Every League
Member’s Stranger Things Character Comparison
SPOILER ALERT: You should not read unless you have seen
seasons 1 to 3 or do not intend to watch.
Nut: Bob Newby
A brilliant and kind individual, Nut and Bob Newby have both done a lot of good things. Nut has been a playoff contender since the onset, while Bob Newby was an absolutely vital character in Season 2 of Stranger Things in the battle against the Mind Flayer. Unfortunately, have proven capable of lasting to the end game as Nut remains an early exit in the playoffs on an annual basis and Bob Newby was torn to shreds by Demodogs late in Season 2.
Hiero: Grigori
Certainly, a comparison can be drawn as both Hiero and Grigori are Eastern European. But while Hiero is Hungarian and Grigori was Russian, the comparison has more to do with how lethal both men have been. Grigori was a force to be reckoned with in Hawkins as he killed most of his adversaries until he was vaporized by the Gate to the Upside Down. Hiero has been a force to be reckoned with in this league as he is off to a 9-4 start, tearing up all the Americans in his path.
L Smooth: Lucas Sinclair
While L Smooth is a bit quiet in chat, he has been a loyal veteran in the league since its onset. Much like Lucas Sinclair, he isn’t the main character, but he’s a core part of the group and the group would not be the same without a loyal member like L Smooth. The initials L.S. also match up making this comparison an easy one.
Glap: Dr. Martin Brenner
Remarkably intelligent men with little to no moral compass, Glap and Dr. Brenner are both gifted individuals that use their abilities for darkness. Dr. Brenner has no qualms torturing children in the name of science and discovery. Glap has no qualms ridding the league of children that do not comply with the law of the land.
EK Plays: Mike Wheeler
If there ever was a protagonist in this league that people would like to see win it would be EK. He follows rules to the tee and is a class member in the chat. Much like Mike Wheeler, he is a character that anyone can symphonize with as the heart of the story. He may not be the most powerful, but without him the league would not be the same place. Much like Mike finally got the girl in Season 3, EK Plays is at 10-3 and has a possibility of reaching the promised land.
Nick: Larry Kline
Much like the Mayor of Hawkins, Nick was considered to be as loyal a member as they come. Always playing his games and following the rules. But like the treacherous Mayor sold out Hawkins to the Russians by building Starcourt Mall, Nick betrayed the league with a major rule violation this season. The hope is that the characters redeem themselves next season.
A-Rod: Connie Frazier
Much like Connie Frazier made it to the last episode of Season 1 as a fierce assassin working for Hawkins Lab, A-Rod made it all the way to the Super Bowl in Season 1 before falling to Bonjo. Connie simply was no match Eleven who telepathically destroyed her and slammed her against the wall ending her reign of tyranny.
Twitch: The Demogorgon
Possessing animal instincts, the Demogorgon has only one goal and that is to hunt and consume its prey. Much like the Demogorgon tormented Hawkins for a season, Twitch has been a savage on the gridiron, crushing most of his opponents on his path to 12-2. No one wants to face him in the playoffs much like no human wants to stare into the faceless eyes of the Demogorgon.
Joel: Dr. Sam Owens
Like his counterpart Dr. Brenner, Sam Owens was the face of Hawkins Lab in Season 2. The main characters assumed he had sinister intentions, but ultimately, he was a good man that was trying to help the people of Hawkins heal after the monstrosity of Season 1. Like Dr. Owens, Joel is one of the faces of the league that always has the people’s best interests in mind despite holding a position that many people do not always trust.
Jacob: Ted Wheeler
Both Jacob and Ted Wheeler have faded into insignificance as the league/show has gone on. Jacob is sitting at 2-11 with little relevance in the league. Ted Wheeler spends most of his time sitting in the couch with not a clue of what his kids are up to.
Alex: Joyce Byers
Much like Joyce is the first character listed in the credits, Alex is without a doubt the A List actor in this league. His talk generates the most interaction in chat, and his gameplay draws the most viewers on Twitch. Joyce is known for being neurotic as she worries about her kids. Alex is known to be neurotic as he plays his games. Much like Joyce spent Season 1 looking for Will and talking to him through her Christmas lights, Alex has spent years looking for his first Super Bowl win and no one would put it past him if he has tried communicating with the madden gods through the lights in an effort to finally get over the hump.
Roden: Demodog
If Twitch is considered the Demogorgon of the AFC, Roden is no doubt a Demodog, a smaller, but still very vicious animal that is a force to be reckoned with. While his season didn’t end as he hoped, there’s no doubt Roden is gnawing at the bit waiting to chew up the competition come playoff time.
Exit: Steve Harrington
Steve Harrington was hated early on in Season 1, but eventually grew into a beloved character in the show. Similarly, Exit was met with a lot of disdain (from Alex), but is slowly growing on him. The most apt comparison is Steve’s fighting skills to Exit’s defense in the league. Steve is notorious for getting beat up in every fight (by Jonathan Byers, Billy Hargrove, and the Russians) because he cannot defend his face. The Chiefs’ defense is also lacking as they get consistently shredded by every opponent they play.
Anthology: Will Byers
The kid whose disappearance kicked off the show meets a similar individual whose team has disappeared from contention in both seasons. Much like the characters in the show spent time trying to find Will, the members of the league are wondering where oh where did the Raiders go?
Bonjo: Eleven
While Ted once pointed out that Bonjo looks like Mike Wheeler (the kid from Stranger Things), Bonjo much more closely resembles the most powerful character in the show to date. Eleven has major feats thus far including destroying the evil agents of Hawkins lab, killing the Demogorgon, and closing the gate to stop the wrath of the Mind Flayer with her mind. Bonjo vanquished all of the evil in the league when he out schemed and overpowered his opponents with the mighty Green Bay Packers on his way to a Super Bowl title.
Ben: Scott Clarke
While he may be single, no one in the show possesses more “Big Dad Energy” than Hawkins science teacher Scott Clarke. Scott is perhaps the most likable character on the show, who provides immense assistance to the main characters even without knowing what is going on. Ben also possesses “Big Dad Energy” as the father of 7 sons. It takes an immense amount of scientific prowess to accomplish the feat Ben has of birthing and raising all 7 kids.
Swingman: Terry Ives
Gifted with superpowers, Terry Ives tried to rescue her daughter from the evil of Hawkins Lab, but was captured and turned into a vegetable by the evil doctors of Hawkins Lab. It feels like a waste of potential for someone with abilities to end up with that fate. Like Terry, Swingman possesses a lot of ability, but has to this point underachieved relative to his abilities.
Blitzy: Barb
Barb seemed like a nice girl. She was a good friend to Nancy until she was captured and murdered by the Demogorgon early on. #JusticeForBarb still trends on Twitter as her family never learned what truly happened. Like Barb felt powerless against the monster, Blitzy likely feels powerless against his opponents as he goes into each game with the hapless Lions.
Tel: The Mind Flayer
The overarching evil in the Stranger Things Universe, the Mind Flayer is hellbent on conquering all realities and ruling each dimension as an overlord via hivemind. He is an immensely powerful creature of unknown origin that to this point has not been truly stopped. The Gate can be closed to temporarily keep him at bay, but the threat of his return and ability to dominate has not been truly eradicated. Simply replace the word Mind Flayer with Tel and the paragraph works as is. What we know is that to this point Tel has been held at bay, but he has the capabilities of being our evil overlord and ruler for the remaining seasons if we do not stop him soon.
Eddie: Hopper
Chief of Hawkins PD. Commissioner of Madden Madness. Same thing.
T-Maine: Jonathan Byers
Mainly a background character the last 2 seasons, Jonathan Byers has not had much to do in the show. T-Maine is similarly very quiet in chat. Both remain competent and formidable however. Jonathan was a key part of defeating the Demogorgon in season 1. T-Maine remains a difficult opponent for anyone in the league.
DaGrits: Eight
Not quite as powerful as Eleven, Eight also has abilities and seems like she could be very useful against the lingering threats of the Upside Down. Unfortunately, she seems like a side character that remains irrelevant to the main story. DaGrits possesses a lot of talent and knowledge, but despite the strong record and consistent playoff appearances, it doesn’t feel like he’ll ever be a true threat to get to the final game.
Ace Windew: Murray Bauman
The people of Hawkins wrote Murray off as a wacko conspiracy theorist with too much time on his hands. As it turns out, most of what Murray said ended up being right. The league wrote off Ace for cutting Matt Ryan early on. They didn’t think he’d ever recover from the cap hit. To this point, Ace has proven he is not crazy as he has the Falcons sitting at 10-4 and in line for a Wild Card spot.
Gatekeeper: Alexei
A kind Russian scientist, Alexei ultimately wanted nothing to do with the dark intentions of his Russian comrades. He simply wanted to live the American Dream drinking Slurpee’s from 7/11 and eating funnel cakes at 4th of July fairs. Alexei is ultimately gunned down before he has a chance to truly take in the American Dream. Gatekeeper’s Saints were similarly gunned down before they were ever truly able to make an impact this season, but he seems like a good guy.
Del Layton: Dustin Henderson
The most brilliant of the “party” in Hawkins. Dustin is absolutely crucial as the Scoop Troop navigated the Russian underground base in Season 3. His usage of Cerebro saved the entire world in Season 3 as it enabled Joyce to open the gate before it was too late. Del has been brilliant this season, turning the Rams into division champions that seem primed to make a run in the playoff. His play calling has been elite to this point.
Ted: Billy Hargrove
Billy was nothing, but a menace in Season 2. He showed little regard for the rules and 0 respect to the people around him. In Season 3, he is flayed and brings horror to the people of Hawkins. Likewise, Ted has shown little regard for the rules or people around him in the league. Billy finally had a moment of redemption when he stepped in front of the Meatflayer to protect his sister Max in the final episode of season 3. The hope is that it’s not too late for Ted to redeem himself to the league when it comes to following the rules.
Russ: Becky Ives
The sister of Terry Ives, Becky was forced to take her of her vegetative sister for the rest of her life after her brain was shocked via electrotherapy torture. It takes a good person to have the patience to take care of a non-functioning family member. Russ is ultimately a good man who would do the same even though he has struggled in madden, it’s always better to have good people in the league.
