeons & Dragons, which is the backbone of much of the show's plot. King's work was also central to the Duffers' trajectory; prior to getting the green light for Stranger Things, the brothers pitched a TV remake of King's It, which had terrified them as children.

“I'm glad we didn't end up getting an IP like that,” Ross added of their efforts to make an It adaptation. “It's like Spielberg not getting to do James Bond, which was his dream, and George Lucas going: ‘I have something better.’ And they make Indiana Jones.”

In addition to '80s pop culture stalwarts, Stranger Things drew inspiration from some real-life conspiracy theories about the U.S. government. The show was originally entitled Montauk and was supposed to be set on Long Island, which is the place where the CIA's fabled Montauk Project supposedly took place.

According to rumors, this was an experiment involving mind control, telekinesis, and more. The show also drew inspiration from the very real government program called MKUltra, which really did involve the U.S. government conducting covert psychological experiments on unwitting subjects.

The Inspirations Behind the Stranger Things Characters

The Stranger Things universe is beloved for many reasons—its gripping action sequences, its allusions to conspiracy theories, its '80s references, and so much more. But its characters are truly the core of the series and the reason why many fans kept watching.

The Duffers always intended for the show to revolve around a core group of Dungeons & Dragons-loving friends. However, not all the fan-favorite characters on the show were supposed to have the epic trajectories they did. Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), for example, was originally written to embody the stuck-up bully archetype seen in countless '80s movies, and was even supposed to die in the first season.

However, Keery's performance made the Duffers reconsider his arc, and he wound up becoming one of the most beloved characters on the show. “Steve was supposed to be this jocky douchebag, and Joe was so much more than that,” Ross told The Hollywood Reporter.

Other characters also transformed thanks to the actors who played them. Robin, for example, was heavily influenced by Maya Hawke's charm. “Maya’s personality was just so interesting and unique that we sort of fused our original idea of Robin with Maya,” Ross told Pedestrian.TV.

The same went for Mike, played by Finn Wolfhard. “Finn was different than how we originally imagined,” Ross told the outlet. “His quick speech, his anxiety, his fidgeting—we just took pieces of Finn and fused it with our original Mike.”

Other characters were influenced by real people from history. Eddie Munson, the lovable guitar-wielding Season 4 standout, was actually based on a real-world teenager who was accused of murder in the 1980s. At the age of 18, Damien Echols—an outcast and metalhead at a West Memphis, Arkansas high school—was convicted of killing three boys along with two other teens.

During his trial, the prosecution painted Echols as a cult leader-type figure, and drew heavily from the "Satanic Panic" of the 1980s. However, many have since questioned whether bias and stereotyping influenced the conviction. Over the years, fresh DNA evidence further cast doubt on Echols' guilt, and he was officially freed in 2011 after the case was revisited.

Echols also inspired the lovable yet misunderstood character of Eddie Munson. “What’s sad about his narrative is that the people who get to know him love him, and the people who don’t have judged him horribly," said Matt Duffer of Eddie. "Just because of the way he dresses and just because of his interests.”

So many other Stranger Things characters also defy stereotypes, or sometimes proudly lean into them and reveal the loyalty, charm, and magic beneath shallow labels. That's part of what has made the show into such an enduring institution of the streaming era—no matter what you think of that controversial finale.

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