7 Reasons Why 'Stranger Things' Became So Popular

3 days ago 3

Stranger Things Season 3, Episode 4 cast of kid characters staring ahead somberly.

Published Jan 31, 2026, 9:18 AM EST

Eddie Possehl is a dynamic and driven writer/director with a passion for the written word and all things film, television, comics, and games. His passion for storytelling led him to establish his own production company in hopes of achieving his dreams.

His dedication to his craft has attracted renowned talent like Yuri Lowenthal to collaborate with him on his projects. As he grows and improves, Eddie is a shining example of a self-starter.

Ever since Stranger Things was released in 2016, it's become one of the greatest feats in television history, and a huge part of the reason that streaming television has become as huge as it has. Stranger Things is one of the first truly massively successful streaming shows, and it's undeniable that it has had a significant impact on the way studios view the profitability of streaming shows. A product as popular as this doesn't grow so big without having astounding quality behind it, regardless of what some people think of Season 5.

Yes, Season 5 was not received nearly as well as the others, but many seem to forget that before this, audiences got four beyond phenomenal seasons. The batting average is still extremely good, and many other beloved shows genuinely can't say the same. Despite how angry someone could be about how Season 5 ended up in their eyes, it's simply undeniable that Stranger Things is one of the greatest television shows ever made. It changed history, impacted storytelling in projects surrounding it (many shows now aim for a "Stranger Things vibe"), and gave audiences all over the world something to come together and connect over.

7 The stellar performances

Steve Harrington deep in thought while sitting in a bathroom in Stranger Things Season 3

The writing of a project (more on that later) could be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it can be immediately dimmed if actors aren't bringing good performances to the roles they're stepping into. Had the actors' performances in Stranger Things not been as good as they are, it easily could have garnered much less popularity than it did. Thankfully, for the crew behind the show and the fans watching it, almost every single character in Stranger Things has an actor underneath them that does a phenomenal job bringing them to life in a way that audiences can connect to and fall in love with.

It's hard to list standouts, because they're all — thanks to the main cast — beyond beautiful performances. Every single day, the players bring their A-game in a way that just brings these characters to the screen with so many layers, complexity, and obvious sheer love for the content. The audience can tell immediately when an actor truly gives a crap about making sure they do their job well, and when they can tell, they gain so much more respect for the actor and connect to that character easier because of that. Heck, Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington, only stuck around because the show's creators loved him. Steve was originally supposed to die, but his passion kept him around, and there's plenty of it in the entire cast.

6 The incredible worldbuilding

A view of the gate to the Upside Down at the Mac-Z in the Stranger Things finale.

If there's one thing Stranger Things does exceptionally, it's most certainly the way it pulls off expanding its world. It takes the first season to handle the very basic, bare-bones information needed to tell the story, and doesn't concern itself with trying to build out the world when it is not necessary. Surprisingly, this happens way too often in fantasy and sci-fi stories, and thankfully, with Stranger Things, it has what's considered "soft worldbuilding," in which there are no set hard rules established from the beginning, leaving the writers with room to expand upon them later in the series as the story demands.

This makes for great worldbuilding over the four seasons to come afterward, which slowly expands upon the story in a way that feels natural, as the audience learns about these rules, facts, new creatures, new characters, and locations along with the characters in the series. This makes them feel like they're along for the journey with the main players, and helps get them even more invested in the story at hand and interested in the world it takes place in. Because of how this worldbuilding style works, viewers actively want to learn more as the characters try to solve the mysteries at hand.

5 Great character dynamics

Will and Vecna in Stranger Things Season 5

A character can be well-written, sure, but if they don't mesh well with the other characters in the series, not even good writing can save them. With a cast as big as Stranger Things', it's super important for the characters to feel like they not only exist in the same universe, but have a good reason to be interacting with each other — specifically in a way that feels natural and not forced. Typically, the large cast gets split up into a few groups handling different plots throughout each season. Each group works very well with the others internally, but, even more importantly, they feel natural alongside the other groups, too, despite how different they are. The teenage characters mesh well with the kids and adults alike, and vice versa, which makes the moments in which their groups crossover feel satisfying to see.

This applies to heroes' relationships with villains, as well — most importantly and impactfully, the relationship between the likes of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). This dynamic is especially great because they come from the same origins and are perfect depictions of how people who come from the same beginnings can turn into such vastly different people based on the circumstances of their lives to come after, which acts as a "nature vs. nurture" theme. This relationship really is the core of the conflict between the heroes and villains until Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) gets more involved with him in Season 5. This keeps people invested in the villain, as it keeps them wondering how the characters may affect each other moving forward. Relationships are another great example of why character dynamics are so vital and a huge part of Stranger Things' success, as it gets people invested in how the two (Eleven x Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) x Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), and plenty others) will turn out. Everyone loves a good love story, and good love stories intertwined with the main plot make for another reason for the audience to have a plethora of care about what's happening on screen.

4 The appeal to all ages

The kids riding on bikes in the dark in Stranger Things.

Demographics are a huge — far more than many realize — factor in the production of a series, and especially if a studio will decide to pick it up. What Stranger Things has going for it is the fact that it truly appeals to almost all ages, which opens the door for a gigantic demographic of viewers to get interested and watch the series. As stated, each little group of characters is typically split up to do different things for the plot and end up crossing over, and each group represents a different age group. There are the kids, the teens/young adults, and the adults. Almost every age group has characters they can personally relate to and find compelling.This is a gigantic aspect of how and why Stranger Things found the success that it did. There are so many lovable characters — more and more being introduced as time goes on — that each appeals to a different demographic of some sort, which is huge for film and television. These characters are not only of different ages, but also come from all different walks of life, too, which helps appeal to an even larger number of people who could potentially watch the show.

3 Its excellent direction/showrunning

Vecna with a hand out toward the camera with fire behind in 'Stranger Things 5.'

The direction of Stranger Things as a whole is the entire reason that it managed to go on as long as it did (ten years as of 2026). Not only is it a huge part of what makes the story itself so interesting, but it is also the sole contributor to how the series looks and the visual style that has made it so unique compared to other shows over the years, and is what many other pieces of media now take inspiration from. A general direction that is strong is what allows shows to continue forward in a way that feels natural, because the direction was more thought out from the start.This isn't to say that the team knew exactly what they were doing right off the bat, but they had a general sense of where they wanted to go and how they were going to get there. This helped the seasons to come after the debut to build on what was already there, because said things were there from the beginning, with the intention of potentially building into something new. The direction, in a far more general sense, is the driving force behind pretty much everything that makes the series good. Directors who have directed episodes outside the showrunners are Shawn Levy, Andrew Stanton, Uta Briesewitz,Nimród Antal, Frank Darabont, and Rebecca Thomas.

2 The writing

Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler writes at his typewriter on 'Stranger Things.'

A show or movie could have the best director/direction out there, but not even good direction can fully save bad writing. A good screenplay is vital to making any product as good as it could be. Character arcs, dynamics, worldbuilding, and general storytelling wouldn't be possible without strong writing. Screenplays are the driving force behind any sort of narrative medium on film. While Matt and Ross Duffer may have created Stranger Thingsand written many episodes, they aren't the only writers on the show, with many others coming in to draft scripts for numerous episodes over the years.To give them credit — they commonly go without public credit (credited in the episode, but not recognized by people) because the Duffers are so commonly noted as the spearheaders — the many other writers who have helped with the show over the years consist of: Paul Dichter, Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Caitlin Schneiderhan, Justin Doble, Curtis Gwinn, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock, and William Bridges. Without writers providing strong writing, the series could have and would have flopped dead in the water.

1 Fantastic character arcs/development

The kids dressed as Ghostbusters walk down a school hallway in Stranger Things.

On the topic of good writing — to get more niche — some of the most important writing that can have an impact on a series' lifespan and popularity, and was one of the largest contributing factors to Stranger Things', is having strong characters with strong development and arcs to drive said development. Stranger Things arguably does nothing better than its characters. Even when the series slightly falters at times to some audiences, they still have an abundance of love for the characters and want to continue watching them, regardless of the plot.One of the best examples? Steve Harrington. He began the series as an unlikable jock and ended that first season as one of the fan favorite characters and carried on to be easily the most popular character in the show. People get extremely invested in these characters, and it improves engagement tenfold. People get invested in their growth, relationships, and their potential deaths. It's impossible not to love at least a few of the Stranger Things characters, and that's the proof in the pudding of this show's quality.