Stranger Things: 5 reasons behind Steve Harrington's cult favorite status in the horror series

The final chapter of Netflix’s Stranger Things is just a couple of months away. The show, which premiered in 2016, has now become a global hit and created its own place in the pop culture lore. The narrative of the horror show revolves around the story of a small town called Hawkins, where, due to a human experiment facility, a gateway is opened between the real world and an alternate and dangerous world, which the show depicts as the Upside Down.

As monsters from the Upside Down, a group of teenagers gets entangled in the mess. Over four seasons, these teenagers and several others have risked their lives and also lost people in their fight against the creatures from the other dimension.

While several characters have become as popular as the show, for instance, Milly Boby Brown’s Eleven, many others initially were not as important but have now become crucial to the success of the show. One of those names is Steve Harrington, played by Joe Keery.

Steve was introduced as the popular and insufferable jock, but as the series progressed, he became more popular and not just because of his perfect hair. Over the four seasons, Steve became a better person, a friend to Dustin and the other kids, while also protecting them from creatures from Upside Down.

While we wait to watch the fate of Steve Harrington in Season 5 of the horror series, let’s look at 5 reasons behind Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington’s cult favorite status in Stranger Things.

Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.

5 reasons behind Steve Harrington's cult favorite status in Stranger Things

1) Has the best character development

In Season 1 of Stranger Things, Steve hung out with the wrong people, like Tommy and Carol. He was also portrayed as the clichéd version of a high school jock who did not have any redeeming qualities other than his perfect head of hair. However, by the end of the show. He began to change and even helped Jonathan and Nancy fight against the Demogorgon.

It was season 2 when he peaked and turned into a character that attained the fan-favorite status. From helping Dustin look for his pet Demogorgon, letting Nancy go without creating a fuss about it, to fighting the Demodogs alone to protect Lucas, Max, and Dustin in the junkyard, Steve showed many redeemable characteristics that created a perfect character development that no other character has gone through in the show.

2) The best babysitter in Hawkins

While he might be seen complaining about always being the babysitter to the chaotic teenagers in Stranger Things, he also never falters in performing his babysitting duties. His friendship with Dustin was a major reason for him becoming the kids’ protector more than once.

Whether it was taking the lead in the tunnel in Season 2, or accompanying Dustin and Erica to the Russin hideout, or taking Max to her brother’s grave, Steve was always there for them. Sometimes, like an anxious mother, even. He has endured the cranky moods of the kids and even Erica’s sarcastic comment and fought with Billy and Russians (even if he lost on several occasions), but still protected the kids.

3) One of the most courageous characters

In Stranger Things, there are numerous courageous characters, but what makes Steve different from everyone else is the surprise element. Viewers did not accept Steve to be one of the characters who would be able to fight the creatures until he helped Jonathan and Nancy in Season 1, and later Dustin in Season 2.

Whether it's Demorgons, Demodogs, Demobats, or any other kinds of creatures, Steve was ready with his Negan-styled bat with nails. His goofy nature might present him as a character who would be helpless during a fight, but Steve has more than once proved how useful and fearless he can be in the face of any kind of danger, making him one of the courageous characters in the horror series.

4) His quest for love

In Season 1 of Stranger Things, Steve had the perfect girl in his life, but had to let her go as she did not share the same feelings toward him anymore. After giving up on his bad boy days, he has been trying to work his charm, even on Robin, but it has not worked much after Season 1 of Stranger Things.

His unsuccessful love life makes him one of the most relatable characters, who has many viewers empathise with his condition. His trying to impress girls with his goofy nature does not work every time, and that’s what makes his character more real. All that Farrah Faucet hair spray sometimes did not work its magic, and he accepted it without despising the women who rejected him.

5) Showing his vulnerable side

One of the most endearing qualities of Steve from Stranger Things is how he accepts everything and everyone around him without being judgmental. He accepted Nancy being with Jonathan, even if he still had feelings for her. Later, when Robin came out to him, he accepted her truth as well without judging her.

Furthermore, he also never hesitated in apologising for his mistakes. For instance, in Season 1, he went to Jonathan’s house to apologise to him for badmouthing his family. Later, in season 2, he went to Nancy’s house with flowers to apologise to her. These moments, added with his heart-to-heart conversation with Robin in Season 3, depicted him as one of those characters who never backed away from accepting their emotions and their mistakes as well.

These are the reasons why Steve Harrington has a cult favorite status in the horror series.

Catch Stranger Things Season 5 on November 26, 2025, exclusively on Netflix.