The Biggest Reason Behind Billy Still Being One of Stranger Things' Most Popular
Netflix's Stranger Things has run for a successful 4 seasons so far, and over time has introduced fans to characters they absolutely love and characters they are quick to despise. There is one character that fans are still divided on.
Billy Hargrove entered the series in season 2 along with his young stepsister Max. Whilst the spunky, red-haired Max keeps mostly to herself and eventually becomes friends with the Hawkins gang, Billy's role proves to be more antagonistic.
From the start, he is controlling and a bully to Max and others around her. With his long, blonde mullet and bad boy attitude, Billy speeds around the town and instigates his fair share of trouble, but the real trouble starts when he becomes possessed by the Mind Flayer.
So, if all Billy seemed to do was cause havoc, whether it was his choice or against his will, how can he still be one of Stranger Things' most popular characters?
The reason is his backstory.
His character seemed to have little depth to him, until a moment between him and Eleven. Whilst under the control of the Mind Flayer, Billy attacks Eleven and drags her toward the Mind Flayer. In order to escape, Eleven enters Billy's mind to plead with him, and she is able to reach his humanity, the soft side of him that existed before his mother left him.
Just as his tragic history is revealed, Billy is killed by the Mind Flayer after making the choice to hold it back, giving the Hawkins kids a chance to escape. In his final words, he apologizes to Max.
For a character that started out being hated, Billy's final moments are absolutely heart wrenching, and in his absence, fans realize that he will actually be missed.
Looking at his history, it is understandable that he turned out the way he did. His mother abandoned him at a young age and he was left with an abusive father. He grew up never knowing love and was never able to escape the cycle of abuse that was his life.
He became a bully because his father was a bully, and the only way for the child inside him to feel safe was to remain harsh and cold toward others.
As it turns out, many fans can relate to his character, possibly because they grew up in similar circumstances. They also admire him because in his final moments he proved that there was good in him, and he died to protect those he had hurt, making him a truly tragic villain turned hero, and one of the most popular characters to have appeared on the show. Although some fans outright hate Billy Hargrove, those who love him seem to be the ones who understand him.