Stranger Things 4 exceeded every fan's expectation with an anxiety-inducing set of episodes that felt like various movies in one. Even with the long-running time, each episode was fast-paced due to the unique interaction between characters and the creative narrative only the Duffer brothers can provide. The season led up to a confrontational ending that teases a catastrophic fate to Hawkins, and ultimately the world, in Season 5.
Stranger Things is packed with engaging, relatable characters, and even though some of them felt criminally underused, Season 4 offered incredible arcs that should be vital to the story that will unravel in Season 5.
Joyce Byers
Joyce's love quest was something criminally overlooked in Season 4. If everyone character in the show had an intuition like Joyce's, the show would be over already: she was convinced about Will trying to communicate with her in Season 1 just like she was convinced Hopper was still alive in Season 4, "Enzo's" letter was just the tiny push she needed to go through with it.
Flying over continents and deceiving Russians along the way, she finally reunites with Jim Hopper, and this time she doesn't hide her feelings as the beloved couple embraces in a kiss that marks a promising future for both.
Dmitri
Dmitri is one of those characters everyone thought was going to die: caught up in a dangerous situation after being snitched as a fraudulent soldier, he ended up in the same spot as Hopper, but together they overcame monsters, soldiers, and daunting altitudes.
Instead of being just a Hopper sidekick in Season 4, Dmitri actually developed an audacious, charismatic personality, and if it wasn't for the patriot speech he put up to Yuri, the swindler would've outmaneuvered Hopper and friends once again. It's unsure what will be his role in Season 5, but fans expect some more character development and a possible connection to the Russian plot that needs a conclusion.
Lucas Sinclair
Lucas wasn't in a good spot at the end of Season 4. Recently dumped by Max but clearly not over it, he grew distant from Dustin and Mike to get a popular status with the high school basketball team. When things started to get rough, he took a long time to reunite with his friends, partly because he wanted to disorient Jason and his group in order to buy time for the OG team, but partly because he was still hoping to find a way to fit in.
Hopefully, he quickly snapped out of it and embraced his true self once again and, most importantly, gave his soul to keep Max safe. The end of his arc is quite heartbreaking because even though he did his best to save her, she's walking a tightrope between life and death.
Nancy Wheeler
Nancy was low-key the leader of the Hawkins group in Season 4, and her investigative insights led the group to uncover the terrifying truth about Vecna's past and his connections with his old house in Hawkins, where horrific murder had taken place. With Jonathan away and her brother Mike on the other side of the country, it was presumable that Nancy would feel a bit detached from the group, but she quickly stood her ground and offered great interactions with Robin and Steve, to name a few.
In the Upside Down, it was Nancy who noticed how that dimension is stuck in time, her plan to arm themselves to the teeth was in the mission of destroying Vecna's physical body. Last but not least, her bond with Vecna delivered one of the scariest moments of the season, since Nancy only made it out alive because Vecna wanted her to.
Steve Harrington
Steve continues to win over the heart of every single fan of the show, but this time he was more than a babysitter. While he's by far the funniest character in Stranger Things, fans were expecting that he would finally spend an entire season without getting beat up. He even got the upper hand over his opponents. While he didn't make out unscathed, his courage was rewarding enough that he took down more than just a few enemies.
Steve's proved that he's capable of anything to protect his friends, which put him in constant danger. In season 4, he was always the person to take the first step, showing how much he's different from the spoiled teenager from season 1. He even got the courage to open up about his feelings to Nancy in a heartfelt scene, and the hints of the two getting back together will most likely go on in Season 5.
Vecna
Vecna is far from a reasonable character, especially when taking into the dehumanization he suffered while stuck in the Upside Down all these years. However, his story is heartbreaking: after discovering psychokinetic abilities in his childhood, he killed his own family and framed his father for the murders. As a little boy, Vecna desperately needed psychological treatment, but instead, he was experimented on by Dr. Brenner. He became the first of several child prisoners who would have his powers tested on them.
He became an even bitter person and after being defeated by Eleven and sent to the inhospitable Upside Down dimension, he harvested his hatred and anger for many decades, which turned him into a terrifying villain. Vecna is beyond redemption at this point, and will probably return bloodthirsty in Season 5.
Eddie Munson
For a character introduced in Season 4, Eddie quickly won over the fans as one of the sweetest, most charismatic characters of the show. The leader of the Hellfire Club was the first to witness Vecna's curse in action, which turned his life upside down. Persecuted by the police, as well as Jason and his angry minions, he was accused of crimes he didn't commit and had to cope with everything alone. Still, he didn't let the circumstances bring him down and he fought alongside the group until the end.
Eddie's friendship duo with Dustin was one of the funniest and heartwarming highlights of the season, but it ultimately led to some of the saddest scenes in the season finale. Eddie's courage overcame his fears but he, unfortunately, died in a questionable sacrifice, and fans argue his death was a cheap decision from the showrunners. Eddie's redemption also came at a heartbreaking cost: they still blame him for the recent Hawkins murders.
Jim Hopper
Hopper's evolution in this season is remarkable. He spent the first episodes whining about how puts everyone close to him in dangerous situations, but his fear of losing his loved ones stood out as he outmaneuvered the Russians in order to continue alive and be there when his friends need him. He was close to facing death many times in Season 4 but he always succeeded, never thinking about himself, but always about the possibility of reuniting with the Hawkins team and making sure they keep safe.
Moreover, fans saw for the first time the sensitive side of Hopper as he embraces Joyce in one of the most romantic moments of the season. After four seasons, Jim finally understands that home is wherever he's alongside those he loves, and his reunion with Eleven showcases that in a highly emotional scene.
Eleven
Eleven was undeniably the MVP of the season: she not only managed to uncover puzzling revelations about the Upside Down but also gathered enough information to understand the season's villain and find what his weaknesses are. She started Season 4 as a shy little teenager bullied at school unable to control her anger to a powerful self-aware figure unafraid to hide from the past.
Empathy was something that Eleven struggled a lot with and now she finally understands it, showing it towards even Dr. Brenner. It's through a better comprehension of human emotion that she grew as a character, defeating Vecna and bringing Max back to life.
Max Mayfield
Max's character arc this season was one of the most heartbreaking things to ever happen in Stranger Things: after everything she's been through in Season 3, she was forced to face the demons of her past as well as the demons that were trying to take over Hawkins. In Vecna's hands, Max contemplated death and acknowledged it as something inevitable, but her friends showed her otherwise.
After she was saved to the sound of "Running Up That Hill", fans witnessed Max in a much better mood, but never relaxed. As she began to reconnect with the life she once led and the friends she dismissed, her interactions with Lucas being particularly beautiful, Vecna once again got ahold of her. Ultimately, this sent her to a painful, yet uncertain fate and fans speculate whether or not Max will wake up from her coma.