Hawkins, Indiana, seems like an ordinary town until the dark underbelly of the Upside Down takes Will Byers to the other side. One of Netflix's best shows, Stranger Things became an overnight sensation with its nostalgic nod to 80s pop culture, great group of kids, and world-building. While the Duffer Brothers create a world that seems full of light and love, it takes a dark turn almost immediately.
From death to grief to falling in love, and becoming broken-hearted, the characters of Stranger Things are forced to deal with many dark moments. With most of the main characters being kids, audiences don't always process how difficult these situations are for adults, let alone for children.
10 Holly, Jolly
Season 1, Episode 3
Throughout the series, Nancy feels guilty for leaving Barb to be with Steve, as Barb ends up getting killed by a Demogorgon that night. Despite Will being the first taken, Barb's character is the first to die in the Upside Down. As the days of Will's disappearance add up, audiences see a broken Joyce desperate for answers.
Believing to be in contact with Will through the lights, Joyce buys and decorates her house with them. As Will tells Joyce he's still here, the kids follow a line of police cars down to the quarry, where they see them pull Will's body out of the water. Though later revealed to be fake, audiences' hearts dropped for Joyce, and Will's friends.
9 Dear Billy
Season 4, Episode 4
Max's brother Billy is a bully, racist, and abusive. Billy's death consumes Max with guilt, making her one of Vecna's targets. Using Max's guilt against her is a sinister form of power. With less than 24 hours to live, Max goes to Billy's grave to say bye, only to become possessed by Vecna.
With Vecna's hold on her, Max is transported to his lair, where Chrissy and Fred's corpses are on display. As fans believe Max is about to die, her favorite song opens up a portal, allowing her to narrowly escape Vecna. Though considered one of the best episodes, the nightmare Vecna creates is a harrowing watch, and marks a dark turn in the series.
8 Will The Wise
Season 2, Episode 4
Though rescued in season one's finale, Will's still connected to the Upside Down. Not wanting to put his mom through the pain again, Will keeps this to himself. However, the Mind Flayer doesn't want to let Will go, and as his friends believe he's having a seizure, audiences see the Shadow Monster enter his body.
Will can't catch a break, and he breaks down, telling Joyce he's scared, and doesn't know what it wants. The episode becomes gradually darker as the Mind Flayer starts controlling Will, even blurring their memories. If dealing with the past, and present of a supernatural monster targeting you wasn't difficult enough for anyone, it only proves harder for a kid.
7 The Case Of The Missing Lifeguard
Season 3, Episode 3
Billy is usually seen hitting on women or driving his car, but Season 3 casts a dark shadow over him, making him the Mind Flayer's new host. Playfully spying on their friends, El and Max discover Billy is holding Heather hostage, sparking concern. To protect Heather, El and Max crash her dinner party, where they find Billy, and Heather both safe, and looking normal.
Though hesitant, El and Max leave. Soon after, Billy and Heather drug, and knock out her parents in order to sacrifice them to the Mind Flayer. Apart from Will, no other character has been a host until Billy, and his taking innocent people to the monster showcases a disturbing storyline that continues throughout the season.
6 Vecna's Curse
Season 4, Episode 2
"Vecna's Curse" is one of Stranger Things' most action-packed episodes, where every character seems to face their own darkness. From Hopper surviving and being sent to a Russian prison camp to Chrissy's paranormal murder, a strain on Will and Mike's relationship, Eddie being accused of murder, and then Fred's murder, the episode's darkness doesn't let up.
Prior seasons allowed everyone to work together to solve one or two problems, but the fourth season targets each character, making them as vulnerable as ever. Additionally, Vecna's victims' bodies are horrifying in and of themselves, showcasing a form of darkness that's been building throughout the seasons, but has yet to be seen until now.
5 The Upside Down
Season 1, Episode 8
Though hoping everything will work out for the kids, audiences are surprised to learn that's not true. Protecting Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, El sacrifices herself, sending the Demogorgon back into the Upside Down, and herself with it. Everyone takes this loss hard, but Mike, who develops feelings for El, becomes lost.
As El protects her friends, Hopper and Joyce enter the Upside Down, and rescue Will. Despite Will seemingly making a full recovery, he coughs up a slug, hinting that the Upside Down is still alive, and the worst is yet to come. Additionally, fans are shown some of Hopper's backstory during Will's rescue, revealing Hopper's daughter died at a young age. This breaks fans' hearts all over again.
4 The Gate
Season 2, Episode 9
Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy have to force the Mind Flayer out of Will's body before sending it back into the Upside Down. Knowing the Mind Flayer likes the cold, they strap Will to a bed, and surround him with heaters. Despite Will's crying and pleading for them to stop, Joyce turns the heat up.
Will's veins turn black, and he breaks out of his bindings, strangling Joyce. Regardless, Joyce refuses to give up, and Nancy burns him with a fire stick, finally expelling the Mind Flayer from his body. Having to torture your own kid to get rid of a monster feeding off of him is a parent's worst nightmare, and makes for a terribly dark episode.
3 The Battle Of Starcourt
Season 3, Episode 8
Season 3's finale is filled with loss, grief, and change. Battling Billy, and the Mind Flayer, as well as the Russians, danger surrounds the Hawkins gang. Exhausted from all the fighting, El has lost her powers, and can't help them fight against the Mind Flayer, putting their lives in more danger.
When all seems lost, Billy sacrifices himself to the Mind Flayer, saving El, Max, and all their friends. At the same time, Joyce destroys the Russian's machine, losing Hopper in the process. Until his return in season 4, El believes she has hugged her dad for the last time, and is left heartbroken. Despite destroying the Mind Flayer, everyone lost something, or someone, leaving them hopeless.
2 The Piggyback
Season 4, Episode 9
In a 142-minute finale, "The Piggyback" is riddled with darkness, and ends on the biggest all-is-lost note. No matter what the Hawkins gang has to face, they never lose hope. However, when Hawkins is torn apart by Vecna, there isn't a single person who believes that they'll be able to win.
Despite making a plan, it falls apart when Vecna proves too powerful, and audiences must say a painful goodbye to Eddie. Though Vecna kills Max, El seems able to start her heart, allowing her to survive in a coma. With Max's uncertain future, and the Upside Down bleeding into their world, Hopper being alive is the only good thing to come out of the episode, and the season.
1 The Massacre At Hawkins Lab
Season 4, Episode 7
Fans have speculated about Eleven's backstory since meeting her. Season 4 shows audiences more of her backstory, and "The Massacre at Hawkins Lab" reveals every dark, terrible thing that made El who she is, and how she's tied to the Upside Down. One of Hawkins Lab's three surviving test subjects, El, was born with supernatural abilities, and raised in the lab to strengthen her powers.
In a shocking reveal, Vecna is number 1, escaping by killing everyone in the lab. Though too late to save others, El sends Vecna to the Upside Down. The Hawkins massacre is the darkest, and most disturbing part of the series, but it offers fans hope that El might defeat Vecna once again.