Stranger Things D&D Characters: Every Class in the Party

Quick answer — every Stranger Things character's D&D class

Netflix's Season 5 cast guide lists Mike as a paladin, Will as a cleric, Dustin as a bard, Lucas as a ranger, Eleven as a sorcerer and Max as a Zoomer. Erica plays Lady Applejack, and Eddie is the Dungeon Master.

Legend:Official filled = canon classOur pick outlined = our opinion

Tap through the character cards below for each class and the reasoning behind it.

The Party — official classes explained

Tap “Show details” on any card to flip it for the reasoning behind each class.

• Mike Wheeler — Paladin

  Official

  Box-set character: Tayr the Paladin

  Flip for the reasoning and signature move.

  Mike is the party's leader and its moral compass. He holds the group together through every season, refuses to give up on his friends, and charges in when it matters — that's a paladin's oath in action, even without the plate armour. He's also the group's original Dungeon Master, which makes him the rare paladin who writes the campaign.

  Signature move: Holding the party together when everything's falling apart.

  Name tie-in: In the official Welcome to the Hellfire Club box set his character is Tayr the Paladin.

  Show details for Mike Wheeler

• Will Byers — Cleric

  Official

  Box-set character: Will the Wise

  Flip for the reasoning and signature move.

  Will's in-game character is “Will the Wise.” Netflix lists him as a cleric — a class built on a connection to a higher (or in his case, lower) power. Will's link to the Upside Down lets him sense what the others can't, which is the cleric's role: the party member who perceives the unseen and keeps everyone alive.

  Signature move: Sensing the enemy before anyone else can.

  Fun debate: In Season 1's opening game, Will weighs casting Fireball — a wizard spell. That's why some fans still call him a wizard. Netflix's official answer is cleric.

  Show details for Will Byers

• Dustin Henderson — Bard

  Official

  Box-set character: Nog the Dwarf

  Flip for the reasoning and signature move.

  Dustin is the talker, the know-it-all and the morale booster — bard all the way. Bards win fights with knowledge and charm instead of muscle, and Dustin solves more problems with a radio, a science fact or a well-timed speech than anyone else in Hawkins.

  Signature move: Knowing the obscure fact that saves everyone.

  Name tie-in: His character in the official box set is Nog the Dwarf. Try the Dwarf Name Generator

  Show details for Dustin Henderson

• Lucas Sinclair — Ranger

  Official

  Box-set character: Sundar the Bold

  Flip for the reasoning and signature move.

  Lucas is the scout and the realist. He's the one with the wrist-rocket, the one who wants a plan before charging in, and the one who keeps watch. Rangers are ranged specialists and trackers — a perfect fit for the party's most practical member.

  Signature move: The precise long-range shot.

  Name tie-in: His box-set character is Sundar the Bold.

  Show details for Lucas Sinclair

• Eleven — Sorcerer

  Official

  Netflix-official class

  Flip for the reasoning and signature move.

  Eleven's powers aren't studied or learned — they're innate. That's exactly the difference between a sorcerer and a wizard in D&D: sorcerers are born with magic. Netflix makes it official.

  Signature move: Raw power with a nosebleed for a spell slot.

  Fun debate: The 2019 Stranger Things D&D Starter Set made her a wizard. Netflix's Season 5 guide changed that to sorcerer — and the sorcerer reading fits her far better.

  Show details for Eleven

• Max Mayfield — Zoomer

  Official

  Netflix-official class

  Flip for the reasoning and signature move.

  Max's class isn't in any rulebook. “Zoomer” is a homebrew class the boys invent for her in Season 2 — essentially a fast, skateboarding rogue. Netflix kept it as her official class, which is the best kind of canon.

  Signature move: Getting in and out before anything can catch her.

  Play one yourself: Want to play a Zoomer in your own game? Treat it as a Rogue with a focus on speed and mobility.

  Show details for Max Mayfield

• Erica Sinclair — Lady Applejack

  Our pickClass: Rogue

  Box-set character: Lady Applejack

  Flip for the reasoning and signature move.

  Erica joins the Hellfire Club in Season 4 and introduces herself to Eddie by her character's name: Lady Applejack. Her class isn't stated in Netflix's guide, so we're labelling this one carefully. Fans widely read her as a rogue, which fits — she's the party's sharp-tongued infiltrator who crawled through air ducts in Season 3.

  Signature move: A clutch critical hit when the table needs it most.

  Show details for Erica Sinclair

• Eddie Munson — Dungeon Master

  Official

  Runs the Hellfire Club

  Flip for the reasoning and signature move.

  Eddie isn't a player — he runs the Hellfire Club's campaign. Every great party needs a DM, and his campaign is where Season 4's D&D story lives.

  Signature move: Making the party sweat over one dice roll.

  Show details for Eddie Munson

Our picks — classes for the rest of Hawkins

Netflix only assigned classes to the party. Here's how we'd build the others. These are our opinions — argue with us.

• Steve Harrington

  Our pickFighter

  No magic, no plan, just a nail-studded bat and the willingness to take every hit for the kids.

• Nancy Wheeler

  Our pickRanger (or Rogue)

  A crack shot who investigates first and asks permission never.

• Robin Buckley

  Our pickBard

  Fast talker, codebreaker, solves problems by being the smartest person in the room.

• Jim Hopper

  Our pickBarbarian

  Shrugs off damage, runs on rage and coffee, unstoppable once he's moving.

• Joyce Byers

  Our pickCleric (Light domain)

  Communicated across dimensions with Christmas lights. Enough said.

• Jonathan Byers

  Our pickRogue

  The quiet observer with a camera who sees what others miss.

• Murray Bauman

  Our pickWizard

  Knowledge is his weapon, and he's always done the reading.

Which Stranger Things character are you? (Quiz)

Eight questions. One party member. No mouth-breathers.

Roll for a party member

Can't decide who to play? Let the d20 choose.

Need real dice? Try our dice roller

Build your own Hawkins party

Pick four. See if your party would survive the Upside Down.

The monsters — Stranger Things vs real D&D

The kids name every monster after something from D&D — but the show's versions are very different from the game's. Flip between them.

• Demogorgon

  In the showIn D&D

  The faceless, petal-headed predator the kids name after a D&D figure in Season 1. It hunts by blood and moves between our world and the Upside Down.

• Mind Flayer

  In the showIn D&D

  A vast spider-shaped shadow entity that controls the Upside Down's creatures and possesses people, named by Dustin after the D&D monster.

• Vecna

  In the showIn D&D

  Henry Creel — once known as One — who became the Upside Down's mastermind, killing his victims through their memories. The kids name him after the D&D villain in Season 4.

Want the full D&D versions? Monster guides are coming soon.

How D&D shapes Stranger Things

FAQ