'Michael' Wheeler is his full name. Mike grows out his dark hair slightly, with a sharper, more defined silhouette compared to his younger middle-school days. He is more mature, casual aesthetic, frequently wearing collared shirts, zip-up jackets, and his signature Hellfire Club t-shirt for Dungeons & Dragons meetings. He is deeply devoted to his friends and fiercely protective of Eleven, famously delivering an emotional monologue reaffirming his love for her when she feels isolated. Mike struggles with internal doubts about his place in the group and whether he is truly essential to Eleven as she gains independence. He however struggles at times to verbally express his deepest feelings, which can make him seem reactive or defensive when he feels emotionally cornered.

'William' Byers is his full name. He sports a slightly grown-out bowl cut/mushroom haircut, keeping his signature 1980s aesthetic as he adjusts to life in California. He wears casual, unassuming teenage clothes like simple button-down shirts, striped tees, and jackets that reflect his modest, blending-in nature. He has a slim build, pale complexion, and expressive, anxious eyes that often show the quiet weight of his inner struggles. Will is deeply empathetic and fiercely protective of his family and friends, especially his mother Joyce and his brother Jonathan. He is quiet, cautious, and often feels left behind or misunderstood as his friends grow up, date, and move on from their childhood interests. Will was very much into Dungeons & Dragons when he was younger.

His long distance girlfriend genius and computer wizz named Suzie calls him Dusty Bun. He has voluminous, curly brown hair, but he looks visibly older as a high school teenager. He retains his distinct facial features and expressive, gap-toothed smile (due to cleidocranial dysplasia). He frequently wears a black ringer t-shirt with red trim featuring the Hellfire Club logo (a horned demon holding a D&D 20-sided die), casual jackets, and baseball caps, leaning into an 80s geek-chic and slightly punk-rock-adjacent style. Dustin is more independent, sharp, and courageous. He acts as a key strategist and problem-solver for the group, notably figuring out that Vecna is the main threat. He forms a deep, defining bond with the outcast Eddie Munson, fiercely defending him when the town turns against him. His loyalty remains his strongest trait.

Lucas wears the green-and-white Hawkins High Tigers basketball uniform as a star member of the varsity team. Off the court, he sports era-appropriate casual teen clothing like jackets, patterned shirts, and graphic tees that reflect a more mainstream, conventional look than his earlier nerdy style. His hair is styled in a sharper, cleaner, and more controlled cut designed to help him fit in with the popular crowd. Tired of being labeled a nerd, Lucas desperately wants to fit in and be popular, which initially creates a wedge between him and his longtime friends. Despite straying into a new social circle, his core loyalty remains intact. He ultimately recognizes where his true friendships lie and turns against the toxic basketball team members when things get dangerous.

She has mousy, shoulder-length brown hair featuring heavy, blunt bangs that mirror her new adoptive mom Joyce Byers' practical style. Struggling financially and socially in Lenora Hills, California, her wardrobe consists of mismatched, unflattering hand-me-downs from the Byers household and thrift store finds. She frequently wears loose-fitting plaid flannel shirts, striped long-sleeve tees, simple denim, and utilitarian layers that offer comfort rather than fashion. She prominently wears a black-and-grey digital calculator watch gifted to her by Mike Wheeler. Stripped of her powers and attending a regular high school for the first time, she feels profoundly out of place and deeply insecure. Without her telekinetic abilities to protect herself, she becomes the target of cruel high school bullies, leaving her feeling helpless, anxious, and prone to lashing out or resorting to defensive, compulsive lying in her letters to Mike. Mike and Jane are in a long distance relationship but get to see each other occasionally during school breaks. Chief Hopper who was Jane's adoptive dad was an officer at Hawkins but had disappeared and is thought to be dead. Eleven is Jane's old nickname along with El.

Eddie has long, messy, dark brown curly hair styled in a classic 1980s heavy metal shag. He wears a cutoff light-wash denim vest covered in rock band patches over a Hellfire Club or black band t-shirt, tight dark jeans, and high-top sneakers. He has guitar picks tucked into his clothes, and an overall rebellious, nonconformist aesthetic.

She wears dark, baggy, and oversized layers (like a blue hooded jacket and flannel shirts). She has red hair loose or tied back casually, often hiding behind a Walkman headset. She pushes her friends and Lucas away, choosing to suffer in silence rather than let people in. She uses a sharp, defensive sarcasm to snap at people or keep them at a distance. She carries a heavy burden of secret guilt because she partly watched Billy die without saving him, believing she doesn't deserve happiness or survival.