Steve Harrington has been a main cast member in all four seasons of the popular sci-fi series Stranger Things. He is played by Joe Keery of Spree and Free Guy. Despite starting as a stereotypical arrogant jock, Steve eventually matures and redeems himself. It is this redemptive arc that earned his place as a fan favorite. According to Matt and Ross Duffer, Steve wasn’t originally meant to be a staple character, nor was he supposed to have any depth, but rather he was meant to be a pseudo-villain. The writing duo extraordinaire, however, was impressed by Keery’s interpretation of Steve and saw greater potential for the initially unlikable character. They would later hire Dacre Montgomery as Billy Hargrove who would fill the shoes of the evil unrelenting bad guy.
While Keery’s bad guy turned good guy arc in Stranger Things is enough to make audiences root for Steve Harrington, we also love his quick wit, badass hair, adorable bond with Dustin, and of course his mad babysitting skills. Keery is currently signed on as a cast member for Season 5 of Fargo, which begins production this year, as well as the sci-fi action movie Cold Storage (also in production). Here are Steve Harrington’s best moments in the series so far, ranked.
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10 Bonding With Dustin
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In season 2 of Stranger Things, Dustin needs help tracking down Dart, his secret pet Demogorgon. For lack of better options, he enlists the help of Steve and his trusty bat. The unlikely pair play off each other perfectly resulting in comedy gold. On their stand-by-me-Esque walk along the train tracks, Steve gives Dustin advice on his love life telling him the secret with girls is acting like you don’t care. Moreover, he also confesses the secret ingredient to his famed Steve Harrington coif: four pumps of Farrah Fawcett Spray.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
9 Protects the Kids From Billy
While Steve babysits the kids at the Byers’ home, while Elle and Hopper attempt to close the gate, Billy shows up looking for Max. As he approaches, Max states, “It’s my brother, he can’t know I’m here. He’ll kill me, he’ll kill us.” Ever the protector, Steve immediately takes notice and goes outside to cover for Max, despite having only just met her. Steve and Billy get into a fight, which Steve invariably loses, however, not before saving Lucas and Max from Billy’s wrath.
8 Encourages Nancy to Support Jonathan
In the Season 2 finale of Stranger Things, “The Gate,” Joyce and Jonathan Byers take Will to Hopper’s cabin to coax the Mindflayer out of him. Steve, recognizing Nancy and Jonathan’s bond, tells her before they leave, “You should go with him.” Nancy expresses concern over leaving Mike, to which Steve replies, “No one’s leaving anyone, I may be a pretty (expletive) boyfriend, but turns out I’m actually a pretty damn good babysitter.” At that moment, Steve admitted his faults, encouraged Nancy to follow her heart, and offered to babysit all in one fell swoop.
7 Volunteers to Investigate Watergate
When the group realizes a gate is opened at every one of Vecna’s murder sites in Stranger Things season 4, they opt to investigate the gate in Lover’s Lake, which Dustin dubs “Watergate” much to the chagrin of his friends. As former Co-Captain of Hawkin’s High Swim Team, and a certified lifeguard, Steve offers to take one for the team. After finding the gate, Steve swims back to the boat, before being sucked down into The Upside Down by one of Vecna’s vines. Once on the other side, Steve must face off against bloodthirsty demo bats, that is, until his friends come back to rescue him.
6 Supports Robin After She Comes Out
After being drugged by the Russians in the substructure of Starcourt Mall, Robin and Steve have a heart-to-heart in the movie theater bathroom, where Steve confesses his feelings for her. Robin quickly shuts him down, revealing that she is lesbian and always had a crush on Tammy Thompson. His response is to immediately crack a joke about the object of Robin’s unrequited love, making Robin feel instantly comfortable revealing her sexuality to him. Maya Hawke who plays Robin told Vulture magazine that the duo was originally penned to end up together romantically, but the pair both pushed back against the storyline and the Duffer brothers were receptive to their suggestions.
5 Crashes Into Billy’s Car to Protect the Group
During the battle of Starcourt in Stranger Things season 3, Steve, Robin, Dustin, and Erica are at Dustin’s radio tower helping Hopper to navigate the ventilation system to the vault room. Over the walkies, they can hear that the spider monster has infiltrated the mall. Steve rushes to the car to race back to the mall to rescue everyone. Back at the mall, Jonathan and Nancy are trying to fix the ignition cable in the vehicle when Billy, still under the control of the Mindflayer, starts racing towards them in his car. As Nancy faces off against him with a handgun, Billy shows no signs of slowing. In the nick of time, Steve smashes into the side of Billy’s car, saving everyone in the vehicle as they all speed away in the Todfather.
4 Reveals His True Feelings to Nancy
In the Season 4 finale “The Piggyback,” Steve gets vulnerable his old love interest Nancy, thanking her for “giving my head the biggest thump of my life.” He continues by admitting that his previously revealed dream future of road trips in a Winnebago with his six kids, also included her. Whether you are team Jancy or team Stancy, you can’t deny this was a pretty touching Steve Harrington moment.
3 Realizes Max Isn’t Okay and Checks On Her
In Season 4, Episode 4 “Dear Billy,” Max is experiencing visions of Vecna. Knowing she is marked for death, she writes letters to all her friends and loved ones. She asks Steve to take her to the cemetery where Billy is buried so that she can read him her letter. While she is there, she begins to have more visions. Watching like a hawk from the car, Steve can recognize that Max is in trouble and goes to investigate. This is one of Steve’s best moments on Stranger Things because if not for Steve realizing Max was in a dreamlike state, the group may not have been able to save her from Vecna.
2 Parts Ways with Tommy and Carol
After Tommy and Carol vandalize the movie theater marquee to say nasty things about Nancy, Nancy confronts Steve, which leads to him and Jonathan getting into a fight. In the aftermath of the fight, Steve confronts Tommy and Carol, telling them they are essentially terrible people. After which he drives straight to the movie theater to help remove the graffiti. This is one of Steve Harrington’s best moments because it represented his character’s desire to make things right, and kicked off his redemption arc.
1 Returns to Help Nancy and Jonathan Battle the Demogorgon
In the Season 1 Finale “The Upside Down,” Nancy and Jonathan are preparing to trap and kill the Demogorgon in the Byers’ home. As they are waiting, Steve comes to the door wanting to make amends with Jonathan for their earlier fight. While at the door, he notices Nancy’s hand is wounded and comes in to make sure she is safe. Once inside the home, the trio comes face to face with a Demogorgon. After a narrow escape, Steve leaves the home, however, as he is about to get in his car, he sees the lights flicker in the home, and he knows his friends are in danger. Back inside the home, Nancy is about to be attacked by the monster, until Steve reappears with the bat in hand to save the day.
