Summary

• Jonathan Byers' increased role in Stranger Things season 5 could lead to his tragic death, adding a dramatic moment to the final season.
• Despite being underutilized in seasons 3 and 4, Jonathan's character arc deserves further exploration and shouldn't be dismissed in favor of raising the stakes.
• Jonathan's story in season 5 can provide a satisfying conclusion without resorting to killing off the character, focusing on his bond with Will and his earlier heroic journey.

The news that Stranger Things season 5 will give the perennially underrated Jonathan Byers a bigger role could set up a terrible twist that would ruin his character arc. Stranger Things has a large ensemble cast split across three different age groups, with most of the show’s action focusing on younger teenagers Eleven, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will Byers. The second most important group of characters are the older teenagers, Steve, Robin, Mike’s sister, Nancy, and Will’s brother, Jonathan. While this set doesn’t get quite as much story focus or screen time as their younger co-stars, they still have their fair share of dramatic plots.

The teases that the Stranger Things writer’s room posted on social media regarding Jonathan, this won't necessarily be the case. He seems to play a pretty central role in the show’s final outing, even though both seasons 3 and 4 under-utilized the ing character. A meek, sheepish figure, Jonathan gained confidence and a love interest in Stranger Things seasons 1 and 2 when he investigated Will’s disappearance with Nancy.

Jonathan's Bigger Role Could Mean He Dies In Stranger Things Season 5

A sudden increase in screen time could spell bad news for the ing star.

Jonathan’s role was diminished in the more recent outings of Stranger Things, with season 4 reducing him to little more than a comic relief stoner. His indecision about attending college and inability to inform Nancy of his new life plans weren’t engaging, since the rest of the cast was dealing with life-and-death stakes. While Jonathan’s Stranger Things sidekick Argyle provided a few big laughs, it was hard to see where the series was taking these characters in season 5. As such, the fact that Jonathan appears in three of the show’s earliest pre-vis teasers seems to prove that season 5 will focus on fixing this issue.

However, a sudden increase in screen time can mean the show is setting up a character for a tragic death. Jonathan is no longer essential to the plot, but he has been a central character since season 1. This is the right combination for his death to feel like a big dramatic final season moment without cauroar among fans or leading viewers to tune out. To make matters worse, season 4 focused on Nancy and Steve’s romantic potential again, meaning Jonathan’s last link to the main story of the series could be severed. Since Steve is a firm fan favorite, things don’t look good for Will’s brother.

Why Stranger Things Season 5 Shouldn’t Kill Off Jonathan

Stranger Things needs to explore Jonathan's compelling character arc more.

Jonathan might not be a goldmine of viral meme potential like Steve, but he is one of the more interesting ing characters in Stranger Things. He was an unlikely hero in seasons 1 and 2, but his lack of direction in seasons 3 and 4 proved that surviving a terrifying encounter with the supernatural and uncovering a government conspiracy didn’t come with a tidy, happy ending. Much like Steve’s story subverted the bullying jock trope as he grew more comionate, Jonathan’s arc played with the classic ‘80s cliché of a likable nerd getting the girl and saving the day by asking what happened after the story’s triumphant ending.

Unfortunately, Stranger Things season 4 underused Jonathan and failed to find the pathos in his predicament. It is interesting to imagine the hero of an Amblin movie becoming a listless stoner because he discovered the terrible truths of the universe before finishing high school, but the series didn’t delve into this idea enough. For the character's story to ring true, Stranger Things needs to stop treating Jonathan like a disposable ing star. This means not killing off Jonathan for the sake of raising the stakes in the final season, even though this might pave the way for Nancy and Steve’s fan-favorite pairing.

Jonathan’s Season 5 Story Could Wrap Up Stranger Things Perfectly

The final season can end Jonathan's story without a tragic death.

Jonathan and Nancy could reconnect or break up, but it isn’t their relationship that will define the success or failure of his season 5 storyline. If Jonathan and Will finally get some meaningful screen time together, this would tie back into his earliest season 1 story of trying to save his brother from the Upside Down. The brief interaction that the duo shared in season 4, wherein Jonathan reassured his brother that he would always love him despite how different Will felt, proved just how much the series wanted his potential.

Although Stranger Things season 5 will kill off some major characters, since this is necessary to underline just how dangerous Vecna is, the show shouldn’t rush to give Jonathan an episode in the spotlight and then send him shuffling off his mortal coil. Charlie Heaton’s brooding, slyly funny portrayal of the character has consistently been one of the show’s most underrated charms, even in seasons 3 and 4, and the series owes the character a better send-off. As such, Stranger Things season 5 must why Jonathan was a compelling antihero in the first place and reconnect with his story.